Authorities arrested a 32-year-old man suspected of shooting two men after an early morning car accident today, police said.
Steven Griffin faces two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the shooting of Zenas Hicks and a bystander outside a gas station in Old East Dallas, just south of Samuell Grand Park.
About 12:40 this morning, Griffin and Hicks were involved in a car accident in the 5700 block of East R.L. Thornton Freeway, police said. They both pulled into a gas station a couple of blocks away and began arguing.
Griffin returned to his vehicle, flashed a handgun and told Hicks that he had a license to carry the weapon. The argument escalated, and Griffin fired two rounds into the pavement and two at Hicks, who was shot in the legs.
In addition to the target of his aggression, Griffin also shot an innocent bystander who was pumping gas at the time. Fortunately both men were only wounded.
As our frequent commenter Bob S. pointed out the other day, there's little difference between the urban problems of northern cities and their southern counterparts.
The idea that the problems of the inner city in Chicago is any different than the problems of the inner city in Dallas, or New Orleans or any others state is absolute bunk!
I couldn't agree more, as far as the gun violence goes. And I thank Bob for putting the lie to the oft-repeated refrain of the pro-gun crowd that the problems in Chicago, for example, prove the local gun laws don't work. The implication is that only places like Chicago have these problems. But, as Bob pointed out, they exist also in the larger urban centers of the South where the gun laws are lax.
Here's the difference though. Crime guns recovered in the southern cities are procured locally. Crime guns recovered in the northern cities are trafficked in from the South.
What's your opinion? Isn't it time for federal regulations that will unify some of these varying State policies? Wouldn't that help? Doesn't the fact that crime guns in the northern cities have to be imported prove that their gun control laws work?
Please leave a comment.
Yup -- every now and then a CCW holder does something stupid and dangerous. We don't know the details here (newspapers tend to make the person with the gun into the bad guy -- perhaps he wasn't the one causing the problem, but showing restraint by firing into the ground) but even if the worst case scenario is true, I figure anyone crazy enough to to start shooting because of a car accident is a person full of rage already carrying a gun regardless of the law.
ReplyDeleteCrazy people, people on the edge, carried guns before CCW became legal. That, and the extreme rarity of negative occurrences, is why there was no uptick in crime statistics because of CCW. And why the rest of us need this right and why it keeps us all safer.
But look at how restricting contraband to criminals works, as with drugs. As drug laws tightened down in the 20th century most production moved around and some went out of country, but I don't think it's generally ever been easier or harder to get drugs because of laws. People have money, they want drugs, they don't care about the law, they get drugs. Simple human nature.
Right now criminals get guns from the easiest sources, but regardless of laws they get guns. So if we had a nationwide ban on guns in some manner, do you think they would quit getting guns? Or would they turn to the same foreign suppliers as bring in drugs? Start producing guns and ammunition in little garage size shops (even modern firearm production takes only a small shop, read up on it).
Predators will find the weapons they need. Gun laws only disarm victims.
MikeB,
ReplyDeleteIsn't it interesting that you complained I didn't link to you, but you do the same. Isn't that taking my name in vain by your standard?
Once again you are completely off base with what I said. You claimed that the inner city problems were different in states with strong gun control laws versus states with weak gun control laws.
Is it lying when you can't enough quote yourself or me accurately?
It had nothing to do with North or South!
And how exactly does pointing out that inner city problems don't change depending on the state means I was "putting the lie to the oft-repeated refrain of the pro-gun crowd that the problems in Chicago, for example, prove the local gun laws don't work."?
It seems you are making things up wholesale now. Expected a little better of you than that...not much better but a little.
Concealed Handgun License (CHL) holders have additional laws to comply with, do you understand that?
It doesn't mean that we have fewer laws to comply with...so all the laws against assault still apply. In its way, is a gun control law. Did having this law stop the attack from happening? Gun control laws don't work MikeB. Even the CDC has not found evidence to show that they work. The UK certainly proves it.
Compare this chart on page 6
http://www.atf.gov/firearms/trace_data/2007/illinois07.pdf
with this chart on page 6
http://www.atf.gov/firearms/trace_data/2007/texas07.pdf
Then would you care to retract your statement?
Crime guns recovered in the southern cities are procured locally. Crime guns recovered in the northern cities are trafficked in from the South.
It certainly seems as if you swallow the Brady Campaign statistics hook line and sucker- I mean sinker....yet you distrust the FBI data. Wonder why that is?
The fact that no matter what the state or local laws say criminals will get firearms. That proves that gun control laws aren't working. How is that gun ban working out for England....that ISLAND nation????
"Here's the difference though. Crime guns recovered in the southern cities are procured locally. Crime guns recovered in the northern cities are trafficked in from the South."
ReplyDeleteEven if true, that wouldnt' change the NATURE of the problem one bit. The problem is a violence problem.
Also, illegal street-level access to guns is easy in any major city in the country, whether we're talking Houston Texas or Washington DC. Gun laws, strict or lax don't impact them in the least.
It's about as easy to get guns illegally in any major city as it is to get drugs, which are.....also illegal.
Bob S,
ReplyDeleteThose are great links, I think I am going to have to do some graphs and analysis.
I took a quick look at the DC stats and found this shocker!!!!
More guns traced in DC come from Maryland (Brady Score: 53) than come from Virginia (Brady Score: 18).
Most of the low scoring Brady states have about 50% of their traced guns come from in-state. Even uber gun unfriendly California has more than 1/3 of their guns coming from instate - of course 1/2 of all of their traced guns did not provide a source.
And here, we have been told that it is the lax gun states that are the source of all of the firearms.
Little Steve, I think you must be kidding right?
ReplyDelete(newspapers tend to make the person with the gun into the bad guy -- perhaps he wasn't the one causing the problem, but showing restraint by firing into the ground)
Do any other gun owners think one can show "restraint" this way?
Bob, I didn't take your name in vain. I linked to your comment on my blog, which in turn has a link to your site. Do you have to find fault even when there is none?
ReplyDeleteReputo said they're great links, but for some reason I couldn't make them connect.
I would like to point out that many of the links I provide to the Brady site are in fact linked to the ATF. They get their information the same place you do, Bob. And they do the same thing with it that you do, they select the statistics that best represent their position.
MikeB,
ReplyDeleteI was paraphrasing what you said on my blog about the link. Frankly it doesn't bother me one way or another.
As for as the stats that the Brady campaign used, let's try an exercise.
Take a look at this page and tell us what are the issues with there citation of statistics.
http://www.bradycampaign.org/media/release.php?release=987
Let's see if you can think it through.
Bob, Don't you know me by now? Don't you know I would never let you get away with pretending to be the teacher and walking me through an exercise? The condescending tome of you last comment is laughable. I'm laughing at the superior intellect, as James T. Kirk once said.
ReplyDeleteMikeB,
ReplyDeleteYes, I know you by now. I know that you pretend to want to know and learn....but as you show you don't really.
See that is the difference between us. You present information or something for me to consider. I look at it, evaluate it, compare it to what is known, what makes sense, how is the information presented, is it factual, etc.
You are presented information and then it seems you try to fit it into your world view without spending too much time thinking about it.
An example of this, is my post on the scriptural basis for self defense. You say it is pathetic, but won't explain why or offer any support for your thoughts....so how deeply have you thought about it?
I'll post on the Brady Campaign on my site.