TexasCHLforum.com

hoss4570 wrote:

lawrnk wrote:

hoss4570 wrote:I;m tellin yall, this HURT when they stole my welder. It has cost me 10.000 dollars in the last month and still have more to go. I WILL shoot next time given a chance. Yall do whatever you think is best. At least they won't do it to other innocent people, asleep in their own homes. I WILL NOT roll over and play dead and let these scum steal my stuff if I can help it.

If it were a bike, it is theirs and I'll call 9/11. If its 10k worth of stuff, what I use to make a living and support my family, I would shoot to maintain possession of that equipment.

I started to say I aggree with you but I feel like I'm being picked on by theives around here. In the last year they have stolen two expensive mountian bikes out of my front yard, my pipe jacks, my fab horses, two tool boxs out of the bed of my truck, the welding leads off of my welder THEN the whole welder, trailer included. I don't know if I could contain myself if I caught them stealing. I like to think I would not shoot a man over a pair of plairs but then again, they are MINE and not his, they are on MY property, not his. So I really can't say. I don't go up on anybodys property without permisson .

Hoss - It sounds like you have some thieving coyotes around your place. Seems like they rip you off and wait until you replace it and then come around again. Do you think it could be the same people? Since you got your new trailer and welding stuff are you doing anything different to make sure it doesn't get taken?

lawrnk wrote:I understoof that the HC DA is on his way out?

Yeah, he is, but you never know who his replacement is going to be. There are alot of overzealous DAs out there - Look at what Mike Nifong did to those students at Duke University. If it weren't for the intense national news coverage and the fact that the student's parents are fairly affluent, I believe he would still be the DA.

That said, I feel fortunate to be in Texas where there is a deeply ingrained tradition of the right to self defense and protection of private property.

LedJedi wrote:I dont want to hijack this whole thread for this subject, but I can certainly envision some criminal mischief scenarios I would use DF over. Probably not egging my car, but there certainly are some. My wife and kid know how I feel on the subject and agree with me.

LedJedi - You're not hijacking the thread. The original question was "Would You Shoot?" and you gave your answer.

LedJedi wrote:Sometimes standing up for yourself and what is yours is more important than taking the easy way out of a situation.

Amen to that!

LedJedi wrote:I would not lose a wink of sleep defending myself, my family or my property (or my neighbor's property) by use of DF. I have probably thought about it more than most which is why i have made a point to closely study the laws dealing with this issue. Legality should not be an issue as I intend to be 100% within my rights in such a scenario.

LedJedi - I hear your frustration, but we are not disagreeing that we have a right to defend ourselves and our property. That is one reason I got my CHL. My point [and TXI's] is that shooting someone is not something to be taken lightly - even if the shooting is lawful.

Lately, there have been several discussions on this forum about the Harris County DA and his attitude about CHLs. He is the type of person that you would have to deal with, not the members of this forum. And I guarantee if he went after you, you would lose some sleep. I also guarantee that the DAs and their assistants have spent a lot more time studying the DF laws that you or me.

Off my soapbox, again.

boomerang wrote:That suggests we need to enact laws to protect victims who defend themselves from criminals.

Some victims rights laws have been enacted. The problem is that sometimes your rights don't mean too much unless you go to court to protect them - which means time, stress, and lots of money. The criminals have the right to a free attorney if they can't afford one - unfortunately, the victim doesn't.

txinvestigator wrote:You guys who are so ready to shoot someone need to sit and talk to a few people who have. The financial, emotional and psychological impacts on you AND your family are not minor nor a joke. A realize that everybody wants to be a tough guy, but there seriously needs some thought put into these types of statements.

I couldn't agree more with TXI's statement. Those of you unlucky enough to get caught up in the criminal justice system will slowly get ground up and spit out. If you are arrested, even if you are completely innocent, you will become involved in an all-consuming ordeal that will drain you emotionally, adversely effect your health, deplete your savings, strain your family relationships and cause problems at work or school. The whole thing can drag on for years - it's not like a TV show where it all gets wrapped up at the end of the hour. Please, do everything in your power to avoid having to go through it.

Enough, now off of my soapbox.