Some sensibility coming out of Laredo

AP via Yahoo News has a story I have been following regarding a homeowner who shot and killed an intruder during a break in to his home. From the story:

It took the jury of eight men and four women three hours Friday to find Jose Luis Gonzalez, 63, not guilty of murdering Francisco Anguiano, who was 13 when he and three friends broke into Gonzalez's trailer to rummage for snacks and soda one night in July 2007.

So let us start with a little correcting. Who cares why Anguiano and his friends broke into the trailer. Like it should be ok since they were just looking for 'snacks'. So what should Gonzalez have done - point them to the pantry and said "help yourselves to some Twinkies"? Anguiano was a thief and broke into Gonzalez's trailer to steal..isn't that all that needs to be known?

The story also states that "Texas law allows homeowners to use deadly force to protect themselves and their property". I better check the laws here in Massachusetts as I wonder why that is only a Texas law - that should be a US law...but I digress.

So the Attorney General (Uriel Druker) believed that this was a case of vigilantism. He is quoted in the story as stating "A 13-year-old boy was killed because a man was enraged." Again, this is actually not true. A 13-year old boy was killed because he decided to break into a private residence and steal. Cause and effect?

We should have the right to protect and defend private property. If we don't then it really isn't private and we are noy the country that the founders built.

OS