It seems folks in Houston feel that property is now more valuable than human life. Remember this twisted piece of work, Joe Horn? I posted about him here.
It seems Mr. Horn has gotten away with murder with the help of the good citizens of Houston, Texas. If you recall, Mr. Horn shot two criminals IN THE BACK as they were burglarizing the home of Horn’s neighbors. Horn correctly called 911 to report the crime then decided he’d take the law into his own hands and become judge, jury & executioner. Now I wonder how this would have turned out had a black man shot two white men in the back during a botched burglary……I think it would be safe to assume the outcome would have been completely different.
Don’t get me wrong, I am in NO WAY condoning criminal activity, but I always thought human life trumped property rights….in other words the death penalty is not an appropriate punishment for theft – at least not for most citizens living in the U.S.
A Texas man who shot and killed two men he believed to be burglarizing his neighbor’s home won’t be going to trial. A grand jury today failed to indict Joe Horn, a 61-year-old computer technician who lives in an affluent subdivision in Pasadena, Texas.
In the Lone Star state, where the six-gun tamed the frontier, shooting bad guys is a time-honored tradition, and Horn’s case centered on a Texas state law based on the old idea that “a man’s home is his castle.” The “castle law” gives Texans unprecedented legal authority to use deadly force in their homes, vehicles and workplaces. And no longer do they have an obligation to retreat, if possible, before they shoot.
“I understand the concerns of some in the community regarding Mr. Horn’s conduct,” Harris County District Attorney Kenneth Magidson told reporters at the courthouse. “The use of deadly force is carefully limited in Texas law to certain circumstances. … In this case, however, the grand jury concluded that Mr. Horn use of deadly force did not rise to a criminal offense.”
Between ‘property’ and ‘dogs’ human life is, indeed, secondary.
The world is nuts and someone needs to start cracking them.
If these people had any moral value’s or sense of logic they wouldn’t have commited the crime in the first place. But they did, and they had to expect the possibility that they might get shot, and quite possibly killed for their actions. And for that I say it’s their own fault. If they hadn’t taken that chance they would still be alive today. I don’t understand how someone can take those kind of chances with their life. Joe Horn did what he thought was right and I stand behind his decision. As someone who has been a victim of robbery before I probably would have done the same thing.
You say “It seems folks in Houston feel that property is now more valuable than human life.”
I say you are correct…the robbers thought that someone else’s property was more valuable to them than their own lives…and they paid the ultimate price for that choice.
I only hope that others like them take this as a lesson, that this can happen to you too. So think about your actions before you jeopardize your own life.
“Joe Horn did what he thought was right and I stand behind his decision. As someone who has been a victim of robbery before I probably would have done the same thing.”
Joe Horn did what JOE HORN wanted to do. The 911 operator told him several times to stay in his home and allow the police officers to arrive and handle the situation. Horn WANTED to shoot those people. He is a cowardly murderer and they are two dead thieves….the action of all three are wrong. Horn should have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for premeditated murder.
Yes – a cowardly murderer and needs to be punished. I, too, have once been the victim of robbery, but, I don’t see how that fits into the equation. I doubt if anything will ever be done to such an evil person. I so despise inequality in this country. As you said, had it been a Black man doing the shooting, charges would have been brought and someone would be doing time. Peace.
The criminals decided to risk their lives for “stuff”. That was a choice on their part. Surely we have the right to protect ourselves and our property, AND OUR COMMUNITIES. If the two men had not chosen to violate the rights of others, they would be alive today. Kudos to Mr. Horn for having the guts to do what he did.
@Reader – Fortunately we live in a society of laws and many within our communities value human life more than they do “stuff”. It seems to me that some lives are perceived to be more valuable than others.
What does it say about our society that we value “stuff” and animals more than we do human life? Don’t get it twisted I’m not saying the two dead criminals should not have been punished for their shenanigans….but who the hell is Joe Horn to decide to punish them with DEATH……this is a simple case of a creep getting away with murder. He’s no better than they were – as a matter of fact he is worse…..he took a human life without justification.
I see no problem. Why do people stick up for thieves? The world is better of without them, they were bugs. Picked the wrong house to rob. Joe can move in beside me.
Our society is so coward, spineless that you are appalled with criminals get killed performing a crime. You stick up
for the bugs of society. As a society you will not even protect your children, you let rapist and child molesters go free.
And in this case, you turn Joe Horn in to the bad guy?????
Thank you Joe stickin up for your friend.
