Quote:

---

Originally posted by Fremdfirma:

Such punks will always find something, in order to have sufficient disparity of force as to discourage resistance, be it a firearm, or a length of rebar, the essential premise is the same - nor can one be unceasingly vigilant forever and ever, all security measures can fail, sure.

But good friends are one of the strongest ones.

---

Quote:

---

A suspected burglar has been stabbed to death while apparently trying to break into a house in Greater Manchester.

It is understood the man was attempting to get into a house in Ethel Avenue, Salford, on Wednesday night when the householder tried to defend the house.

The man, 26, is believed to have been carried away by other members of a balaclava-clad gang as they fled, before being dumped in the street.

The householder, his son and son's girlfriend have been arrested.

Two men, aged 57 and 29, and a 21-year-old woman are being questioned on suspicion of murder, Ch Supt Kevin Mulligan, of Greater Manchester Police, said.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Hardware:
Very sorry to hear about your friend. I hope the only thing she was forced to give was money.

We'll have some apologists along presently to explain how it wasn't the robber's fault as he had a bad childhood.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by SkyDiveLife:
jameron4eva:

I'm sorry to hear about your friend.

You are correct, a gun is a tool. Nothing more, nothing less. It doesn't sprout legs, or shoot itself. It doesn't change a normal person into a kill-crazy psycho any more than a lighter turns people into pyromaniacs.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by kaneman:
Correct on all accounts...I have never seen this happen here before...we are all in agreement...although, I suspect the usual suspects will make an appearance shortly to tell us how bad guns are. till then...we live in harmony.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Bytemite:
The auto-aiming is notoriously unreliable. You're just as likely to blow yourself or your allies away as you are anyone who poses a threat to you.

Sometimes I think the AI is having a laugh at us. >_>

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by AURaptor:

Was your friend shot ? And if so, how badly ?

Sorry to hear that it happened.


" I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. "

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by SkyDiveLife:
You are correct, a gun is a tool. Nothing more, nothing less. It doesn't sprout legs, or shoot itself.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by SkyDiveLife:
Unless the gun came with a force-field, and some sort of auto-aiming... (if so, I would like to know where I can get one of those!)

---

Quote:

---

Van Vogt's guns have virtually magical properties, and can only be used in self-defense.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Wulfenstar:
Am I going to have to be the first one to say it?

The chick is cute.

So a "slim, built hismexican" robbed the store?

Im surprised. Shocked. Horrified.

Oh wait...

"Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies"

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by RionaEire:
Glad your friend is fine, glad she can help in getting the guy caught etc. Because if he doesn't get caught then he'll very likely do it to someone else, possibly with worse results. And nope, not making any excuses for him, sounds like a typical store robber to me, lookin for cash, nothing special or new there and he needs to be penalized for his poor behavior.

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Fremdfirma:

Meh, they make it easier to defend yourself too.
Which makes it a zero-sum game, unless the bad guys have em, and you don't - a state of affairs a lot of politicians and other goons would very much enjoy as it'd make us more dependant on them, and less able/likely to buck the leash.

http://munchkinwrangler.wordpress.com/2007/03/23/why-the-gun-is-civili
zation/

Firearms are also too deep a part of our history, our very culture, to ignore, for every fell deed done with em, there's just as many in the other direction - our very beginnings as a nation came when the Government of the time demanded we hand them over and we said no, something echoed by my own ancestors at Kings Mountain, and the principle is enshrined directly in the documents which founded this nation, intended in both a personal and collective sense, for that very reason.

Leaving aside the outright impossibility of doing so, the mere notion of removing firearms from our society would doomed from the start - it'd be like England banning Tea, fer cryin out loud.
Not to mention how "effective" prohibition ever is anyway, just look at the "War on(some)Drugs" ?

You wanna believe in magic wands that'll just make firearms dissappear and forcefields that would stop them from crossing, aka laws, bans, gun-free-zones, that's on you, but when one tries to enshrine a blatantly fictional belief into law in a way that does measurable harm to others, I do find it more than a bit offensive.

Conversely - not everyone is cut out to carry one, and while the inclination to go buy one after an incident like this is pretty strong, I would definately have a chat with said friend about the realities of packing iron and other alternatives.
Kathy covers most of that quite well here.
http://www.corneredcat.com/TOC.aspx#Mindset

Note; I do NOT carry on-duty, not so much for liability issues as for the express reason that in that instance I am suited up, geared up, running in condition orange and directly watching for trouble as a 100% thing - if I can't avoid or resolve a situation from there, adding a firearm to it wouldn't help very much, and in the extraordinary unlikely event that such would be needed outside of conventional law enforcement, a possibility about on par with a meteor landing on this place, I *DO* have a cellphone and nearby allies, yanno.

-Frem

I do not serve the Blind God.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Wulfenstar:
Am I going to have to be the first one to say it?

The chick is cute.

So a "slim, built hismexican" robbed the store?

Im surprised. Shocked. Horrified.

Oh wait...

"Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies"

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by jameron4eva:
if you DO have one, and point it at someone, you'd bbetter be prepared to kill them with it, juast like if it's pointed at you, assume they'll have no qualms n killing you.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by peacekeeper:
yes, they are being questioned as per the proper process of law, but i guarantee they will be exonerated, as per the proper process of fairness!!!!

---

Quote:

---

Stabbed Salford burglar John Bennell was on police bail

A burglar stabbed to death after an attempted break-in at a house in Salford, was on police bail for another suspected burglary, it has emerged.

John Leonard Bennell, 27, from Hyde, had been arrested by police in Tamworth, Staffs, earlier this month.

Householder Peter Flanagan, 57, who was arrested on suspicion of Mr Bennell's attempted murder remains in custody.

Mr Flanagan's 27-year-old son and his son's 21-year-old girlfriend have been released without charge.

Four masked men attempted to get into a house in Ethel Avenue before midnight on Wednesday.

Mr Bennell is believed to have been carried away by the other intruders as they fled, before being left in a road.

Police said Mr Bennell was found on Hospital Road in Pendlebury and died a short time later.

The three people with him at the time of the incident have yet to be traced, police said.

Ch Supt Kevin Mulligan, of Greater Manchester Police, has urged anyone who knows of their whereabouts, to contact detectives.

---

Quote:

---

the mere notion of removing firearms from our society would doomed from the start

---