We're talking a lot this weekend about issues arising from the Baltimore riots. Here's another one. Let's say you're driving down the road when you're confronted with a scene of violence - a crime in progress, a riot, urban unrest, whatever. You feel threatened, and are forced (as you see it) to defend yourself using a firearm or any other weapon that comes to hand - even your vehicle.
What if you have bumper stickers or other material on your vehicle that suggests you may be a violent person who doesn't care much for the lives of others?
We've all seen this sort of thing. (Click each image to go to its source page.)
A prosecutor - particularly one under pressure to make the 'right' decision - might have a field day using these stickers in evidence against the driver. A Texas legal defense plan makes the point very well in this video clip.
Food for thought in these politically correct times.
Peter
The closest to those I had on a Dodge 4x4 was "Urban Assault Vehicle". And never made any dumb-ass remarks like "shoot 'em on the front porch, drag 'em inside and stick a kitchen knife in his hand", either. . . . . .
ReplyDeleteSay you are a car burglar. An unoccupied vehicle with those kind of stickers are shouting, "Hey, firearm(s) inside."
ReplyDeleteNot only that 11:26 - also tells the burglar "Follow Me Home - We Have Toys!"
ReplyDeleteMassad Ayoob wrote on this same subject 30 years ago. (Damn, am I old or is he?)
ReplyDeleteNobody cares what your hobbies are or who you vote for, so why tell total strangers?
I see a couple of folks made the point I was planning to about advertising possible contents of your parked vehicle.
ReplyDeleteIf you are entitled to display it, then a USMC emblem is better than anything else.
ReplyDeletehttp://chsclassof1963.webs.com/USMC%20emblem%20edited.jpg
I figure, if I gotta put up a sticker than a gun safe offers lots of flat metal surfaces. Except for a single NRA sticker my safe remains largely unadorned. I just can't get past the idea paying someone to advertise their stuff.
ReplyDeletePlus, you never know how some idiot is going to respond to a bumpersticker.
ReplyDeleteBack in the 80's, I had a small sticker on the rear window of my pickup. I had people screaming at me at stoplights, and while passing me. It read something like "This is a smoke free area", or similar. It was a DIESEL mini-truck. In CA!
It didn't last long, as I expected the idiots to resort to vandalism at some point.
I realize I am a year late to this thread, but this sounds like a big steaming pile of Massad Ayoob. Remember, he was the one that said the exact same thing about prosecutors and handloaded ammunition, despite the fact that the use of handloaded ammunition in self-defense shootings has never directly resulted in a conviction or any other penalty in the USA. A good shoot is a good shoot, and no amount of rhetoric changes that.
ReplyDeleteI am calling horse pucky on this one.
All that being said, I am not a believer in putting stickers of any kind on my car.