So sad . . . Approximately 50 dead, more than 50 wounded in an attack on a gay nightclub, the Pulse Orlando, in Orlando, Florida early this morning. It seems the act, being called “terrorism” by officials at this point, was committed by a lone gunman, who has been killed by police.
It’s too early to know if the killer’s motive was homophobia or something else, but I think you can count on some anti-LGBT right-wing nutcases in the United States trumpeting this as punishment from God.
Meanwhile, #GunControlNow is trending on Twitter as so many people react to the news of the shootings.
We’ve had several discussions here about gun control, and I have to admit that I have flip-flopped on the issue.
On the one hand, I would like to see the sale of ammunition be restricted to military and law enforcement — so that people like this lone gunman could not have purchased any bullets for his weapons.
On the other hand, if one of the patrons in the club this morning was armed, he or she might have been able to “neutralize” the shooter.
Realistically, and sadly, I know there will be little or no progress on gun control issues in the terrible wake of this horrendous crime. It will grab headlines for a few days or so, then fade from memory, as we’ve seen with other mass shootings in the United States.
It brings to mind a song by Peter, Paul & Mary with lyrics that go like this: “When will they ever learn . . .?”
When?
— Jillian
Jillian Page 
“On the other hand, if one of the patrons in the club this morning was armed, he or she might have been able to “neutralize” the shooter.”
And at the same time kill and injure more bystanders.
As I’ve said before, a “good guy with a gun” is a myth promoted by the NRA. What someone in the club with a weapon would do is become a prime target for the shooter and the responding police. All the police would see is two shooters and a lot of victims. Who do you think they would “neutralize”?
A school full of six-year old victims didn’t move the legislators owned by the NRA, there is no way this mass shooting would change anything.
From the BBC:
“There were 372 mass shootings in the US in 2015, killing 475 people and wounding 1,870, according to the Mass Shooting Tracker, which catalogues such incidents. A mass shooting is defined as a single shooting incident which kills or injures four or more people, including the assailant.
There were 64 school shootings in 2015.”
This is just another night in the US.
LikeLike
Yes, I fear you are right: “just another night in the U.S.”
Another answer, I suppose, would be to have armed guards everywhere — and that shouldn’t be too hard to achieve, given the numbers of guns in the United States. If the Pulse Orlando had, say, two armed guards there last night, maybe they could have neutralized the killer.
LikeLike
Unfortunately I think that wouldn’t help either. Unless the armed guards frisked everyone going in the shooter would still be amongst the crowd with his/her gun. They start shooting those around them – by the time the armed guards arrive there’s already a body count and the bad shooter is still surrounded by a human shield.
The only real solution is to disarm the population, and we all know that ain’t gonna happen. The US has created this problem for itself and now has to live with it.
peter
LikeLike
Wonder what the Donald will have to say about this? Should be quite a circus. Or is that Disneyland. Wonder what Walt is doing in his grave? %(
LikeLike
The guy was a professional security guard, hence he falls within that ‘restricted to military and law enforcement’ part.
LikeLike
Well, well. The Duck has answered. Build “the wall”. As well as “bomb the sh*t” out of them again. Problem is, we’re not in the cartoons. Or are we?
LikeLike
Go ask Alice . . . Life is but a dream, yes?
LikeLike