Words ring hollow
On a Saturday morning in Pittsburgh, men and women worshipping in a synagogue were shot at by an apparent white nationalist. 11 are dead. Six are wounded. Four of the wounded are police officers.
46 year old Robert Bowers entered this place of worship armed with an assault rifle and three handguns. He had a license to carry a firearm. Multiple media outlets are reporting he was carrying an AR-15, while others described it as an "AR-15 style assault rifle.)
A look at the deadliest mass shootings in the U.S. since the end of World War II (I chose that time period to avoid any discussion of the massacres carried out by the U.S. military against American Indians) shows that the ten deadliest cover the years from 1966 through this year's mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School. AR-15 style weapons were used in six of those ten mass killings.
How many such weapons are out there? Thanks to the lobbying of the NRA and firearm manufacturers, we have no accurate estimates That law prevents the establishment of "any system of registration of firearms, firearms owners, or firearms transactions or dispositions." NRA estimates are that there are between 8.5 million and 15 million such weapons in the hands of Americans.
Here is one of several tweets from the #MoronInChief
And this
46 year old Robert Bowers entered this place of worship armed with an assault rifle and three handguns. He had a license to carry a firearm. Multiple media outlets are reporting he was carrying an AR-15, while others described it as an "AR-15 style assault rifle.)
A look at the deadliest mass shootings in the U.S. since the end of World War II (I chose that time period to avoid any discussion of the massacres carried out by the U.S. military against American Indians) shows that the ten deadliest cover the years from 1966 through this year's mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School. AR-15 style weapons were used in six of those ten mass killings.
How many such weapons are out there? Thanks to the lobbying of the NRA and firearm manufacturers, we have no accurate estimates That law prevents the establishment of "any system of registration of firearms, firearms owners, or firearms transactions or dispositions." NRA estimates are that there are between 8.5 million and 15 million such weapons in the hands of Americans.
Here is one of several tweets from the #MoronInChief
...This evil Anti-Semitic attack is an assault on humanity. It will take all of us working together to extract the poison of Anti-Semitism from our world. We must unite to conquer hate.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 27, 2018
Great words, if he actually meant them. This tweet came from the same individual who said...
And this
And said this in regards to being told there were protesters at one of his rallies prepared to throw tomatoes: "So if you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of 'em, would you? Seriously. Okay? Just knock the hell — I promise you, I will pay for the legal fees. I promise. I promise."
And lest we forget his comments about what happened when white nationalists got violent at Charlottesville:
Donald Trump has no interest in unifying the American people in any way other than unifying the population segment that got him elected. Any other words he says ring very hollow.
* * *
As to the contention of the #LiarInChief that an armed guard would have made a difference, the fact that four police officers were wounded by the shooter at the synagogue lays bare the idiocy of that notion.
Armed guards who stand (actually, often sit) a post have their handgun holstered and they are easy targets. Had there been a guard outside the synagogue, he or she would have simply been the first casualty. Unless you turn such places into armed fortresses with a single point of access, with multiple guards who are heavily armed, there is no point in having one guard.
Not to mention we shouldn't have to harden our houses of worship because of hatred.
* * *
As to the contention of the #LiarInChief that an armed guard would have made a difference, the fact that four police officers were wounded by the shooter at the synagogue lays bare the idiocy of that notion.
Armed guards who stand (actually, often sit) a post have their handgun holstered and they are easy targets. Had there been a guard outside the synagogue, he or she would have simply been the first casualty. Unless you turn such places into armed fortresses with a single point of access, with multiple guards who are heavily armed, there is no point in having one guard.
Not to mention we shouldn't have to harden our houses of worship because of hatred.
posted by me at 6:13 PM
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