Hmmm. Iran is one of the cultures on earth, and many find their system of justice to be quite strict. If I recall, when you're caught stealing they cut off your hand. It looks like Horn just one upped even the Iranians.

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Not a day goes by that I don't see something that reinforces my belief that people are idiots.

I'm beginning to think that Texas has some of the worst cops in the nation. Maybe you guys just need to give them some actual police training, instead of just handing them a badge and deputizing them.

Again, the choice is the criminal's. He knows he can get shot breaking into a home and chooses to do it anyway. Too bad for him.

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In case you were wondering, yes, there really ARE more idiots these days....technology has made natural selection obsolete.

Since when? Are you seriously suggesting the people don't have the authority to stop a crime in progress?

This is where things break down in the discussion between us. You seem to be of the mindset that only the government may do anything about crime whereas I am of the mindset that government is tasked with prosecuting the crime after it is committed; it is the responsibility of the individual to protect himself or his property.
Doesn't matter does it? The cop isn't legally authorized to have used lethal force to protect property.

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In case you were wondering, yes, there really ARE more idiots these days....technology has made natural selection obsolete.

So what? Has nothing to do with the situation, or my comment.

Was pointing out that until very recently, the idea or a private citizen protecting his property with lethal force didnt even raise an eyebrow in ANY known society in all of human history. The fact that this response has been the universally accepted (and expected) norm since the dawn of time was the point you should have understood.

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In case you were wondering, yes, there really ARE more idiots these days....technology has made natural selection obsolete.

We do. There is not a single police force in the US tasked with preventing a crime before it happens or stopping one in progress. Their job is to arrest criminals AFTER the fact - which means, after there is a victim.

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In case you were wondering, yes, there really ARE more idiots these days....technology has made natural selection obsolete.

Did they drop the stuff after he shot them or before, though? If before, then the only crime he was stopping by shooting them is that of trespass on private property. If after, then it really depends on what the neighbors have to say about it. If he is protecting their property, then he is assuming that they wanted their property protected, and protected to such an extent. If one of my relatives takes a few of my DVDs from my house without asking, I probably wouldn't even go to the police. If someone shoots that relative to "protect my property," then I would certainly be extremely upset, having not given my permission to someone to protect my property either before the "protection" or after.

Ultimately, it depends on how far you are willing to allow people to go to stop crimes, depending on the crime's severity. Certainly, blowing holes in a jogger who touched the edge of your front yard would be too much, wouldn't you agree?

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If a neocon whines about big government wealth redistribution, just ask him what he thinks about the portion of that big government that sends aid to Israel.

And who gives a fuck what Horn said?

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If a neocon whines about big government wealth redistribution, just ask him what he thinks about the portion of that big government that sends aid to Israel.

If they were leaving his property, then clearly they were no longer a threat to him.Horn's words have no force of law. These guys were trespassers the moment they set foot on his land without his permission, regardless of whether or not he yelled "stop." If a jogger is standing one inch within the boundaries of my front yard, I charge him with a shotgun in hand and yell "stop," and he runs off of my property, are you saying I can shoot him in the back because he didn't follow my order?

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If a neocon whines about big government wealth redistribution, just ask him what he thinks about the portion of that big government that sends aid to Israel.

If you look at this realistically, they knew they could get ARRESTED, but they couldn't know they could, or would get shot for burglary, especially by a civilian playing cop.

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Not a day goes by that I don't see something that reinforces my belief that people are idiots.

Not with deadly force. For the tenth time, that is the job of the authorities and no one else. Are you suggesting the concept of "citizen arrest" allows for shooting anyone?
It breaks down because you refuse to understand my position. What my mindset "seems" to be to you is irrelevant. I have repeatedly stated EXACTLY what my position is.
I have already stated the authorities can only REACT to crime, have I not?
I have already pointed out to you that he was NOT in any way protecting HIS property. That is a fact, yet you continue to use that error as a justification for his action.And there is a REASON for that. I cannot see how you don't get that. A lawbreaker, whatever Horn thought he was doing, is GUARANTEED a day in court to determine his guilt or innocence. This idiot took it upon himself to take that guarantee away and made himself judge and jury.

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Not a day goes by that I don't see something that reinforces my belief that people are idiots.

Once again, it was not HIS property. What is the problem with understanding that simple fact?

I would have no problem if he shot the people as they broke into HIS house (again for understanding, HIS house). I fully support that right, and always have.
But it wasn't his house. It can't possibly get any simpler than that. If an argument is based on a total misunderstanding of FACT, it's no argument at all.

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Not a day goes by that I don't see something that reinforces my belief that people are idiots.

They do. Don't you know, he might just be the next governor of Texas, so it's wise to listen to him now.

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Not a day goes by that I don't see something that reinforces my belief that people are idiots.

But then why doesn't he care about what the dispatcher said?

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If a neocon whines about big government wealth redistribution, just ask him what he thinks about the portion of that big government that sends aid to Israel.

Stiff penalty? Sure. The death penalty? No.