Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 11, 2012)
in other words september11 The Gun Doctor: Preventing Mass Shootings By Wolfgang Rotbart Update to last month’s article about “gun-free zones”: I just watched a video from the Department of Homeland Security about how to deal with an “active shooter event”, i.e. mass shooting. As the shooter enters the building, the door has a “No Firearms Allowed” sign. Not surprisingly, the shooter walks past it without the slightest pause. Part of the video states that, as a last resort, victims should fight back with whatever they can find. They are shown taking on the well- armed shooter with a folding chair and fire extinguisher. No mention of the far greater effectiveness of using a firearm. I’ll leave the irony of this situation and the “no firearms” sign for the reader to consider. In this follow-up to last month’s article, I would like to explore some of the proposals for preventing mass shootings such as the recent one in Aurora, Colorado. As for background, James Homes, apparently alone, exited the theater and re-entered wearing a bullet- resistant vest (very few are truly bullet- proof and those are very expensive), helmet, and other protective gear including a gas mask. He was also armed with a variation of the AR-15 semi-auto rifle with a 100-round magazine, pump- action shotgun, a Glock 22 pistol with a 30+ round magazine and a few hundred rounds of ammunition. He was certainly well prepared for this monstrous act. Here are some of the “solutions” being offered and how they would have affected this type of situation: “Register all gun owners.” In almost every mass killing case, the gunman gives up meekly after the shooting or commits suicide. It is rare that the gunman in these cases even attempts to leave the scene. He wants everyone to know what he did. And criminals rarely register their guns and intents anyway. “Being armed in this case would not have helped since the perpetrator was wearing body armor.” Many people don’t understand that body armor does not make the wearer invulnerable to gunfire. Body armor will usually stop a handgun bullet, but even then, it’s still similar to being hit with a well-swung ball bat. People have died while wearing body armor, not from penetration by the bullet, but just the blunt-force trauma that occurs. At a minimum, shooting someone in body armor will most assuredly put them “off their game” for a bit, perhaps knocking them to the ground. Confronting someone in body armor decreases your odds of quickly stopping the assailant, but even a small chance is much better than a zero (unarmed) chance. “Stop Internet sales of ammunition.” Since ammunition is readily available at many storefront locations, no effect. “Require reporting of large sales of ammunition,” (the suspect had thousands of rounds in his apartment). There are several problems with this. First, it only matters what the gunman has with him at the time of a shooting that matters. Next, anyone could still buy in smaller quantities over time. When I received my training in defensive handgun use, I shot almost 800 rounds in less than four days. When I bought them, I also purchased another 1,600 rounds for friends who were attending the same class, 2,400 rounds total. Should I be put on some clandestine “watch list” because of this? And if I am, will someone be assigned to watch me 24/7, not to mention the millions of others who might buy “excessive” amounts of ammunition? “Outlaw so-called ‘assault rifles’.” According to the FBI, during the Clinton-era ban, the percentage of firearm related crime compared to the total remained unchanged. Overall, crime rates continued downward and the percentage of firearms related crimes actually dropped after the ban was overturned. Also, “assault rifles” are rarely used in crimes, only in a few percent of all reported cases. Many other rifles are more powerful and deadly, but are not considered “assault rifles”. Functionally, they are the same. The term “assault rifles” is applied more due to a firearm’s appearance than to its lethality. “Outlaw high capacity magazines,” (generally considered to be any that hold over ten rounds). The worst mass shooting in recent history, at Virginia Tech, was conducted mostly using 10 round magazines. Magazines are designed to be changed out in only a few seconds. If the intended victims are fleeing or hiding the shooter has plenty of time to reload. In Aurora, the high- capacity rifle magazine jammed after about 30 rounds. In general, the higher the capacity, the more likely a jam is to occur. Also, there are millions of high- capacity magazines in this country and banning their manufacture or importation won’t change that fact. During the Clinton assault rifle ban, I attended many gun shows and there were always plenty of high-capacity magazines. They were just more expensive; same with the “assault rifles”. “Close gun ownership ‘loopholes.’” In the Aurora case, the accused gunman had no criminal record, but did display bizarre behavior. 