Bearing Arms: Shaun Hautly

This was a good example of why we have the right to bear arms. If Riley had been explaining himself, we may raise a bit of an eyebrow and say, "Maybe he shouldn't have been shot...." However, he threw a chair through the window. Classic burglar move. In the call, he's clearly terrorizing her, and it's clear that she didn't want to kill him and felt sorry for being forced to do so. At no point in her story or the call do I think she was acting out of line or taking advantage of the right to bear arms.

However, the right to bear arms isn't always so effective. It's easy to abuse. The good old boy with a pistol in his truck when he leaves the water hole is not so effective. Drug dealers and gangs, who don't always follow the proper steps to attain a firearm, deal with a lot of violence as a result of weaponry. Someone with a concealed weapon is making a poor choice. Jackson was in "the safety of her own home," and defended herself against someone attacking that safety. Quite a difference to having a gun in the parking lot of a bar.

So maybe the screening process should be a little different. If you're a woman who spends time alone, here's your gun. If you pull up to the rifle store with a gun-rack on your truck, maybe we ought to have a bit longer of a waiting period. Or maybe certain people just borrow guns during hunting season and then return them. We'll see how the crime rate changes due to deer. Arguing for Riley would be tough. There's a reason no charges were filed.

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