It seems like not a month goes by anymore without some well-publicized mass shooting event in the United States. In Virginia this morning, only two people were killed, but that hardly diminishes the shock of the tragedy. It’s likely to reignite the debate, both in North Carolina and nationally, about the prudence of extensive background checks and the easy accessibility of handguns.
Beyond that, there’s an in-state connection to some of the individuals in this latest incident, Eastern North Carolina specifically. One of the deceased, Alison Parker, once worked for WCTI in New Bern. And the shooter, Vester Flanagan (who worked under the name Bryce Williams) worked for the local station in Greenville over a decade ago.
And, it’s yet another shooting event very close to home. In June, Dylann Roof murdered black members of a church in Charleston (one of the deceased was the sister of former NC Senator Malcolm Graham, and Roof was arrested in the town of Shelby, NC). Last month, there was a mass shooting at a military recruiting station in Chattanooga. And now, this – all in states that border our own.
The question remains: is it the gun culture in the US? Or something about our modern society which drives people to kill? Or, are these events simply better-publicized because of the 24-hour news cycle and social media – and maybe there’s nothing we can really do about it, as people have been murdering other people since the dawn of humanity?
Regardless, unless something changes, this will happen again. And that’s a scary thought – made scarier by the fact that these incidents have been so close to home.
John Wynne is the “conservative voice” at PoliticsNC, where he also provides polling analysis and commentary on legislative campaigns. When not writing about politics, he enjoys gardening and listening to opera. Contact: johncwynne@gmail.com.
This incident placed the Main Stream Media in a quandary. First, it was revealed that the shooter was “black”, then it was revealed that the shooter was “gay”. When the cops searched his apartment, they discovered all kinds of gay porn, and “soiled” sex toys (let’s not go there).
How can this be? That doesn’t fit the “stereotype”?
Bereft of the usual talking points, Hillary Clinton (and the usual suspects) immediately blamed “GUNS”.
Turns out, the shooter passed the federal background check, and was allowed to purchase a hand gun.
Nevertheless, it was the GUN that figured out where this reporter and cameraman would be, the GUN transported itself to the scene, the GUN murdered those people, the GUN was arrested by the police, and charges are pending against the GUN.
A reporter on one of the cable shows asked an anti-gun nut: “What specific gun law (existing or proposed) would have prevented this shooting?”
Answer: “Beh-dee, Ba-Dum, but we need more gun laws”.
When Lt. Col. Allen West pointed out that Chicago has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation, but yet has one of the highest murder rates, his liberal opponent replied:
“Beh-dee, ba-dum, we need more gun laws”.
I rest my case.
Dare we wonder what, if anything, RIchard Burr will have to say on this one? Burr, the “son of a prominent minister,” managed to maintain a total, stony, silence in the wake of the Charleston murders (which included ministers). He deemed the Chattanooga shootings “sad,” presumably because military lives were extinguished. My bet is that Burr will say absolutely nothing about the Roanoke murders, to preserve the flow of NRA dollars into his morally bankrupt campaign.
I of course wonder if I could start wearing my pistol without being harassed at every turn. That the carry permit is as expensive as it is, means I cannot legally hide it. They are provocative to some people.
Break-ups , and job loss are the common ignitors of the killing.
At these times people, if they have friends, for the majority can work things out and move on. A public health series of commercials that link the time of most often that people shoot people with the other options, like the end of Buffalo 66 would help.
I recognize that TV has great power. The media in general does.
Mental problems come to us all, and we can all qualify as disturbed one time or another in likelihood. It is reason for some of the resistance to government control.
We are fearful and want something to defend ourselves with.
Some people feel friendless and without value, and strike out. The idea of a general Public Service, Public Health set of commercials will help.
“A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer’s hand.”
Lucius Annaeus Seneca
I never thought I’d say this, but Dennis finally said something quasi-rational. Of course, he doesn’t advocate for an expansion of behavioral and mental health, but “…directing the appropriate resources…” to those social ills.
Remember when the mental health system was dismantled in this State? I do. Dorthea Dix was closed, available beds for mental health disorders lapsed and an emphasis was placed on ‘community based’ care. And of course, that pushed public dollars into the hands of private enterprise. Current resident facilities are warehouses. They are committed, either voluntarily or involuntarily, not until they’re better, but until their insurance benefits expire. Then ready or not, they’re pushed out the door and back into the population. There doesn’t seem to be any money to be made if the patient, family, or insurance company can’t pay. Today you have local hospital Emergency Rooms holding mental health patients sometimes up to seven days because no bed can be found…State-wide. For involuntary committments, the local Sheriff has the responsibility of custody, committing manpower to maintain custody on the person. And the entire time that person is in the emergency room awaiting a bed, they aren’t treated. They receive no care in regard to their illness. But this was a better system for the individual and society when it was rolled out.
Gun control. We could start tomorrow. We could ban private gun ownership and these hideous crimes of mass violence won’t stop. The control folks wanted a mandatory waiting period; they got it. Violence didn’t go down. We needed a centralized screening center that was available nation-wide. That too came to pass and the killing wasn’t abated. The problem with all of these “common sense” solutions is, common sense isn’t any more. If you want to get right down to it, common sense would tell you that you can’t and shouldn’t kill others just because you can and have the means to do so. And every time this topic raises it’s head, guns sales soar.
I’m not opposed to proper and effective screening. I’ve seen people with guns that shouldn’t have them and stood wondering how and why they did. But where and how do you draw the line to filter out the bad and let the good through? Apparently we haven’t found that balance with guns or in most of the laws drafted and passed. There are always too many fingers in the pie wanting things their way. And the end result is, nothing changes for the people for whom it was supposed to benefit.
It is the lack of the Federal Government, and more importantly the State Governments in directing the appropriate resources to mental and behavioral health care. We will see more and more, like the shooting here in NC yesterday, of citizens who require care, and aren’t getting it. We have pharmacies on every single corner, dispensing drugs like Chuck E Cheese dispenses pizza. But if society doesn’t take care of our increasingly large population of folks who need Behavioral and mental Health Care, we will continue to have these problems.
Wow. dberwyn wanting more “appropriate resources” from government (i.e., more appropriations) to mental health care. But, what of your constant song of the need to cut taxes, keep spending down, and keep government out of our lives? It’s mixed-message-city, my friend.
Suggestion: try writing a note to Phil Berger, who wants less spent on mental heath programs, not more. See:
http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/why-does-the-nc-senate-want-to-cut-funding-for-mental-health-organizations/Content?oid=4681362
And, if indeed “we will continue to have these problems,” what’s the harm in stricter background checks and longer waiting periods on gun purchases? At very least, wouldn’t that keep some guns out of the hands of the mentally disturbed?