The forgotten virtue of firearms
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| Wed, 01-06-2010 - 4:41pm |
EDITORIAL: The forgotten virtue of firearms
guns save lives
During Christmas week, a registered sex offender with a conviction for attempted murder used a gun to take three hostages at a Wytheville, Va., post office. Not too surprisingly, the national media gave the crime extensive news coverage. Such sensationalism leaves a distorted image about what happens with guns every day in the United States. When guns work to stop crime, there's not nearly as much drama to sensationalize and, as a result, that much less coverage.
In Oklahoma City the previous week, an armed citizen singlehandedly stopped an attack that surely would have resulted in a multiple-victim public shooting. The media gave the event scant attention. The scene went down when a Marine, who was on leave and came home for the holidays, started firing in an apartment parking lot. Before anyone was harmed, another man aimed his permitted concealed handgun at the attacker and ordered him to put down his weapon. The shooter dropped his gun and ran into his father's apartment, barricading himself in. Three-and-a-half hours later, the man surrendered to the police.
A Marine with a gun who wanted to cause harm would surely be able to maim or kill a lot of people. Those dead bodies would have attracted exhaustive coverage. Of course, corpses are newsworthy in our sensational culture, but when an armed citizen stops an attack, the heroism rates barely a blip on the national radar screen. In this case, a search found just one television news story on the incident, and it left out the identity of the man who saved the day. In our confused times, murderers, it seems, are more interesting than heroes.
An important detail that is neglected in news coverage is that all the multiple-victim public shootings in America - crimes in which more than three people were killed - happened where legal concealed handguns are banned. The Wytheville post office is such a gun-free zone, not to mention that the felon who committed the crime was banned from possessing a firearm anywhere. The Oklahoma City attack was stopped because the man who stopped it could carry a concealed handgun.
Often what's true and what makes good TV are two different things. But either way, news standards don't give people any idea about the costs and benefits of people owning guns. Police are extremely important in stopping crimes, but police understand that they almost always arrive on the scene after a crime has occurred. Heroic actions of citizens who stop attacks deserve a lot more attention.
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martinisnsushi - living the good life since 1963

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IMAO they are not required to be trained. That is the problem. Training and practice. There is no substitute.
HUH?
No the politics are such that is may not be apparent.
The prosecutors have no work if there are no victims. They have career agendas as do politicians.
The prosecutors have no work if there are no victims. They have career agendas as do politicians.
Your posts are not making much sense to me.
Maybe somebody else will have more luck.
The prosecutors have no work if there are no victims. They have career agendas as do politicians.
While everyone has a career agenda of one type or another, I seriously doubt that the vast majority (that being 99.99999%) would wish for people to be hurt or killed just to further their agenda!
I just don't understand what the heck you're getting at.
Much of the blame falls on legislatures that formulate bad laws.
One point is the "plea bargain". Not everyone has the wealth to fight in court. A criminal case can cost $500000.00+. Innocent or not is no longer the question but can one afford to win? Pyrrhic Victories are not a victory but a defeat.
"First, that gun gives people a false sense of security. They believe they can handle any and all situations akin to Rambo. TV has given us the impression that a gun is easy to use and will solve all our problems."
A very good statement on your part. I totally agree!
"I'm not against guns, I'm against idiots and criminals owning guns. Unfortunately, gun advocates aren't.
They think everyone should walk around with a loaded weapon so that innocent people can not only dodge criminals' bullets, but also the crossfire from hero wannabes."
How can you say these statements are false and misleading? I think she is one of the few making sense on this issue!
Then show me any evidence, name some gun advocates, anything, to back up those statements.
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martinisnsushi - the two most important food groups!
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