Shop-owners have the right to self-defence
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Self
Defence
Shop-owners have the right to
self-defence
The tragic death of Navtej Singh in an
aggravated robbery in a Manurewa liquor store has
prompted members of the Sikh community to declare that
they no longer have confidence in the Police to protect
them.
They are absolutely right, says Libertarianz
firearms spokesman Peter Linton. "The Police have shown
that they are unable to protect shopkeepers, or even arrive
at the scene within 40 minutes in this case. Shop-owners,
and every other New Zealander, must be allowed to use
reasonable force to protect themselves, their families and
their property."
"Labour MP George Hawkins has
suggested that the liquor store brought this tragedy upon
itself, stating that 'alcohol at the corner dairy, in the
shops along the road...it's everywhere and it does cause a
number of crimes to be committed.' Hawkins here is simply
blaming the victim and attempting to pass the buck on
Labour's failure to protect citizens."
"Police
should stop bringing punitive cases against people who
defend themselves from violent criminals, and a range of
self-defence tools should be available to ordinary New
Zealanders. Libertarianz would make tasers, pepper spray,
batons and concealed handguns legal. This would go a long
way towards making shopkeepers, pedestrians and other
people who live in vulnerable communities
safer."
ENDS