Ravenwood - 12/15/04 06:30 AM
In Britain, burglars feel emboldened. When they invade a home in England they have little to fear. The citizens are pretty much disarmed and if they do have the nerve to defend themselves, they will likely face criminal prosecution.
Some members of the British government are beginning to realize that they have a problem. They have been working hard to restore the rights of homeowners. They hope to send a message to the criminal class that they will no longer be permitted to rob people with impunity. Then, of course, there is the opposition.
Lord Goldsmith, the attorney-general, flew in the face of the Prime Minister's pledge to look again at the law with a view to giving homeowners more rights when he said that existing legislation was adequate.That's right, he came down on the side of burglar's rights. He's worried more about burglars getting hurt than he is about the rights of homeowners to be secure.
He said that criminals must also have the right to protection from violence, prompting David Davis, the shadow home secretary, to accuse the government of being dangerously split on the issue. [...]"We must protect victims and law abiding citizens," [Goldsmith] said.
"But we have to recognise that others have some rights as well. They don't lose all rights because they're engaged in criminal conduct."
Contrast this with America. In the States, anyone who breaks into your home is considered a threat. An occupant pretty much has the right to use whatever force necessary up until the burglar is no longer a threat. No, you can't chase the guy down the street with guns blazing. But you can do your best to make sure he leaves your home on a stretcher (in a bag). That, my freinds, is why the rate of "hot" burglaries - burglaries in which the occupant is home - in the UK is three times as high as in the US.
Citizens of D.C. are only a few steps away from being in the same shoes as the Brits. Look at the crime stats for D.C. (where the anti-gun laws are so insane that you are already a sitting duck in your own home) and compare them to where citizens are not stripped of their second amendment rights.
Imagine what would happen if the VPC and Brady types were successful in pushing the British model of "sensible" gun laws throughout the U.S.
The citizens of Great Britain let their rights be whittled away, bit-by-bit and are now in a lose-lose situation. Do not imagine for a moment that it cannot happen here.
Posted by: Steve Scudder at December 15, 2004 8:38 AMAt least it the laws haven't gotten that bad in Cleveland... yet. No matter really, since I'm currently building a home in a county where gun ownership and self-defense are encouraged. Not surprisingly, crime is almost non-existent there (and Bush won with 66% of the vote).
I have a special clip with Hydra-Shocks that I have reserved for protecting my family and home. The rule is simple: break into my home, leave in a bag. One forfeits his right to "protection from violence" when entering my home uninvited.
This is where I part ways with the British mindset. Not only do I believe the criminal has willingly given up his rights, but I value the lives of my cats more than that of someone who has broken into my home.
Posted by: roger at December 15, 2004 12:22 PMCats?? I can see dogs, but cats??
Posted by: mikem at December 15, 2004 12:49 PMmikem -
Even cats, man. That's how much I despise burglars.
Don't worry, in a few months (when I'm out of the damn city), a dog will become part of the household.
Posted by: roger at December 15, 2004 4:11 PMI agree completely. Enter uninvited, leave in a bag.
Roger - Your going to leave Cleveland? Won't you miss the snow?
Posted by: Tazteck at December 15, 2004 9:46 PMTazteck -
Only moving about 45 minutes east of Cleveland, where the snow is much worse. I must really like snow.
Can't actually say I'll miss much of anything from the posh inner-suburbs of Cleveland. Certainly not the crime, stagnated property values, high unemployment, government housing, excessive income taxes, lousy schools, and enough boarded-up storefronts to make me feel like I'm living in a Springsteen song. Other than that stuff, the place has been great!
Posted by: roger at December 16, 2004 10:11 AM(c) Ravenwood and Associates, 1990 - 2014