@John – apparently you didn’t read my statements or you have a comprehension problem. I’m not “sticking up” for anyone as I feel that they were ALL wrong.
Perhaps you’d rather live next door to a trigger happy person with poor judgment, I however would prefer to live in a civilized society where violence of this nature is condoned only as protection from assault, bodily injury or death. It seems those that are calling this man a hero would like to go back to the days of the wild, wild west – have we not evolved?
This situation is so disgusting I can’t even talk, read, think, or white on it.
Speaking of humanity, would you be intersted in participating in a bloggers confrence call with olympic athletes about Darfur, next week.
Email me at lionrunner777@yahoo.com and let me know. I’ll hit you back with the details if you interested.
@John – Most people I know are up in arms about “the child molester” being set free so get a clue and stop the meme that “black folks” don’t wish punishment upon ALL people black or white when they commit a crime. If anyone molests or rapes a child or anyone else for that matter – they should be punished – preferably behind prison walls.
@ Yobachi – Please send background information. Thanks!
@aj
“Perhaps you’d rather live next door to a trigger happy person with poor judgment, I however would prefer to live in a civilized society where violence of this nature is condoned only as protection from assault, bodily injury or death.”
Unfortunately we don’t live in a society like…um…Canada, where people leave their doors unlocked while no one’s home because they have no fear of break-in’s. Their society doesn’t have violence and crime displayed in the media everyday because it simply doesn’t occur like it does here.
Here people have to protect themselves, their family’s and their belongs any way they can because if they don’t someone will come along and try to take it. Especially on that side of Houston. I guarantee you no one will jack with that neighborhood for a while.
@Phokuz,
I agree we lived in a jacked up society here where we are inundated with violence in media, movies, gaming, etc. constantly. We’ve become insensitive to the point that we no longer seem to place value on human life. It seems we are losing our humanity and I for one find it sad.
It seems Mr. Horn could have shot them both in the a$$ for their crimes…..but to kill someone over “STUFF” is over the top and it will only encourage others to do the same. It’s a slippery slope.
I can’t stick up for people who were breaking the law. Just can’t do it. I certainly would hope my neighbor would look out for me. Who’s to say what those cats planned to do when they got in the house.
I stand up for innocent people, not guilty ones.
got that right…I’d blow em all to hell and back then to hell again. This guy delivered more justice that the justice system could have never delivered in the last 50 years.
the justice system does nothing to appease the victims of crime what so ever. the only thing they are concerned with is pampering scumbag criminals with kid gloves and making sure that they are properly looked after.
i have nothing but absolute contempt for the justice system, the courts the judges and human rights lawyers. i don’t recognize any of them. they are just like the scumbags they try to defend. I’ve made one sworn promise in my life and on everything i believe in, i have a family and the day that anyone brings any harm to them, my daughter, my madam or my parents…..make no mistake….i will strike down upon who ever it is with great vengeance and viciousness and absolute brutality that it will make the hosts of heaven and hell shed a tear, my method and type of justice will know no limits and i will make sure that the ones who seek to defend the perp get a piece of it, even if it means violently ending my life in the process….that’s justice.
I’m sure if those two scumbags had killed that brave guy, those activist and the ones who opposed his actions would not have even farted on cotton balls and give his relatives to smell furthermore offered sympathy or voiced outrage.
A criminal is the scumbag equivalent to a terrorist and i think the war on crime should be fought along the same lines as the war on terror. there should be no distinction between the two, there should be no distinction between the methods involved in putting them down no mater how brutal and unconventional it may seem to so called “rule of law”.
I moved to Arksansa from Pasadena Texas, where we had lived for the past 35 years, aprox. 1 mile on the same side of Fairmont Parkway. We watched the entire neighborhood being built, including the one where Mr. Horn lived. Our grandson lived one block behind Mr. Horn. It is tragic for our society, however, a thief is a theif. I am gld that someone took a stance for this. I work 14-16 hours every day of the week here and we are surrounded by theives and drugs. A rural community that has to keep everything under lock and key. The majority of us have gun carrying permits because of this very reason. There is nothing wrong with working for what you get. It angers me when I hear that “stuff” as compared to human life was taken. That “stuff” if what we all work for. I am glad that someone was watching out for not only their “stuff”, but , the “stuff” of his neighbor. When you work long hard hours and see someone sleeping until we all go to work and then they drag themselfves out of bed to steal, they should have made a better choice, like “go to work”, then they can have the “stuff” and their human life would not be in jeporady !