Leonardo"s Notebook by Mattheus Mei

I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Violence Rocks the City of Charlotte

At 12:05 PM EST Gunman stormed the South Park Mall in Charlotte firing indiscriminately at innocent shoppers. Witnesses said the gunman(men) entered via the Macy's and fanned out throughout the mall, security was overwhelmed.

Scores are reported wounded, it's still unknown how many have been killed. The mall is porous but police are scrambling to lock it down - so far no one has control of the situation, it's been reported that the FBI are either on scene or en route. Don't know if the gunman(men?) are still in the mall or have escaped.

Not much other information is available.

Say prayers, follow the coverage at the Observer. (continued below the picture)

The above report is a fiction, an unfortunate parallel to the recent violence of late in Mumbai India. But why write it, why create such a parallel? Because what happened in India could also happen here. The terrorists in Mumbai used rudimentary weapons, weapons that are readily available on the streets of the US. As if to underscore this availability then you have to look no further than the South Carolina General Assembly. They've made this weekend a "2nd Ammendment Sales Weekend" removing the sales tax of most if not all firearms available in South Carolina. And while state legislators lauded the plan saying,

“It’s to bring recognition that the Second Amendment of the Constitution is every bit as important as the First Amendment,” which establishes freedom of religion and speech, Pitts said. “It’s very much symbolic.”

One can't help but wonder if such a political stunt seems rather inappropriate in the wake of such tragedy and loss of life as has been caused this week by gunmen.

My dissenters will chime in seemingly angelic chorus that Guns don't kill people, people kill people, to which I will say yes and it just so happens that the weapon of choice in those killings are guns.

Remember the same gun that's available to the sportsman to use properly as a method of killing game and maintaining a time honoured American tradition can at the same time be used as a weapon to kill scores of people.

The gun in the home purchased to protect one's property and family is the same kind of gun on the street used to perpetrate crime.

So yes, the problem is not the guns per se it's the people who obtain them and then use them for nefarious deeds, the prescient question now is - what to do about guns coming into the hands of the wrong folks for the exchange of coin, certainly a sales tax holiday on top of all the loopholes and cut arounds is not the solution.

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4 comments:

Mattheus Mei said...

to move from the realm of fiction into non fiction:

Two injuried after gun shots fired at parade.

Super Dad said...

You cannot control guns, alcohol, and illicit drugs by banning them. A person that is going to commit a gun crime, is not worried about the "possession of a unlicensed weapon" charge. Just like drug dealers do not worry about paying taxes on the drugs they sell. The 2nd amendment was put in place to protect the citizens from a large oppressive federal gov't. If the citizens of the colonies did not have weapons then they would have never won the revolution.

Mattheus Mei said...

Sean, I agree with you in general, but that doesn't help answer my question.. what to do about guns coming into the hands of the wrong folks for the exchange of coin

Interesting that you throw that in about the 2nd amendment, because what terrorists and seccessionist do if history is on their side would legitimize their actions at the expense of our constitutional structures and national history. I point that out just as food for thought because the difference between Patriot and Terrorists/Traitors is victory.

Super Dad said...

It is the unfortunate cost of freedom. We can have freedom or security, but we can not have both. No amount of law can change a person's will. All you have to do is look to Afghanistan and Iraq to see a far superior military having problems with people who do not want them there.

I agree with you. Had the rebels lost a few of them would have been hung and all of them would have been traitors and charged with treason. There is a lot to learn by looking at history. Perhaps it is a good thing that our national laws are only as strong as those willing to defend them. It cost us precious human life to get the constitution, amendments and the laws passed. Since that time, the freedoms we gained have and will continue to cost us human life until a new gov't is formed with a new constitution. Then the cost for the new constitution will still be human life. Sadly I fear, that is that price that we pay for straying from God's law with original sin and the tower of babel.