Meanwhile in USA

[Kafein]

This system also causes huge problems with gerrymandering and also the fact that if you live in a state that traditionally always votes blue or always votes red, your individual vote really is pointless.

[Lt_Anders]

This system also causes huge problems with gerrymandering and also the fact that if you live in a state that traditionally always votes blue or always votes red, your individual vote really is pointless.

Certain states(mine) have started to revoke the gerrymandering districts. (one of the reps, who had a Gerrymandered district to include practically all the blacks to stay elected every 2 years was campaigning hard against it)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida%27s_3rd_congressional_district#The_1993.E2.80.932012_black_majority_district

http://pjmedia.com/zombie/2010/11/11/the-top-ten-most-gerrymandered-congressional-districts-in-the-united-states/

[Swaggart]

Certain states(mine) have started to revoke the gerrymandering districts. (one of the reps, who had a Gerrymandered district to include practically all the blacks to stay elected every 2 years was campaigning hard against it)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida%27s_3rd_congressional_district#The_1993.E2.80.932012_black_majority_district

http://pjmedia.com/zombie/2010/11/11/the-top-ten-most-gerrymandered-congressional-districts-in-the-united-states/

It's really amazing how you point to one fucking instance of gerrymandering, and it was about black people, conveniently ignoring that the majority of gerrymandered districts ended up as such specifically to disenfranchise black voters.

[Lt_Anders]

It's really amazing how you point to one fucking instance of gerrymandering, and it was about black people, conveniently ignoring that the majority of gerrymandered districts ended up as such specifically to disenfranchise black voters.

Can't help it. I don't live near the others, so I don't know about them. I do know about Corrine Brown and find her to be the most corrupt of our representatives but would never get unelected do to the distracting.

Also, you completely ignored the second link.

[Kafein]

It's really amazing how you point to one fucking instance of gerrymandering, and it was about black people, conveniently ignoring that the majority of gerrymandered districts ended up as such specifically to disenfranchise black voters.

I don't think that's the core of the issue here.

[Turkhammer]

No, is pretty much the same way here. You can shoot someone who breaks into your house with a gun and still get sued and jail time. It might be a little different in states like Florida with a Stand Your Ground Law or whatever, though.

In states that have the "Castle Doctrine" (most I believe) you do not have the duty to retreat from a someone that breaks into your house.  If your actions meet all the criteria for  self defense against an intruder you will not be prosecuted.  You may be sued because here anyone can sue for anything.

In states that have "Stand your ground doctrine" the Castle Doctrine is extended to any place that you have a legal right to be.  Therefore you do not have a legal duty to retreat from a threat even outside of your house.  In all states that don't have a Stand Your Ground law, the duty to retreat is predicated on being able to retreat from the threat with absolute safety.  Stand your ground laws came into being because of overzealous prosecutors coming up with creative theories of how people could have retreated in absolute safety from a deadly threat.  People were imprisoned that should not have been and those laws were in reaction to that.

In my state you are protected from civil suit under the stand your ground law.  That is if you commit justifiable homicide (killing in self defense) you have immunity from civil suit by the survivors of your attacker.

[Turkhammer]

#1 rule is to never call the cops, ever. Just leave. Worst case scenario, you're found later... but you've lost nothing. You have no obligation to give yourself up to the police and you can't be punished for not doing so.

Well in the US, leaving the scene and not calling the cops is tantamount to admitting guilt and is seen that way by the police and the courts.  Here self defense is a legal defense against a murder charge by a prosecutor.  If you flee and do not turn yourself in, a judge may disallow self defense as a defense against murder charges in your trial.

[Xant]

Well in the US, leaving the scene and not calling the cops is tantamount to admitting guilt and is seen that way by the police and the courts.  Here self defense is a legal defense against a murder charge by a prosecutor.  If you flee and do not turn yourself in, a judge may disallow self defense as a defense against murder charges in your trial.

