Sand

I HAVE NO MORE ALTS! Leave me out of this, sheesh.

She's a rug doctor?

Then you are artificially limiting the argument to the point that it is irrelevant.

I am changing my mind on that issue, but as we get better at forensic science the ability to determine innocence and guilt gets better as well.

I guess he wasn't man enough to shoot at people who can shoot back.

There is right and there is wrong, religion is irrelevant. It is good to see that people can actually help one another but the reasons for the attack is stupid. I hope the prosecutors seek to place this as a hate crime for an extra years in prison. Those thugs deserve it.

And I say if they are breaking into my home they already have caused harm by violating my property. People don't break into places without the intention of doing harm of some sort on the owner, in either property theft/damage or physical assault.

They have no business to be breaking into my home, and I will protect my property. If that simple concept is beyond your understanding then that is your problem.

Those kids violated the owner's property. I consider that causing harm.

If they didn't intend to do harm then they wouldn't be breaking into my home in the first place so that whole hypothetical situation simply would not exist. If they have the intent of breaking into my home then they intend to do harm, thusly deserve what they get. The act of breaking and entering one's home IS harmful.

Both are to blame. The System and the law enforcement officials that follow/use it.

I hate cinematic PnP RPGs. I don't want to be a hero. I just want to play a character who is at the wrong place at the wrong time and has to some how survive. Now that is fun.

Exactly, Aram.

It doesn't work that way unless you suddenly become one of the nonexistent voices in my head. If these teenagers have no intention of harm then they wouldn't be breaking into my home. The fact they are doing so shows that they do indeed intend to cause harm.

And how do I know that these teenagers who are breaking into my property have no intention of harming me? I can't read minds, Pixie Stick. I don't know what their intentions are beyond breaking into my property where they do not belong. I expect the worse case scenerio in such situations and I act accordingly.

I think that both statements are equally relevant since both are true.

Why is it ridiculous? If someone is breaking into my home, do I not have the right to protect myself? The SWAT team is solely responsible. They did not announce themselves before they entered. They acted on bad information without verifying its accuracy at that particular address.

So, its going to be Morrowind style. Great.

If they are police officers then they need to announce themselves first. If the are old friends then they know how I react to things and they would know better. If they are teenaged kids who think breaking into someone's home to steal stuff or to harass then they will get what they deserve.

They didn't bother to verify if the tip was correct or not. In situations where gunfire can be the result YOU DO NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS.

If someone is breaking into my home then they have only up to two objectives. To steal my stuff and/or do me bodily harm. In both those cases I will seek to use lethal force to deter such actions.

If they announced themselves first before entering I doubt the shotgun would have been used.

So you are saying that it is ridiculous to protect one's family and home from intruders? That is one messed up view you have.

I didn't change any statements. No "edit" tag in any of those posts, Pixie Stick. Both statements are true. I am neither a Christian nor a Pagan. Besides the Winter Solstice is usually between the 21st and 22nd of December, a good 3 to 4 days before Christmas.

We have the right to protect ourselves in our own home. If I see someone busting through my door or trying to break in through the window I am going to shoot to kill. And if police officers do not state they are police officers how the hell is one is suppose to know? Middle of the night, low illumination, dark uniforms... Police need to announce themselves first.