Neighborhood Watch Gone Tragic

The neighborhood watch that went tragic adds an attempted murder convictions to the unfortunate outcome.

A Bluffdale man, Reginald Campos, was convicted hours ago. Campos, thinking his daughter had been stalked when if fact the following was done by David Serbeck and another while on an informal neighborhood watch (in was not a watch sanctioned by any law enforcement agency.) Campos took his daughter's description of the vehicle and went out in search, finding the Serbeck vehicle. An exchange ensued. Serbeck, who also had a gun, put it down. Campos, in anger, shot. Serbeck was paralyzed.

That Serbeck should be paralyzed in a misunderstanding during a neighborhood watch is a tragedy.

Is what Campos did an argument for gun legislation? After all, had he not been allowed a gun, the crime would not have taken place. Serbeck would not be paralyzed and Campos, himself, would not be facing prison.

The argument could be made, but the Constitution's language of not impeding the right to keep and bear arms overrides it.

The lesson is simply that the right to keep and bear arms comes with responsibility, and if a person oversteps them, he must pay the price. Citizens have the right to their arms, but not the right to abuse them. When that high right is abused, a high penalty is in order.