The above is microcasm and a reflection of American society today.Brazen home-invasion robberies stir Jupiter Farms residents to action
Updated: 8:44 p.m. Friday, June 11, 2010
Posted: 7:23 p.m. Friday, June 11, 2010
JUPITER FARMS — A trio of would-be robbers who shuffled up a front yard on Alexander Run with a pump-action shotgun last week had the misfortune of confronting an armed homeowner in the driveway. He stared them down until they ran off.
But if they had tried one of the neighbors instead in the rural Jupiter Farms enclave, they might not have had much better luck. In the house next door lives a Vietnam veteran with heavy firepower in his bedroom. At the two houses across the street, the homeowners were packing heat too.
It's no secret that much of an unincorporated swath of pine tree-studded acre lots, elegant mini-mansions, rugged ranch homes and rural individualism - is heavily armed. And after two brazen home-invasion robberies and one attempt earlier this month, some residents are buying new bullets and brushing up on Florida's self-defense laws.
"If they get inside my house they'll die," vowed Joe Melchiosse, a Vietnam vet and air-conditioning repair worker who lives next-door to the site of the attempted robbery. "At least they'll get hurt."
At a Jupiter Farms homeowners association meeting Thursday night, more than 400 packed in to listen to Palm Beach County Sheriff's officials describe their investigation into the robberies, in which masked gunmen stormed into occupied, unlocked homes and in one case stole several weapons.
Deputies advised residents to lock their doors, trim oversized shrubs and be vigilant. Many residents grilled deputies about the state's Castle Doctrine law, which declares people's right to use lethal force to defend themselves on their property.
Deputies told attendees that if someone comes into their house unwelcomed, it is presumed they mean them harm. But they warned that the decision to shoot and potentially kill someone is not an easy one.
"It is a life changing moment that will affect the rest of your life," one sheriff's official told the crowd.
But it was clear many were in no mood to negotiate with trespassers. The crowd burst into applause and cheers when a Jupiter Farms resident stood and advised the other residents to gun down intruders.
"We all have guns in our house," the man said. "If you have an armed intruder in your house, shoot him."
For decades, residents say Jupiter Farms has remained a safe, low-key place to live, a place where people raise horses, chickens and even cattle and until recent years even main roads weren't paved. Most people's idea of crime, as one resident put it, was teens taking a baseball bat to a mailbox.
To many, the recent spate of home invasions have served as one more reminder that the county is growing.
"I think Jupiter is just not as small as it used to be," said Trent Bongard, co-owner of Bongard Nursery in Jupiter Farms, where a theft of several plants last week was first crime at the nursery since it opened seven years ago.
But some residents are concerned about excessive vigilantism. What happens, they wonder, if someone innocent gets hurt?
"I don't want our own community, our own residents to hurt themselves," said Albert Rabadan, vice president of the Jupiter Farms Homeowners Association. "I just hope there's no tragedies."
Whether or not the armed robbers are caught, many say the days of leaving front doors and car doors open in Jupiter Farms may soon be a thing of the past.
And at one Jupiter Farms gun store, where the owner asked not to be named, sales this week were up.
Staff writer Julius Whigham II and staff researcher Niels Heimeriks contributed to this story.
The Reason For The 2nd Amendment Becomes Clearer Each Day
The Reason For The 2nd Amendment Becomes Clearer Each Day
Your collective inability to acknowledge this obvious truth makes you all look like fools.
yrs,
rubato
Re: The Reason For The 2nd Amendment Becomes Clearer Each Da
What a way to live....
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: The Reason For The 2nd Amendment Becomes Clearer Each Da
Yes, it's horrible to live somewhere knowing that defending yourself against criminals will get you locked up...wait, that's where you live!
Treat Gaza like Carthage.
Re: The Reason For The 2nd Amendment Becomes Clearer Each Da
dales wrote:"...
The above is microcasm and a reflection of American society today.
Ah, no, only if you're hysterical and easily fooled:
http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/glance/rob.gif
Buying a gun for self-defense is less justified now than at any time since Nixon was elected.
<< Great joke deleted to spare the delicate sensibilities of the audience. >>
yrs,
rubato
Re: The Reason For The 2nd Amendment Becomes Clearer Each Da
Since Nixon;
source
The year 2005 was overall the safest year in the past thirty years. The recent overall decrease has reflected upon all significant types of crime, with all violent and property crimes having decreased and reached an all-time low. The homicide rate in particular has decreased over 42% between its record high point in 1991 and 2005.
Recently, however, the homicide rate has stagnated.[7] While the homicide rate decreased continuously between 1991 and 2000 from 9.8 homicides per 100,000 persons to 5.5 per 100,000, it has remained level through 2005.
Despite the recent stagnation of the homicide rate, however, property and violent crimes overall have continued to decrease, though at a considerably slower pace than in the 1990s.[7] Overall, the crime rate in the U.S. was the same in 2004 as in 1969, with the homicide rate being roughly the same as in 1966. Violent crime overall, however, is still at the same level as in 1974, despite having decreased steadily since 1991.[8]
source
Re: The Reason For The 2nd Amendment Becomes Clearer Each Da
Also, specifically Gun Crime is down or stable, depending;
With the majority of armed offenses done by gangs (usually against each other);
With the majority of armed offenses done by gangs (usually against each other);
Re: The Reason For The 2nd Amendment Becomes Clearer Each Da
When I first moved here, my neighbour never locked his door.
