Pinelake Health and Rehab: More killings in ‘gun free’ zones
March 30th, 2009 by Syd
Pinelake Health and Rehab: More killings in ‘gun free’ zones
On Sunday morning, gunman Robert Stewart barged into Pinelake Health and Rehab in Carthage, North Carolina, and killed seven patients and a nurse, wounding three others. As in previous massacres, the killer picked a so-called “gun free” zone where firearms are officially prohibited. According to an employee of Peak Resources Incorporated, which operates Pinelake and five other health care facilities, all of their facilities are posted against concealed weapons.
Read the whole thing here
I feel compelled to add at this point, that as sympathetic as I am to the point of view expressed above, these crazy shootings are a disaster for our gun rights. I can’t really see a day when workers at nursing homes, day cares, and schools will be armed to the teeth and adequately trained to repel an attack such as this. Consequently, each of these crazy shootings provides ammunition to the gun grabbers and strengthens the political of will of a growing number of Americans who are tired of having their “safe places” turned into shooting galleries. We know that there aren’t any real safe places, but that crystalline logic is not enough to dissuade those who feel a need to “do something” to make their world “safer.” They will do something, even if it’s wrong.
As gun owners, we need to do more than just rely on the old clichés: “See, if everyone had a gun, this wouldn’t have happened,” or “Nobody ever shoots up a gun shop.” When we do this, we are “preaching to the choir” but no one else is listening. I don’t pretend to know the answer, but I do know that our easy answers, as logical as they may be, are wearing thin on a lot of folks.
The tragic fact of the matter is that these things will continue to happen no matter what laws are passed. Are you familiar with what happened at the Appalachian Law School in VA, January 2002? A gunman opened fire on campus and made international news. What the majority of the news stories left out is that two male students had firearms in their cars. These two heroic students ran for their guns and held up the gunman who then dropped his gun and they wrestled him to the ground until the authorities arrived.
My Mom, Louise De Kler, age 98 was one of the killed victims that day. She was the oldest victim. She was waiting for my sister at the front door and was the first one killed. I guess maybe Robert Stewart didn’t read the sign (No Weapons). Jerry Avante was the youngest killed victim who we knew and loved also. Jerry was military trained, and I’m sure quite capable of handling a fire arm. The signs on doors stating “No weapons” might as well say “Please enter and do what you will Scum of the Earth” Responsible weapon carriers have their hands tied. Scums have the assurance they will not be fired upon.
“Yup…makes sense to me”. In visiting another medical facility soon after my Mom’s death, I was told by a staff member “That incident would have never happened here” I realized after I left…..They were armed (in their “Gun Free Zone”)… Hoorah! for them. They may be breaking the (sign) law, but the chances of people losing their lives while visiting their facility, would have been reduced significantly. Other countries have tried the “take away weapons approach”…Crime sky rocketed. My Mom and 7 other people, lost their lives that day to a Maniac shooting a gun. A Maniac feeling totally, protected in knowing “No one in the Gun Free Area could stop him. Wake up America… This isn’t the safe country it use to be.