Ending Massacres for Good - by Jeff Knox

[WhiteFeather]

Got this email from Harry Schneider that forwarded an excellent article by Jeff Knox

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From: fcalerts-list-bounces@firearmscoalition.org [mailto:fcalerts-list-bounces@firearmscoalition.org] On Behalf Of Firearms Coalition
Sent: Friday, February 15, 2008 2:01 AM
To: fcalerts-list@knoxcomm.com
Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Copy Cats


There was another tragedy at a school yesterday. It might have been preventable. It might have been stoppable. An armed citizen might have ended the killing. But not in Illinois. The Illinois government doesn’t trust its citizens with guns.

After the tragedy at Virginia Tech I wrote the attached piece. It makes some good points, but there was a major flaw in it. As mentioned in the article, one of the primary motivators for this kind of senseless crime is the public recognition that the murderers receive. They post pictures and videos on FaceBook and MySpace that they know will be plastered on the evening news and they write nonsensical diatribes about the unfairness and depravity in the world as if they are some sort of messiah or avenging angel. The truth is that they are just demented cowards seeking attention. The flaw in the attached article was that I mentioned the names of some of the murderers.

The media figured out long ago that it’s a bad idea to show streakers and unruly fans at football and baseball games. When some idiot runs out onto the field in his birthday suit the cameras cut away and the announcers just comment that there’s an idiot screwing up the game. They never publicize the moron’s name or discuss his actions because they know that the publicity will just encourage some other moron to play copy-cat. For some reason they can’t maintain that kind of standard when mass murder is involved. They seek out the murderer’s family and friends, they publish their rants and photo’s and they give the bastards exactly what they want – fame.

I’m just a little-bitty corner of the media; a small voice crying out in the wilderness, but I will never again name a murderer or play a role in keeping his memory alive. I hope that others in the media will grow a conscience and do likewise. I don’t expect it, but I will continue to hope.

You can help by supporting our work, reposting this and our other writings widely on the internet and at gun clubs and shops, and by supporting Students for Concealed Carry on Campus (SCCC) at www.ConcealedCampus.org. They are organizing another of their “Empty Holster” protests for the week of April 21 through 25. Students around the country will strap on empty holsters that week as a visible protest against being denied the right to defend themselves. SCCC is looking for students and student groups on campuses nationwide to participate in the protest and for gunowners to help out by spreading the word, donating or loaning holsters, and of course helping to pay for the whole thing.

My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and families of this selfish, cowardly monster. My actions and writings will continue to focus on restoring the basic human right of self-defense in an effort to give future victims a fighting chance. These tragedies can be prevented and stopped. It’s time to end imaginary “Gun Free Zones” and stop disarming victims.

Yours for the Second Amendment,

Jeff Knox
The Firearms Coalition





Ending Massacres for Good

By Jeff Knox

(Manassas, VA, April 17, 2007) Thirty two students and faculty members of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University were brutally murdered on April 16. The story attracted massive media attention all over the world. Not the worst school massacre in U.S. history, but the most deadly school shooting (the worst used bombs not guns). In the aftermath, a serious concern is that history says such highly publicized criminal acts generate copycat crimes; the greater the media coverage, the more copycats – and they may take years to act. Every parent of college students in the United States, and every student, needs to be thinking about that fact and devising action plans.

No gun control law, no campus alert system, no increased police presence, buddy-system walking plan, or emergency call-box can stop a killer committed to the idea of immortalizing himself through murder. The only gun law which might have mitigated the carnage at Virginia Tech was a law rejected at the urging of school administrators in the past two sessions of the Virginia Legislature: a law forbidding state colleges and universities to prohibit lawful firearms possession on their campuses.

If concealed weapons permit holders were not prohibited from bringing their guns onto the campus, would one or more of them likely have been in a position to abbreviate this latest tragedy? That’s hard to say, but there can be no argument that the school’s policy of disarmament guaranteed that there would be virtually no chance of any of the victims mounting an armed response.

The previous “worst shooting in U.S. history” was almost stopped by a young woman who happened to be in Luby’s Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas having lunch with her parents when XXXXXXX drove his truck through the front window and began methodically executing people.

