Don't Point Guns At People!
Apr. 25th, 2012 09:27 amYou may have heard about the Georgia couple that were held at gunpoint while trying to access their new house. What you may not have heard is that the two "concerned citizens" Robert and Branden Canoles, who did the holding are now cooling their heels in the county jail charged with several felonies.
Long-time readers know that I own guns and support the Second Amendment. I also remember what my daddy told me, which was, "don't point a gun at somebody unless you're prepared to kill them." Apparently the Canoles family was never imparted this bit of wisdom.
See, the house that the Canoles were so vigorously defending had been foreclosed. It was unoccupied and presumably empty, and had been on the market for some time. In short, there was nothing and nobody in the house worth anybody's life. Calling the police was a perfectly reasonable response. I might have walked over and asked what was going on. I might even have put a pistol in my pocket while doing so, in case I was attacked. But unless somebody came at me with a weapon, my gun (if I chose to carry) would stay in my pocket.
Don't point a gun at somebody unless you are prepared to kill them. Don't try to scare them with a gun. You may succeed, and they may respond violently at you. They may be crazy, in which case God only knows what they will do. Unless they are clearly and convincingly threatening your life or the life of another, don't point a gun at them.
Here endeth the lesson.
Long-time readers know that I own guns and support the Second Amendment. I also remember what my daddy told me, which was, "don't point a gun at somebody unless you're prepared to kill them." Apparently the Canoles family was never imparted this bit of wisdom.
See, the house that the Canoles were so vigorously defending had been foreclosed. It was unoccupied and presumably empty, and had been on the market for some time. In short, there was nothing and nobody in the house worth anybody's life. Calling the police was a perfectly reasonable response. I might have walked over and asked what was going on. I might even have put a pistol in my pocket while doing so, in case I was attacked. But unless somebody came at me with a weapon, my gun (if I chose to carry) would stay in my pocket.
Don't point a gun at somebody unless you are prepared to kill them. Don't try to scare them with a gun. You may succeed, and they may respond violently at you. They may be crazy, in which case God only knows what they will do. Unless they are clearly and convincingly threatening your life or the life of another, don't point a gun at them.
Here endeth the lesson.