David Kopel: Guns, Mental Illness and Newtown - WSJ.com

David Kopel: Guns, Mental Illness and Newtown - WSJ.com: «Since gun controls today are far stricter than at the time when "active shooters" were rare, what can account for the increase in these shootings? One plausible answer is the media. Cable TV in the 1990s, and the Internet today, greatly magnify the instant celebrity that a mass killer can achieve. We know that many would-be mass killers obsessively study their predecessors.

Enlarge Image

AFP/Getty Images

State troopers leaving Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., Dec. 14.

Loren Coleman's 2004 book "The Copycat Effect: How the Media and Popular Culture Trigger the Mayhem in Tomorrow's Headlines" shows that the copycat effect is as old as the media itself. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's 1774 classic "The Sorrows of Young Werther" triggered a spate of copycat suicides all over Europe. But today the velocity and pervasiveness of the media make the problem much worse.

A second explanation is the deinstitutionalization of the violently mentally ill. A 2000 New York Times study of 100 rampage murderers found that 47 were mentally ill. In the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry Law (2008), Jason C. Matejkowski and his co-authors reported that 16% of state prisoners who had perpetrated murders were mentally ill.

In the mid-1960s, many of the killings would have been prevented because the severely mentally ill would have been confined and cared for in a state institution. But today, while government at most every level has bloated over the past half-century, mental-health treatment has been decimated. According to a study released in July by the Treatment Advocacy Center, the number of state hospital beds in America per capita has plummeted to 1850 levels, or 14.1 beds per 100,000 people.

Moreover, a 2011 paper by Steven P. Segal at the University of California, Berkeley, "Civil Commitment Law, Mental Health Services, and U.S. Homicide Rates," found that a third of the state-to-state variation in homicide rates was attributable to the strength or weakness of involuntary civil-commitment laws.

Finally, it must be acknowledged that many of these attacks today unfortunately take place in pretend "gun-free zones," such as schools, movie theaters and shopping malls. According to Ron Borsch's study for the Force Science Research Center at Minnesota State University-Mankato, active shooters are different from the gangsters and other street toughs whom a police officer might engage in a gunfight. They are predominantly weaklings and cowards who crumble easily as soon as an armed person shows up.

The problem is that by the time the police arrive, lots of people are already dead. So when armed citizens are on the scene, many lives are saved. The media rarely mention the mass murders that were thwarted by armed citizens at the Shoney's Restaurant in Anniston, Ala. (1991), the high school in Pearl, Miss. (1997), the middle-school dance in Edinboro, Penn. (1998), and the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colo. (2007), among others.

At the Clackamas Mall in Oregon last week, an active shooter murdered two people and then saw that a shopper, who had a handgun carry permit, had drawn a gun and was aiming at him. The murderer's next shot was to kill himself.

Real gun-free zones are a wonderful idea, but they are only real if they are created by metal detectors backed up by armed guards. Pretend gun-free zones, where law-abiding adults (who pass a fingerprint-based background check and a safety training class) are still disarmed, are magnets for evildoers who know they will be able to murder at will with little threat of being fired upon.

People who are serious about preventing the next Newtown should embrace much greater funding for mental health, strong laws for civil commitment of the violently mentally ill—and stop kidding themselves that pretend gun-free zones will stop killers.»

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way— Admission Free

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "George Orwell was omniscient—or at least he saw the dark clouds that enveloped out civilization."

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—CIA vs USSR vs US-SR

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "Something stinks in the Kingdom ..."

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Detention and Sex.

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "& as anyone who has worked at high levels in Government knows, the CIA would only have done this with explicit approval, of course having plausible deniability due to the "cover" of an Executive Order forbidding detention, from Presidential authority."

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Our Children's Debt Burden.

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "I wonder how thankful future generations will be with our current profligacy?"

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: Empire of Gluttony.

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "Several decades ago Federico Fellini produced "Satyricon"—it seemed such an aberrant display of hermaphrodites, gluttons, sybarites, ... marking the waning days of Rome's luxuriant decay, but nothing that I would ever recognize in America. At the time there were no XXX book stores, Blue Laws controlled liquor store hours, ... all that has changed and today I would venture, many would see many parallels with our own social mores and behaviors—how a civilization can morph in one short lifetime."

