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Thank God and for common sense that Mr. McClure, a man that raised a good family, never broke the law, is not being charged. At 76 years of age Mr. McClure, a man that has lived through some of the most difficult times in America, was not going down on his knees to 4 thugs that have no respect for life. I salute you sir!
AFTER he let his home and followed them down the street.
I'll refer you to the DA's statement, again.
Quote:
The statement from the district attorney's office reads, in part, "His idea to find the vehicle and try to delay the escape of those who invaded his home did not make him the aggressor nor did that take away his right of self defense. Mr. McClure believed that his life was in danger and fired in self-defense."
thank god and for common sense that mr. Mcclure, a man that raised a good family, never broke the law, is not being charged. At 76 years of age mr. Mcclure, a man that has lived through some of the most difficult times in america, was not going down on his knees to 4 thugs that have no respect for life. I salute you sir!
This was the best news of the day on Friday. I'm happy for this gentleman and his wife.
I'd tend to worry for their safety from future repurcussions, but these thugs probably wrote their buddy off as a collateral loss and have moved on to other, easier venues for their crimes.
The man had courage! He and his wife had been traumatized by these miscreants in their own home, made to fear for their lives, yet had the stones to pursue them after they left to try and help them be apprehended. Had the hooligans not charged his vehicle, he would never have fired. If he hadn't fired, he would have been assaulted, perhaps killed.
I read that his wife suffered a heart attack after the incident, I wish her a speedy recovery.
No, he persued them. That's not his role or job. You are no longer defending yourself when you go after them.
I understand people's POV. I'm not sympathetic at all with the assailants. AT all. My point is that even though I understand how the victim might have felt., he was wrong. My sympathy for him doesn't override the fact that he was wrong. If he had called the police and stayed home with his wife, none of this would have happened.
No, he persued them. That's not his role or job. You are no longer defending yourself when you go after them.
I understand people's POV. I'm not sympathetic at all with the assailants. AT all. My point is that even though I understand how the victim might have felt., he was wrong. My sympathy for him doesn't override the fact that he was wrong. If he had called the police and stayed home with his wife, none of this would have happened.
He WAS at home with his wife minding their own business when these thugs intruded in their home and life. THAT is what is wrong here. It is absolutely his role/job to protect his home, wife, life.
If you weren't sympathetic with the thugs, you would be yelling from the rooftops that what THEY DID was wrong and had they stayed home, minding their own business NONE of this would have happened.
When those punks started to move toward him, he had all rights and was justified in what he did. And let us not forget they had an automatic weapon. Had this man not done what he did, these thugs would still be roaming the roads and Lord only knows whom they may have harmed, assaulted or killed next. Job well done!
Let it be known to those who are of the same mindset as these punks, that people are not putting up with it anymore. Bottom line...
It is a sad day whenever a 15 year old dies for any reason. It is even worse when that 15 year old dies because he made a stupid mistake that cost him his life. It is also sad that a hard-working, honest, elderly couple can not live in peace, not worrying about their possessions or well-being because of some punk.
I am glad the old man didn't get charged. Hopefully this thug's "friends" will think twice before they try to rip off another unsuspecting victim.
Very good points, Peyton. Everyone's life is valuable and I hope I didn't sound like I thought the 15 y/o was expendable. I just don't understand why kids get sucked into this gangsta mentality. On another thread, someone had posted links to this kid's myspace page (and links to his friend's pages). The stuff on those pages was downright menacing and clearly displays that he and his buds were proud of their thug behavior.
I have thought about it a lot and feel the question should be - how the heck did our city get to the place where this is how kids are being raised? This is how they think a person should be living his/her life? The answer - I just don't know! I can't change someone else's kid's behavior - so all I know is to prepare myself to deal with that behavior if it spills over into my home.
It is, indeed, very sad - for everyone - including Charlotte as a community. No one should be growing up like this - and no one should spend their retirement years fighting off thugs.
No, he persued them. That's not his role or job. You are no longer defending yourself when you go after them.
I understand people's POV. I'm not sympathetic at all with the assailants. AT all. My point is that even though I understand how the victim might have felt., he was wrong. My sympathy for him doesn't override the fact that he was wrong. If he had called the police and stayed home with his wife, none of this would have happened.
I can't see how he was wrong. Sorry. I can't.
This is real life. You are looking at this as if the law were some kind of game.
The miscreant tags home base, he is safe. No out.
You are treating this as if a citizen only has rights in his or her own property. That is exactly the kind of thinking that has created the miscreants in the first place! "All we have to do is get in and get out - as soon as we are out - no one can do a thing! We can beat the ole folks up, threaten them, laugh in their faces - but as soon as we are off his property -BINGO!! Safe! Home free!!!!"
These kids set something in motion. Their actions created a situation which, b/c of their decisions, ended up with someone getting killed. It could have been the old man and his wife that got killed. But as things unfolded, they just got beaten and threatened. The things that were stolen were not the issue. Their safety - at that moment - and in the future - was the issue.
Mr. McClure is part of a community. He has lived his life as a good citizen, including military service. He is a responsible man. The thugs are also part of a community - and they are part of a group of kids which has terrorized their own community - and doubtless, will terrorize other areas of the city if they are not stopped.
The sooner that these thugs - and yes, they are THUGS - figure out that actions have consequences - and it isn't glamorous to live the life of a gansta - the sooner some sort of rehabilitation within their own lives can take place. Until then, it needs to be clearly understood that ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES and these baby gangsta thugs have to make some decisions about how they intend to prepare themselves for the future. Are they gonna get a grip and quit terrorizing the community and figure out how to live as a contributing part of society? Or are they gonna continue on a path of criminal behavior - that ends with one of them getting shot - or some other law-abiding citizen dying b/c these kids don't value life?
Mr. McClure did not set out to kill anyone. But those kids set out to engage in criminal behavior. And one of them paid the price for that decision.
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