Michigan: No charges over teen's shooting death: "While the man who fatally shot a Benton Harbor teen during an attempted break-in will face no charges in the death, authorities say they will pursue a misdemeanor weapons charge against him. On the morning of March 26, Jammie Parker, 31, was at his girlfriend's home in the 200 block of Hastings Avenue when Corey Napier Jr., 18, and three others reportedly attempted to enter the home, the Berrien County Prosecutor's Office said. After a review of the police investigation and physical evidence at the scene, Berrien County Prosecutor Arthur Cotter said in a written statement that "it is abundantly clear" that Napier was shot "while he was in the process of breaking into the residence." Cotter noted in the release that Michigan law was amended last year to allow self-defense when an individual in such circumstances has "an honest and reasonable belief that there was an imminent threat of death or great bodily harm." Parker reportedly told authorities that he went into a bedroom and saw the drawn shade of an open window moving as someone attempted to climb in, the release said. Parker said he shot three times at the window with a .40 caliber pistol and then ran outside and fired into the air to scare the remaining teens away. In police interviews, two of the three youths involved in the attempt admitted they had gone to the home to steal money and marijuana they believed was inside, the release said. Cotter said he found insufficient evidence that Parker shot at a fleeing youth, and noted that an uninvolved witness saw Parker fire the weapon into the air. Because the gun was not registered, Parker will be charged with failing to register a firearm, a 90-day misdemeanor."


PA: Purchase of gun ends thefts at area store: "Merlony Colaco got robbed one too many times, and instead of shrugging and moving on, he did something about it. The Greencastle merchant was mad and not going to take it anymore, so he bought a shotgun and caught a woman he didn't know inside his convenience store. He also put the kibosh on what police call a recent string of local smash-and-grab robberies. After his store, the Molly Pitcher Mini Mart, was broken into for the second time, Colaco picked up a shotgun and set up an after-hours stakeout. In late March, his waiting reaped results when a brick sailed through his store window. Police said Erica Marie Lynch allegedly broke into the store to steal cigarettes for crack money. Colaco was ready and police said he held her at bay until they arrived. Thankfully, cool heads prevailed and no one was hurt. Colaco refused to play the victim. He used his Second Amendment rights to buy a firearm and defend his property, and he did it with common sense. Things could have turned ugly very easily in the moments before police arrived. Take a twitch, throw in a sarcastic remark, and add in the fact that perhaps Colaco had a bad day, and the result could have been needless bloodshed. And the Greencastle store owner could have been left with a very serious legal problem. Law enforcement apparently agreed -- Colaco said they told Lynch, "You're lucky he didn't shoot you." Lynch was charged with two counts of burglary and theft"


The Second Amendment in the light of American republicanism: "The 'transforming' ideology of America's revolutionary period saw the chief conflict in society as one between liberty and power. That ideology synthesized themes from several sources. Given the differing origins and jumping-off points of classical liberalism and classical republicanism (the two most important elements), the American 'synthesis' might be expected to undergo some unraveling when up against the harder problems of political life."