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Posted on 07/21/2012 8:51:43 AM PDT by marktwain
You know, my daughters go to the movies. What if Malia and Sasha had been at the theater, as so many of our kids do every day? -- Barack Obama reacting to the "Colorado Movie Massacre."
I'll tell you what would have happened -- the Secret Service protective detail would have put several bullets through the facepiece of the moke's gas mask -- end of story. The hypocrisy of these Mandarins, who live in bodyguard envelopes whenever they venture out of their designated Green Zones, knows no bounds. One of my daughters went to another midnight showing of the same movie here in Birmingham last night. She went with her boyfriend who was packing his permitted FEG Browning Hi-Power clone, despite the fact that the theater has a "no guns" policy.
Virginia Citizens Defense League lists Cinemark Theaters (which also owns Tinseltown, Cinearts, and Century Theatres) as being victim disarmament zones upon orders of the management. If so, it was only a matter of time before something like this happened.
Of course, as I lay on the couch upstairs this morning trying to control my nausea, I watched the predictable blood dancers of the victim disarmament crowd (Bloomberg, the Brady Bunch, et. al.) who made it more difficult to hold down my breakfast (a struggle I ultimately lost).
To me, the lesson of last night is to ignore Victim Disarmament Zones and pack concealed anyway. Only you are responsible for your safety, not some risk-averse corporate drone a thousand miles away.
We will find out in time what motivated this evil prick, but the essential lesson is that only the ARMED intended victims of a mass shooting can interrupt them in time to make a difference. The same goes for government-sponsored genocides.
What is interesting is the “fight or flight” response of the masses today. Had 20 rushed him it would have been over but it sounds like everyone ran.
That will work until we have to pass thru a metal detector just to get into the movies.
The libs cannot comprehend that law enforcement is only effective after a crime has been committed. If you find yourself in the middle of a crime you can only rely on me, myself and I.
It was dark, he was wearing black and a ballistic vest, CS gas makes you cry, and people were running in a panic.
I've trained in tactical situations, and I would not be very confident in bringing the perp down.
5.56mm
These mass shootings are all done by mentally imbalanced people, but all of them are sane enough to commit their deeds in no-gun zones.
But I would have given my life trying to protect the others...
I hear you. However, if it was clear that more people were going to get shot, including myself, it would be worth the extra risk to bring him down. Aim for what is not protected.
>>I’ve trained in tactical situations, and I would not be very confident in bringing the perp down.
What’s your confidence level for bringing him down if you are not armed? Most people aren’t saying that a guy with a Kel-Tec or J-frame should go charging up to a guy with an assault rifle. But, when you find yourself cornered by the press of the crowd on one side and the armed nutjob on the other, that little pocket gun is at least a chance to survive.
And think of the lawsuits against you if one of your shots hit someone.
What was amazing to me is that nobody tried to jump him. They were so close. Just one person jump on him, and others would follow.
We need a "Let's Roll!" attitude in facing evil.
I defer to your training in that assessment and take it at face value as accurate. But the difference between being armed and being unarmed is the difference between difficult and near impossible.
Sharp claws are better than soft paws, knives are bettrer than knuckles, and a pistol is better than either.
Don't know how it would turn out with one, but you do know how it turns out without one.
ps, body armor is nice, but still hurts like hell and sets one back to catch a fat round center of mass.
That would not had affected this situation. The theater did not secure the exit doors by either passive or active monitoring of their use. Security measures exist to monitor or alarm these doors as well as the software to indicate an out of normal opening or closing of these doors. As far as the taping over the strike, additional measures such as magnetic latches would also have prevented this from happening. The theater owners are in deep legal trouble on this.
I believer the applicable words are “Close with and destroy the enemy” and maybe “If you’re going to go down, take them down with you”.
Of course I’m writing that as an overage, armchair Rambo sitting at a computer.
Could I have actually done it or tried it? I don’t know since I’ve never been in the situation. I hope I’ll never have to find out.
(Yeah...that'll do it...place more weapons of destruction @ his ready disposal /sarc)
Agreed.
While I hate placing the primary focus/"blame" on anybody other than the terrorists, the theater didn't even need to place security people directly @ the doors -- until an alarm would signal that a door's been propped open for "x" amount of time. I mean such an alarm makes financial sense alone (freeloaders getting in)
Huffington Post comments from hand wringing liberals to ban guns, ban the NRA, and make guns so expensively stupid taxed it will make them harder to get. Libs never blame the shooter, but the gun or those that “allow” guns or ammo, when we have a right to bear arms. They never understand our own 2nd ammendment. Would they have told the founding fathers to their face they were wrong? Do the libs have that much gaul to have insulted the founding fathers to their faces?
It was a dark theater, and he started with smoke bombs. Even armed the smart move was to duck, there’s no way to have target certainty in that environment.
BTW...per interview with a neighboring family of his apartment complex, Holmes set his music to blare for an hour straight (midnight-->1 a.m.) and may have left his apt unlocked. A teen girl was sent (or went) from I believe the apt below (may have been nextdoor) to knock on his door to ask him to turn down the music. She said she jiggled the door to see if it was unlocked, but something inwardly told her NOT to open the door.
Very good point, PowderMonkey. Most people, especially the youth, lack basic preparedness--simple judgment. Shoes, jackets, water...not to mention awareness of surroundings. Most are in what Jeff Cooper called "condition white", blissful unawareness of surroundings.
I carry a small tactical flashlight when I go to the theater. In this low light env the high intensity light would have blinded the shooter long enough to approach or evade. It will be a bullet magnet, so do not leave it on continuously, or activate it when it is center of mass?! Of course I'd just shoot him, but I avoid gun free zones. I am armed generally unless there are metal scanners or pat downs.
