Personally, I don't see the point in writing a - a what? a human interest article about a deranged man, (those who came in contact with him guessed and were right) a sick, scary man who's violently and persistently terrifying a woman who showed a little compassion. Reasonable to suppose this troubled, angry soul will read article about himself, feel spotlighted, humiliated and become even more enraged and determined? Hatch a plan? Not much of a stretch really because before he lays paper aside, he'll turn the page and peruse gun massacres in Newtown, Charleston, Vegas, ad nauseam. In a more intelligent society, he'd have gone from police to court room (Hello Judge) into the hands of a state of the art psych. facility. (Oh wait, not enough money for those...and besides, we can't impinge on crazy violent guy's rights...or even call him crazy for that matter. That's not nice.) But let's imagine a compassionate and sensible scenario in advance of this tragedy: enforced treatment, 3 squares, warm bed, family participation, (yes, let's turn our attention to the family....were they aware of his demons? Seek help ever? Oh yeah and do pill companies dole out anything other than painkillers? We must fix this, those of you who are in charge of The $ystem, before the next agitated, mentally unstable man visits a gun dealer and unleashes his wrath and rains death and violence and permanent sorrow down on .....
15
He plead guilty to harassing someone, he filed anger-fueled lawsuits against a newspaper and raged against specific people on social media. And he was still allowed to legally purchase a gun. We will never learn, and people will continue to die.
62
If just one person in that newsroom had had a loaded weapon and was willing to use it, this could have turned out much differently.
5
Except that the police might have gotten confused with more than one "shooter." In an emergency situation, how would the police quickly sort out who's the "good guy" with a gun? It's not like the police know everyone and in the confusion, anything is subject to misinterpretation. You have to act fast--and protestations of "I'm not the bad guy even though I have a gun in my hand" is not going to cut it when police have to make a split-second decision when it comes to acting on their need to protect themselves.
Not only that, what if the "one person with a gun" wasn't on the same floor or vicinity at the time of the shooting? If you have more than one "good guy with a gun"--even more confusion as to who is the actual maniac.
29
this article shown use that a disaster can happen any day of thee week. Jarrod W. Ramos who the authorities says that he was the gun men that "blasted it was through the door". he killed 5 people and wounded 2. the 5 worker that woke up on Thursday morning got ready and told there love ones goodbye and they didn't know that they would never see each other anymore. he was found hiding under a desk of the former employ he killed. he block off the back exit and all the emergency exits as well. the gun that he use was a 12 gauge pump action shotgun that he bought legally. also he made previously made threats in 2013 telling them that he was going to do something they will regret and the police noticed it and did nothing. he made anther threat in 2014 saying he going to carry out his plans and go through with it. the cop notice the threat and still did nothing about it did not tell the capital "the place the shooter open fire at" . in 2018 JUNE 28 the shooter open fire after 5 years of threats and the cops dident stop him or told The Capital.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/29/us/jarrod-ramos-annapolis-shooting.ht...
6
I wonder why the Gazette thought that the case of Ramos harassing a former classmate and then taking responsibility by pleading guilty was worthy of displaying to all the world in the paper. Maybe it is not illegal on the paper's part, but does it really help this guy's mental health to publicize his original violation? Or does it help society to publicize his violation?
13
I believe in a free press but I have to wonder also why the story was continued with a somewhat aggressive headline. After a while, it seems the editors did quash the story from further publication because they did recognize the threat. When you're dealing with a person who is already a known harasser--why bait the bear?
10
No one mentions whether he is unemployed or employed. He apparently used to have a good full time job and what sort of job did he have when this happened and what about the so called mental health treatment the judge recommended he get when he was taken to court for criminal harassment? Did this therapist put him on some sort of drugs that made him violent, like a lot of the mass shooters have been on psych medication when they carried out their mass shootings? Maybe someone in the media can look at all the common nominators that link together in ALL USA mass shootings over the past 10 years. At least it's somewhere to start to try and get government change. (Maybe there needs to be more awareness about the negative side effects of drugs whether legal or illegal) I just can't believe humans would act like this without some synthetic chemical causing brain changes. These mass shootings are becoming more common just like drugs have been normalised in society.
2
Another white man with a gun. Most other people rant and rave when things get really bad.
These folks just go buy a gun and start killing people.
America has had a white terrorists problem for a long time now. And no, no liberal (and certainly no conservative) is going to acknowledge that.
33
This is very typical of this type. He doesn't think people should be allowed to say No to him, and when they do, he has no limit to what he will do as vengeance for what he believes was a wrong.
