Outrageous.

[Foeni]

This week in Copenhagen, an exclusive watchmaker was robbed by three armed men (the guns later on turned out to be fakes). The watchmaker draws a gun and shoots two of the men, but they both survived. Now he's being charged with attempted murder. Personally I think that's outrageous how you victimize the assaulters.

What's your general stand on owning guns and the right to defend yourself?

[Mandy]

Holy. Crap. That is ridiculous. I think I heard a case similar to that....some thief was on the roof of a house and fell through some part that was being repaired and sued the homeowner. Personally, I'd shoot anyone that I thought was armed that was breaking into my house. My mom keeps a gun that my dad had bought some years back. I think people should have the right to defend themselves in their own home.

Seriously, theives shouldn't always assume that the people they're robbing are just going to sit back and let them do whatever they want. I've seen a lot of videos of people that fight back. I mean, it IS risky, but people do it.

[Foeni]

It's just so typical for the Danish society. We don't punish our criminals nearly hard enough. We see them as victims. I say you should be allowed to defend yourself with any means neccesary. Regardless of how much you injure the attacker.

I don't think it's right that a man who potentially could have been killed or badly beaten should be charged after defending himself. I swear criminals are getting it easy now, it's more profitable to screw up than be successful for them.

I believe everyone should have the right to defend themselves and their property, and on the issue of guns I don't see why not as anyone robbing them could potentially have one.

[allied_assult]

That's a load of crap. I don't think someone that could have been killed by these guys should be charged with anything. It's not like he knew they were fakes or anything, and that doesn't really matter anyway. People should have the right to defend themselves against something like that.

[GrimeZy]

What the hell, thats just bloody stupid, the robbers are the one's that are to be charged even if the Guns were fakes.

[michael22]

now if the robbers believed they were real guns then well....DARWIN. I agree though, if a person is threatened they should be able to defend themselves unless a better less violent solution can be found. Personally I would hurl two knives into their chests and cal it a day (possibly feeling bad about it later).

[mongoose]

I can tell you a similar case in my country.
There was a 'thief' who wanted to enter a house of a rich one , but he was not armed. I don't think he got in the house or was on the fence but i know the rich guy shoot and killed the robber. But because he is a rich guy he is free now, and has a normal life such as nothing happened. If this is justice I have nothing to say, but in my country it's nothing to expect in such cases. I don't even know if the thiesf wanted to robb the house or what, the point is he is dead.

[Mandy]

Originally Posted by Flightfreak

Now imagine this; a street kid robs a guy on a train with a knife, law alows defending your property with gun, robbed guy shoots at the kid, kills him and injures two other people on the train.

Do you honestly believe this would be better?

In my statement earlier, I said it should be ok to protect your home. I dont think people should be allowed to carry around concealed weapons.

[Liam]

Unfortunately if possession of a weapon is illegal then the watchmaker is just as much in the wrong as the two would-be burglars.

[barrington]

I love the one about Tony Martin - he shot a burglar breaking into his home. Now the burglar is suing him for LOSS OF EARNINGS!

[Foeni]

Originally Posted by Liam

Unfortunately if possession of a weapon is illegal then the watchmaker is just as much in the wrong as the two would-be burglars.

Possesion of weapons is under normal circumstances illegal, and he should of course be charged with having a gun illegally. But charging him with attempted murder is ridicolous.

Originally Posted by Flightfreak

And really I’m not going to shoot a person in the back because he just stole my 2000 dollars plasma TV that is insured anyway. I’ll do everything I can to make sure he gets caught and justice has been done and I’ll rather spent money on more taxes for better police work than in a magnum under my pillow.

What if you or your family was in fatal danger? Would you hesitate shooting? I wouldn't. I'd do what was neccesary to stop the attacker, even if that means shooting him. It wouldn't be a pleasent thing to do, but I'd rather see a criminal dead than myself or another innocent person.

[mongoose]

Originally Posted by Flightfreak

If my family is in fatal danger than i would not play Superman and try to safe them by pointing a gun at the ones treating them.

I prefere Spiderman, not Superman .

[Foeni]

Originally Posted by Flightfreak

If the criminals were running away i would not shoot them in the back because I'm civilized and live in a civilized country.

I've never talked about shooting anyone in the back. All I'm saying is that I'd do what I found neccesary to protect myself and my family.

Mongoose, I'm trying to start an interesting debate, which we've been in lack of here lately. Stop posting that kind of posts that adds nothing to the discussion.

[Foeni]

I think it's wrong to automatically charge him with attempted murder.
I'll ask you this: What scenario would you rather see, a criminal hurt or and innocent person hurt?

I'd like to extend this discussion to more than just guns.

Originally Posted by Flightfreak

I'm "fine" with hobbyists having registered arms for use in a professional club but I’ll never support the idea that it is our right to protect our property with arms.

I think I would like to know flightfreaks address so I can rob him, he seems to think it wouldn't be nice to stop me taking his stuff. In fact if more people thought like flightfreak I would glady ditch my degree and start robbing people.

Or will you suggest a more appropriate soloution to defending ourselves?

[Foeni]

I don't think you get what Flightfreak means. I, too would rather use non-violent ways, but I would, if neccesary, use violence as well. There's no point in putting yourself in danger trying to protect your TV; it's usually insured anyway.

[mongoose]

Originally Posted by Foeni

I'll ask you this: What scenario would you rather see, a criminal hurt or and innocent person hurt?

I would see an innocent person hurt, because it comes more often in real life to see weak people hurt. Even if a criminal shots an innocent person he is accused of murder and eventualy spends the rest of his life in jail. I say eventualy because he might get out sooner and the innocent person died for nothing.
And you don't see very often someone who shoots a criminal. Theese are movies. In real life the bad guys mostly win.

[Foeni]

I don't think he tried to kill the three robbers, that's what attempted murder means. But the fact is, another man held a gun just under his face. No wonder he responds with a gun. Just a shame he didn't kill the fucking bastard. Accidently of course (and this is not sarcastic, I don't think he should have tried to kill them).

[Mandy]

In my conclusion to posting in this thread:

Pieter, unless you have superior ninja skills and have mastered the death grip, I am so not going to marry you. Unless Cliff is living with us too, but that would be a questionable situation. That is all.