Shots Fired at Protest in Crawford

Story

"Wait! Someone is firing a gun. (pause). He fired it into the air about five times. He appears to be a local inside the fence line on private property. Now he has thrown what looks like a shotgun into the front seat of a pickup, and he's stomping off out of sight. I wonder where he went.

"Now he's coming back out. I'm out here standing on the road. He's got a no parking sign in his hand, walking toward his fence. I'm going to go try to talk to him. I've got to hang up."

I guess it's no longer such a peaceful protest.

Sounds like he's not a protester but a property owner whos sick of the crap. He does have his rights also. I would be a little po'd also.

I would agree he's not a peaceful protester (lol)

Let's hope they weren't warning shots before he starts blowing away mothers and children for the heresy of being on the road in front of his place.

I agree property owners have rights too...but that would stop at his property line, don't ya think?

BTW, I See You...if you were sick of seeing MIBs in black vans patrolling in front of your yard and you fired those 5 shots, how long do you think you'd be walking around a free person?

Yeah. I know he's not a protester.

What are his rights? Does anyone know? They're not parked on his property, just on public property adjacent to his. Does he have rights? I'm not sure.

I think he's an idiot for coming out shooting a shotgun! Ah, but that's the way things are done these days. I suppose he considers it a 'preemptive parking restraint' or some crap.

Good gawd....gonna wait and see if this is reported other places to...

This man has every right to fire his shotgun. Hell, if I were him, and got fed up with people protesting next to my land, I'd invite all my redneck buddies over and we'd have a good ol' fashion pig roast and target practice for the weekend.

Which would be louder? The protestors? or the ringing of a dozen rifles/shotguns?

By not being sure the the gun laws are in village, town, city or state I can't answer wether or not he can legally shoot his gun. I know on most private property you can discharge your firearms so he has the right to fire his weapons as long as he's not endangering others purposely. It sounds like he was not shooting directly at anyone.

So to answer Masqua question the MIB can't do crap where I'm located as long as I'm firing away from them.

Originally posted by QuietSoul


Which would be louder? The protestors? or the ringing of a dozen rifles/shotguns?

Way back when Viet Nam was the thing to protest, a few students lay dead or dying on an Ohio campus after the militia got trigger happy.

Those shots are remembered by a lot of Americans as well as internationally.

So, you're right...the ringing of a dozen rifles/shotguns would be very loud indeed.

[edit on 14-8-2005 by masqua]

Seems like Old Larry's been pretty peeved about this thing from the beginning. It's been 8 whole days and he just can't take it anymore!

Her next-door neighbor, Larry Mattlage, spent part of Wednesday afternoon on his four-wheeler trying to prevent protesters from parking cars on the grassy easement in front of his goat farm.

"I understand these people's cause. I appreciate that," he said. But, he added, "Everybody just wants to know when it's going to be over. Are we going to have to put up with this all summer?"
Source

But Larry Mattlage, who owns the farm across the road from where Sheehan and her supporters are encamped, was not pleased by the new visitors, who hung protest signs in the trees. Sitting on his parked tractor across the road, Mattlage said he supported the right to protest but that the demonstrators should not be allowed to stay for prolonged periods.
Source

masqua
what you are refering to is the incident at Kent state university back on May 4th 1970. The miltia was the National Guardsman who were ordered by the Govenor to put down the student rioting that had been going on there.
It is a very despictable incident in US history but I do not see the relavance that it has with what is going on at Crawford since there is no militia on site other than Secret Service.

Originally posted by kenshiro2012
I do not see the relavance that it has with what is going on at Crawford since there is no militia on site other than Secret Service.

OK...well, then, lets take another tack in this debate...how about the killing of those kids during the protests at Selma? No militia there either, but those murders are still talked about today. I believe someone involved recently got a life sentence for it too, even though the old fellow was about ready to meet his maker anyways.

Besides, those militia members we're talking about are, in a lot of ways, just ordinary folks who gear up regularly and learn how to soldier when they're not doing their regular jobs. I know about that, because I've been a cadet and did the Militia stint too (yes, there is still a militia in Canada). The thing about Kent State back then is that it wasn't so much who did the shooting, but that it was done.

