Before all the facts are in and the details of what really happened are known, predictably, the spin machine is already running. News outlets were quick to seize on yet another opportunity to vilify guns, especially the AR-15 (whether one was actually used or not) and semi-automatic pistols. The anti-gun push has already begun. Never mind the fact this happened in a city where gun ownership was nearly completely outlawed until 2008 and even since then has been largely impractical. So much so, Emily Miller developed an entire news column, blog, and book on the process of acquiring a firearm in the District. But the reality is, gun control failed here, miserably. It only served to create a target/victim rich environment that ultimately claimed the lives of twelve people and injured at least a dozen others.
This morning, it is clear that the media has no clue what happened. In the firearms community, we all know that few in the media know a shotgun from a rifle and fewer still know an M-16 from an AK-47. let’s not get into the differences between an M-16 and Ar-15 but, that too is a well known point of confusion and ignorance. Still, we’ve already seen reports that an AR-15 was involved as well as a Glock. It’s hell to be black…typically any semi-automatic handgun that is black in color, is a Glock. Actually, that’s racist and we know “journalists” aren’t racists. The reality is, if it’s a handgun or looks like a handgun…It’s a Glock to the average journalist. Of course, they were also quick to say the guns were legally acquired but, they’ve had to retract/bury that because later, the report was video indicating this all started with a shotgun and that all other firearms taken from dead/injured first-responders. The latest news is that an AR-15 may not have been involved at all. The reality is, we don’t know. None of us outside the actual investigation really knows what happened and it may be weeks or months before we have all the details.
The fact we don’t know will not stop the anti-gun crowd from throwing the first brick and predictably, those of us on the other side of the issue will have to bust open our own bag of rocks. But I submit that a renewed debate serves no purpose other than a political exercise for those interested in playing those games. The harsh reality is, all it takes is a typical garbage bag to kill and disarm your average sentry or police officer if he’s not expecting it. From there, it would be easy enough to acquire new weapons at the scene. A goal oriented person is going to do damage no matter what legislation we pass so it would seem then there is little to be accomplished by additional gun control measures unless we’re going to take to disarming everyone, especially, the government and its agents, solely for the purpose of eliminating their weapons as a potential hazard. After all, we certainly don’t want NYPD showing up to save the day…They’ve shot at least 15 innocent bystanders in the 12 months in efforts to subdue a grand total of 3 suspects. Given those odds, I’ll take my chances with the bad guys having guns.
And finally, in the days ahead, we’ll go from interviews with friends and family who are predictably “shocked” and “can’t believe he [the shooter] was capable of such violence…” to finding out the shooter had a wide range of mental health issues that may or may not have been treated but, were still somehow documented. Failing mental health is perhaps the single most common thread among all mass murders and has long been a major problem in this country. Sandy Hook, Aurora, Tuscon, Virginia Tech, the list goes on. Not to mention that fully half or more of all firearm related fatalities are suicides, another symptom of mental illness. But like petulant children, liberals and the media outlets they control, will insist on vilifying the tool if ever there is a gun involved.
-Gary
