What Happens in Vegas: More Is Now Known About Walmart/Pizza Parlor Shooting

I've noticed something about gun violence, and the response it gets when it happens, in social media and the blogosphere. You get the news that a school, or a store or a military base or some other area has been attacked by a shooter or shooters. There's usually a bit of shock, followed by a smattering of sorrow and well-wishes to the survivors, and the families of the dead. It's all eventually old news, and overshadowed by the next shooting. But in between, we get:


- From liberals and/or gun control advocates (I'm the former, mixed with a tad of the latter), there is tsk-tsking. finger wagging, condemnation of the NRA and speculation. The speculation usually goes to the obvious places first, "gun nuts," tea partiers, right-wing extremists, those "sovereign citizen" people. There is a whole lot of resignation and weariness that nothing is going to change, and a simmering anger about how it's all just allowed to continue. And of course, you'll have the fringy leftists who go too far, though they're (I believe) in the minority.

- From conservatives and/or gun rights activists (I used to be the former with a tad of the latter), there is a reflexive defensiveness with amazing and instantaneous hostility. Right away, there are proclamations about what liberals are going to say or do. There are defiant announcements that this better not lead to a "gun grab." There are seeds of  conspiracy theories sown almost immediately. And there is a heavy emphasis on making sure that the perp is perceived as either a) a radical lefty, b) a radical lefty posing as a conservative in order to smear them, or c) maybe a radical righty, but if so, a lone wolf with no connection to any other conservative group or individuals. And, of course, you'll have the fringy rightists who go too far, and they are in abundance.

If you don't believe me, hit any major newspaper's comments section on this story. Or go straight to the source at FreeRepublic.com, and click their section labeled "BangList." Yes, it's really called that.

Meanwhile, let's get a few facts on this whole Las Vegas shooting, shall we? As horrific as the attack was (and I'm tempted to call it a terrorist attack), there are also fascinating elements to the story, and how it is unfolding. For instance, the connection the Millers (the killers) had to a law passed in Indiana that allows citizens--under certain conditions, naturally--to shoot cops. 

[Excerpt]

Shooters carried arsenal, supplies into Sunday rampage



Jerad and Amanda Miller left their downtown apartment Sunday morning loaded for a long fight. Police said the Millers had a small arsenal and survivalist gear in two bags when they entered a northeast Las Vegas Wal-Mart on Sunday, killed a shopper who confronted them with his own gun, and then shot it out with officers before taking their own lives. . .

Read more at: Las Vegas Review-Journal

George Zimmerman in Trouble Again

The George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin case came to prominence because Zimmerman was let go after an unarmed Martin was killed, with no charges filed. The details of the case sounded quite fishy, and the more we learned about Zimmerman, the shadier he seemed. Negative things came out about Martin too, though how they could be at all relevant, I never sussed out. Since Zimmerman knew none of Martin's history, it's very unlikely that they influenced the events (an no, conservatives, pot doesn't make you into a raging supervillain). [Due to autoplay video, story continues below the jump]

School Shooting: Sparks, Nevada; Teacher Killed

Image from source, CNN

I swear I heard a guy on the radio say--practically in the same breath--that this happened because it was a no-gun zone, and that it shouldn't be politicized. Idiot.

[Excerpt]

Nevada school shooting: Teacher killed, two students wounded

A student opening fire with a handgun he took from his parents. Screaming students running for cover. A teacher, trying to help, shot dead. Two students wounded. The terror lasted just a few brutal minutes. . .

Read more at: CNN

What Happens in Vegas: Bally's Shooting Leaves 1 Dead, 3 Injured

We hear about shootings seemingly every other week or so, but usually they aren't in your home town. Or within just a few miles of your office. But here we are, a shooting at Bally's Hotel & Casino. Not good for tourism, hopefully it will be regarded as a fluke. Oddly enough, there was a shooting death just outside Bally's not so long ago, with the result ending in a fiery, deadly taxi crash. Odder still, there was a school shooting in Sparks, Nevada the same day. Clearly, we don't have enough guns. Or something.

