imported post
Leader wrote:
There should be a law against stealing guns from cars.
Then maybe the thief would be blamed instead of the owner that didn't do ANYTHING wrong.
Amen. A voice of reason... thank you.
Some cities have made it illegal to leave your car running unattended because it makes it too easy for the criminal to steal your car. At surface level, it sounds logical... don't leave your car running with the doors unlocked because it might get stolen. But when you think about it a little deeper, you realize the law is total BS.
First of all, we live in Michigan. It gets super cold here. Many folks, myself included, will warm their vehicles up in the morning before driving them. Secondly, punishing the VICTIM is never the answer. I'm in favor of laws that treat criminals much more harshly than I am for laws that moderately punish victims; regardless of how "foolish" some people think the victim is.
If I leave my vehicle parked in my driveway with the keys in it, and it's stolen... that's for me and my insurance company to figure out. The only role the government should play in the matter is in searching out the CRIMINAL who stole my car and then PUNISHING him if he's caught. I mean, what's next? A law that makes it illegal to sit in your home with the doors open? Afterall, an open door is an invitation for a criminal to come in and rob the place, right? Wrong... an open door is just that: An open door. It's NOT an invitation and it does not negate any of your rights.
This said, a gun left in a vehicle is not illegal. The Constitution enumerates our right to be secure in our personal property... if an officer cannot search your vehicle without probable cause or a warrant, then a criminal damn well can't do it either. Would I leave a gun in my vehicle for an extended period of time? Probably not. But even if I do, does that suddenly make me guilty of any crime? Does that suddenly negate my personal property rights and give a criminal the right to steal it? No.
Let's remember who the real criminals are.