The Oregon killings
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/essay-refusing-to-say-a-killers-name-is-no-more-than-symbolic-empowerment/2015/10/02/2cd2cf7c-6923-11e5-9ef3-fde182507eac_story.html
This URL sums up the Washington Post's reaction to the "no notoriety" movement on-line -- a well-meaning idea to counter publicity-seeking killers like the one in Oregon. To recap: it won't work!
As a most peculiar society, we collectively abjure effective controls on firearms. But I insist to those who are madly in love with the Second Amendment: get a room!
No, seriously, feel free to acquire and flaunt every fucking flintlock and blunderbuss you want. THOSE are all the weapons the Founding Fathers had in mind (NOT assault rifles, MAC10s, and multi-shot ammo clips).
Oh, and you need to join your state militia, which --being "well-regulated" (as the Constitution stipulates) --just might sort out the crazies* among you.
But, dear LJ friends, DO read Kennicott's piece, which concludes: "Enforcing ritual oblivion and policing the social-media posts of other people won’t help. Instead, say the name of this young man, look into his eyes, and remember: We made him, we armed him, we own him."
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* Nut-jobs are notoriously BAD at defending liberty and justice for all, etc. "Unit cohesion" being the watchword -- think both the unstable Pvt. Bergdahl (whose actions, as noted by many observers, cost his unit its combat usefulness for many months) and the Oregon killer (whose service was specifically rejected by the U.S. Army).
This URL sums up the Washington Post's reaction to the "no notoriety" movement on-line -- a well-meaning idea to counter publicity-seeking killers like the one in Oregon. To recap: it won't work!
As a most peculiar society, we collectively abjure effective controls on firearms. But I insist to those who are madly in love with the Second Amendment: get a room!
No, seriously, feel free to acquire and flaunt every fucking flintlock and blunderbuss you want. THOSE are all the weapons the Founding Fathers had in mind (NOT assault rifles, MAC10s, and multi-shot ammo clips).
Oh, and you need to join your state militia, which --being "well-regulated" (as the Constitution stipulates) --just might sort out the crazies* among you.
But, dear LJ friends, DO read Kennicott's piece, which concludes: "Enforcing ritual oblivion and policing the social-media posts of other people won’t help. Instead, say the name of this young man, look into his eyes, and remember: We made him, we armed him, we own him."
____________
* Nut-jobs are notoriously BAD at defending liberty and justice for all, etc. "Unit cohesion" being the watchword -- think both the unstable Pvt. Bergdahl (whose actions, as noted by many observers, cost his unit its combat usefulness for many months) and the Oregon killer (whose service was specifically rejected by the U.S. Army).