[Excerpt]

1 Dead, 3 Injured in Las Vegas Strip Nightclub Shooting
 

8 News NOW Metro Police say a patron is dead and three others injured following an early morning shooting at a nightclub in Bally's Hotel and Casino.

The gunman has been identified as 41-year-old Benjamin Frazier. . .

Read more at: 8NewsNow

Right Wing World Tries to Tie Murder of Australian Man to Trayvon Martin Case (?!)

I really shouldn't overthink some of the stranger things to come out of the Right Wing World alternate reality machine. But it can be so strange what gets them cranked up, and how it echoes through the right-wing blogosphere. Drudge or Rush or some lucky also-ran will come up with a eureka idea--nearly always an over-reaction to something, or even a manufactured outrage--and suddenly it's everywhere, even leaking into the so-called liberal media.

Image from source, the great NewsCorpse

This time, I'm really scratching my head. Three boys in Oklahoma were "bored," and decided to kill somebody. They picked an unlucky Australian young man named Chris Lane, a good looking guy out for a jog. For no other reason than something to do, as far as any report I've seen has to say. Most peoples' reactions were astonishment, disgust and horror. "Wow, what's wrong with kids today," was my initial reaction. Later, the boys (aged 15, 16 and 17) were apprehended, put in jail and charged as adults. Their races--something that hadn't even crossed my mind--were black, black and white going by their photos, though as with any person, there could be other nationalities in the mix.

For some reason, the powers-that-be in Right Wing World have decided that this story is somehow analogous to the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman case. It's being pushed all over the place, and causing little flame-wars on Facebook and Twitter. But I completely don't get it. I mean, I know that conservatives can be really, really bad at analogies. But where is the comparison here? George Zimmerman killed an unarmed kid, and the cops let him go, using his flimsy story as justification for "stand your ground." Absent a public outcry and media firestorm, we wouldn't even know about the case. The outrage--initially, and throughout the developing story--was the botched investigation, and lack of scrutiny to the death of the kid, and the sketchy character of the killer.

How this compares to three teenagers killing a guy for sport is anyone's guess. As far as we know, there was no racial motivation. The boys were not let go. There's not much ambiguity about exactly what happened (other than sheer disbelief). Nobody is jumping to the defense of the boys, calling into question Chris Lane's character, or calling him a "thug." Nobody is setting up a legal defense fund for them, and donating money (and guns!) to them. Nobody from any side is sticking up for kids who killed a man just to watch him die! There is almost nothing here to analogize to the Trayvon Martin case.

[Excerpt]

Still In The Dark: Fox News Continues To Misunderstand The Tragedy Of Trayvon Martin

When news broke about the brutal and senseless killing of Chris Lane, a young Australian studying in Oklahoma, there was universal disgust and sympathy. It was the sort of random crime that leaves everyone struggling to comprehend how it could occur. Everyone except Fox News, who immediately set out to politicize it to advance their racist agenda. . .

Read more at: NewsCorpse

George Zimmerman Helps Rescue People from Car Wreck, Maybe?

Okay, let me start by saying that when I heard that George Zimmerman had stopped to help rescue some people from an overturned vehicle, my first thought was, "Imagine taking THAT 911 call!" Second, I thought. . .Okay. And? And then when they reported it happened a week ago, and that it was being reported by Zimmerman's smarmy lawyer, I thought. . .where's the police report? Because it just sounds odd.

Stephanie Miller, image from NewsBusters

Obviously, if you have a political talk show, particularly one that has been hashing and re-hashing Zimmerman's trial in the death of Trayvon Martin, a fishy story does more than raise your eyebrows, it gives you something to talk about, speculate about on your show. The only one I can speak to on the story is the one I'm familiar with, The Stephanie Miller Show. I listened to today's show, and the topic was discussed, both by the on-air talent and phone callers.

