Lock & Load

Just as an aside, tonight is one of those nights that makes me glad I live in Texas.  I’m sitting out on my back deck typing this.  It’s 70 degrees with no humidity.  I’ve got Radio Free Texas streaming (thanks to my neighbor’s wifi he didn’t password), a bottle of Shiner Bock, and a Kinky Friedman cigar.  Yes, life is good here in the Lone Star State.

I caught an article in the Houston Chronicle today that a barbecue joint owner in Baytown shot and killed an apparent burglar.

An alarm company contacted the owner of Four Corners BBQ, 7735 Decker, shortly before noon to report a possible break-in at the business, sheriff’s deputies said.

The owner, whose name was not been released, saw a broken window when he arrived and then saw a man inside, authorities said.

“The business owner told the male inside to stop, (but) he continued moving,” said sheriff’s Sgt. L.A. Davis.

The owner fired once from outside the building, fatally wounding the burglar. Davis said the owner, who is licensed to carry a concealed handgun, kept a shotgun and pistol inside the restaurant and may have been concerned that the intruder had them.

That in and of itself really isn’t that interesting.  While I don’t know the statistics of how many criminals, potential criminals, and/or alleged criminals are killed each year by private citizens, it probably happens more often than we think, especially in a pro-gun state like Texas.

What I found interesting were the comments at the end of the story by Chronicle readers.  I don’t really want to say the readers were happy about what happened, but I can’t think of any other word to describe it.  Gleeful might be a little better, but that’s essentially the same as happy.  Consider the following:

YAY FOR THE RESTRAUNT OWNER!!!!! The thieving piece of scum got what he deserved.

Well I want to get in my two cents worth before some bleeding heart comes on here, more concerned for the criminal’s rights than the victim’s.
I truly hate ANYONE getting killed, BUT if this happens enough, any one with even an INKLING of smarts would GET IT.
They need to KNOW that if they rob or attack someone on their property, they run the risk of losing their lives and decide whether their lives are worth more than a lousy $150 or less.
MAYBE, this will make them get out and get a REAL job….NAW….they will just keep on with their criminal activities and we will watch the headlines. Folks, if you know anyone that leads this kind of life, take out a life insurance policy on them…it could pay off!

I get off when a good guy kills a bad guy. I have no love for sub-human ghetto thugs.

This made my day, I hope to hear a similar story tomorrow. I also hope the families of the Ghetto Thug are suffering because they deserve it.

That is awesome!!!! That piece of trash got himself eliminated from the gene pool!!!! Way to go !!!!!!

You break into someones home or business then you assume the responsibility of getting killed! Thats That! I catch somebody breaking into my house and this place will sound like a shooting range! I have guns in every room! Come on punks! Getya some! Better yet! GET A JOB! earn your own sh*t!

Yeah…

I’ll admit, based on the facts as I know them, I’m not inclined to have a whole lot of sympathy for the deceased.  I feel bad for his family, he was a son to someone, maybe a brother, or a husband, or a father.  There’s got to be at least one person who there who cares about the deceased.  I’m sure expressing those sentiments on the Chronicle’s website would get me labeled a “criminal coddler” or something equally clever.  But sympathy for the guy killed, there’s not a whole lot for me.

But, I’m not going to go dance on his grave, so what leads to the attitude seen on the Chronicle?

The obvious answer is that its the internet, and any moron with a keyboard can post their thoughts, this blawg is a perfect example.

There has to be more than that though.  I don’t know what.  Any thoughts?