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—May Your Chains Set Lightly Upon You.

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "In the end, the American Republic failed to heed President Eishenhower's warning, fell victim to its own successful war machine—the Media-Industrial-Educational-Industrial-Military Complex—and became the United States-Socialist Republic (US-SR) of America. With 30% of its citizens basking in rotund obesity and larger percentages boasting innumeracy and illiteracy, Government control became entrenched with vast bread & circus programs—never before had so many millions feasted in such prodigious gluttony and mindless diversions."

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—The Zuckerburg Chokehold!

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "During the week leading up to the 6 November 2012 election many other Facebook Libertarian and Conservative sites noted significantly reduced connectivity and outreach. Some sites openly questioned why Mark Zuckerburg was purposely siding with Barack Hussein Obama Jr's administration; others noted that even Google searches were biased for the Progressives and Democrats; and nearly every site recognized that the Main Stream Media have become the administration's Propaganda Ministry of Truth.

Some of us threw out the TV years ago and stopped listening to CNN-Communist News Network, the PBS-Propaganda Broadcast System, NPR-National Propaganda Radio, ABC-All Biased Commentary, CBS-Compliant Broadcast System ... and now it has become evident that even the other media controlled by the Federal Communications Commission have become part of the MEDIA- INDUSTRIAL-EDUCATIONAL- PHARMACEUTICAL- MILITARY COMPLEX: the USA has become the US-SR (United States-Socialist Republic.)

Here is a graphic showing Facebook outreach reduction during the week before the elections for A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way. Still admire how much FREE SPEECH we have? It may be free, but it certainly is well contained."

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Pork Barrel Crony Capitalism Eats Uncle Sam!

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "There are some subtle signs that pork barrel governance may have gotten a bit out of hand ..."

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Believe Nothing: & They Did!

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "How compliant Americans have become ..."

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—General Petraus and Chief Justice John Roberts, Wherefore Art Thou?

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "So many thrown under the bus by Barack Hussein Obama Jr, but always at an opportune time ..."

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—The Way to Hell

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "Abandon hope all ye who enter here ... the way to Hell is paved with good intentions."

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "An essential element of freedom is that individuals own their bodies and minds—this principle has been the bulwark of our Democratic Republicanism. The second idea that has been a bedrock of our civility is that individuals have an inherent right to privacy. The "cultural revolution" that started in the 1960's have been a steady assault on these ideas of individuality and privacy—it is the collective that matters, it is the public that matters and to promote those values the Government has been brought in as the arbiter of justice and equality.

That naïve reliance on Government as a neutral referee of social values has actually placed into power a new religion, Progressivism, with a set of politically correct values. The argument is that Government is above the people and necessarily must dictate the rules of the bedroom and the rules of the wallet. This ignores the historic evidence that once Leviathan encroaches on any area it becomes, with its monopoly of force, the only actor. "

Now, from promoting libertine sex, in a society that has grown risk intolerant (i.e., the Government is to provide a Zero-Risk environment for its citizens) and demands security over growth or change or adaptation, the signs are starting that even sex will be regulated. As Larry Sanchez notes in an article for the Cato Institute—«While they were turning out to the polls to help reelect President Obama on Tuesday, residents of Los Angeles County also approved a ballot initiative known as “Measure B,” requiring the producers of “adult films”—meaning porn, not Criterion Collection fare—to acquire a public health permit and adhere to a number of regulations, most controversially a mandate that performers wear condoms on the set.»

We have granted the Government a monopoly over the health care sector—what do you expect will follow? You say, but that's the porn industry, well, recall: "If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." 

America's New Pope Installed.

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—The Progressive's laughter

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Nevermore Clasp The Maiden Named America.

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: (From Edgar Allen Poe)
"Prophet!"said I, "thing of evil—prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us—by that God we both adore—
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named America—
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named America."
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Leviathan's Gargantuan Feast.

