The murder spree of a still-missing madman in central Maine is resulting in the usual political and social screaming back and forth. Including the loud (and vote-mongering) mea culpa of some Congress-crittur who is betraying his oath of office by in essence calling for the repeal of the Second Amendment, reversing his previous opposition to “assault weapon” bans.
Eighteen dead (originally reported as 22, for some reason) in two different attacks in Lewiston (an important National Guard basing town) by a man with well-known mental illness who is or was a Maine Army National Guardsman is a bitter pill. The city and their families and friends have our sympathy and we share their sorrow.
A recent story reports that several people died when charging at the killer. One of them was actually armed. With a butcher knife. Apparently no one else was armed – at least with a firearm – in either of these two crowded venues. Another woman was shot and killed as she stood at the bar and tried to call 9-1-1.
The blunt truth? Virtually none of these people need to have died at the hands of this monster in human form. Why?
As Rob Morse reminded us recently, one in four Americans owns a gun. Let us say that only one if ten has a handgun suitable for everyday carry. That is still 2-3 of every 100 Americans. Maine is a “permitless concealed carry” state.
But…
People – not even employees – are allowed by State law to have a gun in places that serve liquor to be consumed on-site. In other words, bars and grills and many other places are target-rich environments with little or no risk to the killer.
And apparently the people of Lewiston in these places were “law-abiding” citizens who could not force themselves to care for one another enough to violate a stupid, murderous state law. To be blunt.
But there is more. The people there were not taught the basics of defense against brutal, mad killers. No “duck and cover” – just panic and run away, giving the killer easy shots. Or stand at the bar and pull out your cell phone to dial 9-1-1 while not taking basic precautions. Rush head-on at the murderer giving him time for two shots to your chest.
And depend on 9-1-1? Oleg Volk, over the years, has created some posters addressing that stupidity. Here are a few of his best:
Visit Oleg’s blog and store.
The Price of Liberty 
Halloween chills and safety
Tomorrow is “All Saints’ Eve,” better known as Halloween, to many the official highlight of Fall. Fortunately, governments have not (to our knowledge, at least) made this yet another federal holiday. And although apparently many government-run tax-funded schools have decided that the holiday violates their religious beliefs (in Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity), most children look forward to it.
With recent killings in Maine and elsewhere, the media is trying (and often succeeding, together with hoplophobic and hoploclastic media) to demonize gun owners, guns, and the idea of self-defense as a God-given right.
We suggest the following article by Cheryl Todd at her website to be shared with family and friends, including those who may be disturbed by the propaganda filling the ether and the air.