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Feeling threatened? Shoot them.

LegalPenguin said:
Actually, I think if you add in a single proviso, it makes sense.

Change the above to "no criminal in his right mind would break into a home in Mississippi, unless they were really sure nobody was home because no jury there would ever convict a homeowner of shooting them."
No criminal in his right mind would break into a home anywhere, unless they were really sure nobody was home. He gains nothing by it and runs a significant extra risk.
 
LW said:
I may be misremembering things, but I seem to remember that Luke has told that he was in the army for 20 years. If I had to make a bet on a fight between an intoxicated homless guy and an ex-soldier, I wouldn't put my money on the drunken side.
I thought he was ex-Navy.

Regardless, just having been in the armed forces does not automatically make one a killing machine who can dispatch someone barehanded in an instant. Two of my good friends are ex-military and I can kick both their asses. At the same time.

It's also quite possible the intoxicated homeless guy was ex-military as well. Maybe a former SEAL or other special forces member. If that were the case, and if Luke was just a radio operator or some other techy with just simple h2h training from his days in Basic, I'd put my money on the other guy.

No offense, Luke. ;)
 
Bjorn said:
Registered users only .... :(

Sorry, I forgot I was registered there.

"The incident occurred mid-morning at the Stonebrook at Kirby Parkway Apartments, 6371 Winchester.

Higgins said the victim gave this account:

Someone knocked on the door of his apartment, 3706 Woody Lane.

When he looked through the glass and didn't recognize the three people outside, he walked to another room.

He heard glass breaking, got a gun and returned toward the door. "
 
Ian Osborne said:
Shane, your statement was clear and unambiguous. You said, "no criminal in his right mind would break into a home in Mississippi, because no jury there would ever convict a homeowner of shooting them".

Right. Now, how is a homeowner going to shoot the intruder when he's not home? No, there is no ambiguity. It's crystal clear. Which leaves you with no leg to stand on.
 
Bjorn said:
Of all the silly answers .... Here is the full sentence:

I pointed out that Mississippi in fact has more burglaries per capita than the rest of the country, and that you seemingly forgot that little detail when you posted statistics.

Please, now show us how your first statement about how nobody in his right mind would break into a home in Mississippi is not about burglary? :p

I have pointed out several times the difference between burglary and robbery. You have ignored that distinction. You have also refused to answer a direct question. Why should I be at all concerned with what you have to say here?
 
Bjorn said:
I guess homeowners in Mississippi have a neon sign outside showing "home" or "not home"? :p

Even a complete idiot knows how to tell when someone's not home. You're just showing yourself up to be either ignorant or so extremely biased that no amount of evidence will change your mind.
 
Bjorn said:
I guess homeowners in Mississippi have a neon sign outside showing "home" or "not home"? :p

I don't think the decision of a burgular needs to be anywhere near 100% accurate to create a difference.

Just that a burgular is going to be more selective, a bit more careful if they fear getting shot if they run into someone. That seems reasonable if we are talking about a carreer criminal rather than some random sad-sack going through withdrawl looking to steal enough for a fix...
 
Kerberos said:
No criminal in his right mind would break into a home anywhere, unless they were really sure nobody was home. He gains nothing by it and runs a significant extra risk.

Except in England, where the number of hot burglaries has risen dramatically following a ban on handguns along with a law requiring security systems protecting the home when no one's there. That tipped the risk the other way.
 
shanek said:
Right. Now, how is a homeowner going to shoot the intruder when he's not home? No, there is no ambiguity. It's crystal clear. Which leaves you with no leg to stand on.

By disturbing the intruder in the act as he returns home? By being there, unknown to the intruder?

shanek said:
no criminal in his right mind would break into a home in Mississippi, because no jury there would ever convict a homeowner of shooting them

shanek said:
it makes perfect sense that there would be more burglaries, since the criminals are going to switch to crimes that don't involve the possibility of getting their head blown off.

can't you just admit you contradicted yourself and move on?
 
Home Safety Tips

http://www.monstermoving.monster.com/living_and_shopping/LAS_Article/HomeSafetyTips.asp

No Notes
Never leave notes on your door, even when you're at home.