The show is political, but is primarily political humor. So, they had some fun with this one, going so far as to invoke NewsBusters, the so-called "liberal media" watchdog site, not once but several times. Little wonder then, that NewsBusters bit. They saved most of their ire for Bill Press, who I don't listen to. But they did go after Steph and her mooks, mostly by just block-quoting only their comedy riff on the topic, not even jumping on the actual speculation! There had even been a caller who (not citing a source other than being a local) said Zimmerman was merely one of several people who called 911. I'd like to know if that is true, wouldn't you?

Anyway, you can read it all at NewsBusters if you feel motivated. But I warn you, stay out of their comments section if you haven't had your shots. For everything.

How the System Failed Trayvon Martin

Image from source, New York Times

Unless there is an astonishing development, or profoundly newsworthy happening regarding the George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin shooting incident, I don't imagine I'll be writing much about it again. Oh, I'm sure "Stand Your Ground" will come up, and it's possible that there will be significant events, such as a civil trial or maybe even something from the Justice Department. But of the trial itself, and the horrible actual shooting, I think I'm spent on the subject.

So, I will put a bow on this stage of it at least with the best piece I've seen written on the subject, by Charles M. Blow. It's worth a read, whichever side you came down on.

[Excerpt]

The Whole System Failed Trayvon Martin

In a way, the not-guilty verdict in the trial of George Zimmerman for his killing of Trayvon Martin was more powerful than a guilty verdict could ever have been. It was the perfect wrenching coda to a story that illustrates just how utterly and completely our system of justice — both moral and legal — failed Martin and his family. . .

Read more at: New York Times

Fair Warning: George Zimmerman is Loose on the Streets

Trayvon Martin, from BET.com

Oh, I'm sorry. Is that headline a little harsh? I don't really care, at this point. While I can certainly understand the vagueries of the letter of the law, and the difficulty of proving murder beyond a reasonable doubt, there is no doubt that a kid was killed, and that George Zimmerman killed him. There is no doubt that Trayvon Martin--surely not a perfect kid, but by no measure a "thug" as he's often been portrayed--was unarmed (no, a "sidewalk" doesn't count). There is no doubt that if Zimmerman had stayed in his truck, that this case would never have happened.

Where is there doubt? Well, nobody knows the actual sequence of events between the 911 tape and the arrival of the cops, except for Zimmerman. The witnesses have been contradictory and unreliable. The cops apparently let Zimmerman go with a reduced investigation, due to Florida's idiotic ALEC-scripted "stand your ground" law. So, evidence was lost. The prosecution was ham-handed, and seemingly borderline incompetent. So was the defense! The trial was a sad spectacle and sideshow. It followed in a long line of "marquee" cable-news-ready trials, and was one of the few I've paid any attention to.

The truth is, even though this trial became ridiculously overly saturated by the press (with MSNBC's countdown clock, and FOX "News"'s cheer leading for the defense), it wouldn't even have happened without a public outcry, and media attention. Because of the "frontier justice" laws of the batshit crazy state of Florida--Castle Law, Stand Your Ground, loosey-goosey self defense law--Zimmerman was let go with a minimum of forensic investigation. His blood alcohol level wasn't even tested.

I don't know what happened (and neither do you), but
I can tell you this: I fell while walking last week, into
gravel. I bled more--a lot more--than this.

So, no, I can't state with any assurance that Zimmerman was definitely guilty, and has gotten away with murder. And as a juror (who would have gotten more info than I have as a semi-casual observer), I may have had a hard time hanging 2nd-degree murder around his neck. But it was manslaughter. At least.

The facts of the matter that cannot be escaped are: a) Martin was not doing anything wrong and was unarmed. b) Martin wasn't in an area he wasn't supposed to be in. c) It is not unreasonable for a 17-year-old kid to go to the store on his own on a weekend night at 7:00 pm. d) Zimmerman was not supposed to have a gun as a neighborhood watchman. e) Zimmerman shouldn't have had his gun not just loaded, but with a bullet ready to fire. f) Whatever Zimmerman's fears for his life, Martin had just as much reason to be alarmed at being followed by a strange, unidentified man. g) The kid is dead, and can't speak for himself. h) Pot doesn't make you aggressively anything, except possibly aggressively hungry. And he wasn't eating his Skittles.

