Friday, May 3, 2013

NRA Convention in Houston - Gun Violence in the Airport

A man rides down an escalator at the George R. Brown Convention Center, ahead of the National Rifle Association's (NRA) annual meeting in Houston, Texas May 2, 2013. REUTERS/Adrees Latif
Reuters/Reuters - A man rides down an escalator at the George R. Brown Convention Center, ahead of the National Rifle Association's (NRA) annual meeting in Houston, Texas May 2, 2013. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

Yahoo News

Tens of thousands of National Rifle Association members gather in Houston this weekend for the first time since the U.S. Senate rejected a plan to expand background checks for gun buyers, but NRA officials said attendees would not sit back to celebrate victory.

"We view it as an opening battle in what will be a multi-year war," said Andrew Arulanandam, a spokesman for the NRA, which lobbied against the proposal. "We're definitely not resting on our laurels."
 
On Thursday, as thousands of NRA delegates were arriving for the conference, a man sparked a panic at a busy Houston airport terminal when he pulled out a gun and shot at the ceiling, then either shot himself or was killed by a security officer who confronted him.

Of course the gun-rights fanatics will disavow any association with this character.  That's what they do when one of their own acts badly.  I ask you, does he belong to the gun-control side or the pro-gun side?

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

14 comments:

  1. Let's see, this character shot wildly and hit no one and got stopped by a good guy with a gun. Yup, he's one of yours.

    Of course, the reality is that since we've been given no details about this man, we cannot say anything about what he might be. But I figured I'd play by your rules for a moment, Mikeb.

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  2. And with 100% predictability, Mike tries to tie this event to the NRA due to the temporal and geographic coincidence.

    To your question--who knows whether he belongs to one side, the other, or neither. The guy was mentally disturbed and decided to commit suicide by cop at the airport; I doubt he had an opinion on gun policy one way or the other.

    Your attempt to link this guy to the NRA, and to the rest of us more broadly is as stupid as if we tried to link you to everyone who committed suicide with something other than a gun, because they were obviously anti-gun and wouldn't even use a gun to punch their ticket.

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    1. Sorry T. and Greg, in this discussion the people of the world are divided in two groups, gun owner and non-gun owners. He's yours. And I can't wait to see how many other "coincidences" we have in Houston this weekend.

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    2. Your problem, Mikeb, is that you see the world in simplistic terms. Reality is much more complex and interesting, but I fear that you're just too lacking--either in mental capacity or in curiosity--to see that.

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    3. Can't wait huh? Why, I bet you'd just ruin your pants if we got another Newtown today! An orgy of death and violence, perfectly timed to help your side.

      While you're waiting on the edge of your seat for anything you can tie to the NRA, the human beings will be praying that nothing happens, just like we do every day, and shaking our heads in disgust at you.


      Final note, your division of gun owners and non gun owners is just dumb. There are non gun owners who support the second amendment, and there are people with guns who support your side of the political argument. You ignore the former, and trumpet the latter as being on your side whenever it suits you, but then try to force us to take responsibility for every Tom, Dick, and Harry who misuses a gun.

      It's a foolish and juvenile tactic and shows the weakness of your argument that you have to resort to such tactics to promote it.

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    4. Like you, I divide the world into two camps, but I do it when discussing crime. So, as a person of Italian extraction from New Jersey did you call Simone DeCavalcante "zio" or "avo" (or perhaps "nonno")? I ask because, you know, the world consists of Italian crime families and everyone else. That's the reason I find it so "coincidental" that you were in Las Vegas. Of course, that leads to the questions of whose idea it was for you to leave the US as well as how you manage to visit incognito. I'm always curious as to how many coincidental criminal incidents there will be anytime an area experiences an influx of Italians.

      Clearly, all the above is crap, though some people I've met believe it or something similar and equally stupid. It's based on fear, hatred and stereotypes. It has no place in reasoned discussion and deserves to be ridiculed and exposed as the evil nonsense it is. Sadly, Mike, it's how you frequently reason and argue. You are only 60 years old as I recall. At such a still young age, how have you come to display the characteristics of an angry, bitter old man?

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    5. MikeB: "Sorry T. and Greg, in this discussion the people of the world are divided in two groups, gun owner and non-gun owners. He's yours"

      No, no, no. Diane Fienstein is on YOUR side. We don't want her. You can have Dog Gone and Laci too.

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    6. By Mikeb's rules, I have determined that "the people of the world are divided in two groups," proponents of "gun control," and opponents of same.

      Here is the new president of the first group: Aurora Sentinel Editor Dave Perry, who advocates sending the NRA's four million+ members to Guantanamo, which he cheerfully acknowledges would utterly erase any pretense of due process.

      Oh--and he's not kidding:

      I’m not laughing.

      That sick sack of shit is yours, Mikeb. He deserves your worship, and I know he'll get it.

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    7. I don't believe that bit of hyperbole is to be taken literally, unless, of course, you want to do a big [sic] on him and make something of it. That is one of your specialties.

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    8. RM: "You are only 60 years old as I recall. At such a still young age..."

      I am a young 60, if I say so myself. Thanks for noticing.

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    9. "When I was a child, I thought as a child...."

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    10. Ha! I caught you in another "gotcha". I clearly remember several years ago you saying you were "in your 50's", now all of a sudden you are 60? Typical MikeB...

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    11. Is that a joke, TS?

      Kurt, are you saying that IF La Pierre said something foul and IF I criticized him for it, then I'd be a hypocrite? That's a lot of ifs, isn't it?

      I'm deleting your comment for the unnecessary nastiness.

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    12. Yes. I am familiar with the concept of aging. Have you disqualified yourself from gun ownership yet?

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