Diane Sawyer/Joe Horn

[nedmoore]

This makes me ill.http://abcnews.go.com/GMA

[thankGod]

I watched the interview this morning, and DS's attitude and body language was one of disgust and disbelief. Her questioning of Joe Horn was biased, especially with her continual bravado of "but the autopsy says you shot them in the back".

I was very disappointed by DS.

[KaiserB]

ABC should be ashamed for cutting and editing the 911 tape to make Joe Horn sound like a horrible killer. What ABC aired was a corruption of the truth through omission.

Joe Horn is welcome to be my neighbor any day.

[DParker]

All true. But if we're being honest...Horn's claim (coached by his lawyer, no doubt) that his voice on the 911 tape was one of a man who was "scared and alone" is disingenuous at best. He spent half of the conversation with the operator before the confrontation proclaiming that he was going to kill the burglars. He was alone, but he wasn't scared. He was angry (albeit justifiably so.)

Now let's be clear here. I have NO problem with the outcome and what Horn did, and support the law that made what he did legal, and am as glad as anyone else that he was no-billed. But let's be better than the dishonest antis and biased media and at least admit that this was not a case of a man who was defending himself after being put in a situation beyond his control and in which he had no real choice but to shoot. I applaud the fact that he stood up to the two thugs in order to prevent his neighbors from being burglary victims, and was sufficiently knowledgable about the law that allowed him to do so. So I prefer to defend his actions on those perfectly adequate grounds, and not ones that are a stretch at best.

[WildBill]

While I am glad that Joe Horn did not get indicted, I believe that Mr. Horn and his lawyer are both fools for having an interview with Diane Sawyer. IMO his lawyer should have told him to keep his mouth shut, and both he and Mr. Horn should have refused the interview. It seems like Joe Horn is daring the DA to file charges. Both Mr. Horn and his lawyer have had their 15 minutes of fame and they should gracefully fade away.

[flb_78]

While I am glad that Joe Horn did not get indicted, I believe that Mr. Horn and his lawyer are both fools for having an interview with Diane Sawyer. IMO his lawyer should have told him to keep his mouth shut, and both he and Mr. Horn should have followed that advice.

+1, He never should of been interviewed by any national media.

[FIFTY]

Although I feel that D.S. did not do a very good job of appearing fair and unbiased, that is expected...

Joe Horn's attorney, however, should have a crystal-clear understanding of Texas' deadly force laws by now, including the Castle Doctrine. Surprisingly, he does not. It is my understanding that protection of a third person's property is completely unrelated to the Castle Doctrine, and was on the books long before last September. Had he been more prepared to explain Senator Wentworth's comments it might have helped people's perception of this case for the better.

My comments may be harsh, but they agreed to appear on a national news program to be scrutinized. In this kind of situation they cannot afford to come across as unsure, convoluted or unrehearsed.

[anygunanywhere]

Although I feel that D.S. did not do a very good job of appearing fair and unbiased, it is expected...

Joe Horn's attorney, however, should have a crystal-clear understanding of Texas' deadly force laws by now, including the Castle Doctrine. Surprisingly, he does not. It is my understanding that protection of a third person's property is completely unrelated to the Castle Doctrine, and was on the books long before last September. Had he been more prepared to explain Senator Wentworth's comments it might have helped people's perception of this case for the better.

My comments may be harsh, but they agreed to appear on a national news program to be scrutinized. In this kind of situation they cannot afford to come across as unsure, convoluted or unrehearsed.

From what I have read, The Castle Doctrine might have played a part. The goons were in his yard, they approached him at one point.

Although the autopsy reported they were shot in the back, at least one was not shot directly from the back. The individual turned as he was shot and was struck more on the side.

We were not in the grand jury room, we did not hear all of the evidence.

Mr. Horn is proving to be more irresponsible (stupid?) than I thought with all of these interviews.

The obvious lesson to be learned from this case is to exercise your right to remain silent and do not give the press what they want. We do not want to feed the antis.

Anygunanywhere

[longhorn_92]

Although I feel that D.S. did not do a very good job of appearing fair and unbiased, it is expected...

Joe Horn's attorney, however, should have a crystal-clear understanding of Texas' deadly force laws by now, including the Castle Doctrine. Surprisingly, he does not. It is my understanding that protection of a third person's property is completely unrelated to the Castle Doctrine, and was on the books long before last September. Had he been more prepared to explain Senator Wentworth's comments it might have helped people's perception of this case for the better.