I could probably carry out those indisputable facts to z). We don't know who initiated the brawl between the men. We don't know whose voice (maybe both?) we heard on the tape. We don't know if Zimmerman was truly being beaten within an inch of his life, or just felt like he was. What we do know is that a kid is dead, and nobody is being held accountable. We know that--using this case as precedent--if you get into a fight, and you are losing (and have a gun!), you can shoot the other guy, and get away scot free. At least in Florida.

[My best guess on this situation is that Zimm was gung-ho about catching a crook, thought he saw a perp, knew he himself had a gun, called in to 911 (as though he was calling dispatch), pursued the perp (whilst still on the line), was told "we don't need you to do that," and did it anyway. loose cannon and all that. The kid--freaked out by the guy following him, who has not identified himself--flees for a bit, then turns and "stands his ground." There is a tussle, a bit of "upper hand" back-and-forth," Trayvon gets the better of Zimm, and--remembering he has the piece--Zimm blows Martin away. It may have even been the recoil of the gun that bonked Zimm in the nose, and bounced his head off the ground.]

I'm saddened by this result. I wish there had been a third option for the jury, a wrongful death or negligent homicide option or something. Because Zimmerman getting off with nothing? For shooting a kid armed with Skittles!?! It's crazy. Insane. It's certainly not justice.

Rush Limbaugh Attacks Michelle Obama Over Eulogy

Image from ABC News

I know that Rush Limbaugh is essentially a troll (a drug-addled, impotent troll), who lives for attention. But at some point, is there just no lower he can go? I mean, first you have him feeding his listeners' fathomless hatred for the First Lady, and then he's focusing his wrath on her eulogy for a shooting victim? Really? Is there a point where even his listeners say, "that's too far"? Ever?

In case you haven't noticed, dittoheads, Rush Limbaugh is a revolting pig.

[Excerpt]

Limbaugh Attacks Michelle Obama Over Her Remarks Expressing Sympathy For Shooting Victim



Rush Limbaugh responded to Michelle Obama's recent speech on gun reform by accusing her of having "a chip on [her] shoulder" about the U.S. and of doing "a disservice to the country."
On Wednesday, Obama delivered a speech in Chicago urging action to combat youth gun violence. In her remarks, Obama spoke of Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old Chicago high school student who was shot and killed in January, saying that Pendleton reminded her of herself at that age. . .

Read more at: Media Matters

What Happens in Vegas: More Now Known About Shooting on Las Vegas Strip

If Thursday's breaking-news shooting and car crash on the Las Vegas Strip proves anything, it's that CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is highly exaggerated. Events like this one--which did seem like it came from Hollywood--would barely be newsworthy if they happened as often as they do on that show. As it is, it was the number one news story on most news outlets, and trended on Twitter. Which may have--in some small way--been appreciated by the Maserati-driving aspiring rapper who met his end in front of Caesars Palace.

Image from source, Las Vegas Review-Journal

As for the "Las Vegas is dangerous" angle on the story, this kind of thing really could have happened anywhere that has happening night spots. I suppose we have more of them than most cities, but I can't see how this is the fault of Las Vegas. The news said that the driver of the Maserati made a video, rapping about girls and guns. As hard as it is for me to conflate pop culture (music, television, movies, video games) with real-life violence, this one seems to have played out enough times to show just a bit of causality. But it's really a shame it had to happen, and that innocent people have been hurt and killed. And I really hope they catch the bad guys.

[Excerpt]

Argument at Aria involving Las Vegas rapper leads to deadly Strip shooting, crash

Kenny Cherry relished a dangerous lifestyle. The 27-year-old aspiring rapper, who called himself "Kenny Clutch," posed with guns and drugs in one YouTube video. In another, Cherry drove through the Las Vegas streets at night in a two-door Maserati, rapping about pimping women and shooting guns. . .

