4 ms·

How is property worth pointing a gun at someone over? It's a car. Cars can be replaced.

by op00to 9y ago

bsder 9y ago
It is true that you can replace your car, but, if something is stolen, you rarely get the full value back. If you are living paycheck to paycheck, getting a car stolen is a matter of life and death. However, the real problem was pulling a gun FIRST instead of hollering across the road or from a porch. A street punk would normally run--somebody legitimate will respond. This idiot cop is actually lucky she wasn't a true violent criminal who had a hidden lookout. Getting that close with a drawn gun if there was a hidden lookout would have gotten him shot.
tomohawk 9y ago
How is stealing property worth being shot with a gun? There's no need to steal.
- thephyber 9y ago
  Seems like a strawman to me. This article is about a man who misinterprets a car purchase and pulls a gun to "protect" property, which was not his and was not being stolen. If someone pulls a gun to "defend their property", they better be really damned sure it is their property and the property was being stolen (not a {leinholder, repoman, undercover police officer, deaf person, autistic person, etc}). The risk of making the wrong decision may not be high, but the impact of the wrong decision is.
sturgeongeneral 9y ago
It may be just a car to you, but I have a valuable sports car, and if I caught someone attempting to steal it I wouldn't hesitate to point a gun. Not for a moment. Would the intent be to kill? Of course not. It'd be to deter. Edit for the downvotes: it's not just a car to me, and it's not just about the monetary value. It has sentimental value and I wouldn't be able to replace it easily. I don't see what's so controversial about attempting to protect one's property. That said I did find this story disturbing and I'm not trying to imply that the woman did anything wrong. I was simply replying to the point above.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- soneil 9y ago
  I'd guess the downvotes are the simple implication that your car is worth a human life. deter? The very first thing I was taught with a gun, was not to point it at anything you didn't intend to shoot. Any time you introduce a lethal instrument to a dispute you've put a lethal conclusion on the table.
- pmiller2 9y ago
  There's no such thing as pointing a firearm to "deter." One of the basic tenets of firearm training is that you never point it at anything you don't intend to shoot. And, when shooting, always go for a center mass shot. "Winging" someone is neither practical nor probable.
  - sturgeongeneral 9y ago
    Of course there is, but yes, I accept the lethal outcome.
    - mnm1 9y ago
      If you mean murder, don't say 'deter' and then wonder why you're getting downvoted.
      - sturgeongeneral 9y ago
        Murder is unlawful and premeditated.
- akytt 9y ago
  Now that's a culture thing. I've always been taught never to pull a gun unless you are ready to shoot someone. That's why I don't have one.
- mercer 9y ago
  I guess many people just don't understand how any possession can justify the murder of another human. I'm one of those people. I have a wide variety of friends with ideas that I personally find reprehensible or that I disagree with strongly, but I have to admit that this is something I find very difficult to wrap my head around, much as I try. Downvoting you for it isn't my style, but I can understand why others would.
LyndsySimon 9y ago
> How is property worth pointing a gun at someone over? Worth it or not, it's legal in some states and in some circumstances. I'm not sure about TN, where this occurred. > It's a car. Cars can be replaced. That car was purchased with money, which presumably was obtained through labor. Your labor, once expended, cannot be reclaimed. The moral argument can be made that theft of property is equivalent to theft of a portion of one's life.
- extra88 9y ago
  > The moral argument can be made that theft of property is equivalent to theft of a portion of one's life. That's bullshit but even by that logic, killing the thief would not be a proportional response. Plus most cars are insured to cover theft and since it was in the driveway, it possibly could have been covered by homeowner's insurance.
echaozh 9y ago
What about dogs? Is your dog worth pointing a gun at someone over?

How is property worth pointing a gun at someone over? It's a car. Cars can be replaced.

by op00to 9y ago

How is property worth pointing a gun at someone over? It's a car. Cars can be replaced.

It is true that you can replace your car, but, if something is stolen, you rarely get the full value back. If you are living paycheck to paycheck, getting a car stolen is a matter of life and death. However, the real problem was pulling a gun FIRST instead of hollering across the road or from a porch. A street punk would normally run--somebody legitimate will respond. This idiot cop is actually lucky she wasn't a true violent criminal who had a hidden lookout. Getting that close with a drawn gun if there was a hidden lookout would have gotten him shot.

tomohawk 9y ago

How is stealing property worth being shot with a gun? There's no need to steal.

thephyber 9y ago
Seems like a strawman to me. This article is about a man who misinterprets a car purchase and pulls a gun to "protect" property, which was not his and was not being stolen. If someone pulls a gun to "defend their property", they better be really damned sure it is their property and the property was being stolen (not a {leinholder, repoman, undercover police officer, deaf person, autistic person, etc}). The risk of making the wrong decision may not be high, but the impact of the wrong decision is.

sturgeongeneral 9y ago

It may be just a car to you, but I have a valuable sports car, and if I caught someone attempting to steal it I wouldn't hesitate to point a gun. Not for a moment. Would the intent be to kill? Of course not. It'd be to deter. Edit for the downvotes: it's not just a car to me, and it's not just about the monetary value. It has sentimental value and I wouldn't be able to replace it easily. I don't see what's so controversial about attempting to protect one's property. That said I did find this story disturbing and I'm not trying to imply that the woman did anything wrong. I was simply replying to the point above.

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
soneil 9y ago
I'd guess the downvotes are the simple implication that your car is worth a human life. deter? The very first thing I was taught with a gun, was not to point it at anything you didn't intend to shoot. Any time you introduce a lethal instrument to a dispute you've put a lethal conclusion on the table.
pmiller2 9y ago
There's no such thing as pointing a firearm to "deter." One of the basic tenets of firearm training is that you never point it at anything you don't intend to shoot. And, when shooting, always go for a center mass shot. "Winging" someone is neither practical nor probable.
- sturgeongeneral 9y ago
  Of course there is, but yes, I accept the lethal outcome.
  - mnm1 9y ago
    If you mean murder, don't say 'deter' and then wonder why you're getting downvoted.
    - sturgeongeneral 9y ago
      Murder is unlawful and premeditated.
akytt 9y ago
Now that's a culture thing. I've always been taught never to pull a gun unless you are ready to shoot someone. That's why I don't have one.
mercer 9y ago
I guess many people just don't understand how any possession can justify the murder of another human. I'm one of those people. I have a wide variety of friends with ideas that I personally find reprehensible or that I disagree with strongly, but I have to admit that this is something I find very difficult to wrap my head around, much as I try. Downvoting you for it isn't my style, but I can understand why others would.

LyndsySimon 9y ago

> How is property worth pointing a gun at someone over? Worth it or not, it's legal in some states and in some circumstances. I'm not sure about TN, where this occurred. > It's a car. Cars can be replaced. That car was purchased with money, which presumably was obtained through labor. Your labor, once expended, cannot be reclaimed. The moral argument can be made that theft of property is equivalent to theft of a portion of one's life.

extra88 9y ago
> The moral argument can be made that theft of property is equivalent to theft of a portion of one's life. That's bullshit but even by that logic, killing the thief would not be a proportional response. Plus most cars are insured to cover theft and since it was in the driveway, it possibly could have been covered by homeowner's insurance.

echaozh 9y ago

What about dogs? Is your dog worth pointing a gun at someone over?