My parents live in town and they don’t lock their doors. All of the way through my life. I have never needed a key to my parents’.
Neither my parents nor my neighbour have weapons.
On the other hand, if either did have weapons, I would be very concerned.
Combined, my father and mother are still a loaf of bread and a basketful of ingredients short of a picnic. They have both had their driving licenses revoked, but if they did have an arsenal of fire power, even here in Canada, there is no law to pry it out of their hands.
Imagine that. Not safe to drive but peachy keen to wield a rifle.
My parents live in town and they don’t lock their doors. All of the way through my life. I have never needed a key to my parents’.
Neither my parents nor my neighbour have weapons.
On the other hand, if either did have weapons, I would be very concerned.
Combined, my father and mother are still a loaf of bread and a basketful of ingredients short of a picnic. They have both had their driving licenses revoked, but if they did have an arsenal of fire power, even here in Canada, there is no law to pry it out of their hands.
Imagine that. Not safe to drive but peachy keen to wield a rifle.
A sufficiently copious dose of bombast drenched in verbose writing is lethal to the truth.
Re: The Reason For The 2nd Amendment Becomes Clearer Each Da
We don't tend to lock doors here, I leave my bike keys in overnight, with the garage doors open onto the street.
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: The Reason For The 2nd Amendment Becomes Clearer Each Da
My neighborhood is better than I thought! With the roommates crap being left out under the carport for so long you would think the good stuff like computer equipment and tools would get nicked, but nope ...must be because I'm an armed citizen. 
Re: The Reason For The 2nd Amendment Becomes Clearer Each Da
Mine too, LoCA. We've had lumber, boxes of tile and assorted other construction stuff (the SO is a handyman) leaning up against the side of our house for four years.
When my sister and her kids came to visit just after we moved in, my nephew looked at the side of our house and said "Hey Mom, this is COOL!!! Can we have a lumberyard at our house?"
I actually wouldn't mind if some of it went away.....
When my sister and her kids came to visit just after we moved in, my nephew looked at the side of our house and said "Hey Mom, this is COOL!!! Can we have a lumberyard at our house?"
I actually wouldn't mind if some of it went away.....
Re: The Reason For The 2nd Amendment Becomes Clearer Each Da
"Sorry mister, our ball came over the fence and..." *BLAM*Deputies told attendees that if someone comes into their house unwelcomed, it is presumed they mean them harm.
Why is it that when Miley Cyrus gets naked and licks a hammer it's 'art' and 'edgy' but when I do it I'm 'drunk' and 'banned from the hardware store'?
Re: The Reason For The 2nd Amendment Becomes Clearer Each Da
More Pertinent Information Here:
On March 23, 2005, The Florida Senate passed SB-436, the "Castle Doctrine" unanimously, by a vote of 39 YEAS to zero NAYS. They know something about this bill.
On April 5, The Florida House passed SB-436, "Castle Doctrine" by a vote of 94 YEAS to 20 NAYS, a margin of better than four to one.
On April 26, Governor Jeb Bush SIGNED SB-436, the "Castle Doctrine" into law (Chapter No. 2005-27) It takes effect on October 1, 2005.
The news media nationwide started in immediately with its “Gunshine State,” blood in the streets, Dirty Harry, vigilante, irrational mass murder nonsense, mythologies, lies and blatant unethical behavior.
A great deal of erroneous information has been written, published and spoken about Florida's new "Castle Doctrine" law.
Claims that the new law will turn Florida into the Wild West are not only an insult to intelligent people but give a patently false portrait of what the bill actually does.
The Florida "Castle Doctrine" law basically does three things:
One: It establishes, in law, the presumption that a criminal who forcibly enters or intrudes into your home or occupied vehicle is there to cause death or great bodily harm, therefore a person may use any manner of force, including deadly force, against that person.
Two: It removes the "duty to retreat" if you are attacked in any place you have a right to be. You no longer have to turn your back on a criminal and try to run when attacked. Instead, you may stand your ground and fight back, meeting force with force, including deadly force, if you reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm to yourself or others. [This is an American right repeatedly recognized in Supreme Court gun cases.]
Three: It provides that persons using force authorized by law shall not be prosecuted for using such force.
It also prohibits criminals and their families from suing victims for injuring or killing the criminals who have attacked them.
In short, it gives rights back to law-abiding people and forces judges and prosecutors who are prone to coddling criminals to instead focus on protecting victims.
SO -- is this the impression you got from the news? Why not? Aren’t media people impartial purveyors of objective facts, with no bias or spin, faithfully and accurately reporting the news? Everyone who believes that’s an accurate description of the news media please raise your hand. See? No hands go up. Despite their protests otherwise, the news media has, in general, and especially with respect to gun issues, become an outrageous purveyor of agenda-driven nonsense on the dark side of the force.
Your collective inability to acknowledge this obvious truth makes you all look like fools.
yrs,
rubato
Re: The Reason For The 2nd Amendment Becomes Clearer Each Da
That's one hell of a presumption!!
One: It establishes, in law, the presumption that a criminal who forcibly enters or intrudes into your home or occupied vehicle is there to cause death or great bodily harm, therefore a person may use any manner of force, including deadly force, against that person.
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”