Posted on 04/13/2009 6:49:37 PM PDT by dcwusmc
As a native of Binghamton, now ensconced on the other coast, I was extremely distressed to see MY hometown in the national and even international news because some lowlife decided to go on a rampage against otherwise innocent people. NO ONE in their right mind wants to read and hear about such happenings. I am no exception.
There are some really troubling aspects to this which I would have expected a responsible media to examine and start crusading about, but I guess I was expecting more than the editors of the Press and Sun-Bulletin were ready to deliver. The burning question I have is simple: WHY WERE THESE PEOPLE (the victims) MADE HELPLESS BY LAW and unable to defend themselves against this maniac? And why are the media not shouting this from the rooftops? Why are the media complicit in the disarming of American citizens and those who are becoming citizens?
I am a retired United States Marine. I served from 1967 to 1993. The primary job anyone has who was or is serving is to protect our Constitution and our fellow citizens from those who would harm either. In all the time I spent in the Marine Corps and since, I never ran across anyone (civilian or otherwise) who did not equally feel that he or she had a moral if not legal obligation to protect himself, herself and/or their families and those around them, should the need ever arise. However, it has taken these incidents (Columbine, Virginia Tech and now Binghamton, among others) to drive home one REALLY important point. In EVERY SINGLE CASE of multiple murder by a shooter, with over three victims, the victims have been disarmed BY LAW and unable to protect and defend themselves. In other words, each shooter has had a GOVERNMENT GUARANTEE that his victims could not shoot back at him or them. I challenge ANYONE to prove me wrong in this.
The OTHER THING I notice in each of these cases has been the response (or lack thereof) by the authorities. Sure, tv coverage of cops holding their weapons and standing behind cover (vehicles, etc.) makes for instant drama, but why are these self-same officers not headed into the building where the shooter is racking up more kills? Since they are the only ones allowed by law to be armed, it seems to me that there is a responsibility to PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE for the people at immediate risk. Yet, in at least each of the three cases I named here, that did not happen. The cops hung around outside until well after the shooting was over and the perps had killed themselves before making entry. I mean, yeah, it's nice to want to go home safely at day's end, but come on here, You get paid the big bucks to put your tush on the line. DO IT. Before the bad guy has time to complete his evil work. SOMEBODY get on in there and engage him. If the people inside are to be DISARMED BY LAW, then the police have an even greater obligation to ensure their safety. Yet that NEVER happens and these killers keep racking up bigger and bigger scores while politicians, police chiefs and crusading newspaper editors keep calling for more victim disarmament.
Ping...
Interesting point. In the nursing home shooting in North Carolina a few weeks back, the deputy responding to the scene went right in and disabled the guy, I believe even being wounded himself. I thought to myself what would have happened had he waited outside for more backup. How many more people would have died.
That’s how it SHOULD be done... but that’s the FIRST time I’d heard of it actually occurring.
Heck imagine if some of residents had guns. Guy goes in to kill grandpa and he pulls out a 1911.
I really think that it’s the SWAT teams. The first responding officers are taught to secure the perimeter until the SWAT team and hostage negotiators respond. In the NC case, the deputy knew he was the only cop in the county that morning. So he did what he was trained to do. God bless him. I can’t think of a time where the cops have waited outside that they actually saved more lives by waiting outside (Columbine, Nickel Mines, VA Tech).
You may be right... that SWAT mentality, such as it is... gets folks killed.
ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!
Semper Fi brother. Whenever I took that oath to defend the constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. As a jarhead I always concentrated on that part about foreign enemies. The older I get, I start to look more and more at the need for defense from the domestic enemies.
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