Obvious remedies to such atrocities
By Dudley J. Emick Jr.
Let me first state the obvious: The horror in Connecticut will repeat itself. There is no simple or easy solution to this type of tragedy. Based on my time as an elected official and as a judge, I would suggest a few ideas that only nibble at the edges.
At the top of my list is the president and governors who start off by saying, ” this is an unspeakable horror,” and then proceed to ramble on for two minutes or so with words that when analyzed mean nothing. The idea that our leaders must say something, or worse yet, go to the scene, is an affliction created by television that should be stopped. One network even had the brass to run a list of presidents, in descending order, who were very good about feeling the public’s pain at various tragedies. Let the victims and their families privately mourn in their different ways. That Connecticut had to assign a state patrol officer to each family says more about this era of television reality than I could fathom.
Emick is a retired state senator and lives in Daleville.
December 20, 2012 - 7:46 AM
I think the mass killings are just something we cannot wrap our heads around. One person killing another in anger, retaliation, in commission of a robbery, over drugs…is at least “understandable” and we can make some sense of it, even knowing it is wrong and awful. There is not that sense in mass shootings, they are just terrorism so like tornadoes and hurricanes they make a bigger impression, regardless of their “statistic”.
Even before the previous assault weapons ban, killings with these types of weapons accounted “about 2% according to most studies and no more than 8%“.
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/204431.pdf
However, these will be in memory for a very long time:
“A .223-caliber Bushmaster rifle and two handguns were recovered at the scene in Newtown, Conn.,
James Holmes reportedly used a .223-caliber rifle in the theater shooting in Aurora, Colo.
a .223-caliber Bushmaster was used in the Washington, D.C., sniper shootings
Thirteen of those weapons were recovered in crimes in Chicago within a year of their purchase between 2008 and 2010“.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/crime/17017680-418/assault-rifle-used-in-conn-shooting-seen-on-chicago-streets.html
Now, having said that, I will also admit that just banning a weapon while others are in circulation is futile. Banning one weapon when others can fire just as fast and just as long is also futile. Banning one class of weapons is symbolic and will have a minor if any true consequence.
We need to accept that the price of freedom and gun rights is abuse of that right and mass killings. I don’t like it, but it is reality. How anyone can gleefully defend that remains a mystery.
“Gun deaths to surpass deaths in traffic accidents by 2015: report
Gun deaths are on the rise, and in three years, more Americans will die from gunshot wounds than in car crashes, a report found.”
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/gun-deaths-outpace-traffic-deaths-2015-report-article-1.1223721
May God have mercy.
#1 – “We need to accept that the price of freedom and gun rights is abuse of that right and mass killings. I don’t like it, but it is reality. How anyone can gleefully defend that remains a mystery.
How about pointing to someone “gleefully” defending it? ‘Cause I sure as heck haven’t seen anyone doing it.
Sorry, I expected the right wing media vine to have explained the reference to you by now Michael.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2012/12/19/Piers-Morgan-of-course-gleeful-a-tragedy-happened
Do you mean it is an insult to say people are “gleefully” doing something?
What is a “gun enthusiast”?
#3 – “Do you mean it is an insult to say people are “gleefully” doing something?”
No, “gleefully” doing something is fine. But as far as being gleeful about a massacre? I hadn’t seen anyone on the right doing so.
@Sandi posted:
Thirteen of those weapons were recovered in crimes in Chicago within a year of their purchase between 2008 and 2010“.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/crime/17017680-418/assault-rifle-used-in-conn-shooting-seen-on-chicago-streets.html
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I don’t see how you can use this to support your position. Chicago is the best example of near perfect gun control in America. You must register every gun you have and there is no method whatsoever to obtain a permit to carry said gun outside of your home. None. No permitting process at all.
That being said, the homicides in Chicago are in the ~400 range for the year giving it a homicide rate, per 100,000 people, double Mexico’s.
Successful gun control. It works in Chicago exactly how I predict it would work for the entire country.
What “position” is that Jack?
Oddly enough Michael, as far as being “gleeful” about a massacre, I haven’t seen anyone on the left being so either. It did not stop the accusation from being made.
Really, Sandi?
I don’t recall specifically saying ANYONE on either side was gleeful about the massacre. I just said I hadn’t seen anyone on the Right doing so.
But now that you mention it, you don’t consider Piers a Lefty?
I haven’t seen anyone on this forum accuse the left of “glee” or anything like it over the shootings in Connecticut, but I have seen a post of a self-righteous cartoonist and few posts from self-righteous leftists accuse gun owners of glee. Unsubstantiated, and painfully silent when asked to produce evidence of glee (or even mere callousness).
@Sandi,
I assumed you are supporting additional gun control. Sorry if I’m wrong.
I don’t recall “specifically saying” you did Michael, nor did I say or imply ANYONE on this forum did. You questioned my comment, I offered you the link to show why I made the reference.
89Hoo, can you show us the post of the “self-righteous leftists” who dared “accuse gun owners of glee”? I missed that one.
I do not believe we have any gun control, so I cannot see why more of it would do any good. No, I am not “for” much of anything anymore. I am trying to survive in a world I do not understand and essentially being blamed for a world I do not believe people like me created.
Sandi, I’m thinking of OBrion’s cartoon and those who cheered him on.
89Hoo, I get it, I get it loud and clear that you do not appreciate the way I see the world. I believe OBrion’s cartoon will prove to be prescient. I agree I defended him because I believe he is right. I do not think I have “cheered” for anyone in this episode.
Unfortunately, the referenced article about gun deaths surpassing car deaths is a very misleading atatistic.
Automobile deaths are accidents while the overwhelming number of deaths attributable to guns fall into the murder category. I’m working from memory here, but 2009 data indicates approximately 30,000 to 40,000 deaths from car accidents while accidental gun deaths were approximately 1,000 (give or take in both instances). If we want to use statistics to make any point, we have to make sure we’re comparing apples to apples.
Now, the fact that we have somewhere in the neighborhood of 30,000 deaths attributed to people shooting each other is something we, as a nation, cannot bear.
It’s time we came together to determine how best to stop mass killings in this country. I know where I stand on the gun control debate, but I am willing to listen to creative solutions as to how we go about stopping these kinds of heinous acts. Furthermore, I am willing to give a little in that debate.