Theft suspect shot during struggle over gun
This article was published February 18, 2013 at 6:23 a.m.
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LITTLE ROCK — A man who was stealing items from a home under construction was shot Sunday when the homeowner showed up during the crime, authorities said.
The Garland County sheriff's office says 35-year-old Michael Freeman was taken into surgery after being shot in the abdomen. His condition wasn't clear.
Police say it happened about 4:45 p.m. when the homeowner and a witness showed up at the residence, 195 Vista View Point, and found Freeman and 44-year-old Anna Childers taking lumber and other building materials.
"When they confronted the suspects, a fight ensued," Lt. James Martin said in an e-mail. "During the struggle a gun was pulled by either the homeowner or witness. The male suspect grabbed the gun and attempted to gain control of it, during which time he was shot in the abdomen area."
Childers was arrested on charges of breaking or entering and theft of property. Freeman is expected to face similar charges once he is released from the hospital.
Authorities said Sunday night that they were still interviewing the homeowner and witness and that the case would ultimately be forwarded to the prosecutor's office to determine whether either will face any charges tied to the shooting.
Comments on: Theft suspect shot during struggle over gun
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DEMOCRATREPUBLICAN says... February 18, 2013 at 7:42 a.m.
Good. Glad to see some maggots get what they deserve.
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wormie says... February 18, 2013 at 7:59 a.m.
Probably would have been cheaper to go and buy lumber than to wrestle a man with a gun. Maybe the hospital will install a GPS tracker in his stomach and he'll be easier to keep up with.
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snapper1 says... February 18, 2013 at 7:59 a.m.
need to be HAPPY they were caught
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jgbear says... February 18, 2013 at 8:11 a.m.
Did they expect the homeowner to just let them walk away?
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d_milam_sbcglobal_net says... February 18, 2013 at 8:40 a.m.
Well, here goes another 5 year trial with appeal after appeal, at taxpayers expense.
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Packman says... February 18, 2013 at 9 a.m.
Thank God for the 2nd Amendment.
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DEMOCRATREPUBLICAN says... February 18, 2013 at 9:15 a.m.
Right on Packman. But some would say on here that post, " If we had better educational opportunities and spent more money on these kids, this crime would not be happening"
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BarichMilhusseinObamaNixonPOTUS says... February 18, 2013 at 9:18 a.m.
Thank you for the laugh DemRep! That made my day!
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Ragmop says... February 18, 2013 at 10:13 a.m.
Chalk one up for the good guys.
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BillSmith says... February 18, 2013 at 10:53 a.m.
The point is the home owner or witness did not need a Bushmaster to defend their property.
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DEMOCRATREPUBLICAN says... February 18, 2013 at 12:41 p.m.
@Bill Smith, how about you go down to the hospital and pay his medical bills then because you know he doesn't have insurance. A bushmaster would have finished off this scum.
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Elginray says... February 18, 2013 at 12:45 p.m.
I so much want to agree with Bill Smith, The homeowner did not need a bushmaster To defend their property. The bushmaster is better suited for dealing with the tyrants who would want to tamper with our second amendment rights enabling them to further erode our freedoms unhampered! . I wonder if Mr. Smith is a hunter, Because if he is he would know that an ordinary 12 gauge shotgun which no one is proposing to ban Inflicts substantially more damage than any AR 15!
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NutButter says... February 18, 2013 at 12:47 p.m.
Glad the scum is off the street, at least for now.
Too bad he will soon be out again. Too damn lazy to work and too sorry to be a respectable citizen and respect the property of others.
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Packman says... February 18, 2013 at 1:07 p.m.
Hey BillSmith - As usual, you are wrong. The point is the home owner's right to choose the firearm that best serves his perceived "need" is protected by the 2nd Amendment. The larger point is this law-abiding citizen had the right to protect his property. During the LA riots, shop owners exercised their right to protect their property with military platform rifles and high capacity magazines while being faced with throngs of looters in the streets. Need, BillSmith, is oftentimes in the eye of the beholder. Thanks to the 2nd Amendment, Americans have wide latitude with respect to "need" and gun ownership.
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Populist says... February 18, 2013 at 1:11 p.m.
DemocratRepublican,
Even in areas with good schools, there will be crime. Some people are just too lazy to work and would rather steal instead. I am all in favor of harsh sentencing as a deterrent to crime. If I had my way, every member of the parole board would be a Republican female, past victim of crime. The judges and prosecutors are all too soft. However, communities with good schools have more economic opportunity and less crime.