These are very dangerous people, they often do show up in harassment cases, where they get very upset that the object of their affections dares to say no, and worse, dares to ask them to stop the harassment - and then when a court agrees and forces them to stop, their fury at this disorder in the universe that allows ANYONE to tell them 'no' knows no bounds.
The laws preventing people with this behavior from having guns have a very good reason. Once they feel they've exhausted all other ways of getting vengeance, they'll just keep escalating, murder is a definite option for them.
22
I'd like to know the name and address of the bank that mistreated HIS victim. Anyone have that info ??? They deserve to be named, and shamed. Seriously.
42
I'd like to know that information also. Why would her place of employment act on an e-mail and phone call to place her on probation(or was she fired?)--without a thorough investigation? That doesn't make any sense. What could he possibly have said to make her bosses act against the victim? Not only that--how could he convince them with "proof"? Too bad the statute of limitations is probably gone--I could see her winning a huge lawsuit against her employer.
15
There is a major predatory stalking and harassment problem brewing in our society.
Editor’s note: This comment has been anonymized in accordance with applicable law(s).
18
There were no signs, I guess...
8
It's a shame that some people can't seem to maintain two competing thoughts in their head at the same time. Illegal immigration is a problem AND some murderers are white guys. They can both be true.
2
Why not three threats and you're out? We are seeing a clear patterns with these mass murderers lately wherein they left a trail of threats of violence, whether Facebook or Twitter, whatever. Enough. Every threat must be reported and the perpetrator jailed after the third offense. It may seem excessive, but this has become a spectator sport. We need more than just gun laws.
7
Why not ONE threat and you're out? Why wait until number 3? By then the person is way beyond control and on their way to mayhem.
3
I could be wrong, but I find it unlikely that he was plotting revenge for 5 years. It's seems more feasible that something or someone reawakened his anger toward the press.
8
Yeah, like maybe the fact that his appeal to that lawsuit from 5 years ago was recently thrown out of court You do realize the judicial process takes time? It's not like ordering Jimmy John's.
9
I have no doubt anything would have made this guy happy--until he murdered everyone he thought had "wronged" him.
STOP!
Publicizing details and photographs of mass murderers serves as a roadmap for the disaffected and disturbed who have always walked among us. Now they have guns.
Yes, judges, law enforcement officers, teachers and therapists need to know as much as possible about these people to understand the steps they may have taken along their road to perdition so earlier intervention might be effected.
Consider these words which have entered our lexicon:
-- incels
-- Columbiners
Years ago, we were blissfully ignorant. Now we are bombarded by 24 hours news media giving us more than we need.
Consider, too, as the endless drumbeat of gun killings goes on how your words and images and repetition serves to torment those who have already had gun violence in their lives.
Many have described motorcyclists as being in two groups: those who have crashed their bikes and those who will crash them. Now gun victims can be described in much the same way.
All I need to know about a man whose name I will not repeat is that he is forever imprisoned and forever silenced.
Worldwide, millions die annually from insect borne diseases like malaria, dengue and yellow fever yet most media remain silent about these slow-moving epidemics. Gun violence grabs our interest in part because of what print and electronic media does to whip it up. "If it bleeds, it leads".
Stop enabling the criminals.
STOP!
7
You're demanding that a newspaper not give details about the slaughter of colleagues at another newspaper. I'm not sure that you either understand what news is or grasp human nature is. I happen to have friends in the press and in Annapolis. This isn't about the blood. It's about: the accelerating threat from lonesome losers due to the distanced faux relationships available to us through social media; an inability to discern violent outcasts ftom regular outcasts; a lack of legal means to deal with harrassers; and, of course, the easy access to guns that too many have. These things are only possible for us to piece together through reporting such as this. You are free to be ignorant. Lord knows we have about a hundred million or so of blindingly stupid people who are free to pretend that they are mature adults. Tune out as you desire. But don't dare to try to stop the flow of information for the rest of us.
18
Denying publicity to the criminal does not diminish any value to promulgating WHY he acted as he did. I have no desire to put the shooter(s) on any pedestals. Newspapers and electronic reporters have responsibility for the downstream effects of their reports.
I find it interesting that the bank put an employee on probation without any evidence of misconduct, just a complaint by a lunatic.
Everyone needs a union.
52
That bank should have been sued right then and there, but the employee was probably still fearful of added attention to her stalker, and I'm sure needed her job so she went along with this extremely stupid/unethical/probably unlawful decision. Too bad the statue of limitations is probably gone.
