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http://www.wfaa.com/news/crime/Two-men- ... 90044.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.thenewsconnection.com/articl ... ting/33582" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The owner shot the men with his "scattergun", then called 911 to report the shooting. One is in critical condition. The other is in serious condition. Both are convicted felons.

WFAA updated the article tonight..and not surprisingly with a definite negative slant toward the property owner.

First line now starts out,"It was chaotic, wild, and right out of the wild, wild west."

It does have more details now though. Looks like he used a 12-gauge with buckshot.

Chalk up one more for the GG's

After reading the article, I was a bit troubled. I am glad that Mr. Starr was able to defend himself and his property. I am glad that we have the gun laws that we do

here in the state of Texas. I believe there is no better state in the union. What bothered me was two fold.

First, was the tone of the video. Like Andy said in the comments, wild wild west? If you do the research, the wild west was nothing like the hype. "Gun toting"? "...took the law into his own hands"? What he did was exercise his God given right and a right given to him by the state of Texas, to protect himself

and his property even to the point of using deadly force. The slant WFAA reporter SGables puts on the story gives us insight into the bias of the media

and a left wing agenda, and I support his ability to print the article. Many brave men have fought for him to exercise his right. If, I disagree, I am able to

voice my opinion as well. The difference is, I don't work for a media outfit and have the platform. Having said that, I could go out and get a job or

start my own media giant and have a platform to speak and slant views toward the right if I so choose. Although I probably couldn't get hired with my

conservative views! The point is, while I can see through the feeble attempt and the left wing agenda, I support their right to speak...

Second, and this probably bothered me most, was the comments left by people, "Can I shoot next"? If you have never been through this (I haven't),

making the decision to take someone's life, regardless of the circumstances, is probably one of the most grave decisions you can make.

Unless you are as cold as the BGs, you will not take it lightly. "...welcome to Texas'? Is that really what we as Texans believe? Now, again

I support these guys right to free speech, my question is this... Is this what we have come to? Do we, as CC or 2nd amendment supporters really believe

that "they needed shootin"? Don't get me wrong, I probably would have done the same thing, But would I want people to celebrate with comments

like, "shoot to kill, baby", I'm not so sure. Don't get me wrong, I support Mr. Starr and his right to protect his property.

In our celebration of his (and our) right, what have we become?

Clutch wrote:After reading the article, I was a bit troubled. I am glad that Mr. Starr was able to defend himself and his property. I am glad that we have the gun laws that we do

here in the state of Texas. I believe there is no better state in the union. What bothered me was two fold.

First, was the tone of the video. Like Andy said in the comments, wild wild west? If you do the research, the wild west was nothing like the hype. "Gun toting"? "...took the law into his own hands"? What he did was exercise his God given right and a right given to him by the state of Texas, to protect himself

Our rights don't come from the state of Texas. They come from God. The state of Texas at least recognizes our rights and doesn't punish us for exercising them or attempt to take them away from us. Other countries do.

As far as bad guys "needin' killing'", I absolutely believe in that. Two words; Kenneth MacDuff. (If you're not familiar with MacDuff, Google him.) Two more; Adolf Hitler. If ever a man needed killin', it was Kenneth MacDuff. Some men forfeit their right to life due to their evil deeds. We should not feel badly about their lives being taken, either by an honest citizen or by the state, because they have earned it. I feel bad when innocent lives are taken. I feel good when evil ones are. The world is a better place when evil men are killed.

towcutter said on July 2, 2010 at 4:42 AM
andyindallas for President!

Hehe...

I like stories with happy endings. No, let's not get bloodthirsty, but consider the alternatives. The honest businessman could have been out over $1,500 worth of property plus that hassle of getting the damage repaired. The businessman could have gone out to investigate with a baseball bat and ended up shot or beaten to death, or in the hospital with serious injuries. Nope, all in all this ended the best way possible unless the BGs hadn't decided to go risking their lives for ill-gotten gain.

I wish every justified shooting in Texas got as much media attention as Michael Jackson's death. Praising the GG for a job well done, rewarding him with some of that money that he saved the taxpayers, and underscoring the occupational hazards of thuggin'. Soon enough BGs would start thinking twice about their preferred profession.

baldeagle wrote:Our rights don't come from the state of Texas. They come from God. The state of Texas at least recognizes our rights and doesn't punish us for exercising them or attempt to take them away from us. Other countries do.

