University Park man slain after dog urinates on lawn (Throw the book at him)

[shadowrider]

A former Marine who neighbors say obsessed over his University Park lawn is being held on $3 million bail, accused of gunning down a neighbor whose puppy urinated on the man's well-manicured grass.

Charles J. Clements, 69, had won the south suburb's beautification and lawn upkeep award but also was known for threatening people who dared to set foot in his yard, neighbors said.

Joshua Funches, a 23-year-old father of two, was walking his fox terrier Gucci in the 500 block of Landau Road on Sunday night when the dog lifted its leg and went on Clements' lawn, said Funches' mother Patricia, 53.

The two men began arguing, and at some point, Clements, a retired truck driver, pulled out a pistol and pointed it at Funches, a Crete-Monee High School graduate who drove a bus, said Will County Assistant State's Attorney Sondra Denmark.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-lawn-killer-0512-20100511,0,412660.story

This guy deserves to have the book, the kitchen sink and all other implements of destruction (who knows the reference?) thrown at him

[TacoD]

1. As jarheads like to point out, there's no such thing as a "former Marine"

They probably won't be too eager to point that out in this guy's case though.

[Kolesar]

11. Two of my inlaws are "former Marines"

They were not too happy to be conscripted to "fight for us" in Vietnam. One of them came home with injuries and PTSD. His entire squad was killed.

None of them have that "lifetime identity" as a Marine.

[mike_c]

2. it's the victim's own fault for not having a gun to protect himself....

If HE'D been armed, they could have had a pitched gun battle in the middle of the street in support of the old guy's god-given right to shoot people over small dogs pissing on his lawn.

I certainly hope this isn't really necessary: :sarcasm:

[Kolesar]

12. "An armed society is a POLITE society"

Like the Phillipines

[jaksavage]

3. We turn them into killers

and then send them home to tend the garden.

[shadowrider]

4. Don't paint too broadly with that brush

Millions are retired/discharged marines and they don't do this kind of thing.

[jaksavage]

5. I agree millions are fine

and other thousands aren't and are not well served by our leaders. We use up our military and send them away with the minimum of recivilization. Then some end up homeless, drug and alcohol abusers, spouse abusers and occasionally they commit terrible crimes.
All returning soldiers deserve our respect and any and all assistance we can provide, to help them rejoin our society and find some peace and happiness.

[shadowrider]

6. That has been happening after every war regardless the country

It ain't just the USA, keeping in mind many of those who wind up on the streets have been scarred by what they've seen and done and are unable, to some degree, some more than others, to cope with "civilization".

Not everyone can cope with the weight.

[jaksavage]

7. Those are the reasons

I want our country to support our soldiers and
I am against all these frickin wars.

[shadowrider]

8. While a world without wars is a grand vision

Humans have been going to war since they first stood up on two legs and threw rocks at each other. Nothing will change in the future.

[Critters2]

9. Those humans have all made conscious decisions to throw those rocks.

We can also make decisions not to.

[shadowrider]

10. Not arguing the point. Just saying war is in human nature, has been and will be.

[Critters2]

13. Violent mimesis is part of human behavior, but doesn't have to be. nt