just a heads up

[Irish_Alley]

http://news.yahoo.com/florida-marine-veteran-shot-craigslist-robbery-used-fingers-172856828.html

[Blazin]

Just goes to show that every law abiding citizen should know how to use a firearm, and carry one all the time!

[firefighter]

I so agree Blazin !!

I've had my concealed weapons permit for about 6 years now and my wife just got hers last year. I'm not out to hurt someone, but I'd darned sure out to protect myself and my loved ones.

This would have been a unique situation since the bad guys took the property and started running. In my state, my gun would have been useless since the bad guy was fleeing. I can't shoot them in the back just since they have my property. I can only use a weapon if deadly force is being threatened against me.

Regardless, I've been out on many Craigslist deals where I'm glad I carry.
I remember going to look at a possible "rust free" cab to purchase that was far out in the country, down a long lane, meeting two guys I only conversed with through emails. I just had a bad feeling about it. While I'm laying down on the ground looking under the cab and up on the tire checking out the firewall I kept a weary eye on where both guys were at. It seemed one guy kept on wanting to get behind me. It was a bit scary, the cab sucked and I got out of there fast.
You NEVER know who you're dealing with on the internet. Always try to meet in a public place or at least go in two's when you're making the transaction.

I'm glad the man in this news story survived.

[bake74]

      Reading story's like that makes me so mad.  They have passed so many laws that protect the criminals and not the people who are innocent.  Try that 60 or so years ago, I think the outcome would have been very different.

[VileZambonie]

cash and jewelry + craigslist = safe  no?

[VileZambonie]

The fact that this guy brought his kids with him too ..... let's just say he's more than lucky.

[Blazin]

Yeah bringing his kids was pretty dumb!
 If you can't shoot them in the back, you shoot them in the foot, when they turn around see whats happening, thats when you shoot them in the forehead! In this case I think them shooting first would warrent return fire! I carry all the time. If its a place I can't carry its locked up in my vehicle so its there when I come out.

[Lt.Del]

the minute you see them with a gun, in middle of a robbery, you shooting them is fair game.  Remember, you fear for your life--that's all that matters in law.
I, too, carry.  I can't stand how many times people think it is the police's job to protect them.  No, it is YOUR job to protect YOURSELF!  People need to stop being such helpless victims!  You are not helpless, the constitututional amendments, the first ten being the Bill of Rights, guarantees that.
Crime rates would go down if criminals know more good guys are carrying than bad guys. 
Stand up for yourself people! I'd think a Marine, with his war-time experience, would know that. 
People need to put more of their destiny in their own hands and stop hoping and wishing and fantasy thinking.
Sorry for the rant.  But, people cannot pretend criminals are not out there.  I know there are.     

[bd]

I understand the sentiment.  In California it seems if you're a criminal you can sue the victim if you break a nail.

Reading story's like that makes me so mad.  They have passed so many laws that protect the criminals and not the people who are innocent.  Try that 60 or so years ago, I think the outcome would have been very different.

This may seem a little harsh, but my Aunt told me a story a few years ago:  When she was little, a couple of kids from the South Bay area came into town and beat a local boy to death.  Posse caught up with them on the West side of the Valley & lynched 'em.  Frontier justice wasn't all that long ago.

[TexasRed]

You are not helpless, the constitututional amendments, the first ten being the Bill of Rights, guarantees that.

If the constitution "guarantees" that then why do permits exist to carry?

[Lt.Del]

If the constitution "guarantees" that then why do permits exist to carry?

Permits do not exist to carry.  Permits exist to 'conceal carry'.  Put it this way, if someone is violating your constitutional rights, you have a Federal court case you can sue for remedy.

You are guaranteed to be able to conceal carry if you meet requirements: not a convicted felon, no restraining order against you, not a mental subject, or otherwise restricted by a circuit court (violent misdemeanor, history of domestic abuse, etc.).  The permit is a checking system and something to show the authorities when a situation takes place. Just like your driver's license that must be shown when pulled over or an accident.  That license shows you took a test and are correctly registered.   You meet the easy requirements to be able to enjoy the 2nd amendment, you get a permit and can conceal carry.  Now each state differs slightly. In Va, it used to be up to the judges' discretion years ago.  Now, it is stipulated, either one meets the creteria or one doesn't--not up to the judges anymore.   Washington DC just lost a supreme court case because they tried to limit people from conceal carrying. They lost. A citizen can carry in D.C. now.  The supreme court just last year interpreted the 2nd amendment in a much more loose interpretation.  You don't need to be part of a militia (taking the phrase literally).