As far as bad guys "needin' killing'", I absolutely believe in that. Two words; Kenneth MacDuff. (If you're not familiar with MacDuff, Google him.) Two more; Adolf Hitler. If ever a man needed killin', it was Kenneth MacDuff. Some men forfeit their right to life due to their evil deeds. We should not feel badly about their lives being taken, either by an honest citizen or by the state, because they have earned it. I feel bad when innocent lives are taken. I feel good when evil ones are. The world is a better place when evil men are killed.

Human beings have an inherent dignity by virtue of being made in the image and likeness of God and of being endowed with a spiritual and immortal soul. This gives human being inalienable rights that are distinct from those of the animals or the rest of creation. By inalienable, it means the person or another can not ever do anything which would allow one to deny these rights. The right to life, the right to protect oneself from attack, the right to ordinary life-saving care, the right to food and water, and so on.

Our country's history and philosophy also grants us a number of civil rights. The right to keep and bear arms, the right to vote for our leader, and so on. These civil rights are what make us Americans, but not what make us human. Other countries have monarchies, have different weapons, and so on but those laws must also be in accordance with our human rights. It is sad how many are not both inside and outside the USA.

Because all humans, even those who choose evil, are made in the image and likeness of God and endowed with a spiritual and immortal soul, it is overwhelmingly sad when they die in situations that could have been avoided and caused needless death and destruction. The responsibility rests fully with the person who brought it on himself, and in some situations is shared by those who were responsible for the person making the decision to do wrong, and it isn't at all wrong for a person to protect himself even unto the death of an attacker. It is still sad that things had to go the way they did. Ask nearly any person who justifiably killed another, either on a battlefield or closer to home, and I'm sure you'll hear about the grief and sadness they've had to face unless they've faced so much that it still consumes them and they can't talk about it at all, as many of our veterans live with on a daily basis. Death, even justifiable death, is never something to revel in.

baldeagle wrote:
Our rights don't come from the state of Texas. They come from God.

What if someone does not believe in God? Who do they get their rights from?

Grog wrote:

baldeagle wrote:
Our rights don't come from the state of Texas. They come from God.

What if someone does not believe in God? Who do they get their rights from?

You don't have to believe in God to enjoy His blessings.

The moment you concede that your rights come from your government, they can just as easily take them away as allow you to exercise them. You can call God anything you want; nature, Buddha, whatever, but your rights came with your birth and are not a possession of the state that can be revoked or restricted at their whim. Why do you think the 2A ends with "shall not be infringed"?

Grog wrote:

baldeagle wrote:
Our rights don't come from the state of Texas. They come from God.

What if someone does not believe in God? Who do they get their rights from?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_law" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Below is the text of the WFAA piece, as sourced from http://www.thearmedcitizen.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
SIA

Denton County, Texas

From July 1, 2010 WFAA channel 8:

JUSTIN — It was chaotic, wild, and right out of the wild, wild west.

Mike Starr, a gun-toting business owner, took the law into his own hands early Thursday and shot two thieves attempting to steal air conditioning units.

Starr — who owns Team Texas High Performance Driving School — lives on the business property in the 9500 block of Industrial Road just south of Justin in unincorporated Denton County. He said he heard some noise about 5:30 a.m. and went outside to investigate armed with what he described as a “scatter gun.”

Denton County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Tom Reedy said when the owner spotted his stolen property inside the bed of the crooks’ truck, he opened fire on 53-year-old Joseph Vergal Prescott of Grand Prairie and 55-year-old Michael Allen O’Shea of Irving with a powerful 12-gauge shotgun with buckshot load.

The suspects were airlifted to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth for treatment. Prescott was in critical condition; O’Shea was reported in stable condition.

Authorities said O’Shea has a lengthy criminal record, having served several prison terms for burglary, forgery, drug, and assault charges. Prescott had only traffic infractions.

Now they both face charges of felony theft over $1,500.

Starr was apparently was within his rights when he opened fire, thanks to Texas’ Castle Law. “My layman understanding of the law is that the property owner has the right to protect his property and his safety,” Reedy said.

As the Papal legate said at Beziers, "Deus suos agnoscet."

Grog wrote:What if someone does not believe in God? Who do they get their rights from?

Ed, from Des Moines.

Nobody is quite sure why it happens, least of all Ed himself, but as long as he's around, atheists have rights too.