Courthouse shootout leaves three dead in Texas. Garret points to this tragedy and comments “The use of a stereotypical assault weapon, being successfully opposed by a licensed concealed handgun, poses an interesting conundrum.” I disagree.
Let’s not forget the most important fact of all: David Hernandez Arroyo Sr. started this mess by using his legally obtained semi-automatic assault rifle. Second, good samaritan Mark Wilson’s concealed handgun was only of minor use–the dad was wearing protective gear that Wilson’s handgun couldn’t penetrate–and meanwhile left himself vulnerable (during a reload?) and then dead. Let’s consider the possibility that if Wilson wasn’t present and didn’t intervene, then Hernandez Arroyo would have killed his son (instead of Wilson). So, though one cannot know exactly how the situation would have played out, I think the most likely result would have been the same number of dead people and one less person in the hospital.
I see Wilson’s actions as foolish and futile, not heroic, and what happens now to his own family? The article doesn’t mention if he had one but a 52 year old conservative small businessman generally does, and now that family has a hole in it. The whole situation makes me ill, especially if gun proponents try and make Wilson a martyr for the cause. In the current political climate I bet there are already spinmeisters and pundits hotting up their computer keyboards.
BillSaysThis 