Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site osu-eddie.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxj!houxm!ihnp4!cbosgd!osu-eddie!karl
From: karl@osu-eddie.UUCP (Karl Kleinpaste)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!
Message-ID: <67@osu-eddie.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 25-Jan-85 15:40:59 EST
Article-I.D.: osu-eddi.67
Posted: Fri Jan 25 15:40:59 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 27-Jan-85 07:19:47 EST
References: <118@decwrl.UUCP> <210@talcott.UUCP> <479@ukma.UUCP> <360@spp2.UUCP> <818@reed.UUCP> <392@spp2.UUCP>
Organization: You really don't want to know
Lines: 32

----------
>What would you have to lose by just revealing your weapon
>and warning your muggers that you can kill them? ...
----------
I am refusing myself the luxury of forming an opinion on Mr Goetz until such
time as the courts have a go at the overall situation. But in the  meantime,
a lawyer friend of mine brought up this interesting point:

Suppose you do what is  suggested  above,  that is, produce your weapon with
appropriate warning on what you may do with it if not left alone.

Now what do you do if  ALL  FOUR  of  the attackers  in  fact  had  firearms
themselves?  If you are not willing to fire at least once, you are  allowing
the attackers the opportunity and  the time to produce their own weapons. If
you  fire  at least once, you will have their undivided attention  and  they
will do just about anything  you  tell them  to  do. And I don't necessarily
mean  to fire *at* them; just firing, through the floor for example, or  the
roof.

I bring this up simply because  I  had postulated  to  my lawyer friend that
Goetz is probably going to get himself roasted (legally speaking) for having
fired without  sufficient  provocation, but  he proposed the above scenario,
saying  that he's heard of such situations before, and that Goetz  may  very
well get off on this basis.

As I said, I'm not forming an opinion yet; I just have some as-yet undefined
feelings  that he went too far. But it is an interesting way to look at  the
situation.

Whether or not he should have fired 4 times is another matter entirely.  But
whether or not 1 shot was appropriate is still a good question.
-- 
Karl Kleinpaste @ Bell Labs, Columbus    614/860-5107  +==-> cbrma!kk
                @ Ohio State University  614/422-0915  osu-eddie!karl