Alphecca

Weekly Check on the Bias

Welcome to the November 22nd edition of my Weekly Check on the Bias by media concerning firearms and the Second Amendment. Normally I can think of a theme to weave through the stories but none occurs to me so far so I'll just plunge right in.

Let's start with the Tacoma Mall Mutant:

From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

Police knew Maldonado. He had at least five juvenile convictions, including theft, burglary and trespassing. By the age of 12, Maldonado already had what police called a complete lock-pick set

He stole stopwatches from his middle school, a wallet from a classmate's desk and once broke into another classmate's home to steal Nintendo video games.

He was never sentenced to more than a few weeks in juvenile detention. On at least two occasions, he was ordered to write letters of apology to his victims, work community service and pay restitution.

Though his criminal record never indicated violence, some who knew him said had a violent streak.

[...]

Maldonado lived most recently in East Tacoma with several other young men. The house had several cars in the driveway and some windows covered with plywood.

Later, when police searched the house, they found in Maldonado's room a formula for creating the poison ricin.

They also found diagrams to make bombs and some materials to build them.

There were body targets in the room, at least one shot through.

Dennis Potter, who lives nearby, said the house was constantly getting the attention of the police, with the young men there frequently hosting rowdy parties and often shooting at nearby street signs.

And this from a seperate article:

...But Maldonado was convicted of several felony crimes as a juvenile, including theft and trafficking in stolen property, Sorensen said.

Maldonado also was convicted of second-degree burglary, listed as a "crime of violence" under the Washington criminal code...

So my question is this: Why was this punk on the streets? If "several felony crimes" wasn't enough to keep him in jail for -- oh, call me madcap -- ten years or so, how about the fact that cops had apparently been called to the house he was living in several times recently, where he or other residents were observed shooting town property (street signs) and in general just discharging guns in a residential neighborhood? You would think the cops would have searched the home a long time ago looking for guns or charging Maldonado with possession of a gun by a felon.

I'm sure it's too much to have hoped that one of the other residents in the house would have worried about the guns, ammo, and bullet holes in the walls...

Once again we see that someone gave off all the warning signs and nobody did anything about it. The gun grabbers will blame the gun. I blame the courts, the cops who investigated the prior shooting incidents at his home, and frankly, his "friends" who ignored his behavior.

Another story all over the wires this morning comes with this headline: Man at Gun Show Shoots Himself in Bathroom. When I saw all the Google references to it I first thought, "suicide" or some such thing. Turns out:

FARIBAULT, Minn. - A trip to the restroom resulted in a trip to the hospital for a Bloomington man who accidentally shot himself in the hand over the weekend at a gun show.

Faribault Police Sgt. Richard Larson said the 59-year-old man shot himself while removing his gun from a hook in a bathroom stall while attending the 31st annual Faribault Rifle and Pistol Club gun show on Sunday morning.

The man was taken to a local hospital, where he was treated and released by Sunday afternoon.

So all it was was some jerk who ignored basic gun safety rules. Why would so many newspapers (not -- note -- from Minnesota) run the AP story? Probably because they were hoping folks around the country would think the same thing I initially thought, or that guns and gun shows are bad. Surprisingly, none of them also carried any articles about a fender-bender in Atlanta, Georgia... Bias by inclusion?

Then we get a two for one article about self-defense. From the Post-Tribune of Indiana:

GARY — A teenager who apparently broke into a Glen Park home Monday afternoon was seriously wounded when the resident's brother fired at him with a shotgun, police said later.

Officers responding to a burglary in progress arrived at 5043 Washington St., and heard gunshots inside the one-story home, police said.

Seconds later, Detective Sean Jones found Allen Walker, 17, had been shot in the side.

The homeowner's brother, Johnny Yarbrough, 34, told police he shot Walker after the teen broke into the house, pointed a gun at his sister and demanded money.

Yarbrough's sister, Anita Yarbrough, and her 2-year-old grandson were inside the house but were not injured, police said.

Police recovered three guns from the house, including one they said apparently belonged to the teenager.

Outside the south door of the home, police noted damage to the lock and found a pry bar nearby.

This would seem to be a simple story of fending off a mutant. Not quite:

...however, police arrested Johnny Yarbrough, 34, who was being held on charges of aggravated battery and being a felon in possession of a firearm, Detective Cpl. Thomas Decanter said.

Okay, I suppose the felon in possession charge is proper but why the battery charge? The cops can see that Walker broke into the home, had a gun, and threatened the occupants. Seems like piling on to me.

Oddly enough, intertwined with that story was this:

Donte Sims, 26, is hospitalized under police guard at Methodist Hospitals Northlake, wounded early Sunday inside 313 Johnson St.

Detective James Bond said he expects Sims will be charged with residential entry today.

Sims was shot in the hip about 1 a.m. Sunday when Andre Anderson, 39, went to check on the house he is rehabbing and was surprised to find a man inside.

