by The East Coast awakened to the news overnight of at least 12 deaths and 50 woundings in Aurora, Colorado as a 24-year-old madman opened fire during the midnight showing of The Dark Knight movie.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene, telling television reporters that they were overcome by noxious gas unleashed by the suspect just before he started shooting, and that they had to decide between staying on the ground, helping wounded victims or running away before the gunman was able to reload his weapon. Survivors said they were forced to run past bodies in the aisles and theater.
The gunman was armed with a rifle, a shotgun and two handguns, police said. Cellphone videos show panicked moviegoers running — some screaming — and others with blood visible.
We’ve written about so many of these mass killings by lone shooters since the debut of the Boles Blogs Network in 2005 that I feel as if we aren’t really covering the news any longer — it’s the same, old, deathly, refrain of shooting-to-kill — and we know it will never end.
Batman isn’t to blame. Violence on TV isn’t to blame. The blame squarely belongs on the easy ability to buy and own firearms in America. Easy access to guns creates a simple way to kill many people. We need to stop the massacres by removing the means to the deaths.
If we ever hope to evolve as a nation beyond early graves and growing graveyards, we must create a comprehensible method for removing as many guns as possible from the streets and from the home. We do not have any sort of individual right to bear arms — despite what an Activist Right Wing Supreme Court pretends to believe. People own guns because they are scared. A gun protects you from nothing — especially not other guns.
We need to find a way to reassure the safety and security of our populace by removing the rifles and bullets and handguns from every person so we may begin to bring some sanity back to a nation that has been in love with the gun since its inception and we have been at war, without fail, ever since.
There’s no reason a person in this country should be able to legally purchase as many weapons as this person had. One person army? Horrendous.
Right! What’s the point? There is no rational reason to have even one gun — let alone a whole personal arsenal.
“The blame squarely belongs on the easy ability to buy and own firearms in America. Easy access to guns creates a simple way to kill many people. We need to stop the massacres by removing the means to the deaths.”
Bollocks ! … no, BOLLOCKS ! Guns don’t kill people … people kill people !
“People own guns because they are scared.”
Double Bollocks !! If you were right, none of law enforcement would carry handguns, rifles or shotguns. That’s NOT why people own guns.
Banning guns doesn’t work, has not worked in other countries and will never work anywhere. Ask shooting victims in, say Washington, DC or New York City or Chicago.
If even two or three people in that theater were carrying legally permitted handguns, the madman wouldn’t have had time to even think about reloading … he’d’a been dodging bullets coming back at him and there would have been far fewer casualties. If an off-duty policeman (carrying his off-duty weapon) was in the audience do you think the madman would have been able to empty four weapons? Gun-banning laws won’t stop madmen from wrecking havoc … your hero could have done much worse if he had carried a couple quarts of gasoline into that theater along with a book of matches … would you try to ban gasoline and matches after you ban guns?
Your premises are totally unfounded and false. Just because you say something, doesn’t make it true.
“We do not have any sort of individual right to bear arms — despite what an Activist Right Wing Supreme Court pretends to believe.” Maybe you should read the Constitution of the United States of America … the same document that guarantees you the right to say and publish your claptrap. “Right Wing Supreme Court” … really? That’s not how I’ve heard it described after its recent interpretation of a hastily conceived and written health care law.
“A gun protects you from nothing — especially not other guns.” AHA! You’re right there,, er, at least partially right … the first part, not the last! A gun locked up on a safe or a closet can’t (and won’t) do anything on its own. However, others who disregard our laws, knowing that it’s there in your house just might leave you alone … whether or not they have a gun.
“We need to stop the massacres by removing the means to the deaths.” Wrong! More claptrap!
Thank you for your comment because you have entirely proven my point: People who love guns are frightened and irrational.
Your reply is full of “ifs” and bluster and the fact that these multiple mass killings in the USA are still happening even though we all have guns demonstrates that the status quo is broken and not working. The solution is not more guns, but fewer guns.
The police and the military should keep the guns — the rest of us have no need for personal firearms.
What kills? The one who pulls trigger? or the machine itself?
This resembles driving drunk; the DRIVER did the damage, not the car (of it’s own volition).
and on that note. I’ve never seen a criminal live by the rules anyway. They find ways to circumvent.
We can’t blame weapons for people’s ill choices.
Children of toddling age fall down the stairs all the time. Should one support banning the construction/sale of staircases? Children could be hurt or injured.
I’m not an activist of any sort except for HaShem. He is my protection and guardian. What good can a molded piece of metal machinery do against the Creator of Heaven and Earth when He’s on your side?
David tried to put on Saul’s armor. It was so clunky, and so big, and so cumbersome… he had to remove it so he could act and react accordingly with the Giant of Annakim (the Philistine/Palestinian called Goliath).
When the gun is already in your hand, pulling the trigger is easier. We need to place as many barriers between the hand and the gun. I’m all in favor of letting people own as many guns as they want — as long as they can’t purchase any bullets to put in the gun. Then the issue becomes one of providing access to the actual killing mechanism and not the delivery method.
The intention of a gun is to kill someone. The intention of a car is to drive someone from place to place. The intention of a falling child is to learn to walk.
We already have many policies in place that arbitrarily restrict access to things that can hurt people. We restrict highway speeds. We restrict access to narcotics. We do not allow individuals to own hand grenades.
I read that filmmaker Michael Moore wants to keep all guns legal but charge $5000 a bullet.
I like it! There are way too many guns to regulate and remove now. People also have their own ammo dumps. Something smart needs to be done right now to prevent these sorts of bulk killing purchases in the future.