For all its faults, the US Justice System sometimes gets it right!

[Lewkowski]

I think he would prefer the thieves all got death. It's the Christian thing to do, after all.

As for the case at hand, based on the limited information in the article, the old man apparently discovered the teens stealing his car and opened fire on them. That isn't self defense, nor is death the penalty for car theft. In the spirit of "people ought to refrain from killing each other unless it's actually necessary," I would say *actual* justice would see the old man being charged at least with manslaughter, along with the 18 year old car thief. A human life is worth much more than a car, even a Lexus, and given the old man's life did not appear to be threatened, there is no just reason for him to kill the car thieves.

Now, if the kids had car-jacked him, or threatened to kill or injure him, and/or he had no safe place to retreat, that's a different story. But I don't get any hint of those circumstances from reading the quoted article. And even though the kid was breaking the law, and even though its a stupid thing to do all around and he definitely knew better, death for car theft is *not* justice.

1. A man has a right to defend his property.
2. According to the homeowner the teens approached him after he confronted them. They sought to do him harm after coming on his property, this is self defense. Chicago is a liberal city, if it wasn't clear cut self-defense they would have tried to arrest him.

[EyeKhan]

1. A man has a right to defend his property.

It is not remotely reasonable to value property over a human life.

2. According to the homeowner the teens approached him after he confronted them. They sought to do him harm after coming on his property, this is self defense.

If that's true, then fair enough.

[RandBlade]

It is not remotely reasonable to value property over a human life.

If you're a scumbag who tries to trash other people's lives, I think it is reasonable to value my property over your life. Especially when my property has my wife and children in it too.

[Hazir]

If you're a scumbag who tries to trash other people's lives, I think it is reasonable to value my property over your life. Especially when my property has my wife and children in it too.

Ah, Brexit is really a gateway to the real stuff.

[Aimless]

Ah, Brexit is really a gateway to the real stuff.

In this case I believe the relationship is the other way around.

[Hazir]

If you're a scumbag who tries to trash other people's lives, I think it is reasonable to value my property over your life. Especially when my property has my wife and children in it too.

Ah, Brexit is really a gateway to the real stuff.

[Timbuk2]

If you're a scumbag who tries to trash other people's lives, I think it is reasonable to value my property over your life. Especially when my property has my wife and children in it too.

Fortunately you live in a country with laws that do not value property over life.

[Aimless]

If you're a scumbag who tries to trash other people's lives, I think it is reasonable to value my property over your life. Especially when my property has my wife and children in it too.

I have a sneaking suspicion this 75-y-o man's wife and children were not in the car they were in the process of stealing, but sure, froth away.

[RandBlade]

I have a sneaking suspicion this 75-y-o man's wife and children were not in the car they were in the process of stealing, but sure, froth away.

I was responding to the point made not the case in question, nor Lewk's hard on for vigilante violence which outside of Batman comics I've always opposed.

[EyeKhan]

I was responding to the point made not the case in question, nor Lewk's hard on for vigilante violence which outside of Batman comics I've always opposed.

You made a straw man then attacked it. Well done. Property shouldn't be valued more than a human life.

[Khendraja'aro]

If you're a scumbag who tries to trash other people's lives, I think it is reasonable to value my property over your life. Especially when my property has my wife and children in it too.

And with that kind of thinking you get laws where if you rape a woman you get two years while if you also stole the tent she was in at the time you get three years.

Took some time to get those laws sorted. Coincidentally, they entered the German law code in 1933.