Eighty-one year old Homer Wright heard an intruder trying to break into his home about 6:30 yesterday morning. Wright, who had a pistol, shot 19 year-old Anthony Robinson in the leg. But Wright was arrested along with Robinson and charged with unlawful use of a weapon. No, he wasn’t in Canada or even the UK when he pulled the trigger. He was in Illinois. But even in the Land of Lincoln, a homeowner’s has the right to use deadly force to defend himself in his home. Wright’s problem is that he’s a convicted felon . . .
Two convictions, actually, and one of them weapons-related. The first for theft dating back to 199o and an unlawful use of a weapon charge in 1994.
Wright has run a neighborhood bar out of the front of his home for forty years. Apparently being a felon isn’t a problem for the liquor control board. Nevertheless, suntimes.com reports that his neighbors aren’t happy that he was arrested.
“It’s a sad day in American when an 80-year senior citizen with a heart condition can’t defend himself against an intruder breaking into his house,” said Daryl Smith, 43, a self-employed tow truck owner. “He’s been here over 40 years and he takes care of his home and he helps take care of the block.
Earlier, Smith said, “What happened if he didn’t have a gun? We would be talking about a whole different story.”
Just like in the song, Wright fought the law and the law won. Twice. He’s currently out on bail on his own recognizance. But in the eyes of the law he fought, he’d paid his debt(s) to society. Leave aside the issue of whether he can vote, shouldn’t someone who made a mistake and paid for it be allowed to defend himself and his family?