A few early thoughts on Vegas:
FACE OF EVIL: GUNMAN NAMED...
RETIRED ACCOUNTANT, HEAVY GAMBLER...
NO CRIMINAL RECORD...
'HE SNAPPED'...
HIS 'PSYCHOPATH' DAD LANDED ON FBI MOST-WANTED LIST...
ISIS CLAIMS SOLDIER...
FLASHBACK: VIDEO THREATENED VEGAS...
FBI: NO CONNECTION TO TERROR GROUP...
ARSENAL IN HOTEL ROOM...
FIRES FROM 32ND FLOOR...
BULLETS RAIN DOWN FOR 10 MINUTES...
VIDEO: SHOT AFTER SHOT AFTER SHOT...
CONCERTGOERS RUN FOR LIVES...
DEFIANT FAN GIVES THE FINGER...
DEADLIEST MASS SHOOTING IN AMERICAN HISTORY...
WARNING BEFORE ATTACK: 'YOU'RE ALL GOING TO DIE'...
DEMS PUSH GUN CONTROL...
CASINO STOCKS FALL...
GAMBLERS PLAY ON MANDALAY SLOTS HOURS AFTER HORROR...
KTNV LIVE... KSNV LIVE...
LATEST... PHOTOS...
VICTIMS...
TRUMP: 'SADNESS, SHOCK AND GRIEF'...
Earlier this year, the wife and I stayed at the Delano Hotel which is, essentially, an extension of the Mandalay Bay in Vegas.
I'd never been and we were down there for the Vegas NASCAR race.
There are times when things hit home. Having stayed where this happened for... 4 days... it was easy to visualize much of what was going on there.
Reports now indicate that at least 50 are dead and 400 wounded.
Now what?
Well, we're going to be met with the oh-so-righteous anger of the anti-gun types, because in their minds, passing laws solves every problem.
Just ask the latest victim of gun violence in Chicago, for example.
The stupidity of such a position is obvious: banning guns... particularly now... makes as much sense as banning airliners post 9/11. Or banning rental trucks, post Oklahoma City. Or banning knives, post anytime there's a stabbing.
These are the situations where there do not seem to be any quick fix(s) available.
The weapon(s) used in this tragedy were illegal. They were already against the law.
Most magazine-type rifles have sears or trigger assemblies that are not too terribly difficult to modify to turn an M16/M4 or AK47/AK74 variant into a full automatic weapon. Drums for ammo are readily available, a hundred round magazine is not unusual.
In a short time, relatively speaking, we're likely to discover the chain of ownership of the weapon(s) used and if they started out life automatic, or this guy turned them into automatic weapons.
In having this discussion, two things come to mind.
First, I don't check my mail without carrying. Carrying here would have made zero difference to any in the crowd.
I'm given to understand this guy was firing from a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel. Wyatt Earp couldn't have taken him out with a .45 from ground level.
Second, the primary purpose of the 2nd Amendment isn't self-protection against individuals; it's self-protection against the State. Secondary to that purpose is the right to protect yourself from any attacker.
And a bonus thought: there's nothing we can do to keep this from happening again.
There are no pat answers here that I can see.
But the reason(s) we are capable of owning/carrying weapons remains unassailed by events last night in Las Vegas.
We STILL need and have the right to protect ourselves when circumstances and abilities enable us.... or require us.... to do so.
We STILL need the ability to resist tyrannical government, much like we need the ability to resist a home invader.
Las Vegas didn't change that.
The hue and cry to further restrict weapon ownership will rise to a cacophony... and soon: it always does.
Law after law after law will be proposed. Some of the more unfortunate will be implemented.
And none of those proposing these laws will be able to answer the simple question: when are we going to get around to enforcing the laws we already have?
Guns, by themselves, are not the answer to every question. As I pointed out, even if I were carrying in Vegas at that concert, I wouldn't have been able to do a damned thing about THAT shooter.
But up until now, this type of thing hasn't been a factor in the equation.
Now it is.
And the answer to the question, "now what?"
I simply don't know. I know what CAN'T happen. But I don't know what can.
Time will tell.
