OMG. Another standoff, with Police 3 officers, possibly 5, dead so far.

No link, I'm just listening to MSNBC. PA, I think.

here's a link

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/04/pittsburgh.officers.shot/index.html

:cry:

I'm scared to death for him and my sister. :(

Senseless. It's all so senseless.

:eyes:

I own a few guns for personal defense & predator control. I have never entertained the thought of killing anyone for pissing me off. I do feel it is a good idea for me to have the ability to defend myself if needed. Living in a rural area I can expect a police response in under a half an hour if I am lucky. Having been trained in the use of firearms while serving my country I feel confident that I am capable. Being an old geezer of forty five years old & having no history of bad judgement or anger issues I feel confident I am not a danger to my neighbors or the public in general. I obey the law, unfortunately some do not. If we make guns illegal I will turn mine in, will the criminals?

Does it seem like there are more and more of these stories? Maybe it's the economy but I wish they would just kill themselves and not take anyone else with them.

No so with the guy in PA, far as I know. He was just a nutcase who shouldn't be able to buy guns. He got all liquored up and went nuts. I'm just heartbroken that 3 men, Police officers, were killed.

:(

"Poplawski had been laid off from his job at a glass factory earlier this year, said another friend"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090404/ap_on_re_us/pittsburgh_shooting

Nope. That couldn't be the problem. Its just isolated incidents. No factor in the universe could connect this with the crappy rightwing policies of the last, say, my lifetime. I know what it is. Its them furriners. "Wong" "Poplawski". That must be the real root problem here. Kickem all out, thats what I alus say.

I was afraid that kind of shit was going to happen.

I blame the likes of Limpballs, Reilly, Coulter, Palin, and the rest of the Fox news shit for whipping nutjobs like that into a frenzy.

I think they should all be frogmarched for inciting violence.

running his own internet radio show. Any guesses as to topics he may have covered?

That just sucks. Three families devastated, because of some nut job asshole. Just makes me fuckin' sick.

Cops are feeling the hurt. And that will translate itself the next time there is a questionable situation where a policeman has to chose what to do. Each of those shots that took down a police officer will echo large.

We don't need more hate/fear and a quicker trigger on Anyone right now.

when all of it revolves around domestic violence.

Domestic dispute erupted this morning. A man came home drunk, got into a fight with either his mother or mother in law, situation escalated, she called the cops. When police arrived, he began firing with an AK 47. The wounded officers were pinned down under fire for several hours before rescue personnel could reach them. Three died, the other two are wounded with what are believed to be minor injuries. Reports also indicate that the suspect was wounded, as was the women in the house with him. It's unclear yet if the house was booby trapped. Suspect was dishonorably discharged from the Marines for mental issues. Neighbors report having many unpleasant encounters with him.

What a shame.

definitely illegally. Federal law prohibits those with dishonorable discharges from owning firearms.

You either heard that wrong or they reported it wrong, Bunny. Dishonorable discharges require a court-martial judgment, and nobody's ever been court-martialed for "mental issues" since there's no rule prohibiting mental problems in the UCMJ.
He may have gotten a D.D. but it was for a violation or violations of the UCMJ, and if he committed the offense(s) while having mental issues then his legal representation at his court-martial did one heckuva crappy job defending him. :(

They said he was "dishonorably discharged" from "boot camp" for striking a DI with a cafeteria tray.

Another person who was interviewed said that the shooter wanted out of the Marines because of the intense training. (paraphrasing here)

The lack of mental health options for most people, the lack of jobs and money for others, and the ready availability of guns are a recipe for disaster.

Of course, that's IMHO, and I'm sure we'll have the gun nuts showing up momentarily to tell all of us that we're using the dead for our own political points. :eyes:

Here's a question: When does it get so bad that people begin to avoid crowds and other situations (like the workplace, anywhere,) that they could become another victim?

They need to add a mental health database screening on gun purchases. I agree 100% that some people should be barred from owning a gun, the big question is how to implement it so that it does not bar everyone.

As far as the avoiding crowds in order to not become a victim? Shootings like this are very rare. I think the key is to be aware of your surroundings, look for exits when you enter an area & watch other peoples behavior. There is no way that guns are going to disappear anytime soon so the best defense is awareness.

The NRA will not admit that it has people in its membership that are mentally unhinged. After all, their second amendment rights trump everyone else's rights to be safe from those who believe all their problems are solved with a gun.

Shootings may be rare, but they are happening with increasing frequency, and in places one would think were safe. (Community center, retirement home, church, last year's Bumbershoot in Seattle.) Anyone who doesn't think about it is not paying attention.

80 million plus gun owners in the United States but the NRA only has four million members.

they champion gun ownership for the general population, not just their membership.

So you'll just have to wait until 51% go off the deep end before we can even consider limiting the firepower readily available to criminals and crazies or tracking the weapons they routinely use. Ooops, wait a minute. Actually you can't even do it then because the US Constitution says it's your "civil right" to own a weapon capable of firing at least 200 rounds per minute. Sorry, I guess those old people should have been packing and it wouldn't have happened to them. It's really their own fault after all.

And the gun is something you'll always have... and is a lot less passive way of solving life's little problems.

:sarcasm:

Sad. Bad enough people that feel like they have nothing to lose by dying. Worse that they feel they have to take others with them.

What is wrong with us?

He's well taken care of now. After he fuckin' killed at least 3 Police officers! And wounded several others!

Come, we go pass out guns. In bars, and liquor stores.

I don't see a lot of DU members storming into places armed to the teeth and taking hostages. We seem to limit ourselves to nasty comments.

But it's downright scary out there!

Sorry if I offended.

At a press conference regaring the Binghamton, NY shootings....the officer in charge(or whomever) described the Binghamton shooter as a "coward" because he killed himself when he heard police sirens. Jerk !.does that make this nutjob in Pittsburgh a hero?

Think before you talk ! There are lots of nuts out there listening !

And guess what...they were both nutjobs...no cowards .... no heroes.....just frigging nutjobs !!!!!

I think we should just shoot them.

And I doubt its a good answer, despite the frustration.

Its all fucked up.