Posted by CalDiver on November 05, 2002 at 12:16:07:
In Reply to: Re: Lobsters in Traps posted by Max Bottomtime on November 04, 2002 at 21:30:10:
Conversely, I believe the following:
If someone breaks into your house (and you're in it), he's threatening your own physical safety. Understandable for you to defend yourself with force. Almost always legal. Sometimes even heroic.
If someone takes your wallet off the drugstore counter where you set it down for a moment while picking up your car keys, and you go all cowboy on 'em with firearms, you're going to jail.
While in jail, you will learn alllll about how excessive violence is a bad thing, from the receiving end. You will no longer be the baddest thing around, once the competitive advantage of the firearm is removed from the equation.
Let's not be ridiculous. Pointing a gun from a boat at an unarmed diver in the water, on the suspicion (or even the observation) of trap-raiding is stupid and illegal. If you see it, report it, and get that jackass away from a gun. Obviously he can't handle the responsibilities attendant to owning one.
The wronged commercial trapper has every right to be angry, but he is not empowered to act as a law enforcement agent, and will pay a penalty for usupring the role of legitimate officers.