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HotSpringsLawyer says... February 18, 2013 at 1:37 p.m.
Homeowner?? The place was apparently not a "home" yet; it was under construction per the report.
Permit to carry the gun?
Someone maybe dead because of a little lumber? Yippee!
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Elginray says... February 18, 2013 at 2:07 p.m.
Attention Gary Miller. If someone dies it's not because of a little lumber. It's because he was a lowdown sleazy thief! You know the kind of person that lawyers defend and often help to continue victimizing the rest of us. What has he stolen before and what will he steal again? Good riddance to him!!!
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HotSpringsLawyer says... February 18, 2013 at 2:12 p.m.
Death penalty for lumber theft?
Does anyone remember the number for 9-1-1?
Nah, probably better to have gunfights in the street
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Elginray says... February 18, 2013 at 2:23 p.m.
Gary Miller, You weren't there And neither was I. Typically a thief caught in the act will react violently. What kind of dumbass tries to grab the gun out of someone else's hand when they're being confronted with stealing that person's property? Someone who is signing their own death warrant? Hey got what he deserved no matter what the outcome is for him! And if some sleazebag lawyer came along to get him off as far as I am concerned he is also an accomplice to the crime and it's too bad we can't take him out too!
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BarichMilhusseinObamaNixonPOTUS says... February 18, 2013 at 2:43 p.m.
It's a good thing he didn't hit them with a piece of assault weapon 2x4; we would need to start doing background checks on everyone possessing lumber.
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RZRBKINTXS says... February 18, 2013 at 2:43 p.m.
HSL, your objection is noted. I'm sure It is far more lucrative to chase ambulances and police cars rather than hearses.
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BillSmith says... February 18, 2013 at 2:47 p.m.
ElginRay..... Yes I am a hunter, have had guns since I was 6, reloaded my amunition for years, was in the Marine Corp Reserve and received sharpshooter will in boot camp at Paris Island.
You say "I wonder if Mr. Smith is a hunter, Because if he is he would know that an ordinary 12 gauge shotgun which no one is proposing to ban Inflicts substantially more damage than any AR 15! "
*
If what you say is true who does the military use a M16 as opposed to a Browning Auto shotgun, you got any ideas?
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Elginray says... February 18, 2013 at 3:06 p.m.
Yes Mr. Smith I do have some ideas. I like you am former military. Vietnam veteran to be specific. For one thing shotguns are not fully automatic And do not have 30 round clips. A shotgun does not have the range that an AR 15 has But all these school shootings and etc. Have not been at long range. Don't take my word for what I say get your trusty 12 gauge shotgun with double ought buck shot, Get your self a target, Fire one round from that shotgun and one round from that ar 15 and then go look at it and you tell me which one you'd rather get hit with. Next question is maybe you can tell me why so many combat veterans in Vietnam Afghanistan and Iraq ask their families to send them shotguns in addition to their AR 15.? Furthermore if you were as experienced with fire arms as you say you are, you would know the damage inflicted by 12 gauge shotgun with double all buck compared to the relatively small rounds projected by an AR15 is substantially more. One shot from mka1919 shotgun Will put nine holes in you compared to one hole from my A.R. 15. Every one of those nine holes is twice as big as the one hole from my AR
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1LadyB says... February 18, 2013 at 3:16 p.m.
HSL, maybe when the perp gets out of the hospital and is cleared of all charges like he probably will be, you can take him to the lumber yard and buy him what ever he needs and pay for it out of your pocket. That way he won't have to steal from someone else. Obviously you don't know how much lumber costs these days or the cost of building a house. And how about the woman what had she stolen, they may have already had a truck load of stolen goods.
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lazybar says... February 18, 2013 at 3:39 p.m.
bs you were not in the military and diff not a marine or you would be standing up for our freedoms you fought hard to preserve.
United States Marine Corps personnel employed shotguns in the recapture from Cambodian forces of the container ship Mayaguez on 12 May 1975. United States Air Force security police employed shotguns in base security operations in Saudi Arabia during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm (1990-91) to protect them from attack by terrorists or Iraqi military units, and some personnel in British armored units were armed with shotguns as individual weapons during that conflict.
In modern times, with Mechanized Infantry tactics armed forces don't need to "march to battle" as in earlier conflicts. Because of this, they are able to omit the difficult choice of selecting only one weapon in order to save weight. This allows the individual soldier to carry a shotgun as well as an assault rifle during battle.
if you knew anything about firearms,you would know that at close range a handgun is much more deadly than a 5.56 rifle but neither match a 12 gauge.
