Then, how politically fortunate for the left - a pair (so far) of shootings to grab all the headlines and provide a platform to support one of their big agenda items - civilian disarmament.
Yes, a tragedy for the people and families involved, but a political gift of epic proportions to the left. I hope the DOJ, FBI, et. al. is up to the task of thoroughly investigating the perpetrators. Because the cynic in me, the guy that has seen the left become ever more extreme, has no problem believing the left put them up to this or triggered them in some way. Maybe they pushed a few unstable people, and (so far) these two have responded, flipped.
Might not take much, some inflammatory posts on social media sights they were known to read. Maybe a casual in-person conversation or two with someone they bumped into who "really understood" them or whose ideas really resonated with them. (nearly untraceable)
Even if these were purely random acts and random timing... The calls for "common sense gun control" will be ringing through the ether from the pro-disarmament leftists - probably before all the victims' bodies are processed and released to next of kin. Here's a litmus test for every single proposed "common sense" law: apply a little common sense. Ask how, specifically, that proposed law would have stopped either of these recent incidents. Ask how that proposed law, when added to the 20,000+ federal, state, and local "gun control" laws would make a difference. Here's a hint, they wouldn't. Obviously not one of the 20,000 laws stopped these or other incidents.
What does stop them? An armed response. What stopped the Gilroy Garlic festival shooter? Armed police on-site immediately ran to the sound of gunfire. It is long past time we stopped being defensive about being pro-2nd Amendment, pro freedom, and pro safety. No more defensive legal tactics of trying to hold back the left's disarmament incrementalism. It is time we go on the legal attack. Here's my suggestion for the first two salvos: 1) End these idiotic and dangerous "gun free zones" - make such a notion illegal. All a "gun free zone" sign or policy does is say to the potential shooter "Hey, here's where you can find a pool of relatively defenseless potential victims. You'll probably have minutes to accomplish whatever you want..." Personally, I no-longer patronize businesses that are "gun free" victim zones. 2) Push for nationwide reciprocity on concealed carry. My driver's license works nationwide. My cell phone, etc. I've been background investigated and trained (more thoroughly than for said drivers license!), why shouldn't I be able to protect myself equally from coast to coast? To borrow one of the left's favorite phrases, "it's only fair" right?
Regarding your post #138, much to agree with. Great recommendations. I would add one thing to your list of suggestions for stopping these tragedies: Public execution by slow torture of any of the perpetrators just wounded by a concealed carry holder. I am not suggesting people shoot the perpetrators to wound and not kill, but if they happen to be brought down by only wounding....