On Europe

[kespernorth]

Now, I must admit I'm a big fan of Europe.

But this whole self-defense thing...

If a burglar breaks into my home, and I am not permitted to thrash him within an inch of his life for daring to tread upon my sacrosanct territory, I shall be very cross.

I am not psychologically capable of standing by and letting someone try to kill me or my loved ones, or perpetrate other such violent crimes, if I know it's going on. It's just not going to happen.

It is not right to send someone to jail for trying to defend themselves, their home, or their loved ones. I don't see how one is supposed to stand blithely by and just let it happen.

I do not understand what made the Europeans -- the British especially -- have such an ass-backwards ideas about self-defense. "Oh, sure, Mister Serial Killer, you're welcome to castrate me and choke me with my own testicles while I wait for the police to arrive; after all, it simply wouldn't be sporting if I defended myself! Why, I should go to jail for even thinking about it! Oh, dear, terribly sorry, did you break a nail? Here, let me get a file for that for you; can I lick your boots while I'm at it? I'm sure we'll have plenty of time, the police are unionized and probably having a nice cup of coffee..."

What the fuck do they expect? That offering your would-be killer a nice cup of tea will solve everything? For fuck's sake, people.

Comments

[inevitability.livejournal.com]

uh... wtf? Cite some sources, please.

[transcendence1.livejournal.com]

Sadly, it happens in America too. There's been many cases of burglaries where the owner of the house shot the burglar or whatnot and the burglar or the burglar's family sued the owner and won.

[hirtzenocker.livejournal.com]

i say we make handheld projectile weapons (ie-guns) universally illegal and go back to the timehonoured method of dueling with swords. but wait! you say. i don't know how to use a sword!

that's exactly my point. 99.9% of the earth's population would have to learn a skill, or become partial to some other weapon that requires some bit of skill or training. it's much harder to "accidently" kill instead of merely injure with blade or blunt weapons, and there seems to be more respect for the handling of such than for the handling of guns. i once scared off a would-be burgler by merely unsheathing my sword and dropping into stance. had i a gun, he'd be dead and i'd be doing time. you don't get into trouble (legal, karmic, or otherwise) by tapping a fear ingrained from earliest recorded history.

Truce

[tepes.livejournal.com]

My original participation was contingent upon the declaration that most Americans carry large-caliber handguns. Among statistics showing that to be false, I implied that the right to self-defense is sacrosanct and any legislation denying the individual the right to protect hearth and home with any and all force is unjust and unreasonable. Or at least I meant to imply that. As with all unjust and unreasonable laws, they should be fought tooth and nail and obeyed only to the extent of being very, very sneaky about breaking them.

That is all that I had the intent of saying and I am afraid that I took it all too far in climbing atop my soapbox. Pray forgive, should you choose, and judge me not too harshly.

Apologies to all for my grump, most especially narnee and hirtzenocker. I shan't argue anymore--if I can be accused of having a narrow mind then I have obviously misrepresented myself and poisoned my point.

[kamiilyaan.livejournal.com]

"Now, I must admit I'm a big fan of Europe."

Why? (no confrontation intended, I'm just curious)

Oh, and many Europeans (Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland) consider the UK to be American *g*