Oscar Pistorius Shoots Girlfriend Dead

[BuckyBuckner]

i'm not sure it's as cut and dried as eld and johnny think it is. i think in a "crime of passion" situation like this one (if that's what it is), once a killer has reached that state of mind, he's going to kill. i'm not sure a gun increases the likelihood of a murder much more than a knife does at that point. i get what johnny is saying about the increased difficulty of killing by hand, but i think that would come into play more in a premeditated scenario. how often is a guy in a killing rage going to stand down because he can't find a gun? how much better chance does she really have vs. a knife compared to a gun? some increased chance, maybe, but i don't think i would assert that the gun was the difference between life and death.

awful tragedy, in any case.

You could be right. I've never been mad enough at anyone to want to kill them (though I'm sure we've all said it but never meant it). My guess, which lead me to say what I said is that a "crime of passion" where the person decides to kill is really just a fleeting, passing thought for a second and then they cool down. Under that scenario you might get an attack, meaning one or two stabs, but then reality snaps back. I know every situation, and every person, is different but that's just what I'm visualizing when I say this. The gun allows you to follow through on that split second moment of rage whereas trying to stab someone to death you will potentially snap out of the range before killing someone.

And yes, B-Fly, we don't know if this guy is a psycho or not. Not yet anyway.

And finally, yes, this is an awful tragedy.

[Cobain's Ghost]

Actually, once the armed mentally ill decide that shooting up public schools is passe' and they start shooting up country clubs, golf courses, affluent private schools, and all the places frequented by the young and wealthy, things will change very quickly. Trust me. As far as US law-makers are concerned, no one they care about has been killed, not in Newtown, or Columbine or anywhere. Start offing their kids and their tune will change.

I promise that if I ever decide to shoot up a room full of strangers, I'm going to the biggest collection of conservative wealthy I can find and let 'er rip.

wow, man. not funny. at all. please don't ever say something like this to anybody from the denver area. it is definitely not appreciated.

[Mithrandir]

wow, man. not funny. at all. please don't ever say something like this to anybody from the denver area. it is definitely not appreciated.

but is it true?

[Cobain's Ghost]

but is it true?

not in our community, and the people in our community still don't appreciate our dead kids being used to make snarky political points, and we never will. just a heads up for anybody else out there who thinks it might be funny or clever to mention columbine when you're making jokes about shooting up rooms full of people.

[Mithrandir]

not in our community, and the people in our community still don't appreciate our dead kids being used to make snarky political points, and we never will. just a heads up for anybody else out there who thinks it might be funny or clever to mention columbine when you're making jokes about shooting up rooms full of people.

I meant is it true at the political level? Do the folks in DC really care about much until it affects them or their families?

[The Dane]

not in our community, and the people in our community still don't appreciate our dead kids being used to make snarky political points, and we never will. just a heads up for anybody else out there who thinks it might be funny or clever to mention columbine when you're making jokes about shooting up rooms full of people.

I'm not making a joke. What I'm saying is that the children in your community died for nothing when their deaths could and should have harkened a new era of awareness of gun violence. And now with Newtown, history has tragically repeated itself, both in mind-numbing horror and in apathy from our leaders.

Thanks for the heads-up CG. You do have my sympathy if my comments wound you. It is not my intention. But when I'm using a tragedy as a reason to stop gun violence, I think mentioning Columbine is intuitive. Isn't this the same argument that the NRA supporters use? Right after Newtown, people cried for gun control and all the conservatives said "Now is not the time" like talking about the tragedy as impetus for change is somehow disrespectful to the people that died. This is an idiotic concept. That is the BEST time to talk about it. And, frankly, when people STOP mentioning Columbine in snarky political points, the whole thing just becomes a tragedy of your community and not one of the greater world. And THAT is sad.

[Roto Rooter]

Rumor has it this break in story is BS and he really doesn't have a leg to stand on.

[Cobain's Ghost]

I'm not making a joke. What I'm saying is that the children in your community died for nothing when their deaths could and should have harkened a new era of awareness of gun violence. And now with Newtown, history has tragically repeated itself, both in mind-numbing horror and in apathy from our leaders.

