South Carolina Gun Shop with Inadequate Security is Robbed

Local news reports

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A 'Goblin' in a Beanie and Fake Moustache

Our gun lunatics, despite the empty and meaningless lip service they give to the inherent value of life --- well, SOME life, but not other people's life -- would be lying in wait to blow this woman away with their fetish objects, crowing over the license to kill given them by those Castle Doctrine laws which allow them greater leniency in executing people than the rule of law allows police or courts for the same actions.

Because this woman is not in any way a threat to life, no threat whatsoever of doing physical harm, has NO weapon of any kind apparently on her person, I applaud the actions of this homeowner in holding the neighbor accountable for what she did.


I have to wonder if this larcenous neighbor had watched too many I Love Lucy reruns for her disguise inspiration.

This story personifies the idea that we trust people, and expect the best, but we do not do so stupidly.  We trust, but we also take reasonable care to limit harm.  We trust the good in people, but we do not ignore the potential for temptation to bring out the worst that exists in all people alongside the good.  We especially should not do so when making a mistake about people could lead to the death or injury or threat to someone else, as in not running a background check on a private sale firearm purchaser.

I'm guessing right now that these neighbors wish they had checked out THEIR neighbor, about whom I assume they believed was a 'good person' a bit further.  The only loss in their mistake was money, not life or limb; the only person who was injured was themselves, not someone else.

One might argue that the burglary victims were better able to see the real inner person as good or bad ONLY when she was in disguise.

From MSNBC.com:

Police: Woman donned mustache, beanie to rob neighbors

By msnbc.com staff

A woman in Salt Lake City repeatedly stole from her neighbors, donning an oversized man's suit, a beanie and a fake mustache in an attempt to disguise herself while she entered their home, police said.
The Salt Lake City Tribune reported that the 31-year-old woman's disguise didn't fool anyone for long, though: On Thursday, she was charged with two counts of burglary and one count of theft for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars.
According to police, the victims had noticed several thousand dollars in cash missing from a box in their house, The Tribune reported. They checked the box a second time and found another $9,000 missing.
None of the people involved in the case were identified. It was not clear why the victims were holding such a large amount of cash in their house.
The victims had only given their house key to one person, a neighbor, and decided to set up a trap to see if she was the burglar, The Tribune reported. They put a small amount of cash in the box and set up security cameras, court documents state.
The security footage captured the woman, since identified as Manar Ahmad of Salt Lake City, in a very large man's suit, a beanie cap, and a fake mustache using the key to get into the home, the documents show.
Salt Lake City police searched her house and found her disguise inside, according to The Tribune.
All of her charges are second-degree felonies.

Legitimate DGU - Yes or No?

From The Armed Citizen.

From the Publication of January 6, 2010

Burglary suspect shot by Jarales homeowner

Charges are pending against a man who was shot in the chest by a Jarales resident while allegedly trying to break in.

Valencia County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Trujillo said the shooting occurred shortly after midnight on New Years Day at a house on Mill Road.

According to the deputy, the homeowner, whose name has not been released, heard someone trying to break into his home and called 911. When the suspect entered the house, the homeowner shot him once in the chest, Trujillo said.

“The intruder was airlifted to University of New Mexico Hospital,” Trujillo said.

He said the suspect’s condition was not immediately known Monday, but he is expected to face breaking and entering and other charges upon his release from the hospital. Police are not releasing the suspect’s name until the charges have been filed.

Trujillo said the homeowner is not being charged with any crime.

“He was defending his property,” Trujillo said.

My contention is that many of these so-called DGUs are nothing of the kind. In this story, for example, it sounds like the homeowner laid in wait for the burglar. I pictured a spider quietly awaiting his prey. In my opinion there's too much emphasis on the stand-your-ground defending-what's-mine mentality and too little emphasis on the value of life, even the criminal's.

Even when these incidents fall within the letter of the law, it is morally wrong to shoot someone when it can be avoided.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Lillo Brancato Not Guilty of Murder

CNN reports that the Soprano's actor Lillo Brancato was acquitted of the murder of Daniel Enchautegui. In discussing this case before, the vast majority of commenters disagreed with me and felt that Brancato should be found guilty. I'm happy to report the jury agreed with me.

Brancato, 32, was also acquitted of two counts of burglary, but could face three to 15 years in prison on the attempted burglary charge. He has already served three years, according to his attorney, Joseph Tacopina.

Police officer Daniel Enchautegui, 28, was killed trying to break up a burglary attempt at his neighbor's house in the Bronx in December 2005.

Since he's served so much time already, I suppose chances are good that he'll be out soon. An admitted drug addict, Lillo will now have important choices to make in his life. I'm hoping that this incredible fork in the road, this getting out now rather than spending the next 20 years in jail, will motivate him to do the right thing. Rehabilitation surely doesn't come from the penal system, but for a person who wants to change, help is available.

What do you think? What are Lillo's chances? Do you think that a good scare like this can help a person turn their life around?


Please leave a comment.