Sunday morning confusion
The news media and the official police spokespeople are confusing me. I heard that the shooter had 1,300 rounds with him. Then I heard that he had enough magazines to fire 1,300 rounds but that there was no count of the amount of ammo he had. Then I heard he had 20 magazines in his bag, along with a .44 magnum revolver and an extra receiver for his assault rifle.
Those magazines hold 30 rounds each. 30 x 20 = 600. I know I'm being pedantic, but where the number of 1,300 comes from is troubling me now. Tell the truth and tell it accurately. You don't need to scare people any more than they've already been scared. We're plenty scared. We're upset that this happened in our hometown. It isn't that hard to count bullets. You were able to determine the shooter fired 70 rounds inside the library because you did the simple thing. You counted his spent brass.
Five people are dead. One is not expected to survive her wounds. We don't need to be alarmed any more than we already are. This is why our insane desire for instantaneous news makes accuracy in reporting difficult to achieve. Reporters have to scoop each other by mere minutes. Stories have to be run live on TV or radio, streamed live on the internet and posted to news media webpages as quickly as possible.
We rush to judgment. In the age where information comes to us faster and faster, that's just how things work. We should NOT rush to judgment. One commentator is trying to find out what medications the shooter was taking for his "mental health issues" because she is convinced that all of the shooters in these multiple murders were taking ADHD meds. Yes, ADHD meds are way over-prescribed. Yes, some of the shooters in multiple murder situations have been taking them. But not all of them have. Some were taking anti-depressants. Some were taking nothing. How many millions of people take ADHD drugs or anti-depressants and are NOT out murdering multiple victims? Causal connection is going to be difficult to make and there is another issue to consider. How many of the people who are being helped by these drugs would suffer and take their own lives (possibly along with others), if these medications were no longer available to them?
Can we not slow down the rush to judgment? Can we let law enforcement and the media have some time to get us all the details of this story accurately? I want to know why this happened and what we can do to prevent it from happening again. If that involves being more careful with who gets medications that alter the mind, so be it. But let's prove that is part of the problem first. If that involves spending $50 billion (my estimate) to confiscate all of the guns in the hands of people who shouldn't have them, so be it. If that involves changing the law so that someone who owns a gun legally allows it to fall into the hands of someone who doesn't have that right, is held responsible, so be it. But perhaps before we explore solutions, we should have all the facts first. By the way, there are somewhere between 275 million and 300 million guns in the hands of private citizens in the U.S. already. Our problem isn't one of selling more guns to people who shouldn't be buying them in gun stores and the like. There are plenty out there that can be had at a price.
While these incidents are on the rise, that doesn't mean we can find the solution any faster, or that an imperfect solution reached quickly is to be preferred over a better solution that may take more time to develop.
* * *
It's a gloomy looking Sunday morning and I've decided not to go see a movie today. I have plenty of stuff to watch here. I'm going to reflect today. Reflect on how, even with all that's going on, just the fact I'm alive is something to be happy about and proud of. I should have died twice thus far but somehow managed to come home from the hospital both times. I can't fix all that's wrong with me by altering my patterns of behavior to live a more healthy lifestyle, but I can influence some things and I'm working to do so.
Later this week, after things are closer to normal there, I'm going to go drive around Santa Monica. I'm going to go by the three apartments we lived in at various times. I'm going to drive by the house my grandparents once owned on San Vicente. I'm going to drive to and sit in the parking lot, or on the street, by what was once Ted's Grill for a few minutes and think of all the happy times we had there (my grandparents owned it for more than 30 years). I never went to SMC as a student. But I've taken exams there and spent many a Friday night there watching high school football games.
* * *
The treatment of egg-laying hens is now a Constitutional issue before the Congress, thanks to California voters. In 2008, the voters approved Prop 2, which mandates that farmers must give these birds enough space to stand up and spread their wings. Then the Legislature here in CA passed a bill that says when these new standards go into effect in 2015, all eggs sold in California must come from farms that meet the California standards.