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Jjackk says... February 18, 2013 at 3:42 p.m.
You won't have to, I smell a lawsuit. Especially if the gunman gets charged.
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lazybar says... February 18, 2013 at 3:46 p.m.
gary miller,i will agree that a stick of wood is not worth a life but it was thier choice to steal.you play with matches your gonna get burned.maybe you should post your address and tell everyone you will not shoot them if they break into your house and rape your kids because nothing is worth killing someone over.i think not,some breaks in your house and you catch them bet you`ll make the paper.
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HotSpringsLawyer says... February 18, 2013 at 3:53 p.m.
Ray Jung,
You are right on one thing - you were not there and you you do not know anything about what really happened.
What if the construction guys, who were not "homeowners", decided to take the law into their own hands instead of calling the Sheriff. And then when they were getting their asses kicked pulled an unpermitted gun and were having it taken from them so the petty thief got shot?
Not defending the thieves at all. But you are a total idiot if you think this outcome is better than calling 911 and just detaining the meth-heads until the law got there.
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HotSpringsLawyer says... February 18, 2013 at 3:58 p.m.
Quartermain,
If you think I am opposed to guns and defense of home and family, just get your affairs in order and then come to my home and find out for yourself.
This was not a home. It was not being defended. According to the article it appears to be only a failed attempt at illegal vigilante vengeance. And that is wrong.
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Elginray says... February 18, 2013 at 4:03 p.m.
Mr. Miller are very good at what if and not sticking to the facts As I would expect a lawyer to be. speaking of idiots you must be an idiot if you think someone was going to detain this man Without that gun when he was bold enough to try something when he was confronted with a gun. Mr. Miller I have a concealed carry and I have carried a gun on my person for over 25 years, Send a petty thief to my place and see what happens. I am sure I could hire somebody like you to defend me because in dealing with lawyers in the past I have found it's not about what is right or wrong it is about winning regardless. I am sure you would find a way to cheat me out of jail if you were depending me Just as I am sure you would find a way to put your own mother in prison if you were prosecuting her.
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HotSpringsLawyer says... February 18, 2013 at 4:14 p.m.
The thief was not the one with the gun.
What was he going to do, run off with a pile of lumber on his back?
Don't worry, I will not be representing anyone in this. Or you.
My apologies for trying to honor the oath I took to uphold the Law and the Constitution.
You ignorant punk.
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Elginray says... February 18, 2013 at 4:27 p.m.
Mr. Miller thankfully the thief was not the one with the gun or the wrong person might have been shot. Secondly running off with a pile of very expensive lumber is exactly what he had in mind. Thirdly most lawyers do not uphold their oath or the constitution, they bend and twist and stretch it every way they can and if they can get away with it they break it. Now so far as the ignorant punk comment goes, I happen to be almost 60 years old And if that is what I am it would seem that somewhere I would have an arrest record to prove that but I don't. Furthermore this man did not get the death penalty for petty theft. This man willingly chose the death penalty when he chose to try and take away a gun From a citizen who had every right to protect himself and his property. He asked for it and he got it! As for you I hope you really do honor your oath and the Constitution and live morally and ethically Because someday standing in judgment and saying "I was just doing my job" will not fly!
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HotSpringsLawyer says... February 18, 2013 at 4:41 p.m.
I am as old as you are. I do uphold my oath.
You can be wrong if you want to.
But only a punk brings someone's sainted Mother into an inconsequential argument. Unless he apologizes.
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Elginray says... February 18, 2013 at 5:01 p.m.
Mr. Miller perhaps you misunderstood me, I did not slander your sainted mother in any way. I would not do that Because I do not know her and I have not spoken to her. I will take your word As truth concerning her saintliness and be glad because I hope that all of us eventually make it where saints go. My statement was about you. Go back and review all of these posts, You are the one who started being pompous condescending and arrogant. You can dish it out but you obviously can't take it. Now I am done for the day, But i want to thank you. I was going to the movie theater to be entertained today And then you came along and provided that for me at no cost. It was so much fun I felt like a cat playing with a mouse before he killed it. You might have noticed in my earlier post that I am a former Vietnam veteran. When I was no more than a kid I defended your right to be an idealistic fool. I knew other young men 18 and 19 years old who died defending your right to be an idealistic fool. Good night Mr. Miller.
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morebeer says... February 18, 2013 at 5:02 p.m.
