Called my son this morning to wish him a Happy Birthday and he told me about a classmate of his in Houston.

Seems Tony was the victim of a "home invasion". He was cooking dinner with his three kids (9-7-5) when a guy kicked in his front door and attacked him.

But, bless his heart, he fought back and beat the devil out of the guy. His three boys got in on the beating - kicking and hitting the guy after Daddy got him down on the floor. The bad guy ended up in the hospital with some "severe" injuries and Tony only had some minor injuries, including a black eye.

This happened at 5 in the afternoon in an upper class neighborhood and the bad guy was black and on drugs (pcp according to the news). The police are hailing Tony as a hero for protecting his home and family, but now I wondering if he's going to be made into a villain because he didn't try to "reason" with the guy who came in to do harm to him and his family.

I'm just saying prayers of thanks that Tony is ok and his family is safe and that the bad guy is in jail. But I'm also thinking of Ferguson and all the hullaballoo there.  :-*

Here in England, if you injure a bad guy who has come to rob you, or worse, you will spend some time in one of her majesty's big hotels, and the bad guy gets compensation.

We're allowed to defend ourselves using "reasonable force", but if you injure him they consider you've gone too far.

Likewise, if someone breaks into my home and injures himself in the process,it's likely to be deemed my fault. There is nothing more rediculous than british law.

I'm glad Tony and his children got the better of it, and are OK.

Barb,

Texas law very specifically allows you to use deadly force to protect life or START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE If someone kicks your door/window in, there is no question what happens next. The bad guy dies without punitive repercussions.

Quite specifically, Rick Perry reaffirmed in 2007, that a person in their own home (car/RV/boat) DOES NOT have to back down or try to escape. If you are in a location that you are legally authorized to be, and some attacks you - you are free to use deadly force without prosecution.

Seriously - in Texas you can legally shoot a burglar in the back as he runs away with your property - if that is the only reasonable way that you have to recover your property. AND you can't get sued in civil court by an assailant that you shot and was convicted.

Around here, the attitude is: "Well, it's sad that he got shot and died, but if he hadn't been there, doing that in the first place - he would still be alive."

Ask me if I like the laws in my adopted state where common sense applies in violent crimes :-)

Marc

Someone entering your home illegally should be dispatched without hesitation. More than likely their intent is to do the same or worse to you.

Home invasions in Perth are on the rise, theirs  normally
More than one involed, the home owner  ends up
severley  beaten in hospital, whilst they joy ride in
his nice new car before burning it, if they get caught
all the do gooders step  in, and they finish up  getting
a slap on the wrist, and like Maz said you need to be
very careful when it comes down to protecting your
own property or you could find yourself on the wrong
side of the law.

Yes Hoppy,
Everything here is geared toward the perpetrators rights, but it leaves the victims without any. Far too many do-gooders and not enough common sense.

There was a case here a few months ago - I can't remember the exact details, but a prisoner had been causing trouble and was interviewed by prison officers. The interview made him to miss his favourite TV program, which caused such huge distress that he was compensated with £5,000. In another case a robber lost a shoe during his arrest and was allowed to sue the police. I can't remember the outcome, but the fact that he was even allowed to sue beggars belief. This is not what I pay my taxes for. At the same time we have seriously failing hospitals and schools because of lack of funding.

I don't agree with Americas gun laws, but at least the law is on the side of the victims.

They say, "Law is an ass" so true.

Gun laws vary quite dramatically by individual States in the USA. I refuse to live somewhere so uncivilized that it would force me to become a victim.....or be severely punished for simply protecting my family.

I'm a large, strong person - but I know I can't beat multiple assailants with a baseball bat or knife. What are my choices?
The life of my family is far too precious to be unprotected in a world with bad people doing bad things.

Guns are for when the police are only minutes away, when seconds count.

Marc

Well said, Marc. 

I remember growing up as a kid in the UK when we
never locked our doors, now we have security doors,
and screens on our windows, and cameras outside,
and burglar alarms, which makes us prisoners in  our
own homes, but at least it keeps the bad guys out.
Times they are a changing.

Hoppy wrote on Sep 13^th, 2014 at 11:45pm:

Times they are a changing.

Because we've let them by our actions.....or inactions as the case may be.

I agree with Marc. I live in Texas and waaay out in the country. I have BIG dogs and guns. I only weigh a little over 100 pounds and could NOT defend myself physically from brute force so...

The ONE time I was tested, the dogs (bless their hearts) pinned the guy in his truck. I went out and nicely told him that I was going back in the house to get my gun and cell phone and if he was still there when I got back I was calling 9-1-1 to come pick up his remains and that he'd best tell all his little friends.

