Sunday, April 5, 2009

Before the finger pointing gets out of control

I want to observe this about the following tragic incident:
Pittsburgh gunman 'lying in wait' killed 3 police officers.
People will read the killer's comments e.g., 'being concerned that "the Obama administration was poised to ban guns", "the Obama gun ban that's on the way" and "didn't like our rights being infringed upon" and fail to connect the dots.

So let me connect them.

Anyone who is so out of touch with reality to start shooting and killing people isn't rational enough to be intellectually concerned about anything! And let me state for the record, those same people don't have any gun 'rights' to take away!

I'd say the odds are slim to none - as in none - that sad, demented people like them have passed muster by the state and federal government. I doubt that their fingerprints are on file with the FBI and the ATF - and by extension, the CIA, Secret Service, etc., as are those who are issued carry permits. And about that -

The officers were responding to a domestic disturbance call. Had sad whacko actually somehow managed to obtain a permit, the officers would have known this, would have expected and been prepared for a possible armed encounter, and I doubt would have simply knocked on the door politely.

And even a quick read of the article would reveal this bit:

"According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 133 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty in 2008, a 27 percent decrease from year before and the lowest annual total since 1960."

Numbers of legally armed, trained, vetted citizens on the increase and mortality of law enforcement on the decrease. May be a coincidence, maybe.

Violence increasing? So called gun-free zones, such as schools and certain other specific types of public places and buildings where legally armed citizens are not allowed. Which makes a pretty tempting and easy target for a psychopath.

I have no desire to do anyone any harm and I pray to God I'm never put in that situation. But I also don't intend to go quietly if someone tries to rob me at knife or gun point, decides to start a shooting rampage at the local mall, or invades my home or that of my neighbors.

My hope, my request, is that those individuals who oppose our current firearms and carry laws not judge me - or any of the legally armed, rational, careful, law-abiding citizens - by the actions of people like the man described in this incident.

He and his sad kind no more represent nor speak for gun owners, than does Benny Hinn represent all television evangelists, nor Jack Kevorkian speak for all physicians.

(I just wanted to get my fingerpointing in early. Let the ranting and railing begin.)
Cross-posted in my Livejournal.