In an article by Edwin Rios in The Guardian called "Texas man fatally shoots five neighbors after noise complaint, sheriff says," the following paragraphs tell an all-true and common story in America.
"After neighbors complained about the noise he was making, a Texas man went next door with an AR-15-style rifle and shot them, killing five people – including an eight-year-old child – as well as wounding three others at a home in Cleveland, Texas, on Friday night.
Law enforcement patrolling the community more than 40 miles outside of Houston were searching for Francisco Oropeza, 38, who had been intoxicated and fled the scene, the sheriff of San Jacinto county, Greg Capers, told reporters on Saturday."
Alcohol affects judgment and seems to remove the filter in the brain that stops people from making extremely poor decisions. Testosterone adds to the cocktail, as a drunk male is not the best judge of situations, as the worst of male behavior can more easily appear. Note, I am not giving drunk women a hall pass, but as a 64 year old man, I have witnessed some very unflattering male behavior when heavy drinking is involved.
Yet, when you add access to a gun, then these two ingredients become more toxic and can be lethal. This is a key reason allowing concealed carry of guns is so scary, as the lethal cocktail becomes more possible.
In short, five people, including a child, are dead because the noisy, drunk man had a gun. If he was just a noisy, drunk man, he could have still been offended by being asked to be quieter, yet no one would be dead. He would have likely gotten his lights punched out, at worst, as a drunk man is not the best of fighters. Yet, even a drunk dumb ass can fire a gun.
I am reminded of a man who was drunk at a college football game in Raleigh and was driving dangerously in the parking lot after the game. When two men stopped his car and asked him to be mindful of the kids and adults in the parking lot, the man went home, retrieved his gun and came back and shot the two men. These men stopped him from vehicular manslaughter and a DUI, but he decided to up the ante and murder them.
Although, I don't know if intoxicated individuals were involved, I just read last night eleven people were shot at a party in a South Carolina park. I don't know if any of the people died, but they are likely just lucky. It is sad that any outing, especially on weekends, can be dangerous. But, when people get shot in their own home for living next to a noisy, drunk neighbor, that is even more scary.
People who follow this blog know I try not to curse in print, so my reference above is unusual. But, continuing on, we Americans need to ask our legislators to stop being dumb asses and do something very tangible about gun violence. In fact, I will keep the legislators who are blocking action in my thoughts and prayers and maybe they will find remember they are parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles and act.
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