Anyone wanna ask why they were there in the first place?

Watching CNN (AC360) 07/01...

The story is told of a Caucasian male, Joe Horn, who some would call a hero. In the fall of 2007, Horn called 911 to report two men burglarizing his neighbor's home. After calling 911 for help and being instructed to stay in the house, Horn proceeded to shoot two (illegal) Hispanic Americans in the back as they were escaping. Surprisingly, a jury of his peers chose not to indict Horn for murder because his actions were protected under Texas (where the crime was committed) law. They call it the "Castle Clause"...

Read this carefully...
A Castle Doctrine... is an American legal concept derived from English Common Law, which designates one's place of residence (or, in some states, any place legally occupied, such as one's car or place of work) as a place in which one enjoys protection from illegal trespassing and violent attack. It then goes on to give a person the legal right to use deadly force to defend that place (his/her "castle"), and/or any other innocent persons legally inside it, from violent attack or an intrusion which may lead to violent attack... (Thanks, Wikipedia!)

How is it possible for the jury NOT to indict him? Unless the jury forgot the fact Mr. Horn's life was not being directly threatened by the burglars. Perhaps the jury did not acknowledge the fact that the burglars were not entering or escaping from Mr. Horn's "castle". Or maybe they neglected to remember that in the entire history of America (dare I say the world) property has never been valued more than human life: when is the last time anyone heard of the death penalty being administered for an act of burglary?

So... Mr. Horn lives freely, and is celebrated as a hero while two lives have been lost...

1.) What kind of country do we live in, wheree someone can be given a license to carry a gun and use it in this manner without consequence? What kind of country do we live in where two mens lives are disregarded and the life of a murderer is celebrated? What if every time someone "felt threatened" they were allowd to interpret the Castle Doctrine however they saw fit? What if everyone carried guns and chose to defend themselves as opposed to trusting in the powers and law forces we have established? The world would be a safer place, right?

2) I'm curious to know if the outcome would have been different had two white men been the burglars? I'm curious to know which races were represented on the jury of Mr. Horn's peers. For some reasons I can't help but smell a little racial injustice here. The news media has made this issue entirely about the castle clause and the right of American citizens to bear arms. But why is no one paying attention to the larger issues?

Why did no one ask why they were breaking-in in the first place? Don't get me wrong... I don't suggest that we defend someone committing a wrong in any situation. However, I do not suggest that we end the discussion by naming one party the "good guy" and the other party the "bad guy". If our fallen brothers were still alive, I'd love to ask then why they were driven to burglary to begin with?

Could it be because in the land of freedom and opportunity, they have been all but prohibited from obtaining citizenship and working legally? Could it be because the same people who yell for illegal immigrants to be deported are the same ones who secretly hire them to work for ridiculous wages? What if we could listen to the voices of our fallen brothers? Anyone want to ask why they were there in the first place? I didn't think so...

So, for now the murderer shall remain the victor and the illegal immigrants, the "bad guys".