Originally published at: Texas woman points gun at child, 7, trick-or-treating outside her home | Boing Boing
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But castle doctrine, right? Invader on her property, she is justified in deploying lethal force to protect her property. The child might have stepped in her driveway too! (
and /s, but it is TX, so maybe not?)
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Even in Texas pointing a gun at a 7 year old on halloween is beyond the pale.
ETA: most of our neighborhood, everyone who wanted trick or treaters sat outside this year. Worked well
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It’s too bad we can’t rethink our relationship with firearms and enact some sensible gun laws in this country. Oh well… guess we’ll just make sure that all the kids are wearing bulletproof vests under their costumes next year.
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I’m at the point of saying let’s scrap Castle Doctrine on top of everything else that keeps propping up antisocial/violent behavior.
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When I read about the incident early this morning, I felt surprise that I wasn’t surprised. The regularity of gun violence in the US has made me nearly numb. Thank god nobody was hurt.
The next story in my news feed (I’m not sure what it says about my news-reading habits) served as a bit of a balm. I offer it here in the hope that it can provide others with a little smile.
I give you “Pole Assassin’s backyard biting monkey!”
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Guess whose house will be targeted for TP-ing and rotten eggs for the next 20 or so Halloween nights?
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See also Stand Your Ground (aka open season on minority teens) laws
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One of many reasons monkeys make lousy pets. Opposable thumbs mean they can get into anything. Any pet that can open doors, steal your car keys or fire a pistol is a dangerous one.
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My feelings exactly. There are lots of right wing cranks with arsenals who fantasize all day long about shooting people they don’t like, but mostly they keep their shit together until they feel like the law is on their side.
Laws which are open to interpretation like Castle Doctrine or SYG laws lead to big increases in unjustifiable shootings. Simple fact.
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This is what I’m thinking. The castle doctrine is taken very seriously here. I’m a little surprised the cops did anything.
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I feel like this might be the point. Some so-called Christians seem to have a serious problem with Halloween. A lot of people of that bent seem to feel empowered to use violence to get their way. Thus, a little low-key terrorism: pull a gun on the first trick-or-treater you see, and everyone in the neighborhood will want to cancel Halloween for years afterward.
This is how broken we are.
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I have to think this is particularly true when The Devil’s Sabbath (R) falls on the Xtian Sabbath (R). Just makes their heads ass-plode!!
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If it weren’t so damned dangerous, I’d fork this woman’s lawn and plastic wrap her car. What an asshole.
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This works both ways
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Yeah, this seems like the kind of thing that obviously should be illegal, but turns out not to be.
How can you be sure that these miscreants aren’t using the cover of halloween to do their home invasions?!
Are we not allowed to defend ourselves from potentially dangerous potential criminals, just because it turns out they are below some arbitrary age?!
I suspect the courts will not tackle these important issues in this case though.
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FTA:
Bradford was taken into custody and brought to the Hays County Jail, but neighbors say this isn’t the first time police have been at the home in question.
So maybe not the first time she’s done something like this. I hope the charges result in a conviction and her inability to legally possess firearms.
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