The Death Penalty

In a self-defense shooting, one does not shoot to kill or shoot to injure; one shoots to stop the threat. It just happens that stopping the threat and killing the attacker aren't normally mutually exclusive events.

It would be nice if lif were like the movies, and you could stop an aggressor with a shot to the leg. However, reality dictates that aim should be taken on the largest available target, aka center of mass (COM). A COM shot or two with a decent defensive round such as jacketed hollowpoint or expanding full metal jacket will take the fight out of most attackers. It will also do significant damage to their cardiac & respiratory systems, often killing them. In instances where COM shots don't stop the aggressor (such as with a meth monkey who's been up for three days), the next logical target becomes their head, as only a CNS shutdown will stop the threat.

Lucille, TX law dictates that the finger comes off the trigger once the threat is neutralized. However, I would not advise providing first aid to the person I just shot. Doing so would be a foolhardy move that greatly compromises your safety. Your first call should be 911 anyways, regardless of the outcome. They can deal with rendering aid to the attacker if any is still required.

Back to the topic of the death penalty, I am a staunch advocate of the punishment fitting the crime. I do not feel that a lifetime of three meals a day, a climate-controlled environment, free health & dental care, basic (at a minimum) cable, and madatory time alloted for physical activities is a suitable punishment for a crime such as the rape and murder of a little girl. The only punishment fitting someone that commits such a heinous crime is the loss of their own life.

Likewise, I don't feel that someone should be sentenced to death merely on circumstantial evidence or the testimony of a single witness. The legal standard of "beyond a reasonable doubt" is important in any criminal proceeding, but moreso in cases involving the death penalty.

Lucille, what what do you want to know? He's my baby brother, so I'm very protective and proud LOL. He is just starting college double majoring in pre-med and something else, engineering I think. I told him he's crazy, but he too has to learn by screwing up.

And yeah, he's physically imposing. 6'3" at age 18... and the little <font color=red>[**censored**]</font> still has 3 more years to grow. I can't beat up on my little brother anymore. Our dad played football for A&M for one year back in the late 70s before screwing up his leg, amd Dave is really just an overgrown version of him. Or a HAIRY male version of me. Hehe his hair is already migrating south, just like Dad's did.

Oh and he plays bass in a band, and is an RN, he graduated from that magnet high school in houston for the health professions. And believe you me, I heard about all the crap he had to do and how hard this class and that class were. LOL he and I are scarily similar.

Whit, I think your bro is an awesome kid. A double major is a lot of work, but he sounds like he is a real go getter.
Ken: You are awesome yourself, with the grasp of the particulars of law. Hopefully, it will never come to that in my life; however I hear from cops and judges here that often, women in particular, empty their weapon before THEY feel the threat is gone, even though with hollowpoints the job is many times done after the first shot.

[i]Our dad played football for A&M for one year back in the late 70s before screwing up his leg[/b]

Now I'm interested! I'm an A&M 92 grad. WHOOP!!!


Ken,

2 COM +1 up top, train like you fight.


Lucille,

If you've never taken the TX CHL class, it is fantastic. Even if you don't ever plan on carrying a weapon, the sections on TX law and the legal facts of the deadly force provisions make the class worth taking.

Exactly Gary. When the **** hits the fan, no one rises to the occasion; they default to their level of training.

Gary: The cop I go out with is telling me the same thing, that I should take the course. Plus, I DO need to know every detail of the criminal law on deadly force by November for my criminal law exam.

well gary, I applied to UT and A&M but ended up going to UT, talk about family loyalty LOL. And I left it after 1 year, so obviously UT isn't to poo, either, at least imo. However, I left because I didn't like the other students mostly, I DID get a great education.


-Whit

Whitney,

I now live in Austin now and I often feel like the only well guy in a leper colony.

You must like the weather cuz Mich. is a long way from Texas!

I meant THE poo not to poo... lol sheesh... time for another english class.



Gary, I consider myself a michigander I was born in Tarrant Co. but I have more or less lived in MI since I was 3 or 4. I did learn to talk in tx, so the drawl comes back if I'm around it enough down there. And my father's family is down there, so I visited from time to time. One of the reasons I went to UT was because I didn't think UofM was far enough away from home for my liking, but I've realized my mistake. 3 hours notice of mom's arrival is plenty, just enough to clean up the place of guys and bottles LOL just kidding.

-Whit

I do not agree with the death penalty. It is hypocritical. It is against the law to kill someone unless it is in self defense.....unless you are the government. Does not make sense. Personally, I think the death penalty is letting people off easy. I know I would rather die right away than rot in prison for 40 or 50 years until I die.

On the other hand, I would have no problem what so ever unloading my 45 into someone if I felt the person was a honest threat to my family or myself.