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Investigators say they were definitely going to rob him – possibly even kill him. But an 80-year-old North Texan wasn’t about to let that happen, so he took action. |
One of the suspects is in the hospital and both are facing charges. Two men obviously thought James Pickett, 80, was an easy target when they showed up at his home on Saturday with a knife. “He just came through that door, stabbing and beating,” said Pickett. Captain Clint Pullin said it looked as though the men wanted to kill him.
But before you worry too much about Pickett, learn a bit more about him. He’s a WWII veteran, former firefighter and lifelong John Wayne devotee. In short, even at 80, he is someone you just don’t mess with. What the men didn’t know is Picket had taken a pistol and put it in his pocket before opening the door. “He jumped and turned and I shot him,” Picket said. The two brothers, Paul and Holden Perry, ran but didn’t get far before calling an ambulance. A bullet just missed Paul Perry’s spine.
“The only problem was I run out of bullets,” Picket said. A neighbor describes Picket as a “hero.”
Since it looks like the gun control issue will heat up again, I thought I would post an opposing viewpoint.
#19. Martial Arts? Thats a joke, right? I am laughing my ass off.
#8 – #6. I will agree with you, if you stop using the term gun-nuts, or anti-gun nuts. Neither one is particularly accurate. Although, sometimes I feel like a nut, sometimes I dont?
I know a helluva lot of people who own guns. Many are military or ex-military or cops, and many more are just private citizens. I also know a lot of non-gun owners too.
I know some people who own guns and don’t make an issue of it. I know plenty who don’t own and it never comes up.
I know a few who are rabid “gun-nuts” who prattle on and on about how guns are the last hope of salvation, and I know a few “anti-gun nuts” whose irrational fear of guns leads them to blame guns for every societal tragedy.
In the venn diagram of all these people, the very vocal ones on either side are actually a pretty small group, and that is who I mean when I say “nut.”
I believe that most of us are just people with varying views on guns.
So please, forgive me for sounding like I’m painting with such broad strokes. I’m really not.
You just know that the two robbers are going to sue Mr. Pickett for assault and attempted murder… and more than likely win their case. This is the litigious USA, remember.
#22. Forgiven. Its just too easy with an explosive topic like this, to use generalities, which I believe harms the discussion. Certainly, not a black/white issue. And I do believe in responsible gun ownership as any sane person would. Which means gun control in some form.
#1 said: Over the counter handguns in my state are sold without even recording the serial number of the gun. Or who made the purchase – other than federal approval of someone’s name at the time of sale.
Yeah, I think the BATF would dissagre with you on that one. ATF Form 4473 Section D (A Federal form) requires the serial number to be recorded for each gun sold by a gun dealer. In addition, the BATF requires the dealer to keep a bound book of all transactions.
23.000 gun laws, none work.
Guns, as well as politics, only take on the personality of the beholder.
#20;
That’s a bs statistic. How many guns overall are ever involved in crimes? How many cars are ever in wrecks? Hell, how many bats hit home runs?
Show some stats or shut up.
#21;
Not a joke. Prove me wrong. Many people don’t need a gun to inflate their manhood.
#27, Nate,
Not a joke. Prove me wrong. Many people don’t need a gun to inflate their manhood. Very true. Some, like Colonel Panic’s sister, Major Disaster, can inflate his manhood without a gun.
***
So I’m still wondering. What ever happened to the other bullets? If one of those bullets had accidentally injured or even killed another person across the street, what would we be discussing?
I don’t allow guns in my home, as I know the damage they can do (it’s a Vietnam thing), but I do keep a ball bat under the bed and the carving knives stay handy.
Gun control means using two hands. If people didn’t have irrational fear of guns, and gun safety and handling in schools, then there would probably be fewer accidental shootings.
An armed society is a polite society.
Dead home invaders don’t invade others homes.
Way to go James.
If he had better “gun control” he wouldn’t have run out of bullets.
“An armed society is a polite society.”
Stupid Heinlein drivel. What does that guy back there say to every post? “Prove it”? Prove it. Plenty of guns in Bosnia,
Lebanon, our border drug towns. Are they particularly polite? A lot of politesse in the African warlord villages?
The only thing you can rationally say is that an armed society has lots of guns.
My only comment is that law abiding citizens have every right to defend themselves inside their own house with a gun, baseball bat, or their own bare hands. Anything law that would change that is morally wrong.
Why do gun control laws target law abiding citizens? it’s because they are the only ones that will follow the laws. Criminals already have made that moral decision, what is one more crime?
I am disapointed in Mr. Pickett. You would think a veteran would have gotten two head shots.
I’d like to take issue with the OP’s position that this story is “an opposing viewpoint.” Perhaps it only highlights what “the issue” is?
If the question is do guns ever save lives? Then the answer is of course they do, which is why that question is never asked.
should America institute greater gun controls? I would say yes because over time people will be safer in their homes, on the streets, in their schools==all as most comparisons to other western societies show. For THAT question, this story is irrelevant and does not provide an opposing view.
But because it is valid for a different question, it is often trotted out, as done here.
If proper gun training were a required part of the education system, beginning in grade school, you wouldn’t see the accidents.
#35, bobbo,
Well put.
I don’t favor banning all guns. That would be silly. There is nothing wrong with firearms used for hunting. Certain weapons though are designed solely to kill. Those are the ones that should be banned from civilian use.
Given the choice of meeting someone with criminal intent, I would much rather try to outrun a baseball bat than a handgun.
Legal gun ownership directly leads to decreased crime. A number of large studies back that point up.
http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/493636.html
http://www.reason.com/news/show/28582.html
#38–yes, but only in an environment where guns are generally available. That makes the GOUSA the very worst control group.
Compare death by guns in GOUSA with societies where guns are not available then you are making the sane choice.
#39 – Have you experienced the relative peace and tranquility of Liverpool?