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Defense of self, family is a personal duty
Josey1
Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
Defense of self, family is a personal duty
Guest columnist Will Dougan, 30, is director of music ministries at a local church.
August 17, 2003
"Legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for one who is responsible for the lives of others."
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2265 (1997)
The question "why do you choose to carry a firearm?" has haunted me.
I am a fairly normal guy. I love to eat barbecue, I pay taxes, I vote. I'd like to take my wife out more often (to eat barbecue), I attend church and I'm a baseball fan - just like many other men in Memphis.
One thing that makes me different from some of those men is that I carry a gun. I do so because I truly believe that preserving the safety and well-being of my wife, my children and myself is my duty.
Do I think there are villains around every corner waiting to pounce? Certainly not. To quote the Boy Scout motto, my intent is only to "be prepared."
I carry a spare tire in my car, have emergency supplies at home, and always wear my seatbelt, all so that I will be prepared. I have used my spare tire twice, never used the emergency supplies and found my seatbelt's restraints necessary only once. So why do I still maintain all those safeguards? Because I know that when I do need them, I'll need them desperately.
For me, a handgun is much the same - a safeguard. I carry it and train with it just in case I ever need it.
I hope never to need my gun. I avoid places I think might not be safe. I pay close attention to what is going on around me, so that I can stay one step ahead of potential dangers. I do not look for trouble nor go around with a chip on my shoulder.
I love my family more than anything on Earth. I want my children to grow up, go to school, move out and give me grandchildren. I want my wife and me to live and love each other until death do us part - when we are very, very old. The thought of losing them or having them lose me makes my eyes well up and lodges a lump in my throat.
I grew up in rural Madison County, where guns were a part of life, not something to be feared or mistrusted. We all had them, we all used them, and we all respected them.
A gun was and is a tool - nothing more, nothing less. You would never know my gun is there; it is safely tucked away in a manner that renders it harmless unless it is called upon. When you are at my home, there is no sign of a firearm; they are all stored in locked safes.
I take my duty as husband and father seriously. Part of that duty is being willing and able to protect my loved ones - from drugs, economic dangers and physical threats. The words of my father ring in my ears: "With great privilege comes great responsibility." I carry a gun because it is my responsibility alone - not that of the police, nor the government, nor the community - to defend the precious lives that God has entrusted to me.
Although I have great distaste for the possibility of taking a life, I recall the words attributed to St. Augustine: "Though defensive violence will always be a 'sad necessity' in the eyes of men of principle, it would be still more unfortunate if wrongdoers should dominate just men."
Fathers are like sheepdogs. We must be persistent, gentle, playful and, at times, ferocious. On occasion, we must become like the wolf that threatens our flock.
For me, that means owning, carrying and undergoing extensive training with a firearm, so that when the wolf appears out of the shadows, I will be prepared to defend what the Master has given me.
MORE COLUMNIST COLUMNS ?
http://www.gomemphis.com/mca/opinion_columnists/article/0,1426,MCA_539_2182432,00.html
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878<P>
Guest columnist Will Dougan, 30, is director of music ministries at a local church.
August 17, 2003
"Legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for one who is responsible for the lives of others."
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2265 (1997)
The question "why do you choose to carry a firearm?" has haunted me.
I am a fairly normal guy. I love to eat barbecue, I pay taxes, I vote. I'd like to take my wife out more often (to eat barbecue), I attend church and I'm a baseball fan - just like many other men in Memphis.
One thing that makes me different from some of those men is that I carry a gun. I do so because I truly believe that preserving the safety and well-being of my wife, my children and myself is my duty.
Do I think there are villains around every corner waiting to pounce? Certainly not. To quote the Boy Scout motto, my intent is only to "be prepared."
I carry a spare tire in my car, have emergency supplies at home, and always wear my seatbelt, all so that I will be prepared. I have used my spare tire twice, never used the emergency supplies and found my seatbelt's restraints necessary only once. So why do I still maintain all those safeguards? Because I know that when I do need them, I'll need them desperately.
