US man cuffed for executing lawnmower

@Kimo 50%=F

I hate to correct you but one of the major reasons why we here in the USA HAVE the 2nd Amendment is to prevent the existing government from taking away our other rights. Kind of tough to do now with only SEMI-AUTOMATIC weapons and no privately owned functioning tanks (sigh, we'll figure something out soon)

Yes, it DOES mean that the average citizen is supposed to help and/or initiate the overthrow of an unjust government (just like the one we had in the early 1700's). Read what Thomas Jefferson had to say about having a revolution every 20 years or so.

By the way, the US Supreme Court just re-validated the 2nd amendment, citing it was an INDIVIDUALS RIGHT to BEAR ARMS, not just in the circumstance of a militia.

I find it rather funny that you Brit's either have never been taught this or your "Nanny State" has completely censored your education.

Either way, your own criminals can scare you to death with nothing more than pocket knives because not even your policemen can carry guns.

Here, our grannies have Glocks in their purses and our criminals think twice before trying to use a knife. We have a saying here, If you ban citizens from owning guns, only the criminals will have them. Rather sounds like the UK now doesn't it?

As for statistics, we have more people here, thus more nutjobs, thus more gun crime than you have in the UK. But then if criminals can kill you with a pocket knife, why waste bullets?

However, I would rather have gun toting nutjobs than not have the right to prevent Darth Cheney, King George Bush and "McBane " declaring martial law (based on some trumped up terrorism scare no doubt) to prevent Osama from taking the Presidency this coming January.

@ Dan Paul

Nah, we dont get taught the US constitution, we have plenty of other, more relevant and more interesting history to learn instead.

@dan paul

Ya know Dan we residents of civilised coutnries(Those that have test cricket teams) have mostly never even seen a gun in public, and we like it that way. Strangely, we reckon that criminals are more likely to carry guns if they think the public will be armed. Guess what- we have lower gun crime rates too, shocking eh?

you're all missing the point...

I, for one, welcome our new non-starting, mechanical overlords.

As one who has had the satisfaction of using a little explosive/projectile persuasion on an electronic device, I can tell you from personal and practical experience that "the defendant" was a blooming idiot.

1) Generally, weapons and alcohol aren't a good mix.

2) Weapons fired inside a city's corporation limit usually mean a rather rude visit by a bunch of uninvited law enforcement types.

3) Sawed off anything, as applied to firearms, is stupid, dangerous and ineffective on anything further than 5m away.

4) Before dispatching an ill tempered stubborn lawn mower, I'd suggest that prior to said activities, you take it to a qualified maintenance professional, if he suggests last rites, then have at it.

5) If you're going to dispatch said lawn mower, do it sober, so your judgement (and aim) isn't impaired.

6) Choose the right fucking weapon for the job! I'm sorry, but only a panzy-assed loser would use a shotgun on a cast iron & aluminium machine. To truly get through to the device, use something with a little more "umph"; I'd suggest something in the 30-06 range. While a 12 gage slug will damage a mower fairly efficiently, I'm telling you that for an optimum effect, you need a full metal jacket round.

Jeez, you'd figure someone from the northern part of the country would have a little more common sense, when contemplating lawn equipment assassination. Hell, I live in Ohio and I at least had the common sense to use an AK-47 to perform a mercy killing on an HP iPAQ 5550 cell phone, that dropped one too many calls. It took one round, and there wasn't anything left larger than a quarter. I did it in a controlled field, with nobody around for several thousand yards and I hadn't cracked any of the celebratory ale until after the weapon was safe and secure.

The really funny thing is that the bastard rang when I shot it, and it was simply the most liberating thing I've ever done in my life.

Mine's the one that doubles as a flack jacket

@ Dan Paul

Don't bears have a right to keep their own arms...? Why do Americans covet them, so...?

I'll take the one with no sleeves...

The attack of the grass-munching attack droids has been thwarted!

This man should be given a medal for his heroic defence of the planet earth from a suprise attack by the grass munching attack droids of the planet Victa. They have secretly been planning they're stealth infiltration attack on the Earth for many years now but luckily this brave soldier spotted the evil attack droid that had replaced his dependable mower and dispatched it without delay.

Congratulations to that man...

Remedial law-abiding training

He went to jail for being an idiot. That's roughly how it works 'round here, and I don't doubt in plenty of other places.

The smarter of us know that when shooting a lawn mower, or anything else, to bits, you:

1. take the mower and gun to where it's legal to discharge firearms recreationally

2. use a firearm that is not banned, stolen, otherwise illegally owned, illegally modified, etc.