2012 7 According to newspapers in Aurora, several folks told the authorities that this person was unstable and should not be allowed to purchase a firearm of any kind. The authorities did nothing. There is another example of a mass shooter who should not have been able to purchase the firearm, but did because of government incompetence. The Virginia Tech shooter had been adjudicated as having mental problems, but this information was never integrated into the background check system. The police can’t be everywhere all the time and, frankly, who would want them to be? Alone of all the “solutions” usually offered, in my opinion, only an armed and vigilant population can be counted on in a mass shooting scenario. I still can’t help but feel that on September 11, 2001, if the pilots on the hijacked planes had been trained and armed, we might still be wondering, “Just what were those 19 lunatics up to?” Follow-up information to topics in this and other articles can be found on the “Resources” page on The Gun Doctor home page (www. wolfgangthegundoctor.com). I welcome ideas for topics for these articles. Please email them to: Wolfgang@WolfgangTheGunDoctor. com or call me at 503-429-7342 10:00 – 5:00 M – F Wolfgang Rotbart is an AGI- certified Master Gunsmith and a NRA- certified Basic Pistol Course Instructor. He works as a gunsmith and as an Oregon Concealed Handgun Safety Course Instructor. You may visit The Gun Doctor website for more information at: http://www.wolfgangthegundoctor.com/ On the Shelves - What’s Happening at the Vernonia Library The Summer Reading Program at the Vernonia Public Library was a great success this year with over 80 children between the ages of 1 and 13 participating in the different events! Highlights included a well attended Tye-Dye event, a performance by Penny the Puppeteer, and a visit from Ranger Steve Krueger of the Oregon State Parks talking about Owls. We have to applaud our young readers out there as well. We had several participants that read as much as 20 hours per week! This program would not be possible without our volunteer support. With that we would like to say thank you to Barbara Ward, Gretchen MacComb, Grant Williams, Christina Shipley, and all of the parents, grandparents, and caregivers that stayed during reading time and activities to help. This year we also had four teen helpers that I would like to recognize; Marley, Jacob, Kaitlyn, and Breanna, thank you for your help. The impact you make on the younger children in our community by taking the time to work with them is immeasurable. In addition to the Ready to Read Grant the program depends on generous donations. The following businesses and organizations contributed to our success: Bullwinkle’s Family Fun Center, Evergreen Aviation Museum, Oregon Zoo, Oregon State Parks, Oregon College Savings Plan, Vernonia Sentry, Clever Cricket, Costco, Out of this World Pizza, Friends of the Vernonia Public Library, Vernonia’s Voice, and The Independent. Planning is already underway for our 2013 Summer Reading Program – “Dig Into Reading”! Watch for information about this after the first of the year. Until then we have an after school reading program every Tuesday that school is in session from 3:30-4:30 PM beginning September 25, 2012. For our youngsters that are not in school yet there is preschool story time on Mondays from 10:30-11:15 AM beginning September 24, 2012. Please contact the library at 503-429-1818 with any questions. Vernonia’s Voice is published twice each month on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday. Look for our next issue September 25th. For fast cash! 010412 TOO BUSY? Call your LOCAL bookkeeper R Y OLL A P PLUS LLC Silkscreen printing Edi Sheldon 503-429-1819 edisheldon@gmail.com Licensed tax consultant • Full service payroll Personal & small business bookkeeping • QuickBooks assistance CORPS, S-CORPS, LLC, Partnerships • Personal one-on-one service 2245 Baseline St., Cornelius (Across from Fred Meyer) 503-530-8119 State Licensed PB-0388 Open everyday at 9 a.m. LTC #29629 - Oregon licensed tax consultant RTRP #P00448199 - designated as a registered tax return preparer by the Internal Revenue Service The IRS does not endorse any particular individual tax return preparer. For more information on tax return preparers, go to www.IRS.gov. Printing while you wait for small orders Vinyl lettering and heat transfers Teams, groups, special events Hoodies, dress shirts, aprons & more No order too large or too small No set-up fees 711 Bridge Street, Vernonia (503) 433-4278 kavila@kaptanskraft.com