For me, a handgun is much the same - a safeguard. I carry it and train with it just in case I ever need it.
I hope never to need my gun. I avoid places I think might not be safe. I pay close attention to what is going on around me, so that I can stay one step ahead of potential dangers. I do not look for trouble nor go around with a chip on my shoulder.
I love my family more than anything on Earth. I want my children to grow up, go to school, move out and give me grandchildren. I want my wife and me to live and love each other until death do us part - when we are very, very old. The thought of losing them or having them lose me makes my eyes well up and lodges a lump in my throat.
I grew up in rural Madison County, where guns were a part of life, not something to be feared or mistrusted. We all had them, we all used them, and we all respected them.
A gun was and is a tool - nothing more, nothing less. You would never know my gun is there; it is safely tucked away in a manner that renders it harmless unless it is called upon. When you are at my home, there is no sign of a firearm; they are all stored in locked safes.
I take my duty as husband and father seriously. Part of that duty is being willing and able to protect my loved ones - from drugs, economic dangers and physical threats. The words of my father ring in my ears: "With great privilege comes great responsibility." I carry a gun because it is my responsibility alone - not that of the police, nor the government, nor the community - to defend the precious lives that God has entrusted to me.
Although I have great distaste for the possibility of taking a life, I recall the words attributed to St. Augustine: "Though defensive violence will always be a 'sad necessity' in the eyes of men of principle, it would be still more unfortunate if wrongdoers should dominate just men."
Fathers are like sheepdogs. We must be persistent, gentle, playful and, at times, ferocious. On occasion, we must become like the wolf that threatens our flock.
For me, that means owning, carrying and undergoing extensive training with a firearm, so that when the wolf appears out of the shadows, I will be prepared to defend what the Master has given me.
MORE COLUMNIST COLUMNS ?
http://www.gomemphis.com/mca/opinion_columnists/article/0,1426,MCA_539_2182432,00.html
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878<P>
Comments
August 17, 2003
"Though defensive violence will always be a 'sad necessity' in the eyes of men of principle, it would be still more unfortunate if wrongdoers should dominate just men." -St. Augustine
The question "why do you choose to carry a firearm?" has haunted me.
I am a fairly normal guy. I love to eat barbecue, I pay taxes, I vote. I'd like to take my wife out more often (to eat barbecue), I attend church and I'm a baseball fan - just like many other men in Memphis.
One thing that makes me different from some of those men is that I carry a gun. I do so because I truly believe that preserving the safety and well-being of my wife, my children and myself is my duty.
Do I think there are villains around every corner waiting to pounce?
Certainly not. To quote the Boy Scout motto, my intent is only to "be
prepared." I carry a spare tire in my car, have emergency supplies at home, and always wear my seatbelt, all so that I will be prepared. I have used my spare tire twice, never used the emergency supplies and found my seatbelt's restraints necessary only once. So why do I still maintain all those safeguards?
Because I know that when I do need them, I'll need them desperately.
For me, a handgun is much the same - a safeguard. I carry it and train with it just in case I ever need it.
I hope never to need my gun. I avoid places I think might not be safe. I pay close attention to what is going on around me, so that I can stay one step ahead of potential dangers. I do not look for trouble nor go around with a chip on my shoulder.
I love my family more than anything on Earth. I want my children to grow up, go to school, move out and give me grandchildren. I want my wife and me to live and love each other until death do us part - when we are very, very old. The thought of losing them or having them lose me makes my eyes well up and lodges a lump in my throat.
I grew up in rural Madison County, where guns were a part of life, not something to be feared or mistrusted. We all had them, we all used them, and we all respected them.
A gun was and is a tool - nothing more, nothing less. You would never know my gun is there; it is safely tucked away in a manner that renders it harmless unless it is called upon. When you are at my home, there is no sign of a firearm; they are all stored in locked safes.
