Saturday, August 20, 2011

Another Pregnant Woman Killed




A Lancaster County man is facing two counts of homicide in the shooting death of his pregnant girlfriend.

Matthew Becker, 22, of Rapho Township, is charged with shooting Allison Walsh, 21, while she laid sleeping in bed inside of Becker's parents' home last Friday, August 12.

Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman told CBS 21 News that Becker gave police several different explanations of what exactly happened, and that they all were meant to make the shooting appear to be an accident.

Stedman said that in each of the stories Becker admitted to standing over Walsh, and handling a .22 caliber pistol he had just purchased that night.
I've always pointed out that generally speaking guns are bad news for women, but lately it's seems to be worsening. In June, Dog Gone reported on a pregnant woman in MN who was shot by her boyfriend. A couple months before that we saw a pregnant woman, this one in Montgomery County PA, killed.

In today's story, as well as the Montgomery County one, the point was made that the murder weapons were bought quite recently, I suppose inferring that waiting periods might have helped.

I'm not sure it's that simple.  I believe nothing short of a comprehensive and properly enforced regimen of gun control legislation will make a difference. This is something we've never tried, so the tedious rebuttals from the gun crown in which they cry, "what about Chicago and DC?" are meaningless.

The background check requirement needs to be tightened up as far as mental health screening goes. Domestic violence against women needs to be taken more seriously. Angry men who feel emasculated because of the economy, or whatever else their problem is, should not be so easily buying guns.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.





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