Every year in Dayton over a hundred innocent people die from gun violence.
There is no party to ease the pain for them. There are no TV cameras, no fundraisers, no monuments. Some of the crimes against humanity don’t even get solved.
Every year, for 10 years, I’ve written a post [1] around the end of July asking for closure to the killing of Sgt. Major North Woodall, a hero of 3 wars, who’s death remains unsolved.
The governor talks about “red flag laws” – everyone has an opinion on gun control, gun registration and “taking my guns” – and blames things like mental health, access to firepower, numbers of cops on the streets, people in prison, drugs and “active shooter drills.”
The whole country is crazy. Last night I sat at a wedding reception with a couple- he’s an anesthesiologist and she’s a teacher. He just bought a Russian SKS at a gun show for $300 (without even showing his drivers license) and wants an AR 15 pistol, just like the douchebag shooter in the Oregon District had. He’s got a gun safe, and will add trigger locks on the weapons inside it when his kid is a little older- his wife just looked uncomfortable with the discussion. I wonder what makes it any more right for him to own weapons of war than the government- or the douchebag (I refuse to glorify him).
The Doctor has no training, no vetting, no supervision, no liability insurance, no requirement for proof of proficiency to own a killing machine- yet, he’s trusted in a hospital to make decisions of life and death daily- with all of those requirements. Bat shit crazy.
Yet, people still regurgitate lines like “guns don’t kill people, people kill people” and “are you going to outlaw Kool-aide because it killed 900 people”- never realizing that it was cyanide in the Kool-aide, and that a gun without a person won’t kill anyone, but very few people can actually kill someone without a gun. Knifes make it messy- and while cars might be easy- you at least have insurance on them.
It’s above my pay grade to introduce gun control legislation. I have no voice in the discussion. I’m a hypocrite because I own guns and have a CCW- yet, wish I lived in a gun free America.
Have a party all you want to cleanse our city- and raise money for the Oregon District 9- and the wounded, but, the killing will continue- just without the party, the news cameras, and the fundraising, and the shared fake sense that any of us are truly safe.
In the meantime- hope that you die at the hands of a loser on a rampage, instead of just a normal shooting, it’s like winning the loser lottery.
peace be with you.
David : your candor is an observation that is perhaps shared by many potential constituents of yours. BUT, Mayor Whale and the posse have spent the ensuing weeks since this tragedy, grandstanding in local and national media. So, certainly when a comedian and his entertainment connections decide to lift up the saddened area, she sees yet another swell chance to fill the camera lens with her star status. The entertainment part is commendable in a way. What’s atypical is Whale’s rush to net exposure and, of course, the lack of qualified planning by her and city leaders toward the obvious exclusion of many locals. It’s reasonable that there’s a finite space to handle a crowd. But, while you’re putting on a party for 20K, it seems likely that some residents of the city and the valley that might’ve had an interest or need, are excluded. I hope against hope that it is smooth, orderly and not like a Woodstock with barricade-smashing, absent of crowd control setting up an unexpected disaster waiting to happen. And, allow for another incidental splash of candor. Who’s picking up the tab? If it’s the foundation, then that’s an odd use of donations – now, if it’s the city, well? no surprises there, as Mayor and the crew have been spendthrifts all year never trifling with a need for budget or calculation.
David, where in the world did you find information that over 100 people a year are murdered in Dayton. I spent quite awhile with DPD and cannot recall a number that high.
For someone who constantly criticized everyone else on their facts I would think you would be much more accurate. If you are talking about the Dayton Metropolitan area then say that.
Just my opinion.
@Mike- “Every year in Dayton over a hundred innocent people die from gun violence.” – I didn’t say murdered. About half that die by murder- others are self-inflicted, they get no headlines.
Sorry for the confusion, it’s easy to forget those who made a desperate cry without resorting to doing a mass-shooting.
David, you and many keep reguritating the line about “well, people have insurance on their cars” as a mantra as to justify requirements on gun owners to be insured. And, we’ve seen more than enough of your desire to see private medical insurance ended, in favor of a Medicare/Medicade system of this country. I have to wonder if you’re idea is to replace the company’s revenue stream with a different, government required, system to keep the companies afloat. The simple fact is, not everyone hss auto insurance. Those of us who do follow that law pay extra on each premium to subsidize the insurers for uninsured motorists. Watch any episode of “Live PD”, and see how many drivers are pulled over, and discovered to not only not have a valid license to drive, but also fictitious plates, and NO insurance. Another simple fact is, those who buy guns to commit their crime of choice aren’t going to insure their guns, hell, they aren’t even legally allowed to have guns in most cases. If your friend was able to buy an SKS at a Gun Show, with no background check, he must not have appeared to be an issue, because any show I’ve been at have a pretty strong presence of law enforcement in attendance, both uniformed and plain clothes, ranging from local cops up through the Feds. Even a Ohio Gun Collectors show has a strong presence of law enforcement, and they’re closed to the general public. You can only get in if you’re a member, or a guest of a member. We’ll agree on 2 things: 1. There should be a training component, or at least a skills assessment, to owning a gun. I was frankly shocked at how little knowledge some people who were in my CCW class had, yet, after 12 hours of training (8 classroom. 4 on the range), everyone was issued a certificate saying they were proficient enough to daily carry for self defense. Shooting, and safe use of firearms, are skills that deteriorate without regular practice. I’ve been shooting for the best part of… Read more »
I was lucky enough to attend, and had a fine time. I appreciate Dave Chappelle’s heartfelt gesture in trying to give something uplifting to our city, and I’m sorry that so many were left out and for the OD staff, most of whom I’m told his wasn’t an optional workday for. What heartened me was seeing that many people in a group behave with peace and civility and patience – large throngs of humans aren’t famous for doing that. LOL And as a Dayton resident, I 100 percent support my tax dollars being used for something like that.
(True confession: this is the first Chappelle event I’ve been able to get into. His events are notoriously exclusive – this anger at exclusion pretty much follows every one of his annual concerts)
That said, I completely agree with Jack’s comment about our illustrious mayor’s grandstanding and celebrity ass-kissing and self-promotion. It’s completely cynical, but one has to query if a mass shooting was the best thing to happen to boost her flagging popularity – shades of Rudy Giuliani? Unfortunately, it’s sure to be a cornerstone of whatever re-election campaign she subjects all of us to.
As a Dayton resident, it was nice to know my tax dollars were used for something that uplifted many in our city, at least for an evening. However, there’s still so much work to be done, and it doesn’t negate any of the inequality/injustice our residents face.