Police said as Anderson opened the door to the vacant house, he saw a man on the other side, then the door glass broke.

Anderson fired at the intruder, who fled into the attic of the house, where police found him.

Sims is listed in stable condition, police said.

Anderson told Detective Dan Callahan the house had been broken into previously, and he decided to check on it when he encountered the man inside.

Sims told police he is homeless and admitted he had been sleeping inside the vacant home, investigators said.

Investigators said they do not expect the homeowner, Anderson, will be charged in the shooting.

In a way, I'm almost sorry for Sims. None the less, if you're going to break into homes you have to expect the worst. Unless, of course, you live in DC, Chicago, England, Australia, and soon, San Francisco... Then you've pretty much got the keys to the front door!

Turning to college idealism... There's the good and the bad. We'll start with the bad from the Elizabethtown College Etownian (PA):

...I used to blame gun crimes on the people that committed them. However, after these two incidents that hit extremely close to home, I have changed my tune. There are too many guns in this world and all too often, they end up in the hands of the wrong people. Who knows how the Borden abduction would have turned out if authorities weren't able to cause Ludwig to wreck his car.

When Michael Moore released his "Bowling for Columbine" documentary, gun control was still a rather important issue on the national level. Now, as shown during the 2004 presidential election, gun control is a minor issue.

It is time for the issue to be put back on the table...

There's just one thing. The two crimes the author --William Williver, an editor at the paper -- relates were committed by people. Is he now saying that criminals aren't responsible for their behavior? That it's all really about the gun and if there were none in the world bla-bla-bla...

Fortunately I don't have to dissect his argument since his readers did it for me:

To the editor:

Please suggest to Mr. Welliver than he turn down his hearing aid a bit. Then he will not be able to hear those evil guns whispering to everyone ... (evil whisper voice) Pick me up and use me to kill someone … (end evil whisper voice).

It is really a shame how irrational thinking can transfer the responsibility of acts committed by people to inanimate objects. There seems to be a lot of that type of thinking coming out of our public and private institutions these days.

Dick Besser
Newaygo, Mich.

[...]

To the editor:

In the last week, according to your editorial, you have changed your mind about guns and gun control, to wit: you have moved from blaming the people who use guns to commit crimes to blaming the situation on "too many guns." This is tantamount to blaming auto accidents on "too many cars."...

If you want to see the results of a "gunless" society, look at England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia or Canada (to some degree). In Scotland, you are three times as likely to be assaulted as a US resident. England has twice the rate of assaults. The crime rate in these countries has skyrocketed since the government seized the guns of the populace. The reason for this is simple: Pass a law against guns, only the law abiding will give up their guns. The criminal, since he ignores laws anyway, will never voluntarily give up his guns. Thus, the only people with guns are the police and the criminals. Makes it a little bit easier on the police, since if you have a gun, you are automatically a criminal. But the police cannot and will not protect you all the time. Actually, the most rabid of gun control advocates is the criminal, since this guarantees him an unarmed victim.

Put yourself in the position of the victims in your hometown for a moment. Which would you rather, faced with a criminal with a gun: Call 911, or have a gun yourself, know how to use it and be prepared to use it? We know how it often turns out when the victim is not armed - we hear about it on the news all the time. But you almost never hear about how a gun saved someone's life. For that, we can blame the liberal media...

James R. Johnson
Kerrville, Texas

[...]

To the editor:

Your dedication to the Bill of Rights, in general, and the 2nd Amendment, in particular is touching, however mendacious it may be. Please note:

"After every high profile shooting, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it." - William Burroughs (1992) ...

Lee McGee
Jeanerette, La.

To the editor:

...In both of the incidents he writes about, automotive contrivances were involved. Not a word about outlawing those. What if there had been no automobiles? It's likely that neither of the incidents would have happened....

Edward J. Totty
Everett, Wash.

There's lots more. In fact, as I write this, there's not one single letter agreeing with Williver.

Before everyone loses hope about all college students, Casey Hoff is a student at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, a radio commentator, and is a columnist for the Badger Herald:

"Give me all of your f*cking money or I'll blow your head off."

Madison cab drivers have heard something to that effect on five occasions since Nov. 3 alone in this city. It is no joke. Most of the death threats have occurred near Allied Drive.

Many cab drivers are deeply concerned. Badger Cab owner Tom Royston remembers an awful incident from 1992, when one of his cab drivers was murdered on the job by taking a gunshot to the back of the head from a robber. When asked if recent events scared him, Royston's shaky voice lamented: "We lost a driver about 13 years ago, so yeah."

Wisconsin, still one of just four states left in the country that does not allow citizens to carry concealed weapons, is expected to thankfully acknowledge the Second Amendment through legislation set to pass very soon. But predictably, the self-proclaimed "lefty's lefty", Ald. Austin King and Ald. Brenda Konkel, are visibly upset.