FACE OF EVIL: GUNMAN NAMED...
RETIRED ACCOUNTANT, HEAVY GAMBLER...
NO CRIMINAL RECORD...
'HE SNAPPED'...
HIS 'PSYCHOPATH' DAD LANDED ON FBI MOST-WANTED LIST...
ISIS CLAIMS SOLDIER...
FLASHBACK: VIDEO THREATENED VEGAS...
FBI: NO CONNECTION TO TERROR GROUP...
ARSENAL IN HOTEL ROOM...
FIRES FROM 32ND FLOOR...
BULLETS RAIN DOWN FOR 10 MINUTES...
VIDEO: SHOT AFTER SHOT AFTER SHOT...
CONCERTGOERS RUN FOR LIVES...
DEFIANT FAN GIVES THE FINGER...
DEADLIEST MASS SHOOTING IN AMERICAN HISTORY...
WARNING BEFORE ATTACK: 'YOU'RE ALL GOING TO DIE'...
DEMS PUSH GUN CONTROL...
CASINO STOCKS FALL...
GAMBLERS PLAY ON MANDALAY SLOTS HOURS AFTER HORROR...
KTNV LIVE... KSNV LIVE...
LATEST... PHOTOS...
VICTIMS...
TRUMP: 'SADNESS, SHOCK AND GRIEF'...
Earlier this year, the wife and I stayed at the Delano Hotel which is, essentially, an extension of the Mandalay Bay in Vegas.
I'd never been and we were down there for the Vegas NASCAR race.
There are times when things hit home. Having stayed where this happened for... 4 days... it was easy to visualize much of what was going on there.
Reports now indicate that at least 50 are dead and 400 wounded.
Now what?
Well, we're going to be met with the oh-so-righteous anger of the anti-gun types, because in their minds, passing laws solves every problem.
Just ask the latest victim of gun violence in Chicago, for example.
The stupidity of such a position is obvious: banning guns... particularly now... makes as much sense as banning airliners post 9/11. Or banning rental trucks, post Oklahoma City. Or banning knives, post anytime there's a stabbing.
These are the situations where there do not seem to be any quick fix(s) available.
The weapon(s) used in this tragedy were illegal. They were already against the law.
Most magazine-type rifles have sears or trigger assemblies that are not too terribly difficult to modify to turn an M16/M4 or AK47/AK74 variant into a full automatic weapon. Drums for ammo are readily available, a hundred round magazine is not unusual.
In a short time, relatively speaking, we're likely to discover the chain of ownership of the weapon(s) used and if they started out life automatic, or this guy turned them into automatic weapons.
In having this discussion, two things come to mind.
First, I don't check my mail without carrying. Carrying here would have made zero difference to any in the crowd.
I'm given to understand this guy was firing from a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel. Wyatt Earp couldn't have taken him out with a .45 from ground level.
Second, the primary purpose of the 2nd Amendment isn't self-protection against individuals; it's self-protection against the State. Secondary to that purpose is the right to protect yourself from any attacker.
And a bonus thought: there's nothing we can do to keep this from happening again.
There are no pat answers here that I can see.
But the reason(s) we are capable of owning/carrying weapons remains unassailed by events last night in Las Vegas.
We STILL need and have the right to protect ourselves when circumstances and abilities enable us.... or require us.... to do so.
We STILL need the ability to resist tyrannical government, much like we need the ability to resist a home invader.
Las Vegas didn't change that.
The hue and cry to further restrict weapon ownership will rise to a cacophony... and soon: it always does.
Law after law after law will be proposed. Some of the more unfortunate will be implemented.
And none of those proposing these laws will be able to answer the simple question: when are we going to get around to enforcing the laws we already have?
Guns, by themselves, are not the answer to every question. As I pointed out, even if I were carrying in Vegas at that concert, I wouldn't have been able to do a damned thing about THAT shooter.
But up until now, this type of thing hasn't been a factor in the equation.
Now it is.
And the answer to the question, "now what?"
I simply don't know. I know what CAN'T happen. But I don't know what can.
Time will tell.
No comments:
Post a Comment