Then I called the dogs off and he left in a BIG hurry. The dogs fur did NOT go down until he was down the hill and out of my driveway ... he hasn't been back.

It's a sad day when this happens, but here in Texas we protect what is ours.  :-*

Wisconsin laws improved for the better about two years ago, but still not as good as the Texas law. At least victims forced to defend themselves here do not have to prove they first tried to run away. Individual safety and the right to self-defense in this country will improve when main stream media stops promoting idiocy, like the three suggestions recently spewed on NBC--use your key fob, wasp spray, or be nice to your attacker. START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE
Stories like that one are ignorant and dangerous. Guns and dogs are predictably left out of the suggestions. As I age, I am no longer as fast or as strong as I once was. Having a dog, a gun, and frequent training and practice certainly has helped to level the playing field.

For what it's worth, wasp spray is not particularly effective. Almost any strong kitchen/bathroom cleaning product with bleach or ammonia will stop an assailant far more quickly than wasp spray. 

Bear spray on the other hand --- will put anyone on their knees in one big hurry. Drug crazed or not, they cannot see and breathing will become labored as you apply more. But with any spray product, you better hope that there is no wind.........

My self defense approach goes against the advice of all experts on the subject. All of my guns (and my wife's) are loaded with "snake shot" (aka rat shot) for the first round. These cartridges carry tiny, tiny little lead pellets and a reduced powder load. Yes they can be lethal if the assailant is right on top of you, but the power drop dramatically with distance. Unless shot in the eye, these will likely not kill an adult with clothes on, across a room.

My reasons are many:
- If there is ever an unjustified shooting with my weapon - it's likely not to be fatal.
- I live in Texas where we have snakes on my land.
- MOST assailants will wet their pants and run if shot with anything.

Last but not least: "Your honor, I didn't want to kill him, I just wanted him to stop - but he kept coming....."

Marc

Its a sad world we live in !
I remember 20 odd year ago, when I was "fearless" I came home late and parked out on the road, as I was heading off to footy training once I got changed, ( had gates on the front of the drive way) started up the side of the house and caught something out of the side of my eye, someone sneaking up the other side of the house !  I raced around the back of the house and slipped in behind the bush against the house, and waited, sure enough a shadow appeared walking right passed me, I reacted in almost a panicked type state, as my wife and two young kids were home alone, so I stiff armed him, catching him just below the chin, he ended up flat on his back, which I quickly jumped on him pinning him down,  I called to my wife, who was shocked that I was even home, she rang the police, it was about 5 minutes before they showed up, in the mean time, I'd dragged this bloke around to the front of the house, with a sort of a head lock, he was trying to get away, and everytime I relaxed my hold, he would throw an upper cut, which after copping about 3 or 4 of them, I got real annoyed and drove my knee hard into his side !, I knew ide broken his ribs, but that settled him down until the police arrived.  Well, long story, sorry, but when the police arrived and I released him, he turned out to be a 14 year old, big for his age, probably 5'10, and he wasn't in good condition, to say the least, his mother turned up 15 minutes later, they just lived 2 blocks down, and she was not happy at the treatment he received. At the front of our place they found a bag, full of goodies from his nights work of burglaries. I was almost embarrassed at what I had done, the force I used, he was just 14 years old !  he ended up with a couple of broken ribs, and a few bruises, police took him away, his mother pursued criminal charges against me !    I was numb !!  I could have killed this young bloke,  but, would I do it again, hell yes, it was dark and I couldn't see the age of the bloke on my property at the time, but my wife and kids are more important to me than the well being of an adolescent criminal kid.   I did a lot of shooting back in those days, I had 2 or 3 shotguns in the house,  would I have loaded them had I have been at home and seen someone lurking, waiting for the police ?
don't know,  if pushed, yep  and the laws of the country would have meant I would have done some jail time !
  cops told me, next time, don't leave any bruises !!!!   LOL
  well, I was young and a lot bigger, but I wouldn't have wanted to have been someone older or frail, cause this kid was a lump of a boy ! 
Got two loud dogs now, that seems to work as a deterent,
If guns were legal here, with the Texas laws, I can see how the adrenalin could take over in the heat of the moment. 
col
 

Good point about the adrenaline and panic! Even with the widespread gun ownership/carry here, we don't see a many unnecessary shootings. Generally, it's a good guy drawing a weapon and the bad guy running away.

Most people inherently don't want to shoot another person, so they have to be pressed pretty hard to pull the trigger.   

At almost 61 years old, I have no intention of trying to slug it out with a younger, stronger person(s).

Marc

I have guns and a tractor to dig a hole ! need I say more ? ;)

Nope, Pappy... that about says it all.  :)