Make Noise
Tune the stereo or TV to your favorite station when you leave the house. To a burglar it means that someone's home.

Park in the Driveway
Park an additional car in your driveway or ask a neighbor to park there. It gives the appearance that someone's always home and prevents burglars from backing a van into the drive for easy loading.

Protect Yourself Against Home Burglary

http://www.statefarm.com/consumer/vhouse/articles/burglary.htm

One way to reduce your chances of being a burglary victim is to make the home appear occupied when it is not.Here are some things a family can do:

  • Use automatic timers on lights when away from home.
  • Have your telephone calls forwarded if possible when away from home. Burglars will sometimes check to see if someone is home by making a telephone call to the home.
  • When at home, always park your cars in the garage with the garage door shut. If a burglar notices a pattern that the garage door is left open or the cars are parked in the driveway whenever someone is home, a closed garage door or no cars in the driveway may be a giveaway that no one is home. Consistently leaving the cars in the garage behind closed doors keeps from tipping off the burglar that the home is unoccupied.
  • Besides, leaving the garage door open allows strangers to see some of your belongings.
  • If away for more than a day, have a trusted neighbor pick up the mail and newspaper. If possible, do not have either stopped. That gives information about you being away from home to others whom you do not know.
  • If away for an extended period, have a plan in place to have the grass mowed or snow shoveled.
  • Place radios on automatic timers and turn up the volume so they can be heard outside.
  • If you are away from home on garbage pickup day, ask a trusted neighbor to put your garbage cans out to the street and take them back in. Also, have your neighbor use your garbage cans while you are out. Burglars sometimes check for empty cans as a sign the family is away.
  • There are systems available that will open and close window draperies by timer. Constantly open or closed curtains can tip the burglar off that no one is home.

As much as possible, make your house look the same whether you are away or at home.

More residential burglaries occur during the day because homes tend to be vacant more often while homeowners are away at work or running errands.

Man...so many home safety tricks based on making a burglar think you're home when you're not, or at least not being able to tell if anyone's home or not, and people have the audacity to make ridiculous and ignorant statements like "I guess homeowners in Mississippi have a neon sign outside showing "home" or "not home"?"
 
shanek said:
Except in England, where the number of hot burglaries has risen dramatically following a ban on handguns

Even before the ban, virtually no one over here owned a gun. Unless he was robbing a farmhouse, where the farmer might well own a shotgun, a burglar could pretty-much guarantee the home he was breaking into did not contain an armed householder.

along with a law requiring security systems protecting the home when no one's there. That tipped the risk the other way.

Could you elaborate on this? I know of no such law.
 
Ian Osborne said:
Could you elaborate on this? I know of no such law.

Actually, come to think of it, I think I was wrong...it's a requirement of insurance, not the law.

I can look it up for sure if you want.
 
shanek said:
Actually, come to think of it, I think I was wrong...it's a requirement of insurance, not the law.
You mean that this problem is caused by the *gasp* free market???? :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:
 
shanek said:
Actually, come to think of it, I think I was wrong...it's a requirement of insurance, not the law.

I can look it up for sure if you want.

It may sometimes be a requirement of insurance if you live in a particularly dodgy area or have lots of valuables on hand, but it's hardly a common thing.
 
shanek said:
Man...so many home safety tricks based on making a burglar think you're home when you're not, or at least not being able to tell if anyone's home or not
It makes one wonder why they have so many burglaries in Mississippi?

By the way, the definition of burglary in your source (FBI) is

The unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or a theft. For reporting purposes this definition includes: unlawful entry with intent to commit a larceny or felony; breaking and entering with intent to commit a larceny; housebreaking; safecracking; and all attempts to commit any of the aforementioned.
It seems to me they are talking about breaking into houses? How could I know your definition of burglary only covered the cases when nobody was at home? :p
 
shanek said:
Actually, come to think of it, I think I was wrong...it's a requirement of insurance, not the law.

I can look it up for sure if you want.

No it isn't, my Norwich Union policy doesn't even require a certain category of door locks.
 

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