First you nab ‘crazy people,’ then you grab the guns
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By Donald A. Stadler
The other day a neighbor asked when I was going to write another commentary. I had no answer then, but on reflection I realized that no college professor had written anything exceptionally stupid lately. Then, of course, came the Connecticut school shooting (392 million hits on Google as of Dec. 23, thank you). Although there is no way I could have investigated all the drivel written (apparently, one drivel unit for every man, woman and child in America), from what I have read, the main point seems to be: We’ve got to keep guns out the hands of “crazy people.” Fair enough. Who could argue with that?
The point is, I haven’t seen anybody make the mental jump to figure out doing that. So let’s play with a little mind problem. I’ll start.
Stadler is a retired management analyst living in Roanoke County.
January 6, 2013 - 8:03 AM
Donald A. Stadler, I appreciate your frustration, but you are so much better than this.
Well done, Donald A. Stadler.
Folk might also read: the WSJ article from one of my favorite thinkers, Mr. Kopel, research director of the Independence Institute and co-author of the law school textbook, “Firearms Law and the Second Amendment” (Aspen, 2012). See : http://tinyurl.com/d8a82yp
http://myfox8.com/2013/01/06/ga-mom-shoots-intruder-5-times-saves-children/
In my research on trains for our new hobby, I happened upon this American tragedy video on YouTube: “The Wreck of the Sunset Limited”. In watching this National Geographic video it shows us that often, several things come into play before a tragedy strikes. At the time in 1993, barge operators were not required to be proficient in reading the radar screen at their disposal. The bridge design was changed and not required to have a stop wedge in the girder construction to prevent it from moving if hit laterally. The train industry was not required to have a mechanism to warn of rail displacement, only rail breaks. It is sadly terrifying how often a series of events causes a tragedy that otherwise would not happen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJMOghxT0AE
Since that event, the barge/tug operators have to be certified to read their radar. The bridge was rebuilt with the stop in place. The FRA still believes that the cost of rail displacement warning outweighs the risk of such derailments (unless that has changed). I believe their have been like 27 such events.
My point here is that sometimes the stake holders are not the ones who get to decide what does and does not get done, the magnitude of the tragedy does.
The use of this AR-15 military styled weapon and large magazines in mass shootings, gang violence, drug wars, video games, violent movies and music imagery has led us here and the “what” that will have to give is these guns and magazines, (and should) IMO. Whatever else we can, should or will do, does not negate that truth. I have said that gun advocates should have been fighting that gun culture for a long time. IMO that was a choice you all made as much as we did.
@3 JimW, did the intruder have a gun? Did he threaten the homeowner? Why didn’t she call 911 first?
Imagine a different scenario.
Banging on the door; woman calls 911 and hides self and children; police are dispatched; intruder opens closet door is confronted by woman who then attacks intruder; intruder attempts to flee but is apprehended by police. Everyone safe.
But, if you want to play dueling headlines there’s this one.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/06/us/aurora-colo-shooting-kills-four.html?ref=us&_r=0
Four people, including a gunman who was suspected of taking hostages inside a house in Aurora, Colo, died Saturday after a standoff with the police, the authorities said. ….
I wonder if he’d have been able to take hostages without a gun.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/teen-brawls-stampede-close-louisiana-mall-18146103
More than 200 teens were in the Mall of Louisiana’s food court when a large fight broke out just before 6 p.m. Saturday, although it wasn’t clear how many were actually fighting.
No injuries were reported. …
I wonder how this would have turned out if guns had been involved.