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "The Anaconda has swallowed a massive meal—the health and financial sectors of the American economy and it will spend the next four years digesting that voluminous repast. How the States respond to this unconstitutional intrusion of Leviathan into the lives of every citizen will determine the future shape of the Republic—nullification at the State, City and Court level is a means of resistance still available to adherents of constitutional processes."

Four More Years

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Liberal Wags

Review & Outlook: The President's Cliff Walk - WSJ.com

Review & Outlook: The President's Cliff Walk - WSJ.com: "There's little doubt that Mr. Obama has the political whip hand for the moment. The tax increases and defense spending cuts will automatically take effect if Congress and the President fail to act. Mr. Obama could bludgeon Republicans to accept a deal on his terms, then if they balk simply pocket the tax increases as a revenue windfall, while blaming Republicans if there's a recession.

   What that strategy won't do is solve the real problems he's inheriting from his own first term. The deficit is growing by $1 trillion a year and another U.S. credit-rating downgrade beckons as entitlement spending escalates. Above all, the economy is growing too slowly to raise incomes or raise enough revenue for the government.
   The question is whether Mr. Obama wants to solve these problems—or continue demonizing Republicans while getting nothing done." 

   —Getting nothing done?  Some would argue that consolidating Federal control over all health care and financial markets is a big agenda item over the next four years.  Let' see which States stand up and use their 10th Amendment rights to nullify these unconstitutional infringement and encroachments.

Obama's Win Is An Indictment of Higher Education

Obama's Win Is An Indictment of Higher Education: "It shows in the absence of depth in so many Republican candidates.  When you hear them speak, nothing in the tradition comes through--no Franklin on work ethic, Madison-Hamilton-Jay on power, Emerson on self-reliance, Hawthorne on Federal employment, Thoreau on Big Government, Booker T. Washington on individual responsibility, Willa Cather on the pioneer spirit, and Hayek on social engineering.  This is a fatal deficiency, and it neglects one of the strengths of conservatism (superiority in the battle of ideas).  Worse, when conservatives don't have the tradition in their background, when they lose elections, they tend to look forward by examining their relationship to the electorate instead of their relationship to first principles and values.  Conservative candidates don't need more political calculation that competes with liberalism, but rather more intellectual heft that presents a better alternative to liberalism."

Nullification Victories! – Tenth Amendment Center

Nullification Victories! – Tenth Amendment Center: "Yesterday, Barack Obama won the presidential election. But, the people of six states voted to take their freedom without federal “permission.”

In ten states – Colorado, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Massachusetts and Alabama – voters had a chance to resist DC and approve ballot initiatives which would nullify unconstitutional federal acts. Six of them passed."

Our system is much more complex than the Presidency and we can still retain many of our freedoms despite the control of the Federal Executive Branch by crony capitalists.

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Black Tuesday Is Here! Vote.

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "You can't wait until Black Friday, well make sure that you don't miss Black Tuesday—get your vote in!"

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Zombie Exploding Puffball Fungus: Stop the Spread!

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "It is possible to prevent the Zombie Apocalypse—vote & get all Americans of good conscience that you know to go to the polls as well! Prevent the Invasion of the Body Snatchers!"

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Psalm 109:8

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "Psalm 109:8"

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Barack's Losing Record

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "Barack Hussein Obama Jr plays election day basketball with a losing record—Solyndra, Cash for Clunkers, Government Motors (Chrysler bought by Fiat), Jeep moving to China, Fast & Furious, Benghazi, 16 Trillion National Debt, 3% inflation, 23 million unemployed, 47 on Food Stamps, 15% poverty rate, 1.3% GDP growth, high gasoline prices .... "

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Vote & Pray.

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "1 Corinthians 13:

• 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

• 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

• 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

And so today, for those of us who have already voted days ago, all that is left is an appeal to a Higher Power and to our fellow Americans to choose not Revenge, but Love."

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—6 November 2012, A Day To Reach High!