Thanks for the heads-up CG. You do have my sympathy if my comments wound you. It is not my intention. But when I'm using a tragedy as a reason to stop gun violence, I think mentioning Columbine is intuitive. Isn't this the same argument that the NRA supporters use? Right after Newtown, people cried for gun control and all the conservatives said "Now is not the time" like talking about the tragedy as impetus for change is somehow disrespectful to the people that died. This is an idiotic concept. That is the BEST time to talk about it. And, frankly, when people STOP mentioning Columbine in snarky political points, the whole thing just becomes a tragedy of your community and not one of the greater world. And THAT is sad.

i have no problem with you using columbine in a serious discussion. but if you want to namedrop columbine when you're chest-thumping about how you're going to open fire on a room full of other people's kids, don't be surprised when people from my community react badly.

[The Dane]

i have no problem with you using columbine in a serious discussion. but if you want to namedrop columbine when you're chest-thumping about how you're going to open fire on a room full of other people's kids, don't be surprised when people from my community react badly.

Wow. You really did completely miss the point of my post. I know there is no way of convincing you of this. So, I'll just say I'm sorry for hurting you and touching a nerve.

Now, we can both go our separate ways being wrong.

[Pogues]

I can't figure out if some of you are ignorant of the lethality of other weapons or methods of attempting to kill others, or I just have a greater understanding of other weapons aside from firearms in their overall effectiveness in killing someone...even during a "crime of passion."

And I get you Cobain...I'm glad Columbine is still remembered by as many people that do remember that day. The school shooting that took place in my community is a vague recollection for so many, the shooting at the Amish schoolhouse in Lancaster County. And that's only one of two that have happened close to my life. I try to remember all of them, but try as I might I can only recall five total. Columbine, Newtown, Lancaster County, Virginia Tech, and Northern Illinois U.

As many things do, the rest have faded from my memory.

[bryanbutler]

I can't figure out if some of you are ignorant of the lethality of other weapons or methods of attempting to kill others, or I just have a greater understanding of other weapons aside from firearms in their overall effectiveness in killing someone...even during a "crime of passion."

And I get you Cobain...I'm glad Columbine is still remembered by as many people that do remember that day. The school shooting that took place in my community is a vague recollection for so many, the shooting at the Amish schoolhouse in Lancaster County. And that's only one of two that have happened close to my life. I try to remember all of them, but try as I might I can only recall five total. Columbine, Newtown, Lancaster County, Virginia Tech, and Northern Illinois U.

As many things do, the rest have faded from my memory.

you already forgot aurora? fort hood? binghamton? i mean, those are just in the past few years. i think that's an indication of how numb we have become to these. sad, sad, sad...

[bryanbutler]

Anyone else think roid rage? It crossed my mind.

interestingly, when i heard the story this morning, it was the first thing that crossed my mind. i actually mentioned it to my work colleague as we were walking to work from the commuter van parking place. who knows, but it could be...

[Pogues]

you already forgot aurora? fort hood? binghamton? i mean, those are just in the past few years. i think that's an indication of how numb we have become to these. sad, sad, sad...

In my defense, I was talking about school shootings, though Binghamton...I have to admit I hadn't even heard of that one.

[bryanbutler]

In my defense, I was talking about school shootings, though Binghamton...I have to admit I hadn't even heard of that one.

well, OK. red lake? nickel mines? oakland (oikos)? we're numb to shootings in general, and school shootings among them. still sad...

[DMT]

Actually, once the armed mentally ill decide that shooting up public schools is passe' and they start shooting up country clubs, golf courses, affluent private schools, and all the places frequented by the young and wealthy, things will change very quickly. Trust me. As far as US law-makers are concerned, no one they care about has been killed, not in Newtown, or Columbine or anywhere. Start offing their kids and their tune will change.

Apparently everyone has forgotten about the Tucson shooting, in which a Federal Judge was murdered and a Congresswomen was shot in the head, resulting in irreparable brain damage. One of her staffers was murdered as well. When nothing happened after that, I pretty much gave up hope. After Newtown, I sensed a shift in tenor and once again a false-hope was briefly rekindled.

But of course our government has failed to deliver AGAIN. It's disgraceful.