The Anti-Self Defense Cadre Strikes Again in Strafford County - Granite Grok

The Anti-Self Defense Cadre Strikes Again in Strafford County

“Some laws of state aimed at curbing crime are even more criminal.”  —Friedrich Engels

Joseph Hebert is a criminal. He has a considerable arrest record for everything from assault and drug possession to burglary. Clearly, he is a miscreant.  This Saturday Hebert’s personal illegal fortune-seeking ran aground. He was caught taking other people’s stuff without their permission. We, common folks call this, “Stealing.”

Dennis Fleming is an upstanding citizen, if not a hero. Hebert spotted Criminal Hebert walking down the road after seeing him come out of his neighbor’s window. Dennis Fleming fired a shot away from the direction of of Criminal Hebert, directing that shot into the ground, so as not to hit criminal Hebert or any property or other people. Several of Fleming’s neighbors arrived to restrain criminal Hebert until the police arrived to arrest him.  Fleming subsequently unloaded his firearm and placed it nearby after Criminal Hebert was restrained.

A subsequent search of Criminal Hebert’s backpack revealed possession of personal property from homes broken into by Criminal Hebert.  All’s well that ends well?  Not so fast. 

the 61 year-old grandfather and great-grandfather Dennis Fleming is now charged with Felony Reckless Conduct and could face a prison sentence, as Reported in the Union Leader. The Strafford County Attorney charged Fleming with the class B felony, for discharging his weapon when he fired a warning shot to get Criminal Hebert’s attention, that the shot would provide the incentive criminal Hebert needed to terminate his retreat.

Somehow, we have allowed our legislature the ability to codify in law some basic safety rules, along with the notion that it is not legal to discharge a firearm unless at a gun range.  We simply cannot have people wantonly, indiscriminately and gratuitously discharging firearms in urban areas or residential neighborhoods. The intent of the statute was to curb just that. But this ain’t that!

If we accept the facts as clear based on the press accounts, then we know a couple of things: a) Fleming did not fire his .38 at Criminal Hebert. Fleming fired it away from Criminal Hebert. Why? So Fleming would not hit Criminal Hebert. b) He fired into the ground…the ground will absorb a bullet easily, especially where this is not a high caliber, high velocity round. c) There is nothing in the article that indicates anyone’s person or property safety were compromised by the discharge of Fleming’s gun.

We, as a society have devolved into one where the Police and the criminals have an unintended cooperative relationship. For example, countless community “crime prevention” meetings host law enforcement officials advising citizens what to do to limit ones’ exposure to being a crime victim. Another component of these “community talks” are the police advising, “If you are suddenly faced with a criminal act, do not resist. cooperate…give the criminal what he wants and then call the police.” This is further rationalized and couched in no property ever being worth a human life. In other words, comply with the criminals demands to unlawfully deprive a citizen of his or her property, money or goods they came by through lawful means.

Criminals for their part, understand these principles and actually count on those principles operative aspects to succeed them in their criminal endeavors. And if one is a criminal, that is pretty sound logic because statistically, force of resistance is still the exception and not the rule.

People do resist, however and when they do, there is often a consequence.  That consequence is the citizen ends up broke from paying expensive legal fees to defend ones’ self from the onslaught of charges leveled by often anti-gun county attorneys. Pedantics 101 is following the letter of the law and ignoring the spirit and intent of it.

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