You may have heard of Joe Horn -- if you haven't, then read on.

Horn is facing prosecution because he shot two hardened criminals who used a crowbar to break into his next door neighbor's house and were in the process of looting it.

Horn even went outside and gave the criminals fair warning.  He clearly told them that if they moved they'd be dead.  The criminals moved and Horn shot... that much is known as verifiable fact!

Some are saying that Horn was within his rights -- that he's a hero -- and did the right thing by seeking to protect his neighbor. 

Others are saying that he went too far by going outside to confront the criminals.

But guess what?  The point may be moot!

To illustrate, imagine, if you will. that after looting the neighbor's house the criminals then entered Horn's house... the house holding all his worldly possessions... the house where his family sleeps... before he shot them!

According to the law in many localities across the country, Horn could still be wrong!

That's because, when your life and property are threatened your first obligation under the law in many localities across the country is to retreat... run away like a coward with your tail between your legs and allow criminals free reign to do what they want in your home with your property!

That's why, in March of 2007, Texas Governor Rick Perry signed into law "the Castle Doctrine," which  states that victims may use any kind of force against a suspect who breaks into their home, vehicle, or place of business and exempts victims from liability should they injure a criminal invader !

Here's what State Representative Robert Talton, who represents Pasadena, Texas -- the town where Horn lives -- and proposed the law says:

"We were changing the law that had been the law since 1973 as to a duty to retreat in the face of a criminal attack. Many have thought why should you have to retreat; you should not have to."

"And so, that is why we changed it to where you do not have to flee in order to protect yourself against someone who is attacking or may attack you."

The fact that such a law needs to be passed to affirm what should be an obvious right of every citizen in the first place is a crying shame.

Running way is always an option, but shouldn't patriotic Americans have the RIGHT to protect their homes (or possibly their neighbors' homes for that matter)?

Ask yourself... What if it were your home and your family?

Patriotic citizens should not have to cower in fear in the face of lawlessness!  But in too many cases, our government, which should protect and serve, thinks otherwise!

And that's why patriotic American citizens like you and me have a solemn duty to speak out NOW!

Texas was the first state to pass the Castle Doctrine.  It should be the law across the country!

Here's What Happened

The thugs -- Miguel Dejesus and Diego Ortiz -- who were robbing the neighboring house, were actually part of a nationwide crime wave, funded and driven by the Colombian mob.  These were not two innocent kids committing a prank.

Of course, Horn first called 911 to get help.  Here's how some of that conversation went.  (Keep in mind that five minutes had passed and no police had arrived.  After the dispatcher told Joe Horn not to leave his house, not to protect his neighbor's property, he saw the robbers were about to get away.)

HORN: "O.K., he's coming out the window right now.  I gotta go, buddy.  I'm sorry, but he's coming out the window."

DISPATCHER: "No, don't, don't go out the door, Mr. Horn.  Mr. Horn..."

HORN: "I'm sorry, this ain't right, buddy."

DISPATCHER: "You gonna get yourself shot if you go outside that house with a gun, I don't care what you think."

HORN: "You wanna make a bet?"

DISPATCHER: "Stay in the house."

HORN: "There, one of them's getting away!"

DISPATCHER: "That's all right, property's not worth killing somebody over, O.K.?  Don't go out the house, don't be shooting nobody.  I know you're p---ed and you're frustrated but don't do it."

Our Government Can't Protect Us And Doesn't Want Us To Protect Ourselves

Think of the dispatcher as the wimpy voice of our government, unable to protect or secure the rights of American citizens, who feel helpless in the face of lawlessness.

Note that he said: "That's all right, property's not worth killing somebody over."

Since when is it "all right?" 

In the early days of Texas -- when the state had little law enforcement -- rustlers were routinely strung up the moment they were caught with somebody else's cattle.

You see the parallel?  Once again we have little law enforcement in South Texas.  Border Patrol agents are forbidden to pursue illegal aliens; those agents who do are sent to prison for 11-12 years. 

Here's a continuation of that 911 tape:

HORN: "They got a bag of loot."