[...]

Despite FBI statistics which show that states with concealed carry legislation actually see substantial reductions in violent crime and that there really is no Wild West gun battle that emerges, people like King and Konkel will always be happy to fear monger through trite speech and decades-old clichés. It’s kind of like when whining children don’t get their way. They often lash out with irrational cries. But I digress.

Cab drivers should have the right to defend themselves by carrying a gun. Unlike a pizza delivery guy, cabbies cannot refuse a call in any area of the city because of a quasi city-regulated rule. For instance, if a cabbie gets a call from someone on Allied Drive, he has to go there. If he does not, he will probably be fired. This rule is in place for good reason, in my opinion. As a society, the majority of residents have concluded that to deny someone a cab ride based on a "shady" location is morally wrong. Agree with that or not, that's just the way it is and it's not changing anytime soon.

When we send people into dangerous areas, we usually equip them with a weapon. Police officers, military personnel, and air marshals all have guns to protect themselves for good reason. Cab drivers should at least have that option available to them.

King would have you believe that the only people who support the right to concealed carry are "crazy" right-wing Republicans. That's simply not true. As someone who voted for John Kerry, has never owned a gun, and considers himself an Independent, I can tell you King's notion is beyond ridiculous...

[...]

The “anti-gun nuts” are always making it seem like concealed carry is going to turn this state into post-Iraq War Fallujah (despite empirical evidence in 46 other states that point to the exact opposite). Under that flawed assumption, we should essentially be a near utopia right now in terms of gun violence! The reality is that criminals always have and always will carry guns. Not having concealed carry punishes law-abiding citizens of the right to carry.

And so on. Read the whole thing. Maybe Cam can have him on the show...

Just as an aside into professional editorial silliness, Barry Saunders has an op-ed in the News Observer (SC) and after relating the story about druggies killing druggies and how rap music and movies fuel, says:

One way to possibly lessen the chances of it occurring again, though, is to get guns off the street.

Don't laugh. I'm serious, even though it's such a quaint notion. The National Rifle Association has spent so much money convincing us that "guns don't kill people; people do," that talking about controlling access to guns for anyone makes one sound hopelessly naive or foolish.

If proposing getting rid of guns is foolish, try this one on: We also ought to get rid of malevolent music, video games like "Bulletproof" and violence-glorifying movies like Fitty's "Get Rich -- or Die Trying."

Why? Because too many young men are doing just that.

A newspaper writer coming out against both the Second AND the First Amendments...

Back to reality and an LA Times story about a group called "Becoming an Outdoors Woman" which includes this:

NTRODUCTION to Firearms & Safety is held in a cabin-like room with a stone fireplace, big wooden beams and stained glass windows. It could feel warm and fuzzy here except for the assortment of shotguns and rifles laid out on a long table at the front of the room. Introductions are brief.

"I'm married to a hunter, and I sure don't want to be taught by him," says one student.

"My dad was a hunter — a really bad hunter. He'd pick up his shotgun and it would go off. We had holes in the roof," says another.

"I want to kill a bear that's harassing my pets," announces one grandmotherly attorney wrapped in a parka with fur-trimmed hood.

Using an overhead projector, three instructors demonstrate how to lock and load, and pass around various types of ammo. They open the class to questions, which come slowly at first, then:

"What's the best gun to scare away an intruder?"

A pump-action shotgun, the instructor recommends, picking up one and demonstrating a sound familiar to action-movie fans everywhere.

"What about night scopes?"

Illegal.

"Even for bears?"

[...]

IN a large, scrubby field several miles from the resort, eight women sit on a long bench, with the easy camaraderie of baseball players in a dugout. Under the shade of cottonwoods, they peer nervously at a skeet-throwing machine and wait their turn to blast a 20-gauge at bright orange clay pigeons.

Wearing oversized hunting vests and large blue ear protectors, they look more like the Bad News Bears with earmuffs than future hunters.

They watch as a fellow student positions the pump-action shotgun against her shoulder and peers down the barrel.

"Pull!"

A small, orange disk goes sailing over the field, and she squeezes the trigger. The gun recoils against her shoulder as the disk falls to the ground, intact.

"We definitely need bigger clay pigeons," says one of the bench warmers.

"Yeah, I think they need to be the size of a dinner plate," suggests one.

"More like a garbage lid," offers another.

But by the end of the session, a few turn out to be excellent shots. Cynthia Boriskin hits several in rapid succession. A star is born.

Read the whole thing; it's quite a comprehensive program teaching everything from boating to fishing and more. There are quite a few groups like this around the country. It's a nice article although I must disagree with the author: A room can be quite warm and fuzzy when filled with rifles [he said, glancing around -ed.]...

You can catch me this afternoon on Cam & Company and until then, as always, thanks for stopping by!

Posted by Jeff Soyer at November 22, 2005 09:08 AM