Suzanna Gratia (now Suzanna Hupp), had been convinced to carry a gun by a prosecutor friend and she had done so without incident for quite some time, but had recently begun to worry about the legal ramifications of being caught with the weapon. Texas did not have any provision for legal concealed carry of firearms at that time and Suzanna was worried about losing her chiropractic license. She had left the gun in her glove box rather than carrying it in her purse.

When the shooting started, Suzie instinctively reached for her purse before realizing that it would do her no good. In the next few minutes, 23 people were murdered, including both of Suzie’s parents, and many more were wounded. Throughout the ordeal, no matter how desperately she wanted it, Suzanna Gratia was unable to psychically transport the .38 S&W Chief’s Special from her locked glove box back into her purse where it could do her and the others in the restaurant some good.

Another friend, Jacquie Miller, had her gun with her in spite of Kentucky law forbidding it. Unfortunately, retrieving her gun took just a second too long. XXXXXXX shot her just as her hand wrapped around the butt of her Charter Arms revolver.

Both of these women suffered greatly and both went on to champion the cause of legal concealed carry laws. Both of their attackers took their own lives after snuffing out the lives of many others. Both of these women knew that they could have dramatically abbreviated these deadly sprees. As Suzanna likes to say, having a gun might not prevent an attack, but it certainly will make one end quicker.

Unfortunately, from a PR standpoint, shooting sprees that are cut short by armed citizens don’t break any death-toll records and therefore don’t receive much media attention. In 1997, after XXXXXXX had stabbed his mother to death and shot and killed his ex-girlfriend as well as wounding several other students in Pearl, Mississippi, Assistant Principal Joel Myrick used a .45 Auto to apprehend XXXXXXX and hold him for police. XXXXXXX still had a lot of ammo and police suspect he was on his way to another school to continue his rampage. Joel Myrick, and the illegal gun he had retrieved from his car, cut those plans short.

As students and parents take a closer look at college security and think about the inevitable copycat attacks that will occur over the next year or two, personal security must be carefully considered. A firearm and training should be a part of that consideration.

Carrying a gun is like wearing a seatbelt. You don’t wear a seatbelt because you expect or hope to get into a car wreck. You wear it because you never know what might happen and wearing it could save your life.

Permission to reprint or post this article in its entirety is hereby granted provided this credit is included. To Receive the Firearms Coalition’s bi-monthly newsletter, The Hard Corps Report, send a contribution to The Firearms Coalition, PO Box 3313, Manassas, VA 20108 or visit FirearmsCoalition.org and ShotgunNews.com ©Copyright 2007-2008 Neal Knox Associates

[bogey1]

great post... but it sounds like it makes too much sense, what would the media do if they couldnt talk about murderers and killings?

[Sparhawk]

I agree with you whole heartedly!!!!

[knight0334]

If they really want to end these massacres - issue every person a gun, 150rds of ammo, and a license to kill those who do that crap..

[Roscoe]

great post... but it sounds like it makes too much sense, what would the media do if they couldnt talk about murderers and killings?

Bingo..............They'd be afraid they would lose there sponsors, and the millions they get paid to Sensationalize the news. They don't report the news any longer, they make it an EVENT, all for selling advertising space for cereal, toilet paper or carpet cleaner.

In my estimation the News Media needs to step up and accept responsibility for immortalizing these sick bastards.

Imagine this ..."If I'm a friggen loser and a psychopath and I want to leave my mark on society, how better than killing a bunch of unarmed students, get my name blasted all over the national news, and be immortalized for years to come".

I get even with all the people I thought (in my sick twisted psychopathic mind) harassed me or I was jealous of AND I get Immortalized all in one fell swope.

Hence I'm not a loser they are............................

The News Media is to blame, the Parents, the Educators and most importantly the Psych's who did nothing when these weirdos were diagnosed as dangerous, and in need of medication.

JMO

[lexington86]

Very good article. Thank you for posting!

[Mtbkski]

Carrying a gun is like wearing a seatbelt. You don’t wear a seatbelt because you expect or hope to get into a car wreck. You wear it because you never know what might happen and wearing it could save your life.

What a great line. I will use this one again and again.