I’ve had two people say something to the effect of “it’s hard to believe this massacre could happen on an Army base where everyone is a soldier and there are so many guns around,” meaning that lots of people should have been able to defend themselves.

Obviously, these people haven’t spent a lot of time on base.

I don’t know the regs for Fort Hood, but military bases are often pretty “gun free” in the sense that personnel aren’t issued weapons and generally not allowed to carry unless it’s part of their duties. So pretty much just MPs. It’s not like all the 11B infantrymen are walking around in armor with a loaded M4.

I thought I had posted about some new rules a while back that were trying to control personal weapons off base, also, but I can’t find it right now.

Suffice it to say that the personnel on Fort Hood had no real chance to defend themselves against Nidal Malik Hasan, a lifelong Muslim who reportedly gave an “Allahu Akbar!” shout-out before opening fire.

Will we be seeing the Bradys and other anti-gun groups trying to spin this as some sort of evidence that more guns won’t make anyone safer? Probably.

Federal agents hunt for guns, one house at a time

At the end of the article:

Some stories, they say, are hard to believe.

The lamest so far came from a police officer: He said he bought a few military-style rifles, left them in his car and — on the same night — forgot to lock a door. He couldn’t explain why he didn’t file a police report or why he visited Mexico the day after the alleged theft.

Via the NRA-ILA:

On June 11, the top law enforcement officials of nearly half the states signed a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, expressing their opposition to reinstatement of the federal ban on semi-automatic firearms.

“We share the Obama Administration’s commitment to reducing illegal drugs and violent crime within the United States. We also share your deep concern about drug cartel violence in Mexico. However, we do not believe that restricting law-abiding Americans’ access to certain semi-automatic firearms will resolve any of these problems,” the letter said.

The letter notes congressional opposition to bringing back the ban, and calls for increasing enforcement of existing laws.

We encourage NRA members to let these state officials know we appreciate them standing up to the incessant clamor for gun control that is currently coming from anti-gun groups and their media allies.

The 23 state Attorneys General, in alphabetical order, by state, are:
(more…)

This is astounding.

Yesterday, SB-1164 in Texas passed:

By a 20-11 vote, a divided Texas Senate gave final approval this morning to a bill that would allow college students with state handgun licenses to carry weapons in dorms and classrooms.

And get a load of the headline and lede at GunFreeKids.org:

Texas Senators Who Voted to Force Hidden and Loaded Guns Onto College Campuses Put Students’ Lives at Greater Risk of Gun Violence

(Austin, TX, May 20, 2009) – Today the Texas state senate passed dangerous legislation that would force the carrying of hidden and concealed guns at public universities and colleges.

Force.

You can’t make this stuff up. (via Uncle)

John Woods 'learned pretty fast' that playing dead is the only possible defense.

So says one of the Mindless:

In April 2007, he was a student at Virginia Tech when his girlfriend and several other people he knew there were gunned down in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Thirty-two people died, plus the gunman.

There were times when Woods thought that maybe he should get a gun.

“Then I learned pretty fast that wouldn’t solve anything,” said Woods, who is now a graduate student at UT. “The idea that somebody could stop a school shooting with a gun is impossible. It’s reactive, not preventative.”

As Rand Simberg says: Huh?

Scenario:

1. Idiot with gun starts shooting students
2. Teacher or student with gun shoots idiot

Call Murdoc a simpleton, but I think that my little hypothetical scenario “solved” something. Maybe Murdoc needs to “learn pretty fast” or something.

I’m all for “preventative” measures. But when (not if) they fail, you had better have a reaction ready. This mindless never explains how he learned or figured out anything. Just that he did. And he’s leading the fight against campus carry in Texas. While wearing a “Virginia Tech Class of 2007 t-shirt.”

He says that things “happen too quickly” and that “You either play dead or you are dead.”

What are they teaching kids these days?

A couple of items:

A measure to allow concealed weapons on South Dakota’s public universities has returned to the state Legislature.

University of Texas: After 30 minutes of heated debate Tuesday night, Student Government voted 31 to 6, passing a resolution against allowing students to carry concealed handguns on campus.

Ban guns. Think of the children.

Police say teen was shot burglarizing home with dad

A man and his son tried to break into a far West Side home on Monday, police said, but failed when the homeowner shot and injured the 15-year-old boy.

The San Antonio homeowner awoke around 1 a.m. and saw two figures on his back porch. He grabbed his 9mm and shot at a figure entering through a window that had just been bashed in.

Keep in mind that this 15-year-old will be included in the 2009 statistics for children injured by guns when the antis trumpet the numbers.

In the comments:

I am afraid that this “castle doctrine” is going to lead to real trouble.

Well, in this case it certainly did lead to trouble. For the bad guys.

‘Open-carry’ bill likely to be controversial

Found by JR from Blanco County, Texas:

Disturbance. 2:28 AM. A complainant had a gun pointed at a subject who had broken into the residence. Officers responded and secured the situation. The subject was released to his parents.

Writes JR:

That homeowner showed commendable restraint. I wonder if staring down the barrel of a gun was one of those “life altering” moments for this kid?

Murdoc hopes that he’d never shoot anyone who didn’t absolutely need shooting. However, if I don’t know for sure (and if you’re in my house at 2:28 am without an invite I’m pretty sure I won’t know for sure) there’s not much margin for error.

Proud of his trophy, an injured and paralyzed service member poses with a whitetail deer after taking to the field and proving that he is still a good shot.

Hunt for Heroes is an event sponsored by a Show of Support Military Hunt Inc. in Midland, Texas. It is a program that provides outdoor opportunities to those injured in support to our country.

Very cool.