I disagree. Four or five people pelting him with lead moving 700 to 1000 feet per second would have been a powerful distraction, even to someone wearing full body armor. One or two of those on the head, even with the protective helmet, would be a threat stopper. At the very least it would have provided others an opportunity to escape.
Something we should be teaching our children. I learned my lesson on the subject as a teenager, and later in life applied it (in a situation caused by my own stupidity, but it worked).
The problem with the authors thinking is how important is it to see a movie? If the theater has a no gun policy, and you willingly ignore it, you are saying that the film is so important that it is worth not only dissecting property rights, but breaking the law.
Honestly. If the theater’s policy is untenable, don’t patronize. It is that simple.
True. In some cases the attitude is a willingness to break the law and carry anyway.
“...in a situation caused by my own stupidity,...”
I think we’ve all had those. The trick is in recognizing it. :)
Be prepared to hear from invincible posters who will never be in danger because they are armed.
Thanks for the checklist. I do these evualuations too. It has become second nature.
When I served jury duty recently I had to leave my gun and pocket knife in a lock box. What am I a three year old who cant be trusted by the nanny State? However I did have my hickory fighting short staff (cane) with me (what a comfort) and even took it into the court room. I would rather have it than the knife.
As for the 2nd comimg I have placed my faith in the only one who can be trusted, the Lord Jesus Christ. And I look forward to his coming with a “perfect heart”, since he has forgiven me of my sins.. “I will sing of mercy and judgment, unto thee, O Lord, will I sing. I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.” (Psalm 101:1,2)
One of the first things I said to Mrs. Delta was that there are gonna be law suits all around. The finding of the theaters negligence will truly magnify it.
: But normal everyday concealed carry movie goes who truely respect the law, thats why we got a cc permit in the first place, will enter thru the front door, and as in this case either left their weapons in the car or at home because we were aware that the theater is a gun free zone. Admittedly I now feel that the misdemeanor charge of carrying where youre not supposed to is right up there with spitting on the sidewalk or jay-walking. But the liberals through legislation or the business owners because of liability will have permanently installed metal detectors at the front doors and you wont be able to carry it in even if you wanted to.
Yep !! I dont patronize businesses that dont want me in their establishment for any reason.
invincible - hardly
never be in danger - not in this world
armed - you betcha, but then I have been living by PowderMonkey's checklist for a very long time. If my weapon ever has to come to bear on a target, SHTF/WROL has come upon us and I will survive.
Thanks for the checklist. I do these evualuations too. It has become second nature.
When I served jury duty recently I had to leave my gun and pocket knife in a lock box. What am I a three year old who cant be trusted by the nanny State? However I did have my hickory fighting short staff (cane) with me (what a comfort) and even took it into the court room. I would rather have it than the knife.
As for the 2nd comimg I have placed my faith in the only one who can be trusted, the Lord Jesus Christ. And I look forward to his coming with a “perfect heart”, since he has forgiven me of my sins.. “I will sing of mercy and judgment, unto thee, O Lord, will I sing. I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.” (Psalm 101:1,2)
I’m armed as well. However I’m well aware that better men than me have died with guns in their hands. Only a fool of the greatest magnitude believes he can’t lose in a firefight.
No doubt I would have had confidence issues as well when a night on the town turns into a shooting gallery.
But as you were crouching down behind the best cover you can find, securing your weapon in your hands, praying to our maker for the strength to do the thing that you do not want to do, and scanning the situation, see one or two or maybe more doing the same thing.
The odds are dramatically different now!! The streets belong to FREE men. Not the criminals !!
http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2012/07/marine-new-york-city-poolees-foil-robbery-072112w/
Romney should be pushing this type of response.
Sue them back to the cave man wall painting days
If you are dwelling on losing, perhaps you shouldn't get in the fight. I will win. I will continue to think I will win until I am dead. Losers think about losing, winners win. There is no second place in a gunfight.
It’s a damn shame that there wasn’t a few Marines in the audience, sitting close to the nutcase. People rarely consider how fast an attacker can cover twenty feet until they see it done. Slam into the shooter and a quick jab to the eye with a thumb deeply embedded into the brain will give the coroner a few hours work.
Suppose he strolled up, confident you are about to be his next victim. He’s calm & about 6 feet away. He starts to raise his rifle.
If you had a revolver in your hand, with nothing to lose, could you raise YOUR arm, placing your revolver about 3 feet from his face, and pull the trigger?
I’d bet money you could - if you didn’t panic. And of course, someone who panics will just about always lose.
But then, maybe HE would panic to see the tip of a 357 Mag appear unexpectedly 3 feet from his nose.
And for reference, even if he shot you in the chest, you’d have enough blood left in your noggin to allow you to return fire for 5-20 seconds. Could a dying man empty a revolver in 5 seconds? At point blank range in the bastard’s face?
I was in agreement with the author but I think you have the better point.
Pride goeth before the fall. Care to guess in your hubris where that comes from?
Yeah it kills me when conservatives don’t respect property rights. The only place I get iffy is on the job, because choosing between your right to self defense and feeding your family is a rock and a hard spot. However, when seeing a movie or getting a cup of coffee comes down to breaking the law or disarming, just pass on the damned movie or coffee.
You have twice now attempted to personally insult me, while I have not so treated you.
So here is the deal. You can hope to stop an incoming round with your Bible, and I'll use mine to read over the scumbag's body. We can meet afterwards for a beer, if you can make it.
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