If the only information you had about the death of musician Jeffrey Carter Albrecht was this New York Times article, you'd see it as just another example of those gun-totin', reckless Texans.
A Texas rock musician was shot to death here early Monday by a neighbor who fired through a closed door, thinking he was scaring off a burglar.
The incident occurred just three days after a new law took effect strengthening the right of Texans to use deadly force to protect themselves and their property.
The musician, Jeffrey Carter Albrecht, 34, a keyboardist with Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians and the Dallas rock band Sorta, was shot in the head after he startled a man and his wife about 4 a.m. by pounding and kicking at their back door, the police said. Mr. Albrecht had just assaulted his girlfriend, who lives next door and had locked him out of her house, the police said.
Those redneck Texans!
Well, Thank God we have Newsbusters to let us know--as Paul Harvey would say--the rest of the story.
The Associated Press reported the shooting with additional details of Albrecht striking his girlfriend in the face and "trying to kick in the door" of his neighbor's house (instead of merely "kicking at" the door, as the Times had it).
The NYT wasn't done stereotyping Texans. They had to put in this obligatory anti-gun quote:
Marsha McCartney, president of the North Texas chapter of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, called Mr. Albrecht’s death “one more gun tragedy.”
“I’m sure the man who did the shooting feels terrible about it,” Ms. McCartney said, “but legally in Texas he can do exactly what he did because he feels frightened.”
Why did the NYT feel it was necessary to find anti-gun activists? Why, to try to discredit anyone explaining the new Texas law!
Texas has protected the right to “stand your ground” and use deadly force to protect oneself at home without first trying to retreat since 1995. And a law that took effect on Saturday expanded that so-called “castle doctrine” to apply to public spaces.
The law also expanded civil immunity and could make it more difficult for the Albrecht family or relatives of those killed in similar incidents in Texas to win a wrongful-death suit, said James Dark, executive director of the Texas State Rifle Association, which lobbied for the new law.
“These duty-to-retreat laws provide legal protection for those who are out committing criminal acts,” Mr. Dark said. Under the new Texas law, “the protection of the law falls on those who obey the law not those who violate the law.”
This is different from being scared of the bogeyman like McCartney implied. When a drunk and violent person starts beating on your door trying to get in, you shouldn't have to wait until he/she starts beating on you before you can protect yourself. At least, that's what us crazy Texans think. The NYT obviously thinks differently.
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