All I'm trying to point out is that if Sheehan and her fellow protesters are shot at while at the ranch, there will be an international outcry from that to rival the Kent state incident.

We'd better hope that 'Old Larry and his Buds' don't go that far...or anyone else, for that matter.

I See You...you win on the MIB and your shotgun theory. Not that I agree with you...just that I figure you're American and understand your laws better than me. I wouldn't put that theory to the test, though, in case you were mistaken.

1) according to the reports "Larry" shot his gun in the air and not at anyone.
2) State of Texas laws allow the use and the use of a firearm while on personal property, again as was said by another poster, it does not endanger another.

I do not know about you but after over a week of protesters as well as media jamming up the road, making all kinds of noise, and as in many cases, making their own "latrines" where ever they want, I too would have had enough.
As long as Larry does not fire at someone then it is his right.
I do hope that this ends quickly for everyone's sake.

Poor Larry. I'm not saying he did anything illegal. He may have every right to shoot off his gun. But these people have every right to be there as well. He's no more 'in the right' (or wrong) than they are.

And there are no latrines. Where did you get that? There's a house that they have free use of. Many are in campers. You can believe they're going with the strict letter of the law or they'd be gone.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
Seems like Old Larry's been pretty peeved about this thing from the beginning. It's been 8 whole days and he just can't take it anymore!

Her next-door neighbor, Larry Mattlage, spent part of Wednesday afternoon on his four-wheeler trying to prevent protesters from parking cars on the grassy easement in front of his goat farm.

"I understand these people's cause. I appreciate that," he said. But, he added, "Everybody just wants to know when it's going to be over. Are we going to have to put up with this all summer?"
Source

But Larry Mattlage, who owns the farm across the road from where Sheehan and her supporters are encamped, was not pleased by the new visitors, who hung protest signs in the trees. Sitting on his parked tractor across the road, Mattlage said he supported the right to protest but that the demonstrators should not be allowed to stay for prolonged periods.
Source

Looks as though some protesters are disturbing his property and should have them arrested for trespassing. The protesters need to respect other peoples property. This is why larry is agitated amongst his privacy being taken away.

Originally posted by I See You
Looks as though some protesters are disturbing his property and should have them arrested for trespassing. The protesters need to respect other peoples property. This is why larry is agitated amongst his privacy being taken away.

They're not on his property. They're not touching his property. I'm sure he would have them arrested if he could.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
Her next-door neighbor, Larry Mattlage, spent part of Wednesday afternoon on his four-wheeler trying to prevent protesters from parking cars on the grassy easement in front of his goat farm.

The key word here is "easement" . Can you legally do this in Texas, that is if the people were parked on an eaement in front of his property?

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic

Originally posted by I See You
Looks as though some protesters are disturbing his property and should have them arrested for trespassing. The protesters need to respect other peoples property. This is why larry is agitated amongst his privacy being taken away.

They're not on his property. They're not touching his property. I'm sure he would have them arrested if he could.

Did you read the quotes that I provided?? Read them and then respond again please!

From the quote "who hung protest signs in the trees. Sitting on his parked tractor across the road"

[edit on 14-8-2005 by I See You]

Do you think that the value of old Larry's property went up when the Bush ranch became the western white house? I bet it did and I bet old Larry hasn't complained in the least about his property increasing in value. Old Larry can fire his gun in a non-threating direction all he wants, but I have no sympathy for his whining.
.

You've got to understand this man's view.. chances are he moved out into the country to get away from the city noise.. if you live in the country, you'd understand just how loud the littlest noise can be. I can hear a party 2 houses down from me, almost a 3 mile away. Imagine 4000 people moving into your front yard and screaming and yelling chants all day.. I'd be peeved off too. Very peeved.

And masqua, I have NO IDEA where you're going with trying to compare this to the protest shootings of the past.. care to link them someway or are you just trying to derail this thread?

mmhmm.

[edit on 8/14/2005 by QuietSoul]

Originally posted by I See You
Did you read the quotes that I provided?? Read them and then respond again please!

I provided those quotes! And if you will read them carefully, it says the protesters are across the street from his property (that's where the signs in the trees are) not ON his property. HE was sitting on his tractor. You read the quotes I provided!