Source? It may "look bad", but it should have no real weight on anything. You should always have a story about being in shock etc as well.

[Lt_Anders]

Source? It may "look bad", but it should have no real weight on anything. You should always have a story about being in shock etc as well.

Naw, you will get arrested and tried for murder. You'd get tried if you "Stood your Ground" as well, but that's easier to prove if you're in your house rather than other locations. Zimmerman's trial was a good indication of how that law works in some cases, while the Micheal Dunn Case shows how it can be "abused" and proved wrong.

Leaving the Scene, regardless of why, will get you arrested, just for the mere fact of "leaving the scene" which is against the law. If it happens TOO you you gotta stay. (not as a witness though, you may get asked later)

[Christo]

Leaving the Scene, regardless of why, will get you arrested, just for the mere fact of "leaving the scene" which is against the law.

Oh well, at least you don't get shot to shit if you would stay there.

[Lt_Anders]

Oh well, at least you don't get shot to shit if you would stay there.

The police won't just pull guns out on you and start shooting, unless there's already a gunfight going on(wild west, but I've never heard of this, usually the bads up an leave before cops pull up). If you DO leave the scene, you WILL have an officer approach you later to "take you in" for questioning.

[Xant]

The police won't just pull guns out on you and start shooting, unless there's already a gunfight going on(wild west, but I've never heard of this, usually the bads up an leave before cops pull up). If you DO leave the scene, you WILL have an officer approach you later to "take you in" for questioning.

Well obviously you'll be questioned. You'll be questioned either way.

[Turkhammer]

Source? It may "look bad", but it should have no real weight on anything. You should always have a story about being in shock etc as well.

Source?  Lawyers, books written by lawyers about self defense laws, accounts of jury trials written by defense counsels, legal precedents from case law.

[Turkhammer]

The police won't just pull guns out on you and start shooting, unless there's already a gunfight going on(wild west, but I've never heard of this, usually the bads up an leave before cops pull up). If you DO leave the scene, you WILL have an officer approach you later to "take you in" for questioning.

Make sure you have your weapon holstered or put away before the police arrive.  They will be responding to "a man with a gun" call.  You don't want to be identified as the bad guy by the first cop to arrive with his gun drawn.

[Smoothrich]

It's really amazing how you point to one fucking instance of gerrymandering, and it was about black people, conveniently ignoring that the majority of gerrymandered districts ended up as such specifically to disenfranchise black voters.

That's the point of putting all minorities into their own districts though. Shove all the blacks or hispanics into one little group, so they don't vote with white Democrats in a mixed geographic area and make a majority of districts competitive. Instead all the minorities elect 1 or 2 Democrats, and then 5-6 (for example) districts elect a Real American Republican and continue to control congress.

There is also an argument that having a majority of minority in a district allows them more equal representation, since its more likely they put someone of their own race/background into office. Of course I think a majority of Americans (who aren't batshit racists either way) would prefer someone who cares about their interests over the color of their skin though.

Also not reading this thread, but please don't equate American citizens with American police. There is a huge, and growing disconnect between the two. You don't have to tell an African-American about it, they've been on the forefront against corrupt police forces since the 60's with all-out race riots in many major cities. Nowadays, cops are growing more brazen and antagonistic against almost all American citizens, if they dare to not comply to their every whim.

(click to show/hide)

See this is why Europeans have a superiority complex when it comes to gun crime/control; 'internet Americans' give the impression that you're all sister-marrying red-necks who masturbate to images of guns on your wall, and then jizz right down the barrel of your nearest gun and say 'OH shit, Ma gun!!!' and haul your pants back up, take the gun apart and start tenderly cleaning it, then start to get a little bit excited in your pants again as you clean the inner workings of your gun, so whip your dick back out and start rubbing it up and down the outside of the barrel again.

Yeah. I love reading comment sections on all sorts of stories about American politics. Just keep in mind the majority of people posting are 70+ year old retired rednecks who spend all day "trolling libtards" over anything.