Can we talk about how hard it is to feel safe in America anymore? We have lunatics shooting up movie theaters. We have crazy people shooting up temples. And now we have a Detroit area grandpa who was shot dead at his own house because he came to the aid of his grandchildren.
From the way the cops tell it, John Villneff was minding his own business when several of his grandchildren came rushing over from his daughter's house next door. Now he's dead because he took the bullets aimed at his 12-year-old granddaughter.
Really? Someone tried to shoot a 12-year-old?
According to the cops, the thugs broke into Villneff's daughter's house where several of his grandkids were hanging out. Melissa Villneff was at a Tigers game, but her dad was next door, and there were teens in the house. She should have felt safe leaving the kids alone.
Should have being the operative words. But we can't feel safe anywhere anymore, it seems.
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When the thugs started pistol-whipping the 16-year-old, three of the kids took off for Grandpa's house next door. The 12-year-old took an iPad with her and was trying to take photos of the assailants when one of them spotted her. That's when police say the shooting happened -- the thug aimed, and grandpa jumped in to save his little girl.
I'm not surprised Villneff was a recipient of the Purple Heart while he was in the US military, he proved himself a hero on Wednesday night. He took a bullet for that kid. Took a bullet.
And yet, I shouldn't have to say that none of this never should have happened, that no one should have broken into Melissa Villneff's house, no one should have aimed a gun at a 12-year-old, no one should have shot an innocent grandfather who had been minding his own business at his home on a Wednesday night.
We hear people say that they're afraid to leave home anymore with all the craziness that goes on, but with stories like this, even staying at home doesn't sound safe.
How do you keep from being overwhelmed by all these horrific news stories?
Image via Patricia Drury/Flickr
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Comments 48
so sad
Its really hard not to be overwhelmed by all these stories lately. I seem to check on my son more, and pray more. You can't live in a bubble to keep safe but you can do some things. On my street we have an informal community crime watch. We know each other and we keep each other in the loop. We know each other's dogs so we know when its strange to hear them barking, and yes if its eleven at night and your on our street and we don't know you, we are watching you. We had a problem with breakin' to our car's and the police said they were really impressed by all the information we had for them and how we stuck together. The cop even made a joke about us telling everyone we knew to start their own watch program. My neighbor just went out of town for two weeks and was posting comments about it on facebook. I called and reminded her that it was a bad idea to let people know when your out of town and her response was, I feel bad for anyone that broke in to my house with all the people watching it. Bad things could still happen on our block but at least we are trying.
That is sad but i would do anything include sacrifice my life for my children.
that is so sad. he was a good grandfather and father. at least his death was protecting his grandaughter, although no less tragic
so sad!
@me-Home owner's have the right to own gun's also, you know, 'cause of the Constitution. Banning gun's will not get rid of gun violence. Teenager's are dying all over the country because of texting and driving and I haven't heard of any ban's on cell phones, just on doing it while driving. I hope the men that did this are caught and put in jail for a very long time, and I am so sorry this man had to die defending his granddaughters life.
To continue wamom223's thoughts:
Drunk drivers kill thousands in this country and there is no ban on alcohol. It is not the alcohol itself that is the problem, is the choice a person makes to use it in a way that is criminal that is the problem.
The same with guns. Guns are not the problem, people are.
@Me banning guns won't do anything other than to make the law-following gunowners turn in their guns. Given the possible criminal history of the thugs, it is most likely that the guns were illegally procured--as are many of the guns in criminal cases. In that case, all of the gun control laws in the world wouldn't have prevented the criminals from getting guns in one way or another. All you have left are a bunch of homeowners who are unable to defend themselves from thugs like the one who broke into Villneff's home.
BTW, the Constitution merely asserts that right of owning a gun cannot be taken away from the gunowner. There is nowhere in the wording that says the government gave the citizens the right to own a gun. The right was already an established right before the Constitution and Bill of Rights was ratified.
Me, ahahahahahaha! They broke into someones home, pistol whipped a teenager and then shot at a 12 year old hitting and killing the grandfather who threw himself between them and his grandchild. All of those other things are against the law, but a law against gun ownership would have stopped them? All of my children are familiar with guns, what they can do, and how to handle them and fire them. My 16 yo is quite capable with a firearm and would likely be able to defend himself and his siblings. This is definitely a better option than disarming the law abiding. 'Cause I've got news flash for ya, only the law abiding obey laws. Criminals don't. That's what makes them criminals.