My comments may be harsh, but they agreed to appear on a national news program to be scrutinized. In this kind of situation they cannot afford to come across as unsure, convoluted or unrehearsed.

From what I have read, The Castle Doctrine might have played a part. The goons were in his yard, they approached him at one point.

Although the autopsy reported they were shot in the back, at least one was not shot directly from the back. The individual turned as he was shot and was struck more on the side.

We were not in the grand jury room, we did not hear all of the evidence.

Mr. Horn is proving to be more irresponsible (stupid?) than I thought with all of these interviews.

The obvious lesson to be learned from this case is to exercise your right to remain silent and do not give the press what they want. We do not want to feed the antis.

Anygunanywhere

Diane Sawyer was very one-sided and biased. Almost acting if he were still on trial and she was the prosecutor. That was a very ugly interview.

And.... what in the world is Horn doing? Please walk away and just try to get back to a "normal" life - (almost impossible). Really....why have an interview with Diane Sawyer?? - she is known to be biased...

[hooknbullet]

+1 DParker, well stated!

However, I can honestly say that I wouldn't have been one bit surprised if he'd been indicted.At the risk of being flamed,I can also honestly say that I'm thankful that I wasn't on that Grand Jury.Legality & Justice are often 2 very different things.

+1 WildBill! Someone Horn's age should know to shut up when they're ahead!

[stevie_d_64]

Joe was interviewed by a local Talk Radio host and former city councilman Michael Berry this afternoon...

I almost didn't want to listen to it, but I guess Joe sounded like he had his ducks in a row and was very clear about most of the things he did talk about...

I'm not going to tell him to shut up, or not ever relate his story, ever again...Most of us already have an idea of how he feels about this incident...'nuf said if you ask me...And I am not going to be hostile or lambast his continued testimony to how it put him up on the radar...

I do wish him well for the rest of his life, and hope he finds peace...I think he deserves it...

I do think it was a horrible idea to talk to Sawyer and her ilk...They represent the worst this country offers in the way of jounalism...

[anygunanywhere]

I can also honestly say that I'm thankful that I wasn't on that Grand Jury. Legality & Justice are often 2 very different things.

I certainly hope that if you are ever involved in a self defense shooting that the grand jury looks at the facts and does not indict you because of some hidden prejudice or agenda, or a misdirected sense of justice. Grand juries are about the law and evidence. Mr. Horn was no-billed because what he did was legal. He did not break the law.

How many pages of posts do we have on this forum where we discuss the legality of our actions?

How many times have you read "By golly I do not want to be the test case."

Mr. Horn was a test case. It wound up in his favor. I would certainly hope that we here would perform much better. We need to do what is right when faced with a self defense situation AND if we ever deliberate behind the closed doors of a grand jury room. Hidden agendas and prejudices play no part in either place.

Anygunanywhere

[LedJedi]

you guys are all spot on imo with your comments here.

I honestly don't blame DS on this. She's ignorant. If you were going to throw any blame her way I'd say it should be for being ignorant. It's generally my opinion that once anyone fully understands our perspective they can't help but agree. Those that disagree simply don't have a full understanding of the situation. Maybe that's me being a little naive but i helps me understand why some antis are so out there.

The thing that gets me here is is the change in Horn's attitude from the tape to now. He's completely backpedaling. If the law is behind him I don't think he should really have any reason to play the "old man, give me sympathy, i was scared" card. The law was on his side and he had the right perspective to begin with. You don't tolerate that kind of stuff in your neighborhood. You stand up to evil.

It's certainly true that i have not been through what Mr. Horn has been through I would have liked to have seen him to show the same courage now that he showed on the tape. If that makes me naive then maybe I don't want to lose that.

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
-Edmund Burke

[austin]

NOTHING on any program about how these guys were illegals who were committing 1-2 robberies a night, whose robbery gang had murdered and raped people, and how their killings led to capture of the whole gang.

The Press is full of Moral Filth.

[Texan]

Of Course, you could expect that from the Media Nowdays.
I think the Media slants towards the Anti-gun crowd.

---------
I watched the interview this morning, and DS's attitude and body language was one of disgust and disbelief. Her questioning of Joe Horn was biased, especially with her continual bravado of "but the autopsy says you shot them in the back".

I was very disappointed by DS.[/quote]