That attitude is widely held in Montana, but in Dede’s home country of Germany, the reaction has been very different. Constantin Baron van Lijnden is a law journalist who has written about the case for a German audience.
“There is always this notion of Americans being a bit more trigger-happy,” Lijnden says.
He says there are some Germans who’ll now think twice about sending their kids to the U.S., but points out that German law also allows people to defend themselves with force, at home or on the street. The real difference, he thinks, is a practical one.
“Obviously, a lot more people in America own guns than do in Germany. Almost nobody does in Germany,” Lijnden says. “Even in a worst-case scenario you’re not very likely to get shot in Germany, just for lack of any guns.”
via Invoking ‘Castle Doctrine,’ Mont. Man Pleads Not Guilty In Teen’s Death – capradio.org.
And there lies the rub. You can have all the pretty laws guaran-frigging-teeing you that you have the right to defend yourself, that your home is supposed to be inviolable but if you are not allowed to own the tools to actually do so, the law is as useful as an ashtray in a roller coaster.
That is a completely unfair comparison..
At least the ashtray can hold your gum….
Good point… and it IS all about perceptions!
And these gems brought to us by someone from the country that used civilian disarmament to facilitate genocide. I’m half-German and yet I still say go pound sand with your European sensibilities.
Never Again!
Molon Labe!
If 3 guys attack you “unarmed” – then you are only allowed to defend yourself “unarmed”. If you pull a knife against 3 then you may be able to defend yourself but you get srewed by the law, because that counts as “unreasonable force” (“Notwehrüberschreitung” in german).
Abd don’t even try to defend yourself against immigrants (like the stupid kid who was shot). These are a sacred group of people. It’s like the daily german version of “Zimmermann”. And if you complain about it, then you are a “Nazi”, “Rassist”, “Xenophob”, “Fremdenfeindlich”… that’s what you get when ruled by socialists whot hate the their country -.-
The self defense situation ist so srewed up in germany, that you are advised by your gun law teachers (not openly, of course) to “leave no witnesses” (meaning: Make sure the attacker stays dead.) if you happen to use your gun in self defense.
I am sure this comment will strike many as crazy talk and ill advised and you are right…in the US. This is not uncommon advice in Gun Free Countries where you will get shafted by the law no matter what you do or how righteous the shooting might have been. I cannot tell you how many times I saw cases where the “word” of a long-time violent felon, known to be on a spree of crime was given equal footing as the statement given by an honest citizen who was attacked by the critter…and even with statements by witnesses and hard evidence confirming the citizen’s word.
Laws and courts are so screwed up that will force honest people to become dishonest in order to save themselves from prison. I do not know Germany, but it is not unusual for judges in South America to confound an normally simple case with assorted legalistic BS and claiming to defend everybody’s right including the criminal’s just to see if a proper amount of moola would happen to unexpectedly fall in a pocket of his jacket.
In Germany every criminal is a misguided saint with a harsh childhood and misunderstoofd by society while every law abiding taxpayer ist a closet Nazi who beats immigrants up at night.
4 “teens” attack an old man in a subway and kick him to death? Of course the old guy died of a heart attack and the assailants with half of their short lives riddled with violence and robberies will have their precious young lives destroyed if the sentence is too harsh. So one gets in youth prison for a year or so where he learns to deal with his violent nature by getting taught how to kickbox (no kidding) and the rest of the gang gets a couple months probation.
But god help you if you find an old tracer round in the woods and take it to the police! You get fined with 8.500€ for violating a law you don’t even know of (Kriegswaffenkontrollgesetz – law for controlling military guns and ordnance).
Or what happens if old Granny Elise takes the old WWII vintage gun of her deceased husband to the police? Illegal possesion of a firearm! Burn her at the stick!
It’s sick.
And don’t get me started on “political bonus” if you’re in the right (not “left right” but “wrong right”) party. You even get away with child abuse.
“German law also allows people to defend themselves with force, at home or on the street.”
The gun is the only personal weapon that puts a 105-pound woman on equal footing with a 220-pound mugger, a 75-year old grandmother on equal footing with a 19-year old gang banger, and a single guy on equal footing with a carload of drunk guys with baseball bats. The gun removes the disparity in physical strength, size, or numbers between a potential attacker and a defender.