Armed, dangerous and dead

Milwaukee J-S ^ | 12 june 2014 | Kathleen Parker

[rellimpank]

So much for the argument that having more people armed in public places will result in fewer gun deaths.

One of the three killed recently by a Las Vegas couple, Jerad and Amanda Miller, was an armed civilian, Joseph Wilcox. Two police officers who were killed, Igor Soldo and Alyn Beck, were ambushed while having lunch. Seated in a booth, they had no chance to defend themselves, according to witnesses.

Wilcox, 31, was inside a Walmart when the Millers entered firing and ordering everyone to evacuate. Wilcox, who carried a gun, decided to confront the shooter, apparently unaware that Amanda was with Jerad. After he walked past her on his approach toward Jerad, Amanda fatally shot him.

During an ensuing gunfight with police, Amanda turned her gun on herself after Jerad was fatally shot. Whether they might have killed others had Wilcox not stepped forward — a decidedly brave if ill-advised act — we can't know. What we do know is that a civilian, perhaps emboldened to heroism because he had a gun, is dead.

Even as we honor Wilcox appropriately, his death should give pause to any who insist that having more armed citizens is the best defense against a would-be killer. Even if one person were to stop a killer in his tracks, it is not logical to extrapolate the occasional success story as proof of the argument.

It also may be unfair to extrapolate that one failure means that having guns in civilian pockets can't ever be helpful. Having an experienced, well-trained person armed with a gun in the right place at the right time might well thwart a slaughter, though inarguably, not everyone with a permit to carry meets those qualifications.

[servo1969]

Ah, Kathleen Parker...

I remember when she had columns on Townhall.com.
Then Obama got elected and she lost her f-ing mind.
It was seemed almost overnight. It was truly sickening how she bought into his schtick hook, line and sinker. She planted her lips firmly on his backside and has never taken them off.
Honestly, I’m surprised she can see to type.

[polymuser]

The shething wrote:

“Even if one person were to stop a killer in his tracks, it is not logical to extrapolate the occasional success story as proof of the argument.”

Libs live in upside down mentality. They are extreme hypocrites. They are actually, truly stupid, unable to see themselves making fools of themselves. Liberalism really is a mental disorder, deserving of psychotherapy.

[Carriage Hill]

LOL!

[Bubba_Leroy]

Whether they might have killed others had Wilcox not stepped forward — a decidedly brave if ill-advised act — we can't know.

Yes we do. Wilcox saved countless lives.

[shoff]

Kathleen can’t wrap her liberal mind around real acts of heroism. They are all for causes as long as someone else does the dirty work. In her mind supporting gun control is as brave as confronting an armed nut job. That is why the Muslim extremists are their kindred spirits. The most fervent supporters of terrorism say God is great but someone else should strap on the suicide belt.

[SoFloFreeper]

Kathleen Parker really is an ignoramus, isn’t she? Exceptions are found everywhere....one is tempted to believe she had this drivel already composed, ready for release whenever a case like this happened.

Too bad for her that the main principle REMAINED TRUE EVEN IN THIS CASE! To wit: the male perp was stopped by a PERSON WITH A GUN...a cop shot him.

[freeandfreezing]

By Ms. Parker's logic there is no reason for police officers to be armed, because after all being armed didn't help either of the police officers either. The fact that Mr. Wilcox was also killed trying to stop the people who murdered the police officers says no more about the benefit to society of carrying a firearm than does the loss of the equally armed police officers.

Mr. Wilcox should be honored for his efforts, his bravery may have saved many other lives.

Ms. Parker, by contrast, should be ridiculed for her idiocy.

[jiggyboy]

The “training” argument is a poor one anyway. How many times have we seen articles of cops shooting fifty or even more than a hundred bullets at one guy, hitting or killing others and causing thousands of dollars of property damage as well.

The picture of that swiss-cheesed blue pick-up truck of the Christopher Dorner manhunt suddenly comes to mind as well. “Training” indeed.

[GOPJ]

Even as we honor Wilcox appropriately, his death should give pause to any who insist that having more armed citizens is the best defense against a would-be killer.

Without the bravery of this one armed man, the list of dead would be much higher. Prayers for the family of Wilcox and his loved ones. He was an NRA soldier in the war against evil...

[dead]

Even if one person were to stop a killer in his tracks, it is not logical to extrapolate the occasional success story as proof of the argument.

But if one fails to stop the killer, it's proof of the counter argument.

Way to go, Socrates.

[CrazyIvan]

I wonder how much differently this would be reported if the CCL holder had instead been an off duty LEO.

[MulberryDraw]

Who shot Jerad? The article doesn’t tell us. It only says that he was fatally shot.

[rarestia]

The perp wins when they know who to target first. While I am an ardent open carry supporter, I also believe concealed carry is as much of a right as Constitutional carry.

In the old West, only criminals carried concealed. It was considered ungentlemanly to carry concealed. Only rogues did so. Nowadays, with so many cowards and criminals among us, carrying concealed is the only way to ensure a “fair” fight with a bad guy. Beat them at their own game.

[Ditter]

A couple of weeks ago K. Porker did write a column criticizing obama but I see she is still a flaming lib. I suspected that she had not changed into a Conservative but discovered that obama was no longer liberal enough for her.

[Jabba the Nutt]

Kathleen Parker was the "conservative" half of a CNN show with Eliot Spitzer. I'm just so glad, she knows what she's talking about. She complains about using an anecdote to support the idea that more armed law-abiding people reduce the amount killing. Then she uses the anecdote about this pair killing armed law-abiding citizen that this ends the argument for increasing the number of armed citizens on the streets.

Obviously, Kathleen Parker, elitist moron, never studied the issue, never read the data collected by John Lott in his book, "More guns, less crime". I'm pleased as punch, that Kathleen has deigned to inform us, the unworthy great unwashed about her genius ideas coming out the top of her head. Fabulous.

[Blue Collar Christian]

The cops killed were trained professionals with guns and they are dead.

This journalist is a dope.

[Dr. Sivana]

All your points are dead on.

Kathleen Parker is disgusting scum.

When I saw that name, it taught me a new distinction between liberals and conservatives in the media.

When liberals post-Gore want a left/right format on a program, they team a doctrinaire liberal (e.g. Spitzer) with a mushy moderate (Parker or Jennifer Rubin.) When NPR has their round table, the rightists are represented they usually have mushy faux-Republican guys like David Frum or David Brooks. (Frum isn't even a moderate)

When conservatives schedule such a left-right thing, we want a fire-breathing lefty on the air, either a James Carville fire-breather, or a Paul Begalia. That is, someone who never turns on his own, and can describe his position with force and clarity (to the degree that it can be clear.)

In short, we are not afraid of the left making its case. The left is extremely unwilling, perhaps afraid, of true conservatives given access to make their case, even with a lefty there to "correct" or rebut.

[NEMDF]

Because one, lonely example is sufficient to indicate that armed citizens are of no value when the bad guys show up, right? (/s)

[Noamie]

Several electric cars have caught fire.

I guess we just ban them all.

Logic: She has none.

[allendale]

Heroic people sometimes die. They are remembered. The wimps are soon forgotten.