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "Today, election day 6 November 2012, is too late for final appeals, but not too late to pray that every American of conscience will take the time to vote to remove an administration that either through incompetence or malice has driven the American economy to the ground and created the greatest amount of dependency on the Federal Government in our History while refusing to come clean on Fast & Furious or Benghazi and promoting a takeover of the medical and financial sectors of our economy. And so, I offer this thought from an unknown author for your consideration:"

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Does a US President Really Need Propping Up By Floozies?

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "Will Barack Hussein Obama Jr really manage to win a campaign based on being propped up by two floozies?"

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Black Panthers Keep the Pimp Hand Strong

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "After hearing Penny Star Jr (Ass Tassles), Lena Dunham (give it up to Obama) and Sandra Fluke (my sexual appetite is humongous) I am pretty much fed up—pardon this rather crude graphic, but it was Barack Hussein Obama Jr that invited the UN to police our polls and it was Eric Holder that did not prosecute Black Panthers in 2008 and is now allowing them to run amok again."

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Price Controls Means Rationing & Shortages

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "Taking a page out of Richard Nixon's failed price controls—"

We are not too proud—we readily adopt the methods of the USSR to limit supplies and ensure shortages in order to provide politicians short-term popularity.

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Four Years of Bull Economy Success

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "Some individuals argue that Barack Hussein Obama Jr has no record to run on—but the economic chaos that has ensued from his misplaced priorities and misspent Trillions certainly can be quantified in increased social and economic terms—"

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way — Mass Murderer's Beard Stops Justice

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction. — Barack Hussein Obama Jr."

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way— Chumps & Traitors

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: «Any time you throw your weight behind a political party that controls two-thirds of the government, and that party can't keep the promises that it made to you during election time, and you're dumb enough to walk around continuing to identify with that political party, you're not only a chump but you're a traitor to your race.» Malcolm X in Detroit April 12, 1964— Two days before he was assassinated.

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—A Debt Built To Last, The Obama Legacy

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: U.S. Debt Per American Under 18 = $218,676 «If Americans under the age of 18 were required as a group to pay off the entirety of the federal government’s debt in equal shares, each would now need to pay about $218,676.» CNS. {http://bit.ly/YK1pcg}

'via Blog this'

Ass Tassels & Accountaiblity are both "A-Words"—Liberal Follies for All

WOW—"My 'A' is for Ass Tassels & Accountability."  If this is the desperation that BarackHussein Obama Jr partisans are in, then the rot of death and defeat has surely permeated all their politically correct olfactory orifices.

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Benghazi Remains a Convenient Mystery

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "As the election draws into its final days Barack Hussein Obama Jr's Ministry of Truth (ABC, NBC, MSNBC, CBS, CNN) have managed to suppress the truth about Benghazi despite General Petraus' clear statement distancing the CIA from the official administration propaganda on the tragedy."

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Leviathan's Fiscal Cliff: Cat Experiments

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "What seems evident to even most casual economic observers eludes Barack Hussein Obama Jr's partisans—when Leviathan consumes 50% of the economy there is less left over for productive purposes and consequently unemployment and lacklustre entrepreneurship become chronic."

'via Blog this'

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Friends Close, Enemies Closer

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Barack's Revenge

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "Somehow Barack Hussein Obama Jr has lost whatever rhetorical subtlety he might have ever possessed when he proclaims that revenge is in the mix in this election."

'via Blog this'

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—As Government Interference Increases, Economic Output Decreases

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "With the Government entrenched in every sector of the economy the costs of over regulation, from law suits to unintended consequences, is causing a tremendous drag on economic activity."

'via Blog this'

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Romney Ranger

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "Having grown cynical of politicians it is difficult to put a lot of faith in officeholders, nevertheless, many do serve with honor and Mitt Romney seems the right man for this moment of peril in our Nation's history."

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—The November Cavalry

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "We humbly implore for relief to come ..."

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Fifth Law of Time Travel & Thermodynamics

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "The Halloween nightmare scenario continues to haunt us as the Zombie Apocalypse uprising potential increases on a daily basis. The irony is that even children can recognize the evil that befalls us."

