Metachrosis
12-24-2012, 02:48 PM
Long Read but very well worth the effort to read it all :yesnod:
http://8minutesoffame.com/america-freedom-vs-freedom/
Update: Amended12/21/2012 (See last section titled 2nd Amendment Considerations)
Nothing in my lifetime goes in the history books as such a horrible time as this past weekend. The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut was a tragedy that will never be forgotten by the families and friends of those innocents who lost their lives. It will also never be forgotten by those who intend to hammer it into political agenda both for and against gun control. It is forever cemented in our memories and most likely will be cemented in policy as well. Arguments will be made by both sides for months to come, and it will be referred to as a “what if” by pundits for the next ten years. We will likely never hear the end of it, which is in itself a tragedy for the loved ones of those involved. They will likely never have true peace as long as it remains a tool for politicians and gun advocacy groups from both sides of the aisle to use. It will be mentioned in the news media for years to come, as a reference point for gauging the caliber of future disasters, much as Columbine was before it. Sandy Hook is the new Columbine. For that, my heart goes out to those families and I can only pray that something good can come out of it; some lesson can be learned that can save even one life. Nothing will ever make those sacrifices worthwhile; nothing.
As part of the preparation for this article, I’ve devoted a massive amount of time to fact-checking everything I’m going to say here. I realize I have a readership that for the most part takes my word on things, which is to be both appreciated and cautioned against. It raises the stakes for any article I write and I try hard to be incredibly sure of any “fact” I lay out for or against an argument. Having said that, feel free to check anything you read here. Feel free to recalculate any statistics you see me quote, and feel free to let me know if there is something I’ve either forgotten or misrepresented. I’m human, and therefore fallible.
According to ABC news, there have been 31 school shootings in the US since Columbine in 1999, when 13 people were killed. That got me thinking about shootings in general, which are too numerous to count, and massacres, which thankfully number much less. I’m going to borrow some information I read online at another site (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/12/14/1337221/a-timeline-of-mass-shootings-in-the-us-since-columbine/). If you’d like to see the source, it’s here (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/12/14/1337221/a-timeline-of-mass-shootings-in-the-us-since-columbine/). It specifically relates to massacres in the United States since our lives changed with Columbine.
These are most all of the the mass-shootings in the US since Columbine. I’ve taken a couple hours and done a little research that I think needs to be done EVERY time a shooting incident happens in the US. Specifically, pay attention to a few things in the following reports; what kind of guns were used? How were they stopped? Did local laws allow an armed defender to defend themselves or others at that particular location? If we are going to hold these instances up as reasons for or against a gun-control philosophy, I think it’s important that all aspects be revealed, for the sake of absolute clarity. All of these, in my opinion, play a serious part in thinking whether gun legislation, especially “assault-weapons” legislation is enacted, and if so, how.
http://8minutesoffame.com/america-freedom-vs-freedom/
Update: Amended12/21/2012 (See last section titled 2nd Amendment Considerations)
Nothing in my lifetime goes in the history books as such a horrible time as this past weekend. The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut was a tragedy that will never be forgotten by the families and friends of those innocents who lost their lives. It will also never be forgotten by those who intend to hammer it into political agenda both for and against gun control. It is forever cemented in our memories and most likely will be cemented in policy as well. Arguments will be made by both sides for months to come, and it will be referred to as a “what if” by pundits for the next ten years. We will likely never hear the end of it, which is in itself a tragedy for the loved ones of those involved. They will likely never have true peace as long as it remains a tool for politicians and gun advocacy groups from both sides of the aisle to use. It will be mentioned in the news media for years to come, as a reference point for gauging the caliber of future disasters, much as Columbine was before it. Sandy Hook is the new Columbine. For that, my heart goes out to those families and I can only pray that something good can come out of it; some lesson can be learned that can save even one life. Nothing will ever make those sacrifices worthwhile; nothing.
As part of the preparation for this article, I’ve devoted a massive amount of time to fact-checking everything I’m going to say here. I realize I have a readership that for the most part takes my word on things, which is to be both appreciated and cautioned against. It raises the stakes for any article I write and I try hard to be incredibly sure of any “fact” I lay out for or against an argument. Having said that, feel free to check anything you read here. Feel free to recalculate any statistics you see me quote, and feel free to let me know if there is something I’ve either forgotten or misrepresented. I’m human, and therefore fallible.
According to ABC news, there have been 31 school shootings in the US since Columbine in 1999, when 13 people were killed. That got me thinking about shootings in general, which are too numerous to count, and massacres, which thankfully number much less. I’m going to borrow some information I read online at another site (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/12/14/1337221/a-timeline-of-mass-shootings-in-the-us-since-columbine/). If you’d like to see the source, it’s here (http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/12/14/1337221/a-timeline-of-mass-shootings-in-the-us-since-columbine/). It specifically relates to massacres in the United States since our lives changed with Columbine.
These are most all of the the mass-shootings in the US since Columbine. I’ve taken a couple hours and done a little research that I think needs to be done EVERY time a shooting incident happens in the US. Specifically, pay attention to a few things in the following reports; what kind of guns were used? How were they stopped? Did local laws allow an armed defender to defend themselves or others at that particular location? If we are going to hold these instances up as reasons for or against a gun-control philosophy, I think it’s important that all aspects be revealed, for the sake of absolute clarity. All of these, in my opinion, play a serious part in thinking whether gun legislation, especially “assault-weapons” legislation is enacted, and if so, how.