That doesn't make it true, it only proves that those assumptions are subjective rather than objective. It shows how easily violence can be rationalized, by legal or illegal gun owners.
From the STrib:
18 Year old shot in north Minneapolis dies; 2 other teens arrested
A teenager who was shot earlier this week in north Minneapolis has died, and two 17-year-old boys have been arrested in the killing, police said Friday.
The shooting occurred about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 3800 block of Emerson Avenue North. Police and other emergency personnel found the 18-year-old man unresponsive in an alley, said Sgt. Stephen McCarty.
He was taken to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale and died the next day, police said. Police are not saying what led to the shooting. Authorities have yet to release his identity.
Sy Huff, a disc jockey on KMOJ Radio on the North Side, identified the victim as Keontrell Govan. Eulogies are starting to populate Govan's Facebook memorial age.
The victim was known to Huff and youth worker Sarah Klouda, who both helped Govan move last fall during a period when he was homeless. He was not a regular part of their outreach work in north Minneapolis, but his girlfriend was more closely involved, said Huff, who is known to listeners of Minneapolis radio station KMOJ as "Big Sy."
Huff said the shooting set off at least two other retaliatory shootings, all involving cliques or street gangs.
"It's been a mess since then," he said. Rumors about the shootings have spread quickly, concerning Huff that some kids may act out in revenge.
Two young men who belong to the Tre's street gang, meanwhile, went to Huff to tell him they had thrown out four handguns, saying they didn't want to get involved with what they saw as a rekindled turf battle among other groups.
"I don't know what the summer's going to bring," Huff said.
A man who lives near the scene of Wednesday's shooting said he was working in his garage when he heard three shots. "I looked up and saw some kids running," said Charlie Lee. He moved into the neighborhood eight months ago with his family, including three teenagers.
Lee was shocked to find bullet holes through the walls of his garage, and said that Wednesday's shooting has him thinking about moving again.
"I don't like this," he said.
"I'm fairly certain that every one of these people described below also believes it is important, even essential, that they have one or more guns, that they are using those weapons appropriately, that their use of weapons for protection is justified and necessary, even that they handle guns safely."
ReplyDeleteYour certainty is misplaced. Thugs and gang members do not believe in those things.
Every thug and gang member who is armed believes it is important and useful and necessary for them to be so.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, they wouldn't do it - or show me your documentation they don't think so.
I don't think they are correct in their beliefs, but then I don't necessarily believe that all other gun owners are correct in some of their assumptions either.
Yes, there's a lot less difference between law-abiding gun owners and criminal gun-owners than people think. No offense to any of you lawful-gun owners, but you have to admit, the gun itself ties you together.
ReplyDeleteThe difference I draw is between the law-abiding gun owners who fight against decent gun control laws and the ones who don't. You see what happens is, those who fight against common sense laws are much like the criminals and the ones who don't are much like the gun control folks themselves.