More on the Roller World Shooting

Although Dog Gone posted this story when it first broke, I found it to be like Joan Peterson said, practically obscured by the news from Norway.

Reuters reports on the horrible multiple-murder and suicide which, had it not been for the tremendous coverage of the story from Norway, probably would have been the at the top.

A man who opened fire on his estranged wife and her relatives at a family birthday party, killing five people and himself and wounding four others, had been having ongoing marital problems, police said on Sunday.

I suppose for a bit of comic relief, the reporter closed the story like this:

The couple's two children were unharmed.

What do you think? Was that 11-year-old boy whose birthday party ended this way really unharmed?

This is a good example of how the pro-gun voices downplay the damage caused by gun misuse. Often they talk only of deaths, and when they do speak of the wounded they'll give you the impression that they're mainly flesh wounds that heal. The reality is many people are left with brain or spinal cord damage. And what's always left out are the relatives, friends and loved ones who are left emotionally and psychologically damaged.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Tough Talk from Ann Barnhardt

I was curious to see what she might have had to say about Norway, since the crazy Anders and the crazy Ann have so much in common. In an interesting but natural take on it, she used the tragedy as a vehicle for espousing her peculiar brand of tough talk. When you encounter a shooter, says she, you run towards him even if you're unarmed. I suppose this is based on the self-sacrifice that Jesus Himself taught by example.

It's fascinatiing how she and the other pseudo-Christians overlook the part about love your enemies and forgive those who offend.

I have been told over and over again that the first thing one must do when a combat theater unfolds is to seek cover.

I'm sorry, but that is wrong. And yes, I realize that I am directly contradicting the near-unanimous advice of men who have training and experience that I lack. I realize that, but I still must disagree. If I EVER encounter a gunman or gunmen situation as we saw yesterday in Norway, or as in the Giffords shooter in Arizona, or as in musloid Mumbai-syle attacks I will NOT seek cover. The "seek cover" tactic completely hems YOU in and basically demands that the gunman move into a position such that YOU have a shot on him, but he doesn't have a shot on you. Guys, that's never going to happen. And it is completely pullusfimus. (she defines this as Latin for chicken-shit).

Any adult with any degree of physical capability, regardless of armament, upon seeing a shooter should immediately RUN AT THE S.O.B. as hard and as fast as possible. If you have a gun, you draw it and start shooting as soon as you can. If you have a knife, draw it and brandish it and then go for the face and neck as soon as you are in range. If you are unarmed you can still tackle him and beat him into submission or death, if necessary, or gouge his eyes out (ladies).

Absolutely fascinating. All that bluster and boasting, "if I EVER encounter..." Yet, not a word of sympathy for a disturbed man who has the same ideas she does about the threat of Islam.

On the American Jingoist there's an amusing correspondence between Ann and a nasty Islamist who attacked her with name calling and threats.  Her response:

Come and get it, Player. Anytime. I will never submit to islam. allah is satan and mohammed was a child-raping, cross-dressing, homosexual con-artist. If you want to get serious about jihad and take this deal to the next level, you come and see me. World War 3 will start on my front porch, guaran-fricking-teed.

Is she the toughest-talking li'l gal you ever did hear? She is for me.  Don't you love that use of "fricking?"  You know what that is, of course? That's what hate-spewing raving lunatic pseudo-Christians say instead of "fucking," because I suppose that offends the Lord.

What do you think?  Please leave a comment.

Wayne La Pierre at the United Nations

Typically belligerant: "those working on this treaty have asked us to trust them... but they've proven to be unworthy of that trust."

Typically contentious: "our Bill of Rights, endowed by our Creator, and due to all Human Kind. therefore the NRA will fight with all of its strength."

In homage to his hero, Brad Kozak posted the entire text of the speech. Naturally, except for a couple of sons of "Blue Helmets" the commenters were right there with old Brad in slamming the UN and pretending the exaggerated claims of La Pierre are valid.

But I seem to recall other times when Brad's boss attempted to dispel the fear.  Robert posted several times about the fact that American civilian gun owners have nothing to worry about, for example this one entitled, The U.N. Small Arms Treaty is Not A Gun-Grabbing Conspiracy.

My opinion is that Wayne La Pierre is a well-paid showman. He's scamming the membership he claims to serve by pretending threats exist where none do. He did it with Obama's supposed gun banning. He and his organization duped the members out of tens of millions on that one. Now it's the Small Arms Treaty.

What's your opinion? What do you think the gun-rights folks would have said if Helmke had earned more than a million dollars a year as head of the leading gun control organization? Don't you think that would have generated a bit of criticism?

Yet, those same folks lay down for La Pierre's flim-flam game, or like Brad Kozak, they actually support and encourage it.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Pathetic Japanese Imitation of American Gun Culture

Ex-Cop, Wife Beater and Gun Thief

The Long Beach Patch reports

William Fowlkes, 47, was arrested in Suffolk County and charged with physically abusing his wife, an inspector with the New York Police Department. Pursuant to that arrest, an order of protection was issued to Fowlkes, in part directing him to turn over any and all firearms that he owned.

According to the district attorney, Nassau County Police recovered four unregistered handguns from his residence. Fowlkes was eventually convicted upon his plea to a misdemeanor count in the Suffolk County case.

One of the recovered guns, a Smith & Wesson 38 Special, was obtained during a controlled gun “buy” while Fowlkes was working as a detective in October 2001, Rice said. The gun should have been retained as evidence in the gun-selling investigation. Instead, Fowlkes falsely reported to the Nassau County Police Department in April 2002 that he had arrested an individual in connection with that buy. No such arrest ever actually took place.

What do you think? Do cops and ex-cops cut more corners than civilian gun owners? I think that's probably true, but I couldn't help noticing the similarity with this guy's conduct and the famous gun-rights motto, "bad laws be damned."

Please leave a comment.

Rest in Peace, Amy Winehouse

How Many Is Too Many?

We are, all of us, horrified at the number of people killed in the Norway terrorist attack; it is hard to take into our minds that one person killed so  many other people. 
Looking at the number of people killed in just this incident below, it struck me that we probably lose as many people in separate shootings in a single day in the United States, pretty much every day.  I couldn't find any data for gun deaths PER DAY in a quick check of available information; but with 50 states, DC, and assorted territories, whatever the number is, it adds up.  But in smaller, more distributed numbers, with more people committing the violence, it is easier for us to become immune to feeling shock or horror.

from MSNBC news:

Multiple people shot to death at Texas roller rink

Incident takes place during private birthday party in Dallas suburb

NBC News and msnbc.com

updated 2 hours 37 minutes ago 2011-07-24T03:31:07 BREAKING NEWS

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas — Six people were shot to death and four others wounded Saturday at a roller rink in the Dallas suburb of Grand Prairie, NBCDFW.com reported.

The shooting at Forum Roller World took place just after 7 p.m. when an argument during a party got out of hand and someone pulled a weapon and opened fire, Grand Prairie police told the NBC station.

In all, 10 people were shot, six of them fatally, including the gunman, NBCDFW.com reported.

The gunman died of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. The condition, identities and ages of the survivors were not immediately known.

The Dallas Morning News said the shooting occurred during a birthday party.

Grand Prairie is about 15 miles west of downtown Dallas.