Yes we have been here before and it is truly sad.Food for thought – when was the last time something like this happened at a police station where almost everyone inside was armed?
“I shot an arrow into the air, where it landed, I know not where; I shot an arrow once again, and found it lodged in the heart of a friend.”As a gun owner who supports sensible gun regulation I would like to point out that much deadlier than bullets is our willingness to say cruel and hateful things to each other. An angry and/or ill mind who reads or hears cruel things will find it much easier to turn to a weapon to get the revenge they desire when all they really needed was some respect and compassion.The 45 Mr. Lopez used after an apparent argument with fellow soldiers is easy to buy at gun shops that have a waiting period, and even easier to buy at gun shows and/or on Craigslist or other sources. There were many ‘good guys’ with guns on the base and, apparently, the first security officer to confront Mr. Lopez was the point where he chose to kill himself.Too many people are using guns to get revenge on those who make them angry and then either killing themselves or encouraging the police to do it for them.This is NOT the American way, but it is the way Americans are allowing things to occur through a failure to enact balanced and intelligent changes in our gun laws, and in our failure to address the mental health needs of our citizens, and in our failure to simply be kind and respectful to one another. It is easier to judge and be self righteous than to address the problems, especially when a politician is being paid by lobbyists to ignore those problems.Respectfully,C.
“There should be more guns on the planet in the hands of responsible people.”That’s a nice sound bite, but how do you figure out who the responsible people who who need more guns?
These kinds of incidents have little to do with gun control. He had a clean record and his doctors thought him to be nonviolent. Mental health is probably the main issue. The extreme polarization on both sides will assure little will be done on gun control. It would be reasonable to have some regulation that like a driver’s licence would insure a person had some safety and legal training. It would be reasonable to check every sale to prevent the rampant gun running that infests gun shows but that would be sensible and very unlikely to happen in the near future.
Another tombstone that might be added is for the 22 veterans per day that kill themselves, the majority from gunshot. A gun culture and a culture of violence has to be at the root. Also worthy of a look are high unemployment, income disparity, breakdown of the family, and lack of good healthcare for many.
The ‘coward’ in question did a tour in Afghanistan and came home in need of help and support. He was on medications. There was an argument with others prior to the shooting. This man was a father and husband and one of our servicemen who fought a war his nation sent him to fight. You should open your heart as well as your mind if you want to know what was really going on with this man.And maybe once he was confronted, he woke up from his Ambien induced mental state and suddenly realized what it was he had done, and unable to accept the shame and guilt, killed himself.Until you know the whole story, you should resist using words like coward.Respectfully,C.
It will have to be a bipartisan effort, Ionizer. It would be best if various ideas received public comment and even votes without the vitriol of those who are either like clark kent and want all guns banned, or like the NRA, want all gun restrictions banned.I would like to hear your ideas, I’ve posted mine in the past. If you wish to do so without inviting negative comments from closed minds, we can debate this at Sanesaint@hotmail.com. Create a new email address that you can use for conversations like this and use Ionizer in the subject line.Sincerely,C.
While I’ve seen plenty of examples of the ‘lefts’ errors in actions and judgment, the right’s party line dogma calls any dissent from their side as ‘treason’. My congressman, Scott Rigell, is a republican, probusiness, pro coal, pro NRA, and other points with which I have disagreement, but he was against the sequester, against the shut down, and when Mr. Obama came to the Newport News Shipyard, Mr. Rigell stood beside him on the stage. For this ‘crime’, he has taken a lot of criticism and one of my neighbors spat on the ground when I complimented the man. Both sides need to remember that we are fellow citizens, neighbors, and Americans and we need to put partisan issues aside in order to work on those issues on which we can agree.Respectfully,C.
How many dead unarmed victims and how many incidents of mass shootings will it take to see the Pentagon’s 20-year experiment of disarmed military people on all US bases change to allowing and encouraging them to carry protection weapons at all times?-Military or civilian….authorities enforcing “GUN FREE ZONES” are putting out the Welcome Mat to every illegally armed criminal….“No guns here” is a lure and an attraction.
The military police at Ft. Eustis, Langley Air Field, Camp Perry, Norfolk Naval Base, Little Creek Amphib base and Oceana Naval Air Station are armed, whether they are at the gates or driving in their cars.Ft. Monroe’s MPs were armed as well until the base closed.just an FYI.C.
http://www.globalclarity.info/2013/09/17/editorial-end-clinton-era-military-base-gun-ban/Here’s an excerpt from Defense Department policy on carrying firearms:
The authorization to carry firearms shall be issued only to qualified personnel when there is a reasonable expectation that life or DoD assets will be jeopardized if firearms are not carried.
sw10mm almost 10 years ago
Yes we have been here before and it is truly sad.Food for thought – when was the last time something like this happened at a police station where almost everyone inside was armed?