Populist, you might have it backwards. It's my experience from having lived is several communities around the country that good families produce good schools, and communities with broken families and much poverty produce poor schools. It's unfortunate, but on average, a school is only as good as the children sent to it. Teachers who spend half their days getting kids to settle down and pay attention don't teach much and the kids don't learn much. I've lived in communities that spend half as much per student as the LRSD, yet, the standardized test scores are twice as high.
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Pobucker says... February 18, 2013 at 5:26 p.m.
love to see if there is correlation between high vote whore population and bad schools...
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DontDrinkDatKoolAid says... February 18, 2013 at 5:34 p.m.
A 2 X 4 assault weapon. It has a nice ring to it.
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DEMOCRATREPUBLICAN says... February 18, 2013 at 7:11 p.m.
@hotspringslawyer, If you took an oath to uphold the law and the Constitution, then why are you against the 2nd amendment and this guys right to protect his livelihood and his person. I guess you only want to pick and choose what part of the Constitution you want to uphold?
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TuckerMax says... February 18, 2013 at 7:21 p.m.
Why is it that the only constitutional amendment anybody ever talks about is the Second? Everybody ignores the rest, and it's sad.
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harley1305121514 says... February 18, 2013 at 7:38 p.m.
George Jones said it best in one of the last songs he wrote and recorded.
LIVING AND DYING BY THE CHOICES WE MAKE
Bad choices can cost you your life or at least bodily harm! Stealing someone elses property be it money or lumber is a bad choice!
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BarichMilhusseinObamaNixonPOTUS says... February 18, 2013 at 7:44 p.m.
Good one harley! Truth
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DontDrinkDatKoolAid says... February 18, 2013 at 8:54 p.m.
"When they confronted the suspects, a fight ensued," Lt. James Martin said in an e-mail. "During the struggle a gun was pulled by either the homeowner or witness. The male suspect grabbed the gun and attempted to gain control of it, during which time he was shot in the abdomen area." He should had run when seeing the gun, nope he garbed it and got a bullet.
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BillSmith says... February 19, 2013 at 1:47 a.m.
elginray.....I realize what you are trying to say about a shotgun with 00 buck as oposed to a AR-15. but I doubt if the first graders at new town were standing shoulder to shoulder in a group with the shooter shooting at them, with a Bushmaster with a 30 or 100 round magazine his overall kill ratio would probably be higher than having to stop a relaod a shotgun after four or five rounds before someone possible stopping him.
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BillSmith says... February 19, 2013 at 1:50 a.m.
he would have to stop and reload 20 times with a semi automatic shotgun as oposed to never stop with a 100 roud drum magazine.
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Elginray says... February 19, 2013 at 7:02 a.m.
Mr. Smith you need to be better informed the shooter did not use an AR 15 he had one it was in his car he never used it. Secondly I have a shotgun with a 10 round clip I can reload it in less than two seconds. The more you open your mouth the more your ignorant shows. Our combat veterans did not have their enemies standing shoulder to shoulder they were escaping and evading. Mr. Smith you yourself said you got your skills at Paris Island you were a weekend warrior. Sir I am a Vietnam veteran not a weekend warrior. Read the post by Alan Quarterman. He replied to your nonsense there is someone that knows what he is talking about. You remind me of the typical person that goes around spouting off about the Bible Not really knowing what he's talking about but knowing when just enough to be dangerous. You may be impressing your self but you're not impressing anyone who has actually been in combat and knows something about firearms!
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Populist says... February 19, 2013 at 9:15 a.m.
I actually agree with Harley for once. If you are on somebody else's property and are stealing, you should expect to get shot. (I don't approve of people shooting those under 18 for theft, but these were adults.) While one can argue that under the law you cannot shoot somebody just for theft, one has an expectation that somebody stealing may be armed and dangerous and you may need to brandish your gun for your own protection. Of course, the wisest policy is stay away from the criminals and call 911.
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Pobucker says... February 19, 2013 at 11:39 a.m.
It appears there is a high correlation between vote whoring and bad schools. There is controversy on causation. Since we know bad schools also correlate to violence, we wonder if vote whoring correlates to violence, too?
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Vickie55 says... February 19, 2013 at 11:39 a.m.
Populist, do you ask for ID to determine age before you pull the trigger?
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HotSpringsLawyer says... February 19, 2013 at 11:59 a.m.
Boy did I ever strike out with this argument. Go ahead and gun 'em down, I guess.
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Populist says... February 19, 2013 at 12:16 p.m.
