On Shooting Taggers: Why Conservatives And Liberals Differ (Dennis Prager: Urban Scourge Alert)

Townhall.com ^ | 8/26/2008 | Dennis Prager

[BlazingArizona]

The leftists have no respect of private property rights, so graffiti is no concern to them, as private property owners obviously obtained their property by taking it from the Native Americans, the Oppressed

Liberals may not care about urban graffiti, but they will care about graffiti in natural places. If we could get convenience stores designated as cultural monuments, we could perhaps elicit their concern.

[Roccus]

Pragers sentiment is almost right. However, his comment is stupid.

[BlazingArizona]

If I ever catch one I’m going to take their can of paint and coat them with it head to toe.

...By using it as a suppository.

[nathanbedford]

Liberals do not take graffiti as a serious offense because it is an offense against property. The Constitution takes the sanctity of property very seriously, at least as against offenses committed against property by the government:

nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

If you get into a philosophical discussion with a liberal, perhaps in any college seminar course on government as I have for example, you will find the leftists and the leftist professors do not regard the right to own property as expressed in the Fifth Amendment to be an essential liberty in a free society. They certainly do not place it on the same exalted plane with the First Amendment rights of free speech, for example.

Liberals reluctance to support for the protection of property by the government extends to crimes even more heinous than graffiti. The Liberals have made it virtually impossible in America to shoot looters-at least to have the police do it. Those Korean shop owners in Los Angeles who were filmed shooting at looters were protecting their property and I applaud them. But they are very lucky they were not prosecuted.

On the whole Liberals despise property rights and pursue every contrivance to limit one's "bundle of rights" in one's own property. How can they do good if they cannot redistribute your property? How can they redistribute your property if your rights are so vested that the state must protect it against graffiti?

[Yosemitest]

NOPE!!! The worms’ gotta’ eat!

[rockrr]

Shooting them does seem a tad bit harsh. I’d be content to dip them in fluorescent pink and green paint and let ‘em go...;’}

[Redbob]

"Hey, we could compromise and load up a goose gun with rock salt and apply it to their backsides."

Tends to corrode the barrel; pinto beans work well, though.

The dried variety, not from a can...

[Billthedrill]

Well, Dennis, the reason you don't shoot to wound is that anywhere you hit somebody is potentially fatal. Tagging is repulsive but it isn't a capital crime.

The vast bulk of the offenders are self-centered adolescent males with no conception at all that anyone but themselves has any rights. Public floggings will do nicely.

[b9]

I agree with every word of Dennis Prager here.
Taggers should be afraid of being shot.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

” Go buy a bucket of paint and cover the stuff up;”
The local teenagers tagged all the trees in my yard one night. Should I paint the trees green, brown, or what? You can’t Get the blue paint off the tree bark. Maybe I should just cut down the trees that beautify my lot, cuz if I try to sell, those trees say a lot about my neighborhood’s kids.

[Pontiac]

I don't believe one has the right to kill another human being to protect property. Under any circumstances. I do believe however, short of that, we are entitled to use all the reasonable force necessary to defend property.

I understand what you are trying to say but it is not a very realistic view of the type of crime in question.

Tagging is for the most part a crime committed by gang members. This crime is frequently committed by a crew of gang members.

If one was to try and prevent a crew of gang members intent on marking there territory (I equate tagging with a dog lifting his leg to a tree) with less than a show of lethal force I would suspect that a person attempting such an action would receive at least a sever beating.

[ketelone]

Oh, I think shooting them is really not necessary. Im pretty sure I could handle it with a nice left hook to the face.

[WildcatClan]

Yes, I would vote for monthly canings on the courthouse lawn.

[b9]

if I try to sell, those trees say a lot about my neighborhood’s kids.

How AWFUL for you and your beautiful trees.
I fantasize about running down taggers with my car, I really do. They destroy neigborhoods and property values and it could be STOPPED with enough people armed.

It's about time they feared for THEIR lives.

[Starwolf]

Consider a heavy barrel 22 rifle with sub sonic ammunition (match or hunting). Works great on all kind of varmits. Mine is good to considerable distance

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

And the thing is, I know who did it, but can’t prove it. They’re kids from decent families that have been corrupted by thug culture. I live in an upper-middle class neighborhood in Ohio. Yeah, our houses are only worth a 1/4 mil, but, in California, they’d be 2 mil houses. They keyed my car in my driveway last week. The cops are tryin’ to catch them. They want these little punks bad! Tons of complaints in our three block area.

[Starwolf]

unfortunately many of them are armed and they work in gangs. Sniping would be preferable and more effective that direct confrontation.

Another concept would be to find their “home mural” which is also a monument to their fallen members and dousing it with paint stripper...the ultimate disrespect.

[eclecticEel]

Public floggings will do nicely.

The finest thought on FR this night.

[Starwolf]

And the thing is, I know who did it, but can’t prove it. They’re kids from decent families that have been corrupted by thug culture. I live in an upper-middle class neighborhood in Ohio. Yeah, our houses are only worth a 1/4 mil, but, in California, they’d be 2 mil houses. They keyed my car in my driveway last week. The cops are tryin’ to catch them. They want these little punks bad! Tons of complaints in our three block area.

Get a good hide and wait for them. Low light video camera and zoom in on faces. Your call on a real time confrontation.

[Goldsborough]

If taggers keep killing people, they’re going to find themselves fair game in states where free men may go about armed.

“I wasn’t meaning to run into vandals but I did, so I yelled at them to stop and one as one turned it looked for all the world as if he were bringing up a gun. It was dark and so I wasn’t taking any chances and I pulled my handgun and I shot him until the threat was ended. Detective, haven’t you been following the news concerning how violent these taggers are becoming?”