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The human side of self-defense
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(Photo courtesy of Oleg Volk)
Two recent stories serve as reminders that while it’s great when the “good guys” win, there still can be a personal price to pay.
Sugar Land, Texas – Working the night-shift as a computer technician paid off when James Arther awoke to his dog barking around noon. Alarmed by the barking, he retrieved his 9mm handgun just in case:
"I opened my bedroom door and saw the guy," said James. "It looked like he was running towards me with a weapon like a screwdriver and I was scared."
Arther shot the intruder once in the chest and then called the police. While on the phone, the man escaped and drove off. Police found the blood-stained getaway vehicle about 10 miles from the scene. The intruder checked himself into a medical clinic a block from there, claiming to be a robbery victim, but police followed the blood trail and took him into custody.
Meanwhile, Arther, being a decent, law-abiding citizen who was simply trying to get some sleep, feels bad for the intruder:
"If he hears this, I hope he lives," said James. "I'm sorry that I had to shoot him. I was scared and he shouldn't be getting into people's apartment and trying to rob them."
Louisville, Kentucky – Bill Rhodes got a terribly sad surprise during his successful self-defense against an armed home invader. On Wednesday July 1, at about 4:30 AM, his wife heard noise and talking in their home. She woke Rhodes, who armed himself to protect himself and his wife.
A robber had broken in through a back window, wearing a ski mask. Rhodes got into a brief firefight with the intruder. Fortunately, he was unharmed, but the intruder died from multiple gunshot wounds. The one piece of good news was that within 24 hours, the shooting was determined to be self-defense, so Rhodes faces no charges.
But there are other ways to pay, even when you know you did the right thing in saving yourself and your wife. When Rhodes removed the intruder’s ski mask, he found himself looking at his grandson’s face, James Michael Keen.
Keen had a history of steadily-declining behavior, resulting from his drug problem. Neighbors report Keen had burglarized their homes or been confronted by him demanding money.
Keen had stolen from his grandfather before, too. The pistol he shot at his own grandfather was stolen by Keen a few weeks before from Rhodes’s car.
There are other ways for defenders to suffer that they have no control over: heartless comments from people who think an internet connection and a computer equals an opportunity for 15 milliseconds of fame.
There are armchair detectives implying the grandfather was guilty of malfeasance, or some sort of cover-up or other involvement:
“I said in an earlier post to this story that the first news you get on these cases is not always what meets the eye. More will come out of this than just a break-in.”
So now the grandfather must suffer public accusation and humiliation, because somebody who knows nothing believes his ignorance makes him an even bigger expert? Did this person stop to think how this shooting might impact the family? How they may hold Rhodes responsible for Keen’s death?
Then there are personal insults of the deceased:
“Just a note on the victims [sic] side...if I had ears like a Ferangi [sic] I would do drugs too.”
Did this person consider that Rhodes may have loved his grandson, despite Keen’s drug problem?
Then we have the chest-thumpers:
“If you walk in my place daylight or dark, ski mask or not armed or not and you didn't knock first or ring a door bell you will have several 9mm rounds in your chest and head or a double barrel 12 guage [sic] blast to the chest.”
Did this person stop to think that Rhodes might be experiencing remorse and possibly post-traumatic stress disorder, and that reading such comments may send him into a traumatic recall of shooting his own grandson? Also, some law enforcement folk say that depending on how online statements are worded, they could be cited later as intent to commit murder if the author ends up in a self-defense situation.
Fortunately, there are good people out in cyber-space, too:
“Sadly, the grandfather now has to live with fact that his grandson is dead by his own hand despite the fact that the grandson is directly responsible for his own death.”
Couldn’t have said it better.
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For in-depth analysis of the issues discussed here, read Howard’s book Four Hundred Years of Gun Control: Why Isn’t It Working?, which deconstructs the gun control agenda and motivates more people to support our civil right of self-defense.
Check out other Gun Rights Examiners:
- Atlanta: Armed customer stops robbery
- Austin: The world according to Brady (Part 3)
- Boston: More Federal and State Government tyranny on the way
- Charlotte: Dangers of gun registration: 'The Belgian Corporal'
- Cleveland: Let freedom ring.... ALL freedoms
- DC: Under Obamacare, where will Canadians go for medical services?
- Denver: What happens to you when you buy a gun?
- Los Angeles: SoCal Churches go concealed carry.
- Minneapolis: Dirty Deeds in Virginia
- National: New Orleans still illegally confiscating guns
- Seattle: Lautenberg’s legislation cloak’s anti-gun senator’s true intention
- St. Louis: Brady Campaign observes Independence Day by lobbying against liberty
- Wisconsin: Gun rights advocates make progress
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