Charleston - First Thoughts

Re: the Charleston, SC church shooting:

After my initial reaction of shock (nine dead - in a church, of all places) and sadness for the victims and their loved ones, my next thought was "Oh no, here we go again."

There will be the predictable - and misguided - calls for more gun control. But if this early report is accurate, the shooter had a criminal record

A 21-year-old white gunman with a criminal record... (emphasis added)

That means he couldn't legally possess a firearm.

So how did he get the weapon?

A man who identified himself as Roof's uncle said he had recently been give a .45-caliber handgun as a birthday present by his father and that the 21-year-old had seemed adrift.

Oh great. Give a .45 to someone who appears to have mental and/or emotional problems. Not a good idea.

Gun rights advocates will no doubt respond to the antis by pointing out: (1) the shooter broke existing laws in obtaining his weapon; and (2) the shooting took place in a gun-free zone (or at least in a place where no one was legally carrying).

He reloaded five times even as victims pleaded with him to stop...

That seems like an excessive number of reloads, but this is an early report and details are confused. In any event, if someone else was armed, it's likely that this tragedy could have been stopped before so many were dead.

And yes, I recognize the irony and ruefulness of suggesting that people go armed in a place of worship, but evil knows no boundaries. 'Protect yourself at all times' should be more than just a pre-fight instruction.

Another predictable reaction will be along racial lines. The media is already playing up that angle, with statements like:

The rampage came in a year that has seen months of racially charged protests across the United States over killings of black men.

A white police officer was charged with murder after he shot an unarmed black man in April in neighboring North Charleston.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which researches U.S. hate groups, said the attack illustrates the dangers that home-grown extremists pose.

How sad it is that in the face of this terrible tragedy, there are people who will use it to advance their own agendas. This should be a time for coming together, not for further division.