Vickie 55,
I hope that I would err on the side of caution and not shoot somebody who is young just because they are stealing property. I even would hesitate to shoot an older person who was stealing food. I would only shoot a kid if he or she had a weapon and was coming at me.
HotSpringsLawyer,
Sorry. It's a rough world out there.
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Pobucker says... February 19, 2013 at 12:25 p.m.
Looks like culture provides a causal relationship to both bad schools and violence. To look at examples, examine tribal cultures where women are denigrated as second class (Africa, Middle East, Asia). It is OK to extrapolate those findings and apply them to rural and urban cultures of the west.
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jorb says... February 19, 2013 at 12:59 p.m.
Kind of hard to call 911, when you are in the middle of a fight.And weget to pay for the thiefs medical bills.Kind of like the people coming across the southern border.They are not illegal(crimanals) they are just looking for work.
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dman says... February 19, 2013 at 1:13 p.m.
Pobucker, what the heck are you talking about?
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HotSpringsLawyer says... February 19, 2013 at 1:17 p.m.
No more argument from me since this apparently is an open investigation. Purely from an informational point of view, the dentist who owns the property was interviewed on tv last night and appeared to say that he noticed materials missing the day before, then went out the next day with the Witness, who shot the crook with the dentist's gun.
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Vickie55 says... February 19, 2013 at 1:44 p.m.
I meant that entirely in fun, Populist. It just struck me as amusing that you would check ages before shooting.
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Pobucker says... February 19, 2013 at 2:12 p.m.
the causes of violence, dman
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Firefighter says... February 19, 2013 at 2:32 p.m.
A quote from Robert Heinlein: Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it annoys the pig.
Usually applied to someone that has a character flaw or annoying habit they will never change because they simply aren't able to.
Arguing with billsmith or hot springs lawyer is like trying to teach a pig to sing.
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HotSpringsLawyer says... February 19, 2013 at 2:44 p.m.
Just a Stranger In a Strange Land (my birthplace), I suppose :)
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HotSpringsLawyer says... February 19, 2013 at 3:09 p.m.
Btw, good call not attributing the singing pig quotation to Mark Twain as most folks erroneously do.
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Pobucker says... February 19, 2013 at 3:31 p.m.
Perhaps we can find agreement that Heinlein is indeed the Dean of Science Fiction. I read Rocket Ship Galileo in 1957 at the age of six and Stranger in a Strange Land at age sixteen (while living in San Francisco after a move from Boise - wow, culture shock). I just now downloaded The Cat Who Walks Through Walls and Time Enough for Love to my kindle. I am not afraid to say that Heinlein formed my world veiws on "... the importance of individual liberty and self-reliance, the obligation individuals owe to their societies, the influence of organized religion on culture and government, and the tendency of society to repress nonconformist thought."
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HotSpringsLawyer says... February 19, 2013 at 4:24 p.m.
Heinlein rocks. Also Asimov, Bradbury, Philip K. Dick, Harlan Ellison, Arthur C. Clarke, H. G. Wells, Vernor Vinge, and so many others. Good post, Pobucker, thanks.
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DontDrinkDatKoolAid says... February 19, 2013 at 6:26 p.m.
H. G. Wells ... Yes yes yes "Animal Farm" comes to mind, and fiction seems to becoming to life.
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HM2 says... February 19, 2013 at 9:38 p.m.
That's what I'm talkin' about! Gun control. Hittin' what your aimin' at
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BillSmith says... February 21, 2013 at 1:01 a.m.
Elginray...... being a Vietnam Vetran does not mean you can think logically and it shows in your comment. The medical examiner said all victims had .223 rounds in them, but I guess that is not considered proof for a conspiracy theorists.
*
From the Cnnecticut Post:
State Police: All 26 Newtown victims shot with assault rifle
Neil Vigdor
Published 11:56 pm, Thursday, January 24, 2013
Lt. J. Paul Vance, the face of an ongoing Connecticut State Police investigation into worst grade-school shooting in U.S. history, Thursday debunked media and Internet reports that Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza killed his victims with handguns and not the Bushmaster XM-15 E2S rifle that has been a focus of a proposed federal assault-weapons ban.
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All 26 of Lanza's victims were shot with the .223-caliber semi-automatic rifle, said Vance, who bristled at claims to the contrary during an interview with Hearst Connecticut Newspapers.
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"It's all these conspiracy theorists that are trying to mucky up the waters," said Vance, the longtime state police spokesman.
Link:
ctpost. com/newtownshooting/article/State-Police-All-26-Newtown-victims-shot-with-4222299.php#ixzz2LVvvk2aW
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