“The Uber driver authorities say fatally shot six people during a series of seemingly random attacks over the weekend was charged with murder Monday as questions swirled around the bloody rampage,” washingtonpost.com reports. “Investigators continue to look for a motive in the shooting, but so far detectives have not found any explanation.” Oh but everyone sure wishes they could! Because this type of crime . . .
strikes fear into the hearts of Americans everywhere. A completely random attack by the proverbial “nice neighbor” next door.
If the shootings could be explained by mental illness — say Mr. Dalton had a history of psychiatric trouble — people could think, well, someone could have done something before he went ballistic. Regrettable, but ultimately forgettable. Then again . . .
The Aurora theater killer was clearly, dangerously crazy. No one in authority who knew about his “issues” did a damn thing to stop him. Same for the Virgina Tech killer. And the Sandy Hook murderer. And Gabby Giffords’ shooter. For some reason, the public didn’t blame any of the people who failed in their obligation to protect innocent life in these mass shootings.
In this case as in so many others, people will either blame the killer — for good reason — or guns –because they want to “do something” to prevent another attack. “Keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people” seems to make sense. In reality, there’s little anyone can do to prevent a violent attack. Except, of course, defend themselves. And all too often, not even that.
One city official called the rampage “unexplainable.” A county official described it as “bizarre,” a sentiment echoed by Jessica Borden, who stood behind the counter of a rural convenience store not far from the accused gunman’s home and where he had been a regular.
Then Borden sighed and added: “But maybe it’s not so much of a surprise the way the world is nowadays.”
How is the world nowadays? Is it more violent than it used to be? Hardly. But that’s the story that the enemies of firearms freedom like to tell. Because they can argue that “easy access to guns” is the reason for this [non-existent] upswing in murder. I mean, Mr. Dalton had 11 rifles! Eleven! Who needs 11 rifles?
On a recent trip to my home state of Rhode Island, I heard people on talk radio wishing for the good old days, when the mob controlled the state. “You could walk down the streets at night without worrying about being attacked,” a caller claimed. True. Provided you were white and we’re talking about mob-controlled neighborhoods.
Neighborhoods where businesses struggled under the weight of extortion, living in fear of what would happen if they didn’t pay. Neighborhoods where mobsters beat up random strangers and raped young boys and girls with complete impunity. Neighborhoods where mobsters siphoned millions from union funds, a racket protected by bought-and-paid-for politicians.
A racket that forced the cost of labor so high entire industries fled to more business-friendly climes. To the point where jobs disappeared, unemployment skyrocketed and the state’s economy rolled over and died. Leaving old people longing for the days when their state was productive, rather than looking at the economic devastation wrought by mob-fueled corruption.
My point: while surely terrible, there are worse things than mass shooters, and many of these worse things are made worse by a disarmed populace. No one could stand up to the mob because no one other than “connected” people could legally carry a gun. No one could stand up to the mob because the only people who carried guns were criminals or cops (although there was little distinction between the two).
So when President Obama and his statist toadies prescribe more gun control in their effort to stop mass shootings, they’re using one evil — and that’s what it is, regardless of the killer’s motivation — to enable an even greater one. A disarmed society where the innocent are easy prey for men without morals. That’s how the world is nowadays. That’s how it’s always been.