Consequences of Hate

Shocked as we may be by the shooting at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, the momentary reaction of anger, shame or remorse still does not deal with the gut issues raised by James von Brunn's murder of the security guard Stephen Tyrone Johns.

Just how was this hate-filled neo-Nazi with a prison record of four to six years able to gain access to the gun that ended Johns' life? Surely, the lax gun laws must have had something to do with it. Von Brunn was under federal observation for years. That should have prevented a convicted felon like him from ever again purchasing a deadly weapon of any caliber. But it didn't and the question is why not?

Von Brunn's hatred of Jews, Blacks, Gays and the Federal government is a singularly important reminder that American society is still under siege, constantly under the threat of hatred and its consequences. Coming immediately after the murder of a respected abortion doctor in Kansas, it is another bizarre example of how individual Americans can unleash their rage to right what they consider wrong by resorting to a gun as their chief weapon of protest.

In April, at least a dozen people were gunned down in an immigration services center in Binghamton, New York. In March, eight people were shot and killed in a health and rehabilitation center North Carolina. The killer would have murdered more innocent victims had a police officer not shot him to end his rampage.

Other killings occurred earlier this year in California, Alabama and Illinois. In a society that is thought to possess effective policing, violent, bizarre behavior unfolded in April 2007 when a single student shot and killed 32 other students and then committed suicide on the campus of Virginia Tech University.

The shocking record of uncontrolled homicides is a national embarrassment that is hardly a record the United States can be proud of. Hiding behind a twisted view of the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and backed by the National Rifle Association, gun owners have virtual freedom to hold fellow Americans hostage to a centuries-old madness; the right to bear arms.

The mass murders at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, in Killeen, Texas and in San Ysidro, California have not escaped our memories or let us say, they should not have escaped the outrage most citizens felt after the killings occurred.. But the NRA has the money and thereby the persuasive power on Capitol Hill to prevent passage of any legislation that would make America a safer place in which to live.

In some foreign countries where prohibitive gun control laws are in effect, the public is allowed to join organized gun clubs that permit individual enthusiasts to check out weapons for hunting purposes in designated areas.

Until we get over the whacky notion that everyone in America needs a gun for self-defense because police departments are unable to provide it, we are forced to worry about another nut case like James von Brunn lurking in the hallway of a museum, library, school, university or any other public place we normally consider safe.

Comments

[Ohio9]

"Just how was this hate-filled neo-Nazi with a prison record of four to six years able to gain access to the gun that ended Johns' life? Surely, the lax gun laws must have had something to do with it."

Couldn't the fact that Von Brunn was a criminal who didn't care about any laws have something to do with it?

"The mass murders at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, in Killeen, Texas and in San Ysidro, California have not escaped our memories"

Correct. All of those incidents occured in "gun free zones", showing the uselessness of said policies. Also, the one of the victims of the Luby's massacre in Kileen, Suzanna Hupp, successfully argued that incident was proof that citizens need the right to bear arms for self defense, leading to Texas legalizing CCW in 1995.

"But the NRA has the money and thereby the persuasive power on Capitol Hill to prevent passage of any legislation that would make America a safer place in which to live"

By "safer" you mean safer for violent criminals who want a large pool of unarmed victims to prey on.

"Until we get over the whacky notion that everyone in America needs a gun for self-defense because police departments are unable to provide it..........."

That so called "wacky notion" happeneds to be factualy correct. The police have no duty nor ability to protect every citizen, and it is a shame you cling the absurd fantasy that they do.

[Mark0]

"But the NRA has the money and thereby the persuasive power on Capitol Hill to prevent passage of any legislation that would make America a safer place in which to live." --Murray Fromson

Please tell me Mr. Fromson, specifically, which law would you have liked to see passed that would have stopped the tragic shooting at the Holocaust Museum?
Murder is already illegal.
A criminal in possession of a firearm is already illegal.
Possession/discharge of a firearm at that location is already illegal.
Hate is already illegal.

Those laws, and several more, did nothing to stop this act of violence.
How many more laws do we need to make before we come to the realization that the problem with criminals is that they do not obey the law or laws (however many you deem to make)?

The proper laws are already in place. Passing more is not going to make America a safer place, as you claim, nor is the NRA standing between Americans and their safety. From where I stand they are preserving safety that you attempt to denigrate.

"Surely, the lax gun laws must have had something to do with it. "--Murray Fromson

Here again, which "lax gun law" are you blaming for the actions of this criminal? What law would have stopped it? What statute do you want to see changed in the name of American's safety? Please be specific.

[HisXLNC]

"In some foreign countries where prohibitive gun control laws are in effect, the public is allowed to join organized gun clubs that permit individual enthusiasts to check out weapons for hunting purposes in designated areas."

Is it merely a coincidence that those same foreign countries have all had dictatorships and genocides of some sort in the last 100 years?

[OdinsEye]

"for self-defense because police departments are unable to provide it"

Unable and not required to.


//signed//
A Cop

[OdinsEye]

"Hiding behind a twisted view of the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution "

There is nothing twisted about the view that the Second Amendment refers to an individual right. The US Supreme Court has indicated for decades that it is an individual right and grammatical analysis shows that it must be an individual right.

[iluvusa]

If you take away gun rights you only really take guns away from law abiding citizens who give their guns up willfully. Those who are crazy and commit acts of violence will not give up their guns. This leaves people helpless to defend themselves and their family; In huge parts of the country the response time is slower than the pizza delivery man. As sad as this was you only hear about bad things when it comes to guns- when thousands have been saved by our second amendment rights. It's intellectually lazy to think taking everyone's guns is the best solution.

[djkrlsn]

The only way I can think of to keep guns away from violent felons like von Brunn is regular police or probation officer contacts with rather rigorous inspections and if a firearm is found in the vehicle/residence he is in (regardless of who it belongs to) said felon goes to the pen for 5 to10 years

[Nommo]

The most dangerous thinking defines Von Brunn as some kind of isolated nut case. It fails to point the focus on those who were supposed to keep this guy under wraps. It fails as well to note that there are a slew of Von Brunns out there. Some of them were visible at McCain/Palin rallies, some sit at the feet of a Pat Buchanan type daily, and some are organized, armed and well financed and aiming to do a lot more damage than this lone nut could have done.
The question that no one seems to ask is why a man has to die before anyone besides Morris Dees and the SPLC pays attention to this ilk?

[TRUE BLUE AMERICAN]

This is a nutcase issue , not a gun issue. Every American has the right to own a gun ( if they qualify) period. Murray doesn't seem to understand the 2nd amendment or the fact that if there were no guns we would have to go after knives etc. because nutcases will always find a way, it's just a part of life.

[superstition]

"Von Brunn's hatred of Jews, Blacks, Gays and the Federal government..."

This is the first time I've heard anyone include gays in the list. The TV news channels I watched only included the first two. I assumed gays would be part of the list, but the fact that this is censored by our mainstream media certainly is part of the problem.

[TryToBeFlexible]

Good point. I guess the "mainstream" media doesn't think hating gays is really newsworthy. Not like hating Jews or Blacks.

[iluvusa]

aaaawwwww you mean you didn't get to be hated today...how sad for you. Maybe tomorrow you'll have the opportunity to be a victim COME ON PEOPLE