Texas, beacon of civilization

If you haven't heard this story yet, prepare to be amazed!  (And disgusted, really, really disgusted).

A Bexar County jury on Wednesday acquitted Ezekiel Gilbert of murder in the death of a 23-year-old Craigslist escort. 

... 

During closing arguments Tuesday, Gilbert's defense team conceded the shooting did occur but said the intent wasn't to kill. Gilbert's actions were justified, they argued, because he was trying to retrieve stolen property: the $150 he paid Frago. It became theft when she refused to have sex with him or give the money back, they said.

Gilbert testified earlier Tuesday that he had found Frago's escort ad on Craigslist and believed sex was included in her $150 fee. But instead, Frago walked around his apartment and after about 20 minutes left, saying she had to give the money to her driver, he said.

Just to make sure we all understand. This guy hired an escort on Craigslist. He assumed (perhaps rightly so, perhaps not) that she was a prostitute. He paid her $150, she refused to have sex with him, and so he shot her with a rifle as she drove away.

Let's break this down. This guy was trying to hire a prostitute, an illegal activity in Texas. When she didn't perform, possibly because of a misunderstanding, possibly because he's a horrible, disgusting person, he perceived that she had "stolen" $150 from him. $150. For this, he considered it a reasonable action to shoot at her with an assault rifle. He was in absolutely no danger himself.

The legal justification for this was a Texas law that allows citizens to use deadly force to recover property during a nighttime theft. Deadly force to recover property. So I guess if we extend this, it means that if you're buying drugs and you think your dealer is ripping you off, and it's nighttime, you can go ahead and kill them. Likewise, I imagine, if you get a bad meal at a restaurant and the management doesn't comp you the meal, and it's nighttime, you are justified in shooting the night manager. Do I have that right?

But it's all good in the end. Sure, this woman is dead, but Gilbert feels really, really bad.

“I sincerely regret the loss of the life of Ms. Frago,” Gilbert said Wednesday. “I've been in a mental prison the past four years of my life. I have nightmares. If I see guns on TV where people are getting killed, I change the channel.”

Sounds completely unfair, doesn't it? She's dead, but he can't even watch his favorite violent TV shows. Is there no justice in Texas?!?

And just to note. If you steal $150 from me, whether you break into my car, threaten me on the street, or whatever, I WILL NOT SHOOT YOU. I won't be happy about it, I'll probably be scared and traumatized one way or another, but your life is worth more than $150 to me. Even if your life is not worth $150 to you, even if you are doing me wrong, I WILL NOT SHOOT YOU.

That's how a civilized, moral person reacts.