Neal Murphy wrote: > Chris Bannister wrote: > > Bob Proulx wrote: > > > Case 1: I find that someone in my family who lives in my house has > > > rumaged through my underwear drawer. A violation of trust has > > > occurred. I am unhappy and will talk with them and give them a harsh > > > lecture. This is not appropriate behavior. > > > > > > Case 2: I find someone who is not a member of my family and who does > > > not live in my house and who I don't know has rummaged through my > > > underwear drawer. A very serious crime has been committed. I live in > > > a state where I am fully legally protected if I shoot them dead.
Obviously I was using that colorful story to illustrate the differences between the same act committed by two different people becomes a very different crime depending upon who is doing it. Note that I didn't say that I *would* shoot them dead. I said I was fully legally protected if I did so. Which is true of all who live in my state regardless of their own personal politics. All here live under the same rule of law. I meant that to illustrate the severity of the crime in a colorful way. Perhaps too colorful for the list. Sorry about that. What would any of us do if confronted by a burgler in the middle of the night while we were home and woken up from a sound sleep? Ceratinly a terrifying situation. Calm thinking does not happen at such times. The point having been made let's not commit this list to a political discussion of the politics of it. Please? > > So you could shoot kids in halloween costumes for illegally being on > > your property? > > An uninvited stranger in someone's home rifling through the occupants' > belongings should expect to have a short life expectancy. > > There is a certain amount of responsibility involved before one exercises the > power to use arms (with rights come responsibilities). But we begin to > digress > from this list's purpose. With great power comes great responsibility. Bob
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