3. do so while not drunk (this being dangerous and, coincidentally, illegal in these parts - even where discharging firearms recreationally is legal)

4. take special care that the chunks of lawn mower and bullet won't hit someone, such as yourself

And, ideally,

5. pick up the bits so they can be placed in the trash and/or recycling when you get back home. No need to make a mess just because a mower needs to go.

People just need to think these things through more thoroughly. I guess the man pictured wasn't one of those thinker types.

WMD found in the USA

Weapon of mower destruction - phew, I'm glad it's been found at last!!

@ JonB

I think I love you...marry me and we can live in pedant heaven for blissful eternity...:)

To (mis)quote Robin Williams

You have the right to bear arms or the right to arm bears, whatever you want...

I don't want to live in a place...

....where I NEED to own a gun.

What a nightmare!!!

Less guns = Less gun crime (FACT)

Re: lots of people

@Jesse, RE: Right to bear arms

No, states and cities cannot infringe on the constitution. That's the point- it's the code everyone is supposed to work within. There are means for revising it, but every jurisdiction beneath it must stay within the boundaries it sets forth.

That means that technically, you can challenge any law set forth by any jurisdiction in the US, be it Federal, State, County, or City, as unconstitutional, and win. You just have to be able to prove that it is, and be willing to fight for it.

@Yes, he was stupid

"(4) i am curious as to what they were doing in his house and why they would have stolen/confiscated other property legally owned there. Illegal search and seizure comes to mind."

They probably went into his house on a search warrant, on the grounds that since he had used one illegal weapon, what if he had more?

@Dan Paul: @Kimo 50%=F

"I hate to correct you but one of the major reasons why we here in the USA HAVE the 2nd Amendment is to prevent the existing government from taking away our other rights. Kind of tough to do now with only SEMI-AUTOMATIC weapons and no privately owned functioning tanks (sigh, we'll figure something out soon)"

I know at least one guy with a functioning tank. Main gun works, too. Admittedly, it's a WWII antique, but the thing works fine, and according to NY State law, (where he has said tank) he can actually legally purchase ammunition for it and fire it...provided the ammo is incendiary, making it a giant flare gun.

Personally, i think he deserved what he got- if not more. I don't like extensive restrictions on what you can own, but there are some categories that have only one purpose, that being anti-personnel. A pistol you can take to the range and do target shooting with, but a sawed-off doesn't really add anything to the experience at the range that a regular shotgun wouldn't work for.

One other thing people overlook with the recent Supreme Court ruling: it says you can't be stopped from owning pistols with a blanket prohibition. However, it DOES say that you can be stopped for other reasons, such as criminal record or mental illness. In addition, it says that you can be required to submit information to own a gun, such as fingerprints, and that you can be required to register all guns with the government. States currently have a mix of rules on this, some (such as NY) requiring a permit to even own pistols, and making you jump through references and other hoops to get it, while in others, such as Florida, you can own damn near anything you want, it seems, so long as it's not prohibited at the federal level. Even getting a carry-conceal for a pistol is as simple as giving them your finger prints and a small fee that covers your criminal records check and your mental health background check.

"Less guns = less gun crime (FACT)"

That only works in an area that does not have guns. Somewhere like the US, where we already have plenty of guns around, that will fail because the criminals already have access to the guns. In most US jurisdictions that introduce more lenient gun laws, (at least those that I've seen records for) the violent crime rates, in particular for gun crime, tend to drop. Why? Well, that's because the police aren't there to protect in most cases, they're there to clean up afterwards. Hell, lots of them will admit this, especially in most Criminal Justice classes.

What's going to stop more crime: no legal guns on people, and lots of cops who get there too late, or legal guns on 1 out of every 10 people, and lots of cops who get there too late?

Flame because I know people are going to hit me for this one.

@dan paul

"I hate to correct you but one of the major reasons why we here in the USA HAVE the 2nd Amendment is to prevent the existing government from taking away our other rights. Kind of tough to do now with only SEMI-AUTOMATIC weapons and no privately owned functioning tanks (sigh, we'll figure something out soon)"

So why haven't you already overthrown your current government which violates so many constitutional prohibitons as to render it useless.?

Additionally, at one time "Well-Regulated" apparantly also meant "Well-Equiped"

The alien, cause the whole thing is alien to me.

No, I think

He meant "sod off" and he was talking to you.