NY Newsday reports that there have been four intruders shot in NY so far this year. Of those, three were shot using illegal firearms. In most cases, the occupants are facing charges for illegal firearm's possessions. What is most disturbing is this statement from Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes, regarding the case of Ronald Dixon: "We're not disputing that Mr. Dixon had a right to shoot the person who broke into his house. But he had no right to have that gun."

No right? So much for Second Amendment protections. According to the DA, Dixon should have shit himself, called the police, and hoped for the best. The fact is that New York's restrictive firearms laws place homeowners in a lose-lose situation. They can break the firearms laws and risk criminal prosecution, or take their chances that an armed goblin will spare their lives.

What bugs me most is that prosecutors try to take the moral high ground and act as if getting a license is actually a viable option. In fact, a license to merely possess a handgun in your own New York City home costs in excess of $200, requires a mountain of red tape, and an interview with the proper authorities. Then, only if they deem your need appropriate, will you be granted government permission to possess a handgun in your own home. The permit to merely possess a long gun in your home is a bit cheaper, but requires just as much red tape. Practically speaking, it is impossible for people without political connections to get a license.

In the case of Manuel Falquez, whose mother recently won $100,000 in the lottery, he'd have been shit out of luck. Rather than risk waiting months for a permit that would probably never be granted, Falquez illegally purchased a 9mm handgun to protect his family's new found fortune. The hunch paid off, because Falquez fatally shot an intruder Tuesday night, and will undoubtedly face charges. Had he chosen to comply with the law, they'd probably be packing him into a pine box right about now.

The restrictive laws of New York and most of the north east, save Vermont, are what keep me from living there. It just isn't worth living in a place where you either cannot feel safe at night, or have to make yourself a criminal to do so.