Read more (with video) at: Las Vegas Review-Journal

What Happens in Vegas: Another Shooting, This Time at Excalibur

Oh, brother. Now in my own backyard? Is it contagious?

[Excerpt]

Image from Vegas.com

BREAKING NEWS: 2 Confirmed Shot at Excalibur Hotel

Metro Police have confirmed a shooting at the Excalibur Hotel in Las Vegas Friday night. A female has been shot and transported to University Medical Center. The suspected gunman then shot himself, the police said. . .

Read more at: 8NewsNow

FOX & Friends vs. Bob Costas

Add caption

As I've said before, I'm not the sort of liberal that you'd classify as a "gun grabber." I grew up around guns, I know how to handle them, and shoot them. I don't particularly have a problem with gun ownership, even multiple gun ownership. But I'm not a gun fetishist either. I don't hold the 2nd amendment to be the only important one, or more important than the others. I don't think the founders intended that we be armed "just in case" we have to fight our own government. And I think it is completely reasonable to draw the line somewhere between muskets and thermonuclear warheads.

FOX "News"--having repeatedly proven itself to be speaking for and playing to the arch-right tea-baggin' nut jobs--cannot tolerate any dissent on the subject. Or rather, moderate, thoughtful discussion. Bob Costas related a piece from a FOX "News" writer that commented upon a recent shooting, and he did it during the football game he was covering. It was apropos, because it was a football player who had done the shooting, and it was his team that was playing, the same weekend!

Now, for the crowd that is constantly decrying so-called infringements upon free speech, they're sure ready to jump all over Bob Costas for expressing his opinion. And they're also ready to attribute words and thoughts that Costas did not say. I'm aware that the first amendment applies to government censorship of free speech, but I also believe that there was absolutely nothing wrong with what Costas had to say, and agree with what he had to say as well.

[Excerpt]

‘Fox & Friends’ defends gun culture: Costas’ gun control talk ‘dangerous’ after murder/suicide



In the wake of a tragic murder/suicide involving an NFL football player, the co-hosts of Fox & Friends on Monday defended gun culture while blasting NBC broadcaster Bob Costas’ call for gun control. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Another Shooting, This Time on Right-Wing Group

Image from source, NBC News

We had another shooting today, this one--fortunately--on a much smaller scale, with the gunman only able to inflict a non-life-threatening wound on a security officer. Unlike the Dark Knight Rises shooting (where the purpose of the shooting was vague) or the Sikh temple shooting (where the gunman was a anti-Islam moron) the purpose of this one seems fairly clear. The target was the Washington DC headquarters of the Family Research Council, an anti-gay group. And the gunman seems to have attacked them for their political positions. I say seems, because these things often to turn out to be not what they seem initially.

Now, I'm going to be very clear: what this man did was wrong, stupid and inexcusable. I get no pleasure out of the fact that an organization I abhor was the target. In fact, I think this man's actions have unwittingly given the FRC (and organizations like it) a case to point to, where they are the victim of the "gay agenda". . .which is how they will spin it. Before now, they could only point to some minor (and well done) vandalism at a Chick-fil-A. So thanks, shooter dude, you nearly literally shot yourself and gay rights in the foot.

But there are a couple of ways this story is being spun, by anti-gay groups, and by the right-wing media. The anti-gay groups are leveling charges at The Southern Poverty Law Center and the Human Rights Campaign for calling FRC and its ilk "hate groups," and inspiring the shooter. The right-wing media, such as  Las Vegas Badger and Kevin Wall of KXNT are blaming--unbelievably--President Obama and Vice President Biden. Yes, somehow, they are running a hateful, nasty, terrible, horrible, no good, very bad campaign, and that is what provoked this shooting.

That is a staggering leap in logic. As far as I know, Obama and Biden have never mentioned the FRC by name, nor that of its leader Tony Perkins. While they have been outspoken on gay rights issues, I don't recall either of them leveling charges at any of the (many) anti-gay organizations on the right (curiously, most have "family" in their names). And WTF are they talking about, in regard to the campaign? What is so hateful from Obama/Biden? Just because you assert something doesn't make it true. Are the Prez and VP responsible for the Dark Knight and Sikh tragedies as well?

