Turning now to the "I Guess I Really
Didn't Know Everything After All" Department, it came to my attention in the midst of all the ink being spilled over the Fort Hood incident that, according to a law signed by President Clinton, the only personnel allowed to carry weapons on a military base are...MPs or other police officers. I thought I had misheard that, but apparently not. While on base, soldiers--people trained in the use, misuse, storage and cleaning of weapons of every sort--are prohibited from being armed. I don't know what the law says about soldiers off base, but the shooting was on base anyhow.
This is amazing. Here I thought that a military base would be the last place on Earth anyone would try this because of the number of loaded guns per cubic yard, but no--they're about as much a "gun free zone" as your average elementary school. (Well, maybe high school. Elementary schools haven't yet reached the point where an armed cop has to be on duty each day to avert gang fights and watch for pissed off students who intend to shoot up the place because someone dissed them at lunch yesterday).
Turns out Hasan had an open field in which to fire; he knew no one would be returning fire unless an MP was nearby. And, as it happened, only a civilian cop OUTSIDE the building was on hand to stop him.
What is keeping us from solving this ridiculous "gun violence" problem? For cryin' out loud, enough with all these "gun free zones." The only risk in "gun free zones" is encountering those who haven't read the sign, or don't care what it says. Like the ever-popular "drug free school zones" that are replete with drugs, "gun free zones" are an open invitation and notice to armed thugs to "Come in and make yourself at home." My alma mater, Va Tech, experienced one of the worst mass shootings since Pol Pot ran Cambodia, but that could have been largely averted with a few armed teachers and students on hand. Campus police are good to have on hand when it comes to getting yellow police tape run across a crime scene, but for offering protection before--or as--a crime is perpetrated, they're pretty much useless. Nothing quite like someone shooting back to get a would-be assassin's attention.
Let arms be allowed on campus by all who are of age and certified to use one. More guns=less crime. We've tried the "fewer guns=less crime" experiment. The jury is in. Didn't work.
islam
