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14 Ways to Be a Happier MomIs the use of firearms disproportionate to the use of rocks?
So says critics of the use of deadly force on a Mexican teenage boy shot on Monday on the US/Mexican border.
I personally think if someone was throwing rocks at me, my survival instincts would lead me to absolutely use my weapon if I were that border patrol agent. Fifteen or not, throwing rocks can be deadly.
And that teenager?
He was no innocent. He had a history of suspected human smuggling and was a repeat juvenile offender.
It all started at 6:30 p.m. when border patrol agents responded to reports of alleged illegal immigrants being smuggled into the United States near the Paso del Norte entry. After apprehending one suspect, others scattered to the Mexican side and some started to hurl rocks.
"The young man was not armed," said Sergio Belmonte, Ciudad Juarez spokesman. "He did not have the physical size to threaten anyone. The aggression [by the US agent] is evident." Belmonte said Hernandez was shot in the head.
I'm sorry. Physical size doesn't matter when you're in danger of being stoned. You also don't have the greatest accuracy when you're the alleged target of hurled concrete.
"The growing frequency of this type of event reflects a worrisome increment in the use of excessive force on the part of some border authorities," the Mexican Foreign Ministry said. According to the ministry, the number of Mexicans who have been killed or wounded by US border authorities has increased from 5 in 2008 to 12 in 2009 and 17 so far this year ... But Qualia said there were 799 assaults on border agents from October 1, 2009, through May 31 -- up from 745 assaults for the same time period in 2007-08 and 658 for the same span in 2008-09."
Seems like the border incidents are escalating on both sides. All I know is if it were me or mine and it was a choice between being harmed by rocks hurled at me or using deadly force, I would do the same. Self-preservation.
Great attention has been spotlighted on this teen's "A" average in high school.
I'm sure more information will come out on this incident as videos are analyzed and statements are taken. However, my initial thoughts?
Smart young man should have known better than to throw rocks at armed agents to prevent this tragedy. Again, self-preservation.
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Comments (18)
I have to say that I don't think this society really understands what a real and potentially life threatening thing it is to throw rocks at someone is anymore because we are such a 'modern' culture with advanced weaponry.
Getting hit with a thrown rock from even an adolescent really CAN kill someone if it hits the right area, like say- the temple.
It is incredibly unfortunate that he was shot, every life is sacred, valuable. But I hardly think that we should lay all the blame on a serviceman, who was being assaulted in a manner that could have killed him, while the assailant was breaking the law.
I think the border agent reacted in an appropriate manner - he was under potentially deadly attack, and he responded with equal force. I don't feel that the agent was out of line in returning fire and doubt he was aiming for the young man's head - Border Patrol Agents are not expert marksmen, and I think it's unlikely he could land a head shot while also dodging rocks.
Nice piece Heather. how many times has this A student been deported from the U.S. for human smuggling? and please explain to me why are these young men are even close to the border, let along hurling bricks and large rocks? If Mexico wants to prevent this, they can enforce their own border line 100yds back from the American border and enforce that. Problem solved.
Having said that, noone is happy about this loss of life. But guess what Mexico, i do believe the majority of the American public has had enough. Leave our agents alone, please stay in that country you love, hang your flag there, and there will be no problem.
what will happened to someone if he will trow rock at Obama or his security agents? I see this accident as there is no respect to US border from Mexican side anymore, and therefore our great president Obama should remind EVERYONE as US border will be protected and no illegal border crossings will be tolerated. Otherwise why to fight for US security overseas and not to protect US border?
Leave it to CNN to be too out of touch with the dangers of rock throwing to call this "excessive force". Add that to their liberally skewed reporting and there you go.
I have personally seen someone sent to the hospital for life (actually, he's now in a nursing home on a ventilator) due to 3 kids throwing rocks at him. He was 18 and mentally challenged, they were 14 or so, just harassing the "retard". His family has been dealing with his health challenges from this incident for decades. Yeah, rock throwing demands self-defense since it is deadly force itself.
rocks in the hands of an adolescent vs firearms in the hands of a (hopefully professional) trained adult.... if the kid was across the boarder, i have to wonder why the border guard felt it was necessary to use deadly force. oddly enough, i've had to deal with kids and rocks and the thought of using firearms against them never crossed my mind. (by the way, i'm former military, trained in the use of firearms). this video fell far short of convincing me that the kid was anything more than a major pain in the ass to these professionals. if he was involved in trafficing, then that issue should have been dealt with in the normal course of business. ie: caught in the act, arrested, tried, sentenced; suspected, apprehended, questioned, tried, sentenced... on the other hand if there had been a physical threat to the officer or an innocent individual at the scene, such as a knife at close quarters or a firearm in the suspects possession, then by all means he should have used any means necessary to subdue the suspect and defend himself or any innocent parties. but i wasn't there. this is just my view from a place and time far removed from the scene, filtered through second hand information.
That straight-A student throwing rocks could have knocked out the Border Patrol Agent, and then taken HIS weapon, and then what? Rocks can kill just as easily as a bullet. It just depends on where they hit, and with how much force. I have no problem with the actions of the agent. Maybe, just maybe, this incident will serve to lessen the tide of illegals. But I doubt it.
I think the appropriate action when someone is throwing rocks at you is to give em a big ole bear hug, grab a fluffy kitten, and burst out into Kum ba ya.
Seriously, we live in a time when people need to worry about defending themselves from attackers?
If someone was throwing rocks at me I'd defend myself any way I could. Seems to me the border patrol agent acted appropriately.