DISPATCHER: "O.K.  How big is the bag?"  (The dispatcher then talks to law enforcement on another line.)

DISPATCHER: "Which way are they going?"

HORN: "I can't... I'm going outside.  I'll find out."

DISPATCHER: "I don't want you going outside, Mister..."

HORN: "Well, here it goes, buddy.  You hear the shotgun clicking and I'm going."

DISPATCHER: "Don't go outside."

In reading this transcript, you realize how frustrated and vulnerable people feel when they KNOW their government CAN'T or WON'T protect them against criminals.

Joe Horn is every American who watches helplessly as criminals run free or Homeland Security ties the hands of Border Patrol agents or sends the National Guard to help, AFTER FIRST TAKING AWAY THEIR WEAPONS.  (Recently a Guard unit was driven from its encampment by a gang of illegal aliens armed to the teeth.) 

Small wonder Horn grabbed his shotgun.

Vigilantism?

This failure to protect U.S. citizens has increasingly characterized government at every level.

In New York City, the streets became so dangerous that Curtis Sliwa founded the Guardian Angels.  Local government denounced them as "vigilantes," but the people of New York welcomed their intervention.

When our federal government told the American people it would build a wall along our southern border and then refused to do it, the Minutemen took up the project, using private funds.  The federal government denounced them as "vigilantes," but the American people applauded and sent money.

And most recently Joe Horn -- frustrated by the failure of police to respond to his 911 call in a timely fashion -- takes action to stop burglars from looting his neighbor's house.  Now authorities are calling him a "vigilante."

Remember this: Vigilantes usually emerge when law enforcement agencies fail to protect the people -- which is the primary purpose of government -- and many believe is its ONLY LEGITIMATE PURPOSE.

It later turned out that a policeman had arrived on the scene, a plain-clothed detective who had parked in front of Horn's house -- and saw the shooting transpire. 

A spokesman for the police department later said the detective was "assessing the situation." 

How long he sat there assessing, we don't know.

And that's why Joe Horn took out his shotgun and charged outside to take care of the matter.  Because it looked like the entire police department was ducking a confrontation with these burglars -- hardened criminals who already had rap sheets.  He warned them to stand still.  They ran.  He fired.  

How Do Horn's Neighbors Feel?

What has been the response to the Joe Horn incident?

His neighbors were sympathetic.  One woman said of him: "He is the guardian of the neighborhood.  He takes care of all our kids.  If we ever need anything, we call him."

KHOU, the local CBS affiliate, ran a poll on their website and, in a very left-leaning political climate, sentiment ran about 2-1 in favor of Joe Horn.  The folks in and around Houston may be liberal; but, by and large, they are still Texans.

Quanell X, whom columnist D.J. Drummond calls "a certain local camera whore," led a demonstration in front of the Horn house, in support of "what he saw as two innocent black men."   As Drummond pointed out, they were neither innocent nor black.

Joe Horn's lawyer, a long-time friend, said of Horn: "Joe is not a vigilante.  He's not a Rambo.  He's exactly the opposite of that.  He's a nice, loving family man."

And Horn himself issued a statement through his lawyer: "The events of that day will weigh heavily on me for the rest of my life.  My thoughts go out to the loved ones of the deceased."

Others disagree loudly and passionately.

Ortiz's wife, Diamond Morgan, said of Horn: "He said that he feared for his life.  But he made the 911 call.   And the dispatcher kept telling him don't go outside.  I feel he wanted to shoot them anyway."

One wonders how Morgan felt about the fact that her husband was a criminal?

But her comments were echoed by left-wing bloggers, who clearly wanted to see Horn thrown into prison and left to rot there, rats gnawing at his ankles.  Or else they want him in Huntsville on Death Row.

The nation needs to speak with one voice... a strong voice that will carry to the district attorney and grand jury in Harris County, Texas and to local governments across the fruited plain -- and tell them in no uncertain terms that Joe Horn is a hero, that he has won the heart of America, and that under no circumstances should anyone attempt to prosecute him.