Now an Iowa Congressman, whose district happens to have more egg-laying hens than any other in the U.S. is pushing legislation that would prohibit one state from imposing conditions on another state's agricultural production.
It's a bad law (this new proposal) and should be swiftly sent to defeat. It would invalidate over one hundred state laws around the nation that are already on the books.
* * *
This Date in History:
On this date in 53, Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia.
On this date in 68, Nero quotes "The Illiad" before committing suicide.
On this date in 1856, 500 Mormons leave Iowa City for Salt Lake City.
On this date in 1885, China and France sign a treaty to end their war, with France gaining control over most of what is Vietnam today.
On this date in 1934, Donald Duck makes his debut.
On this date in 1946, King Bhumibol Adulyadej ascends to the throne of Thailand. He is the world's longest reigning monarch.
On this date in 1958, Queen Elizabeth II officially opens Gatwick Airport.
On this date in 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson declares an official day of mourning after the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
On this date in 1978, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints opens the priesthood to black men, ending a 148 year ban.
Famous Folk Born On This Date:
Peter the Great, Tsar of Russia
Cole Porter
Archie Weston
Robert Cummings
Les Paul
Robert McNamara
Jackie Wilson
Bill Virdon
Jackie Mason
Dick Vitale (wonder if Hooters pays him in chicken wings for doing their ads?)
Patricia Cornwell
Michael J. Fox
Aaron Sorkin
Johnny Depp
David Koepp
Gloria Rueben
Michaela Conlin
Natalie Portman
Mae Whitman
Movie quote of the day today comes from "A Few Good Men" in honor of Aaron Sorkin's birthday:
Kaffee: Is the colonel's underwear a matter of national security?
#2
Lt. Weinberg: You've heard her. The girl sat here, pointed and said, "Pa." She did. She said, "Pa."
Kaffee: She was pointing at a mailbox, Sam.
Lt. Weinberg: That's right. She was pointing as if to say, "Pa, look, a mailbox."
#3
Capt. West: Commander Galloway, why don't you get yourself a cup of coffee.
Galloway: Thank you, sir, I'm fine.
Capt. West: Commander, I'd like you to leave the room so we can talk about you behind your back.
Galloway: Certainly, sir.
Those magazines hold 30 rounds each. 30 x 20 = 600. I know I'm being pedantic, but where the number of 1,300 comes from is troubling me now. Tell the truth and tell it accurately. You don't need to scare people any more than they've already been scared. We're plenty scared. We're upset that this happened in our hometown. It isn't that hard to count bullets. You were able to determine the shooter fired 70 rounds inside the library because you did the simple thing. You counted his spent brass.
Five people are dead. One is not expected to survive her wounds. We don't need to be alarmed any more than we already are. This is why our insane desire for instantaneous news makes accuracy in reporting difficult to achieve. Reporters have to scoop each other by mere minutes. Stories have to be run live on TV or radio, streamed live on the internet and posted to news media webpages as quickly as possible.
We rush to judgment. In the age where information comes to us faster and faster, that's just how things work. We should NOT rush to judgment. One commentator is trying to find out what medications the shooter was taking for his "mental health issues" because she is convinced that all of the shooters in these multiple murders were taking ADHD meds. Yes, ADHD meds are way over-prescribed. Yes, some of the shooters in multiple murder situations have been taking them. But not all of them have. Some were taking anti-depressants. Some were taking nothing. How many millions of people take ADHD drugs or anti-depressants and are NOT out murdering multiple victims? Causal connection is going to be difficult to make and there is another issue to consider. How many of the people who are being helped by these drugs would suffer and take their own lives (possibly along with others), if these medications were no longer available to them?
Can we not slow down the rush to judgment? Can we let law enforcement and the media have some time to get us all the details of this story accurately? I want to know why this happened and what we can do to prevent it from happening again. If that involves being more careful with who gets medications that alter the mind, so be it. But let's prove that is part of the problem first. If that involves spending $50 billion (my estimate) to confiscate all of the guns in the hands of people who shouldn't have them, so be it. If that involves changing the law so that someone who owns a gun legally allows it to fall into the hands of someone who doesn't have that right, is held responsible, so be it. But perhaps before we explore solutions, we should have all the facts first. By the way, there are somewhere between 275 million and 300 million guns in the hands of private citizens in the U.S. already. Our problem isn't one of selling more guns to people who shouldn't be buying them in gun stores and the like. There are plenty out there that can be had at a price.