chazandru almost 10 years ago
“I shot an arrow into the air, where it landed, I know not where; I shot an arrow once again, and found it lodged in the heart of a friend.”As a gun owner who supports sensible gun regulation I would like to point out that much deadlier than bullets is our willingness to say cruel and hateful things to each other. An angry and/or ill mind who reads or hears cruel things will find it much easier to turn to a weapon to get the revenge they desire when all they really needed was some respect and compassion.The 45 Mr. Lopez used after an apparent argument with fellow soldiers is easy to buy at gun shops that have a waiting period, and even easier to buy at gun shows and/or on Craigslist or other sources. There were many ‘good guys’ with guns on the base and, apparently, the first security officer to confront Mr. Lopez was the point where he chose to kill himself.Too many people are using guns to get revenge on those who make them angry and then either killing themselves or encouraging the police to do it for them.This is NOT the American way, but it is the way Americans are allowing things to occur through a failure to enact balanced and intelligent changes in our gun laws, and in our failure to address the mental health needs of our citizens, and in our failure to simply be kind and respectful to one another. It is easier to judge and be self righteous than to address the problems, especially when a politician is being paid by lobbyists to ignore those problems.Respectfully,C.
Jason Allen almost 10 years ago
“There should be more guns on the planet in the hands of responsible people.”That’s a nice sound bite, but how do you figure out who the responsible people who who need more guns?
Theodore E. Lind Premium Member almost 10 years ago
These kinds of incidents have little to do with gun control. He had a clean record and his doctors thought him to be nonviolent. Mental health is probably the main issue. The extreme polarization on both sides will assure little will be done on gun control. It would be reasonable to have some regulation that like a driver’s licence would insure a person had some safety and legal training. It would be reasonable to check every sale to prevent the rampant gun running that infests gun shows but that would be sensible and very unlikely to happen in the near future.
Gypsy8 almost 10 years ago
Another tombstone that might be added is for the 22 veterans per day that kill themselves, the majority from gunshot. A gun culture and a culture of violence has to be at the root. Also worthy of a look are high unemployment, income disparity, breakdown of the family, and lack of good healthcare for many.
chazandru almost 10 years ago
The ‘coward’ in question did a tour in Afghanistan and came home in need of help and support. He was on medications. There was an argument with others prior to the shooting. This man was a father and husband and one of our servicemen who fought a war his nation sent him to fight. You should open your heart as well as your mind if you want to know what was really going on with this man.And maybe once he was confronted, he woke up from his Ambien induced mental state and suddenly realized what it was he had done, and unable to accept the shame and guilt, killed himself.Until you know the whole story, you should resist using words like coward.Respectfully,C.
lbalch798 almost 10 years ago
Every thing I’ve seen says this was a responsible person; until he started shooting.
chazandru almost 10 years ago
It will have to be a bipartisan effort, Ionizer. It would be best if various ideas received public comment and even votes without the vitriol of those who are either like clark kent and want all guns banned, or like the NRA, want all gun restrictions banned.I would like to hear your ideas, I’ve posted mine in the past. If you wish to do so without inviting negative comments from closed minds, we can debate this at Sanesaint@hotmail.com. Create a new email address that you can use for conversations like this and use Ionizer in the subject line.Sincerely,C.
chazandru almost 10 years ago
While I’ve seen plenty of examples of the ‘lefts’ errors in actions and judgment, the right’s party line dogma calls any dissent from their side as ‘treason’. My congressman, Scott Rigell, is a republican, probusiness, pro coal, pro NRA, and other points with which I have disagreement, but he was against the sequester, against the shut down, and when Mr. Obama came to the Newport News Shipyard, Mr. Rigell stood beside him on the stage. For this ‘crime’, he has taken a lot of criticism and one of my neighbors spat on the ground when I complimented the man. Both sides need to remember that we are fellow citizens, neighbors, and Americans and we need to put partisan issues aside in order to work on those issues on which we can agree.Respectfully,C.
kline0800 almost 10 years ago
How many dead unarmed victims and how many incidents of mass shootings will it take to see the Pentagon’s 20-year experiment of disarmed military people on all US bases change to allowing and encouraging them to carry protection weapons at all times?-Military or civilian….authorities enforcing “GUN FREE ZONES” are putting out the Welcome Mat to every illegally armed criminal….“No guns here” is a lure and an attraction.
chazandru almost 10 years ago
The military police at Ft. Eustis, Langley Air Field, Camp Perry, Norfolk Naval Base, Little Creek Amphib base and Oceana Naval Air Station are armed, whether they are at the gates or driving in their cars.Ft. Monroe’s MPs were armed as well until the base closed.just an FYI.C.
NoCons almost 10 years ago
The cons won’t be happy until all of the crazy people have guns.
oneoldhat almost 10 years ago
http://www.globalclarity.info/2013/09/17/editorial-end-clinton-era-military-base-gun-ban/Here’s an excerpt from Defense Department policy on carrying firearms:
The authorization to carry firearms shall be issued only to qualified personnel when there is a reasonable expectation that life or DoD assets will be jeopardized if firearms are not carried.
NoCons almost 10 years ago
This is Lisa’s “Well-regulated militia”
PepeLePew2010 almost 10 years ago
This reminds me of the Cop from the USA wishing he had a gun in Canada……
cyzicus almost 10 years ago
Just remember – Guns don’t kill people, people kill people. If we keep repeating that SOMEONE might actually start believing it.