Anne Caroline Drake
CNN is reporting as I write that 53 people were gunned down during shooting rampages during the last month.
And, folks are still claiming he “snapped.” Wake-up, people! Wake-up!
And, Oprah, the mother of those five kids in Graham, Washington, did leave. Now, all her kids are dead because her estranged husband couldn’t handle the fact that she left him. Most of the kids were murdered while they slept, but one of the daughters fought for her life. Yes, there was a history of abuse.
Since my last post about shooting rampages, there have been three more. Only one did not involve domestic violence.
Three police officers were gunned down when they responded to a domestic violence call in Pittsburg. A mother fed up with her son’s dog urinating on the floor threatened to evict him from her home.
What do these rampages have in common? The shooter had an arsenal of weapons and a cache of ammunition. Each was planned. Some shooters wore survival gear.
What else did they have in common? All the shooters were experiencing the impotence of rejection. Like a volcano about to erupt, there was ample warning the roiling and boiling going on beneath the surface would soon explode.
We’re living in frustrating times. Millions of people are feeling overwhelmed. Throughout history, people have responded to feelings of oppression by revolting with guns. We wait for Congress to pass gun control legislation without realizing we have the power to control the guns that come into our homes.
In many areas of the country, it is heresy to suggest it is time to get guns out of our homes.
But, I want y’all to take a very close look at statistics from the US Department of Justice. The evidence is overwhelming. We tell ourselves we have those guns in our homes to protect our families against the unlikely event an intruder will murder us with a gun (14%).
Source: US Department of Justice
But, the statistics tell a different story. We’re in far more danger of being fatally shot by someone we know (50.9%): the person in our beds (10.8%), a family member (8%), or a friend or acquaintance (32%). So, why do we have all those guns in our homes?
I started wondering about this when the judge pulled a loaded gun out of the nightstand, pointed it at my head, and said, “I can kill you and get away with it.” He wasn’t kidding, folks.
I called the sheriff’s office and asked if I could bring his arsenal of guns to them for safekeeping. No. I would be arrested for theft. So, I hid the guns in the linen closet. I knew he’d never look there. Yes, he was livid. He went into a purple rage. But, I knew I was safer with those guns well hidden.
With time and distance, I have come to appreciate that guns give men who feel impotent a sense of power and a feeling they are in control. My hunch was confirmed today by a law professor who has done extensive research on the issue. I’ve heard a million excuses as to why we need aresenals of guns in our homes. We’ve heard them so often that we almost believe them. But, the bottom line is that those guns are around because somebody at some point in his or her life wants to kill something.
Will it be you?
April 6, 2009 at 1:59 PM
My sister in-law works in the woods inventorying bug damage in trees in California. She has been followed by bears on several occasions. She now carries a gun while in the woods. She doesn’t want to kill anything. But if it’s her or the bear I think she might kill something.
What do you think?
April 6, 2009 at 3:29 PM
I think you are missing the point.
50.9% of the people murdered with a gun know the person who shot them.
You want to take that risk? Go ahead.
There’s also the civil and criminal liability attendant to owning a firearm that is used in a murder.
April 20, 2009 at 2:38 PM
I own several firearms in my home, and aside from a rifle I use for plinking (for fun), the rest are for personal protection and home defense. I hope I never have to use them, but they are there if I need them. I also own a fire extinguisher, and I hope I never need that as well. Would I get rid of either of them. No way.
Your stats are good, but you need to stck them up with violent crime using other weapons. Baseball bats, knives, tools, and even their own hands- these are more commonly used by non-aquaintances against victims. These happen too often for the media to really care to report them, unless it is particularly violent. Many of the victims would not be victims if they were properly trained for firearm use and had a gun to defend themselves.
It is true though, that those with a history of domestic violence should not be allowed to own a gun. You don’t put a gasoline can near a fire, but there is no reason to not be armed to protect yourself in an event that can be prevented.
A criminal will not go after a person or area that is known to conceal carry. Fact.
April 22, 2009 at 1:50 PM
Mr. James,
Thank you for your comment, but I think you missed the point. . .
You have a 14% chance of being fatally shot by an intruder.
But, you have a 50.9% chance of being fatally shot by someone you already know.
Anne Caroline
April 27, 2009 at 10:34 AM
This is why y’all need to get the guns out of your house. I hope y’all will take a moment to express your condolences to Jenna and her family:
http://eatliverun.com/keep-truckin/#comments
Jenna’s brother John was killed when a gun he was handling went off accidentally. He sounds like he was a fantastic person. Now, his life is over, and his family is suffering terribly.
We always think this won’t happen to us, but it does. When it does, it devastates everyone something awful.
May 6, 2009 at 11:31 AM
[...] away. This could happen to any of us. It’s why I’ve suggested y’all get the guns out of your house. Her husband Thomas’ intent on the fateful night in September 2004 in Hopedale, Ohio was [...]