I take my duty as husband and father seriously. Part of that duty is being willing and able to protect my loved ones - from drugs, economic dangers and physical threats. The words of my father ring in my ears: "With great privilege comes great responsibility." I carry a gun because it is my responsibility alone - not that of the police, nor the government, nor the community - to defend the precious lives that God has entrusted to me.
Although I have great distaste for the possibility of taking a life, I recall the words attributed to St. Augustine: "Though defensive violence will always be a 'sad necessity' in the eyes of men of principle, it would be still more unfortunate if wrongdoers should dominate just men."
Fathers are like sheepdogs. We must be persistent, gentle, playful and, at times, ferocious. On occasion, we must become like the wolf that threatens our flock.
For me, that means owning, carrying and undergoing extensive training with a firearm, so that when the wolf appears out of the shadows, I will be prepared to defend what the Master has given me.
NSDQ!
"Nobody dislikes war more than warriors, but we value the causes of peace so highly that we will not duck a war in an effort to get a lasting peace." -General Daniel "Chappie" James
DALE EBERSBACHER, North Fort Myers
Published by news-press.com on August 20, 2003
Re: "Gun control needed," Bette Matthews, Aug. 8. This letter is a good example of "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing." It's true that more people get shot in the United States than in any other civilized country, but Ms. Matthews doesn't mention the fact that in other countries people kill each other with other weapons, and that lots of Americans kill each other without using weapons.
Ms. Matthews advocates gun control as a solution but apparently doesn't realize that we already have gun control and do not have as she puts it "the unfettered right to buy and sell guns." If she attempted to buy a gun she would find that a background check is required and people with criminal records are not allowed to buy guns. Probably what she is advocating is not gun control, which we have, but gun elimination. That has been tried in England and Australia with disastrous results.
Ms. Matthews may be young and strong and skilled in martial arts to the point where she feels capable of defending herself against some thug twice her size who is armed with a gun or knife. However, as an old man who is no longer the athlete that I never was I prefer to protect myself with an "equalizer."
For an objective analysis of the topic, read John R. Lott Jr.'s book, "More Guns Less Crime."
http://www.news-press.com/news/opinion/030820letter2.html
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878<P>
This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press on Wednesday, August 20, 2003.
By NICOLE JACOB
Valley Press Staff Writer
LANCASTER - An intruder at a Lancaster business became the Valley's 26th homicide victim this year.
The intruder's life came to a violent end early Tuesday morning when a Lancaster business owner shot and killed him after the intruder allegedly broke into the owner's comic book shop and was about to attack the owner.
The intruder, whose identity has not been released, allegedly forced open a back door of the Bases Cards and Comics about 3 a.m., only to find the shop owner sleeping in the back room.
The owner told investigators he was sleeping in a back room because of other recent burglaries at the business, sheriff's Sgt. Shaun McCarthy said.
"He heard the door being pried open so he went into the showroom and saw the (intruder)," McCarthy said. "He said the (intruder) attempted to strike him with the tool that he was holding, which was a tire iron."
Sheriff's officials did not release the shop owner's identity, but a search of past Valley Press articles and sources indicate the store owner is Rob Stephens.
Stephens, armed with a handgun, fired at the intruder, striking him once in the upper body, sheriff's officials said. The intruder was dead at the scene.
Stephens was questioned, but not arrested. Homicide detectives believe the case is justifiable homicide, but the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office will make a final decision.
"Based on where our investigation is at this point, it's as clear cut a case of justifiable homicide as I've ever handled," McCarthy said. "Everything appears to be consistent with what we're being told."
The shop was open for business Tuesday afternoon, but Stephens could not be reached for comment.
The incident is the latest in a string of seven killings that have occurred in the Valley since the end of July. Two have involved Valley business owners who were killed at their businesses.
On July 27, antique shop owner Victoria Gnerlich was found beaten to death in her Littlerock shop. Detectives said robbery may have been a motive in that killing.
On Aug. 11, William Budfuloski was found dead in the parking lot outside of his Lancaster business, Budco Fabrications. Budfuloski had been shot several times.
