Comments Section Of News Article On Self-Defense Shooting.

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Most online news outlets now have a comments section where readers can speak their minds on the stories. We post numberous stories about self-defense shootings. It is worth taking a look at a typical comments sections.

I have chosen this particular story precisely because there are few details. More will likely become available later, but for the moment there isn't much. By choosing a story with few details I hope to keep the discussion from getting off into side issues, and concentrate on the posting public's reaction.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/6E9AE3DAA944ACAB862576B6004AF0B0?OpenDocument

Man shoots, kills suspected burglar in north St. Louis
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
01/25/2010

UPDATED, 9:45 a.m. Monday

ST. LOUIS -- A man shot and killed someone who apparently was breaking into a home early today in north St. Louis.

The shooting happened about 3:40 a.m. in the 1900 block of East College Avenue, about two blocks east of O'Fallon Park.

The first officer to arrive said he found a man who had been shot and was unresponsive. Police held the shooter at the scene for questioning and summoned evidence technicians.

A police spokeswoman confirmed only that homicide detectives were sent to the scene but released no more details on the incident.

About 10 minutes after the shooting, police called out tracking dogs and were looking for two women seen running west down an alley in all-black clothing. Police said the women were wanted for a possible burglary at the same address on College. It's unclear if the women were connected to the break-in and the death of the suspected burglar.

Now let's look as a bunch of the comments. At this time there are 60+ comments, and more being posted.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/emaf.nsf/comments?ReadForm&db=stltoday%5Cnews%5Cstories.nsf&docid=6E9AE3DAA944ACAB862576B6004AF0B0

Hopefully a good shoot and criminals career cut short. Undoubtedly many unsolved crimes suddenly solved.

Nice, one less piece of garbage walking the planet

Some good news for a change.

NICE! Just had to go steal some stuff that wasn't yours. Hope it was worth it you loser. We need a few more endings like this one!

The only thing I don't like about this story is it doesn't happen enough. Just hope the shooter doesn't get in trouble. Let's call what he did community service.

Well, we can be sure that he won't be breaking into any other houses.

click click... not my house either.

So what's the problem here? Tag him, bag him and bury him. Done!

That is pretty representative of the general postings. But there are some who are not happy. About twenty posts in we find:

The only thing that would make this story better would be a picture of a golden calf.

Come on everyone, bow down and worship your gun at the alter of the cult of the firearm.

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AND HE IS ANSWERED:
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We don't worship our firearms. But, with your attitude, it wouldn't surprise me to read about you having to beg for you and your family's lives at the hands of some thug that broke into your home.

you are seriously deluded. No one worships their guns, but we do hold our 2nd Amendment rights, and our God-given right to protect ourselves and our loved ones in as high a regard as you hold your 1st Amendment rights to express yourself and to be exposed as the moron that you obviously are. By the way please feel free to post your address, so that the criminals can feel comfortable breaking into a gun-free household...

Hey, once again Atlas is spewing BS. Hope you NEVER need the protection from either the police or a legal firearms owner. You don't deserve it.

Some are liberals

I'm a progressive liberal with a .357 Magnum, and a willingness to use deadly force in a situation such as the one reported. The stereotype of social liberals as limp-wristed wimps isn't even close to accurate.As for the shooter in this case--you go, guy!

Hate to see anyone have to end someone else life. I will tell ya though if you try to come into this liberals house you will get the pleasure of feeling that hot lead travel through your chest.

I read all the comments. Only one comment, the one shown above, was against the resident, the others were varying degrees of supportive to outright cheering. OK, mostly cheering. (A few posts strayed into side issues, legal points, defination of words, etc.


Gun Control Advocates, this is the public climate into which you are trying to push your laws.