While these incidents are on the rise, that doesn't mean we can find the solution any faster, or that an imperfect solution reached quickly is to be preferred over a better solution that may take more time to develop.
* * *
It's a gloomy looking Sunday morning and I've decided not to go see a movie today. I have plenty of stuff to watch here. I'm going to reflect today. Reflect on how, even with all that's going on, just the fact I'm alive is something to be happy about and proud of. I should have died twice thus far but somehow managed to come home from the hospital both times. I can't fix all that's wrong with me by altering my patterns of behavior to live a more healthy lifestyle, but I can influence some things and I'm working to do so.
Later this week, after things are closer to normal there, I'm going to go drive around Santa Monica. I'm going to go by the three apartments we lived in at various times. I'm going to drive by the house my grandparents once owned on San Vicente. I'm going to drive to and sit in the parking lot, or on the street, by what was once Ted's Grill for a few minutes and think of all the happy times we had there (my grandparents owned it for more than 30 years). I never went to SMC as a student. But I've taken exams there and spent many a Friday night there watching high school football games.
* * *
The treatment of egg-laying hens is now a Constitutional issue before the Congress, thanks to California voters. In 2008, the voters approved Prop 2, which mandates that farmers must give these birds enough space to stand up and spread their wings. Then the Legislature here in CA passed a bill that says when these new standards go into effect in 2015, all eggs sold in California must come from farms that meet the California standards.
Now an Iowa Congressman, whose district happens to have more egg-laying hens than any other in the U.S. is pushing legislation that would prohibit one state from imposing conditions on another state's agricultural production.
It's a bad law (this new proposal) and should be swiftly sent to defeat. It would invalidate over one hundred state laws around the nation that are already on the books.
* * *
This Date in History:
On this date in 53, Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia.
On this date in 68, Nero quotes "The Illiad" before committing suicide.
On this date in 1856, 500 Mormons leave Iowa City for Salt Lake City.
On this date in 1885, China and France sign a treaty to end their war, with France gaining control over most of what is Vietnam today.
On this date in 1934, Donald Duck makes his debut.
On this date in 1946, King Bhumibol Adulyadej ascends to the throne of Thailand. He is the world's longest reigning monarch.
On this date in 1958, Queen Elizabeth II officially opens Gatwick Airport.
On this date in 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson declares an official day of mourning after the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
On this date in 1978, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints opens the priesthood to black men, ending a 148 year ban.
Famous Folk Born On This Date:
Peter the Great, Tsar of Russia
Cole Porter
Archie Weston
Robert Cummings
Les Paul
Robert McNamara
Jackie Wilson
Bill Virdon
Jackie Mason
Dick Vitale (wonder if Hooters pays him in chicken wings for doing their ads?)
Patricia Cornwell
Michael J. Fox
Aaron Sorkin
Johnny Depp
David Koepp
Gloria Rueben
Michaela Conlin
Natalie Portman
Mae Whitman
Movie quote of the day today comes from "A Few Good Men" in honor of Aaron Sorkin's birthday:
Kaffee: Is the colonel's underwear a matter of national security?
#2
Lt. Weinberg: You've heard her. The girl sat here, pointed and said, "Pa." She did. She said, "Pa."
Kaffee: She was pointing at a mailbox, Sam.
Lt. Weinberg: That's right. She was pointing as if to say, "Pa, look, a mailbox."
#3
Capt. West: Commander Galloway, why don't you get yourself a cup of coffee.
Galloway: Thank you, sir, I'm fine.
Capt. West: Commander, I'd like you to leave the room so we can talk about you behind your back.
Galloway: Certainly, sir.
posted by me at 1:19 PM
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