Thursday, December 15, 2005

Shoot First Law in Indiana?

I recieved a email asking me to sign a petition opposing a "shoot first" law being enacted in this state. I will not sign that petition.

The store near where I live has been robbed a number of times this year. The store may have to be closed down. I asked one of the clerks if she was going to get a gun. She said that she wasn't that she was worried about getting arrested or sued if she shot a robber. I tried to tell her that the shooting would be considered justified. She did not seem to agree. She must not have taken the same "Intro to Law" course that I took in college.

Many store clerks like her are placed in serious danger in their line of work. Most stores have a policy that tells employees to just give the robber the money. Most of the time, that is the safe, prudent thing to do. However, Tookie Williams had shot a clerk after he had given him the money. Store clerks should be allowed to use their judgement in any given situation. Most stores prohibit employees from having a gun to protect themselves with. Those stores are more concerned with getting sued by the family of a dead crackhead than they are worried about the safety of their own employees. While I support the right of business to set their own policies (Yes I know about the Oklahoma law that make employers allow guns at work, and I am opposed to that law.) regrading firearms in the workplace, frivilous lawsuits have forced these companies to adopt these policies in order to keep insurance coverage.

Let business set their own workplace policies regarding guns without having to worry about getting sued, and let employee choose which stores they want to work at.

1 comment:

  1. I don't remember the case in Auburn.

    Most people have a natural and healthy tendency to be reluctant to use violence. Most of the time, I would probably feel safer retreating than using force, and under most circumstaces I would do what I felt safest. Unless I was trying to impress someone, of course.
    My personal rule of thumb is that if I'm so scared that I don't care if I get arrested, then I'm going to use force.

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