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Lean Done Ham Tag Team Takes Home The Mud Crown!

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "Lean Done Ham (Lena Dunham) Tag-Team Clones Win World Mud Wrestling Championship.

Their motto: No Pig Sty We Won’t Swill!"

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Leviathan Explains Fiscal Corpulence to Alice

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "How will we explain to little children the tale of horror of our fiscal profligacy and how we let them bear the burden? Leviathan has certainly made enough claims on the need to feed his bestial appetite for Trillions—and we have obliged his growing corpulence."

       Can even Barack Hussein Obama Jr's Ministry of Truth spew forth enough propaganda to hide this fiscal malfeasance? Perhaps, the last four years has seemed to some of us a Mad Hatter experience in Wonderland.

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Barack's USSR sinks in fiscal typhoon.

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "Within a few years the Hurricane Sandy $80 Billion storm damage will have receded into another large, but manageable natural disaster—Barack Hussein Obama Jr's fiscal profligacy, however, will haunt the American economy for some time through higher taxes and inflation. It will, like many other chapters in our History, be overcome, but future generations will wonder how the US tried to sail the USSR and how easily it collapsed in a fiscal maelstrom."

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—After We Win This Election

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "«The part that really stuck out to me was when I overheard the rep say that [Valerie] Jarrett told them, “After we win this election, it’s our turn. Payback time. Everyone not with us is against us and they better be ready because we don’t forget. The ones who helped us will be rewarded, the ones who opposed us will get what they deserve. There is going to be hell to pay. Congress won’t be a problem for us this time. No election to worry about after this is over and we have two judges ready to go.”»—Valerie Jarret – “After We Win This Election, It’s Our Turn. Payback Time.” (WSI), 'The Ulsterman Report.'"

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Lighting Fools The Way To Dusty Death

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "We have developed an insidious system where the Federal Government subsidizes insurance to flood, hurricane, tornado, earthquake and other areas prone to natural disasters without having adequate funds—therefore, each disaster becomes another taxpayer check to individuals that should have know better and would not necessarily be able to afford private insurance to cover their hazards, but who are able to stay an suffer the ravages and collect the claims.

This is not to say that I do not live in a hazardous area—we've had tornadoes and hurricanes; nevertheless, it is my choice and I pay the windstorm insurance, have reinforced my home, have the necessary stockpile of food & supplies etc., etc. I do not expect anyone to come to my aid or to pay my way—why should I expect to suffer paying other fools the way to their dusty deaths?"

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Peaceful Muslims Are Not Barack's Muslims

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "There are millions of peaceful Muslims that are coerced, harassed and brutalized by a minority of extremists. Until this vast majority gets rein of its unruly terrorists, there is little hope for their civilization or for peace. Nevertheless, these thoughtful and moderate individuals are not the Muslim Brotherhood and other groups with Jihadist sentiments that Barack Hussein Obama Jr has been so willing to fund and arm; and which, apparently ended up killing our embassy staff and Ambassador in Libya."

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Why Does It Take 24 Days To Get An FBI Investigative Team to Benghazi?

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "So, we knew for a month that Benghazi was a hot bed of strident Jihadist terror networks and that security was lax, the attack came as expected on 11 September 2012, apologies from Barack Hussein Obama Jr and Susan Rice followed, then it took 24 days (over three weeks) to get an FBI investigative team to the scene!

If this does not stink of a massive cover up—then what would offend your tender nostrils?"

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way—Benghazi was NOT an intelligence failure

A Little Casuistry Goes a Long Way: "The incompetence that led up to the 11 September 2012 massacre of our staff in Benghazi was probably not solely to blame for the incident since the Ambassador obviously felt a pressing need to be there in spite of his clearly stated warning that the threat level was extremely high. It has been speculated that Barack Hussein Obama Jr's administration was running a large scale operation to transfer arms to Jihadist rebels and therefore the Ambassador had to personally attend to the details. Whatever his reasons for risking his life on the anniversary of 9/11 it is clear that it was NOT the intelligence community's fault, the US knew of the dangers and chose to ignore the peril."