"There have been a lot of burglaries in the neighborhood lately," she said. My mom detailed out the series of recent robberies. "A couple days ago, a man woke up during the night when his garage door opened. Some burglars had broken into his car, opened the garage door, and came into the house. They started stealing electronics and stuff."
"What did he do?" I asked.
"He and his family hid in a bedroom upstairs and called the police. The burglars were gone by the time the sheriff arrived--it takes the police thirty minutes to respond. A few cars have been broken into for radios and things. Some people who run early in the mornings have reported seeing them breaking into the cars."
"What do they do?" I asked.
"I don't know if they call the police or not. There was a man who caught them breaking into his car one night."
"What did he do?" I asked.
"He came out with a gun and shot up in the air. It scared them off."
I didn't have to think very long to respond. It seemed like all of the stories ended the same way. "He shot in the air? Why didn't he shoot at them?" "He didn't want to kill them." "They were on his property, breaking and stealing his things. He should've shot them." "And incur huge court fees? Take out a third mortgage on his home to pay for lawyers? Over a $100 car stereo--is it worth it?" I could feel my blood boil.
"Of course it's worth it. It's the principle of it. Costs are irrelevant." I said. "What about the psychological cost?" She asked. "Of pulling the trigger on someone over a radio? I don't want to kill someone over a stupid car radio." "Then I'll do it." I replied. "That's a very impulsive thing to say." She said.
"I don't care. Our neighborhood has apparently been castrated. Those burglars aren't going to stop because they've haven't been caught. Because so far everybody has rolled over and let these thieves walk into their homes and take what they want. No punishment--no lesson. You want the burglaries to stop? Kill one of the burglars. That'll put a stop to it real quick." I said.
"If they threaten you in your home, then yes. But outside of your home? In your yard? Are you going to be able to pay for all of the court fees after you shoot them? The level head prevails." She said.
"That doesn't mean it's right." "Not everyone in our neighborhood is so wimpy. They get bolder because they don't get caught, but pretty soon they're going to walk into the wrong house. And then they'll get what they deserve." She said.
We have a responsibility to protect ourselves. It's something that a large number of people apparently doing understand, appreciate, or believe. They'd rather hide in a bedroom and cry for help while thieves rummage through their belongings downstairs. They'd rather flex their muscles and hope that the bad guys run away scared. They'd rather turn around and hope someone else deals with the problem. They'd rather wait for someone else to do anything. That's what we've been reduced to. It's the norm. We're taught to roll over and take what comes. The ones who are willing to fight back get punished and ostracized. That's how we reward true justice.
Justice comes at a high price, but you get what you pay for.
"What did he do?" I asked.
"He and his family hid in a bedroom upstairs and called the police. The burglars were gone by the time the sheriff arrived--it takes the police thirty minutes to respond. A few cars have been broken into for radios and things. Some people who run early in the mornings have reported seeing them breaking into the cars."
"What do they do?" I asked.
"I don't know if they call the police or not. There was a man who caught them breaking into his car one night."
"What did he do?" I asked.
"He came out with a gun and shot up in the air. It scared them off."
I didn't have to think very long to respond. It seemed like all of the stories ended the same way. "He shot in the air? Why didn't he shoot at them?" "He didn't want to kill them." "They were on his property, breaking and stealing his things. He should've shot them." "And incur huge court fees? Take out a third mortgage on his home to pay for lawyers? Over a $100 car stereo--is it worth it?" I could feel my blood boil.
"Of course it's worth it. It's the principle of it. Costs are irrelevant." I said. "What about the psychological cost?" She asked. "Of pulling the trigger on someone over a radio? I don't want to kill someone over a stupid car radio." "Then I'll do it." I replied. "That's a very impulsive thing to say." She said.
"I don't care. Our neighborhood has apparently been castrated. Those burglars aren't going to stop because they've haven't been caught. Because so far everybody has rolled over and let these thieves walk into their homes and take what they want. No punishment--no lesson. You want the burglaries to stop? Kill one of the burglars. That'll put a stop to it real quick." I said.
"If they threaten you in your home, then yes. But outside of your home? In your yard? Are you going to be able to pay for all of the court fees after you shoot them? The level head prevails." She said.
"That doesn't mean it's right." "Not everyone in our neighborhood is so wimpy. They get bolder because they don't get caught, but pretty soon they're going to walk into the wrong house. And then they'll get what they deserve." She said.
We have a responsibility to protect ourselves. It's something that a large number of people apparently doing understand, appreciate, or believe. They'd rather hide in a bedroom and cry for help while thieves rummage through their belongings downstairs. They'd rather flex their muscles and hope that the bad guys run away scared. They'd rather turn around and hope someone else deals with the problem. They'd rather wait for someone else to do anything. That's what we've been reduced to. It's the norm. We're taught to roll over and take what comes. The ones who are willing to fight back get punished and ostracized. That's how we reward true justice.
Justice comes at a high price, but you get what you pay for.
Comments
You really think that killing someone over theft is justice? A life is worth far more than belongings even if it's someone who obviously isn't an upstanding citizen.
And quite frankly, I would like to see you walk out there, not knowing if the person stealing from you was armed, and act like some kind of vigilante. You talk big, but I really think you'd be just like everyone else.
Real life isn't a comic book. Hate to break it to you.
You're right: a person's life is worth much more than the junk people buy and not everyone is an upstanding citizen. That doesn't excuse them from stealing or doing mean things to other people.
If someone decides to break the law, gets caught, and gets hurt: fuck them.
If I run out thinking I'm Batman like an idiot and get hurt: fuck me. Maybe I'll go down like a bitch. At least I'll be the bitch who tried to do the right thing.
No, real life isn't a comic book. It's one of those romance novels nobody reads because it sucks so much.