Finally, after the wounded man at their headquarters, the next biggest tragedy in this case is how the FRC is being portrayed. They are not some right-wing "think tank," going about their business, not bothering anybody. Their entire reason for being is to antagonize gay people, and do everything they can to prevent and take away our rights from being legally recognized. As previously stated, that does not justify what was done today, but neither do they magically become pure as the driven snow now that it happened. They are a hate group. It is not surprising that it seems to have inspired hate in retaliation, thought it is unfortunate.

[Excerpt]

Security guard shot at conservative group's DC office

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

A gunman who shot a security guard Wednesday at the Family Research Council office in Washington, D.C., was carrying a handgun and several additional rounds of ammunition, federal investigators told NBC News. . .

Read more at: NBC News

Survivor of Giffords Shooting Says She Makes Him "Want to Vomit"

Bitter, party of one. You'd think going through a trauma together would soften your heart a little. This guy sounds like a died-in-the-wool FReeper. You know, basically unreachable.


[Excerpt]

Gabrielle Giffords Makes Tucson Survivor 'Want To Vomit'

A year after the Tucson shootings that left six dead and 13 injured, one of the survivors has strong feelings about the incident and congresswoman and her astronaut husband Mark Kelly.
That feeling is best described as nausea.

"Every time I see them on TV," George Morris, 77, told the Arizona Republic, "it makes me want to vomit. . ."

Read more at: Huffington Post

This Modern World: Tom Tomorrow Tackles Tucson

Yeah, I know I said I'd move on to other topics. And I will, I promise. But I love This Modern World by Tom Tomorrow. And while I've only shared a panel or two of it in the past, this particular strip has been shared in its entirety on several blogs already. So I guess it can't hurt to feature the whole thing here (but I will remove at Mr. Tomorrow's request if necessary).

So, Which Side of the Aisle is More Vitriolic?

I'll try to come up with some more varied topics to post about shortly. But for now, one more post about the Arizona shootings. When Arizona Sheriff Clarence Dupnik spoke out at a news conference about the violent rhetoric being spewed by talk radio and cable news, some of the political punditry and blogosphere went ballistic (so to speak) about it. And got very defensive. Tellingly--as Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo said on Monday's Countdown with Keith Olbermann--it was the right wing, not the left, that got very indignant. And Dupnik never pointed to either side of the aisle.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

One More Rachel Maddow Clip: Facts Matter

Whenever there is a big story, especially a developing story, extraneous--sometimes false or misleading--"facts" get tossed into the mix. It is important that we recognize the flotsam and jetsam for what it is: junk.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Keith Olberman's Special Comment on Gabrielle Giffords Shooting

Well done, Keith.

What Happens in Vegas: Courthouse Shooting

Wow, holy smokes. I didn't even know we had a Federal court house in Las Vegas. But seriously, a shoot-out?

Washington Police Shooter Dead, Mike Huckabee Connection

Image from source, CNN

Back when George H. W. Bush was running for re-election against Michael Dukakis, a big stink was raised over Willie Horton. Horton had been released on a prison furlough program in Massachusetts, and had committed a crime while out. The Willie Horton ad was widely condemned for fear mongering and not-so-subtle racism. But it worked.

Now, for at least the second time, 2008 GOP candidate Mike Huckabee has been taken to task for essentially the same thing, releasing criminals who later reoffended. In the most recent case, particularly disastrously. I'm not inclined to come down on Huckabee like a ton of bricks on this, as he didn't have a crystal ball, and I don't know all of the details of the case. But I also can't say that this should be ignored. Is this a case of turn about is fair play, or could there be more to it than that? Time will tell.

[Excerpt]

Police: Suspect dead, had slain cop's gun

The suspect in Sunday's fatal shooting of four police officers was shot and killed early Tuesday by an officer after the suspect approached him and "reached into his waist area," authorities said in a statement. . .

Read more at: CNN