A citizen who has not tarnished him/herself, and (if your state requires) can pass a simple test or take a short class, you can obtain that permit.
 
If you are not restricted by the points mentioned above and can't get a permit to "conceal" carry, something's wrong.  Advice, hire a lawyer.   

Now, all of the above pertains to a 'conceal' permit.  Anyone, unless individually restricted by court, can open carry. Just don't conceal it without a permit.  I, as a L.E. officer, cannot question people when they open carry, because that would be infringing upon their Federal rights.  I cannot 'seize' someone (4th amendment), even momentarily, to question them due to Federal US code 42 section 1983 lawsuits.  However, if i have info that they are a felon or have an open restraining order against them, I can run their info through the computers while 'seizing' them for the checks (with probable cause).

When open carrying, the weapon will still work just fine in the crime example posted by Irish--even better because the criminals would see that and not try anything.  I see people open carry quite often--nothing wrong with it.  It seems it has gotten socially taboo nowadays, which I can't stand because criminals get nearly free reign now. 

All this said, there are limitations to any right.  You don't have the right to liberty if you are caught comitting a crime. You don't have a right to life if you are convicted of taking another and your state subscribes to the death penalty.  States can differ slightly, but, as a general rule, you cannot carry in school property, airports, an establishment serving alcohol, churches, etc..That is why there are endless federal court cases having to always interpret the 'right' because states like to see what they can get away with.

[TexasRed]

You meet the easy requirements to be able to enjoy the 2nd amendment

I didn't see any requirements when I read the constitution.

[Lt.Del]

You meet the easy requirements to be able to enjoy the 2nd amendment

I didn't see any requirements when I read the constitution.

Really?  You must be a U.S. citizen, you must be 18 to vote, etc..... The Constitution is not the U.S. Code.  The Constitution is the 'basis' of our government.   Let me rephrase, you are guaranteed certain rights, unless you mess them up yourself. Let me give a grade school lesson here.  The first three Articles of the U.S. Constitution establishes Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of government. So, yes, there are requirements to rights as adapted by the three branches of gov't written within the Constitution. All laws cannot be possibly covered in the U.S. Constitution, but, as a democracy, we have laws to fine tune certain rights, like weapons on airplanes or gun carrying for felons.  When I say the Constitution guarantees certain rights, I assumed those reading know we live in a democracy with three branches to government, as set by the U.S. Constitution.

Are you saying a serial murderer should rightfully carry a weapon?  Are you saying limits should not be in place to enjoy certain rights?  Are you saying because it is not in the U.S. Constitution, one can carry a weapon on an airplane?---they didn't have planes in 1787 upon ratification of the Constitution.  Guess what, you do crime, you have very limited 4th amendment rights.  You do crime, you have very limited 2nd amendment rights, though it is not written out in the Constitution.  If you have issues with the Constitution, run for political office and see about changing it...that is if you haven't messed up your right to do so.

But this is getting off topic.  My point is this, unless you messed up your rights yourself, those who are 21 years old or over can legally carry a weapon.  In so doing, one limits the possibility of being a helpless victim.

[TexasRed]

SgtDel, you missed my point and then added inconsistencies. That's fine I suppose, but I do agree with you on one point, if one is able, buying a gun AND learning how to use it is very helpful. Do so before they "finetune" that right away.

[Lt.Del]

added inconsistencies?  hmmm, been working the field for over 20 yrs. States do have some differences on carrying and they try to push what they can get away with, but, that is why there are so many federal court cases and rulings that usually sink state laws.  There is a certain political party that feel that no one should carry a weapon and if that party keeps putting Supreme Court Associate justices on the bench, problems will result and  they could very well chip away at those rights.  But, my consistent point remains, with the exception of few self-imposed individual restrictions, every U.S. citizen atleast 21 yrs old can carry and should carry. Crime rates will decrease if that happens.  That has not changed within our constitutional rights. 
Restricting law abiding citizens with more laws does no good for society--only does good for people who dont care about the law.