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National Review ^ | January 23, 2002 | John Derbyshire

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[Partial excerpt from John Derbyshire's column, yes it is originally just one paragraph]

My personal Man of the Month is 28-year-old Hongdong Xie, who owns the Wing Shing Chinese Kitchen on Manhattan's Second Avenue. (And whose last name is pronounced "Sheah," to rhyme with "Yeah".) Last Thursday night, Xie got a call to deliver take-out food to a building on East 108th Street, round the corner from his shop. Three teenage hoodlums followed him from the shop, waited till he'd dropped off the order, then attacked him. Xie pulled out a handgun and shot one of them. The others ran away. There is an expression in American English that meets this situation: It goes something like "YEEEEE-HAH!" The piece of garbage who stopped the bullet is in "serious condition" in a local hospital — good. Xie may face criminal charges, since the gun permit he has is valid only for protecting his place of business. On the first of those items, the naive Xie broke the principal rule of armed self-defense in a lawyer-infested society, which is: Shoot to kill. Having just wounded his attacker in the hip, Xie may end up paying the vermin's medical bills for the next 60 years. If he'd killed him, there'd only be the funeral expenses. As Stalin used to say: "No man — no problem." On the second point: Does the New York Police Department really have nothing better to do than "investigate" a hard-working guy who defended himself in a responsible and measured (probably too measured — see previous point) way while going about his lawful business? Xie has a permit for his gun. He called the cops right away and told them truthfully what had happened. What's to "investigate"? Manhattan readers, please show support for a brave and honest man: go up to Harlem and buy a meal at the Wing Shing Chinese Kitchen, and leave a huge tip. NYPD and Manhattan DA's office: go find something useful to do with your time. There are probably a dozen or so fanatical suicide bombers hanging out in your jurisdiction. Try finding them, and leave honest people alone.

[harpseal]

Given the fact this is New York City expect the shooter to be vilified and to face more time in jail than any murderer.

Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown

[tallhappy]

Bump.

Maybe the title didn't get the interest this deserves.

I was about to post this exact same piece and did this search to see if it had been posted.

The fellow deserves support.