Others who have been killed in the recent wave of violence include sheriff's Deputy Stephen Sorensen, who was shot to death Aug. 2 while investigating a trespassing call in Llano; James Madden and Richard House, who were killed in a car-to-car shooting in Lancaster on Aug. 6; and Donald Kueck, suspected killer of Sorensen, who was killed Aug. 8 in a fiery shoot-out with law enforcement officials in Lake Los Angeles.
http://www.avpress.com/n/westy2.hts
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878<P>
Solicitor said West Ashley man thought gunshot had been fired in his direction
BY GLENN SMITH
Of The Post and Courier Staff
Solicitor Ralph Hoisington said Tuesday he will not seek criminal charges against a West Ashley homeowner who shot two men waging a shootout in his front yard earlier this month.
Hoisington said he concluded that 67-year-old William Gates did nothing illegal Aug. 1 when he stepped onto the porch of his Tripe Street home and opened fire with a shotgun. Gates thought a shot had been fired in his direction, and he was defending himself and his home, he said.
"While I'm not necessarily encouraging this type of action, I do not intend to prosecute in this case," Hoisington said.
Gates, a semi-retired brick mason, said he was pleased by the decision "because I know darn well I didn't go on the other side of the law."
"I'm sorry it happened, but I feel I did the right thing," he said.
Hoisington's announcement came the same day Charleston police filed assault and weapons charges against one of the men Gates shot.
Christopher Hampton, 22, is accused of wounding 27-year-old Kevin Hazel during the initial 4:40 a.m. shootout outside Gates' home.
Police say Hampton shot Hazel in the back after the two argued. Hazel's brother, 24-year-old Montez Hazel, then reportedly opened fire on Hampton, said Detective Sgt. Barry Goldstein.
The gunfire woke Gates, who grabbed his 12-gauge Browning automatic shotgun, stepped outside and fired three blasts at the men, wounding Hampton in the abdomen and Montez Hazel in the torso, police said.
Hampton, who was released from the hospital last week, surrendered to authorities Monday night at the Charleston County jail, Goldstein said.
He is charged with assault and battery with intent to kill and possessing a firearm during a violent crime.
Magistrate Jack Guedalia denied bail Tuesday on the assault count and set bail at $200,000 on the firearms violation.
The Hazel brothers remained hospitalized in fair condition while recovering from their wounds, Goldstein said.
Gates, an avid hunter and gun owner, said he only was trying to protect his wife and home.
Angered by persistent illegal drug activity taking place on his property and harassment by drug dealers, Gates said gunfire was the last straw.
Two of the three men have previous drug convictions, according to Charleston County court records.Police confiscated Gates' shotgun and six other guns inside his home, but he was not arrested. Charles-ton Police Chief Reuben Greenberg said Gates merely was protecting himself and his home.
South Carolina case law historically has upheld the use of deadly force as a defense when a person's life and home are threatened.
In 2001, former attorney gener-al Charlie Condon instituted a home-invasion policy that protected citizens from prosecution for defending themselves against intruders.
Hoisington said the Tripe Street case caused him "a little concern" because Gates was outside his home when he fired on the men. The case would have been more clear-cut if Gates had been threatened inside his home, he said.
"I think there is a fine line between defending your residence and defending your property," he said.
Today's guns, however, have the ability to pierce walls, increasing the threat to those inside a home, Hoisington said. Gates also was entitled to go out to his porch to see what was happening, even if that might not have been the prudent thing to do, he said.
"When there is a perception that you are being fired upon, I think it's fairly clear you can return fire," he said.
Gates said police have returned all of his guns but the shotgun, and he expects to get that back soon. He said no one has sought retribution against him for the shooting and that the drug dealers have stayed clear of his property.
"The place is clean since it happened," he said. "I just hope they be cool and stay away from my place with that stuff."
Gates said he has received more than 200 calls -- some from as far away as Canada and Germany -- from people congratulating him for taking a stand.
"Every one of them has been supportive," he said.
http://www.charleston.net/stories/082003/loc_20gates.shtml
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878<P>
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