9
Although this event seems to date back for several years, it does not help to have a President who continues to falsely and maliciously attack our journalists . These fine people do more to make our country great while he is destroying it and undermining our Democracy. These people are heroes in the face of evil.
38
After another shocking incident, I am firm in the belief that the perpetrator shouldn't be given the oxygen of publicity. Keep him nameless and every other psychopath who carries out acts such as this
9
Which Muslim country is he from? None.
39
Wow, taken alive after mass murder. Sounds about WHITE.
Seriously.
39
I need to take issue with the use of the term “suspect” to identify someone who is known in this case to be the shooter, undeniably the perpetrator. It is true that he has not been prosecuted and found guilty, and is rightly presumed criminally innocent until that should happen, but to say that he is a suspect in the shooting is sloppy shorthand at best. He is a killer, whether yet judged criminally responsible or not, and we should have no problem saying so. Words matter.
9
The electorate must demand real and significant gun law reform and must insist that any person running for political office on any level must first and foremost stand upon that platform. The media has a role to play in keeping the public focused on that goal and in moving public opinion toward that direction. The electorate must not be distracted by the machinations of the powerful influences who feel otherwise. This is the only way for us to effect change and I think if we accomplish this achievable goal many other progressive issues will follow.
12
Seriously? He stalks this woman and calls the bank where she is employed to complain. And SHE is put on probation at the advice of a psycho???? The bank should be ashamed.
142
Another mal adjusted, angry seething white male seeking revenge with a gun...another day in America.
49
The only thing that matters here is the fact that this obviously deranged person had access to a shotgun. Its all about guns. In other developed countries they do not have all these mass shootings. It only happens in the US.
Its too easy to get guns here. Don't forget - vote.
46
This man is clearly another "invicel" - another unique sickness of contemporary American society (along with obsession with guns). Men who are delusional about the interest of women who rebuff them decide they are within the right to commit murder. Toxic masculinity isn't just a buzzword, it's killing people in the most literal sense.
32
This is NOT about "contemporary American society". Stop blaming the increasingly multicultural and mostly progressive American society for making these raging white males killers because they now have to share space and power with the rest of us. It's no worse than the bank blaming its female employee for his mentally deranged actions and putting her on probation.
This is ONLY about two things: mentally ill white heterosexual males unable to adjust to inevitable change and a flawed reading of the Second Amendment by a powerful minority that have utterly captured and corrupted power from the majority of Americans.
Nearly 90% of Americans want more gun control. Less than 30% of Americans even own guns. And the majority of guns, 133 million of them are owned by 3% of the population. Yes, something's sick but it's not our society. It's the system put in place 240 years ago and the entitled white male power exploiting it that's sick.
16
The article , that so irritated Mr. Ramos, can be found here
http://170.99.108.1/appellate/unreportedopinions/2015/2281s13.pdf
It is a fair and accurate report
As in the case of school shooting the case raises the larger question of the appropriate balance between the duty of the press to report and the possibility of such reports to further destabilize unstable individuals.
16
Running our society so as to not annoy disturbed or fragile individuals is not practical.
15
Where does it say, in this article, that the shooter was mentally ill? Apparently, he was extremely angry and felt that he needed some sort of retaliation for what he saw as an insult to his reputation.
And, because he grew up in the USA, he felt it was OK to express his anger with extraordinary violence.
There are very angry people all over this globe, but only in the USA (among western nations) is violence an acceptable response to outrage. Violence can take the form of domestic abuse, child abuse, abuse through social media, sexual harassment, as well as physical violence - these are all far more prevalent in the USA than in other civilized countries.
This is the culture that must be eradicated - through education and by example. How many movies, TV shows, video games show that a problem can be solved by a good guy with a gun?
28
This is a classic case of erotomanic obsession held by a person focused with obsessive fantasy on a love interest, even when there was never a romantic or sexual relationship. The obsession is driven by jealousy, domination over and possession of the other. The obsessive predator typically has a record of inadequate and troubled relationships, coupled with a rich and disturbed fantasy life. The obsession escalates over time, and is not affected by moral, legal or therapeutic boundaries. One variable that triggers an act of violence is perceived or actual rejection of the object of his obsessive fantasy.
Any therapeutic, legal, police, press, or employment limits taken to rein-in or limit the predator with an obsessive fixation on acting on his fantasies will escalate his anger and escalate his obsessive determination to act on his fantasies.
In fact, the societal structures which intervene to limit or expose the predator and his behavior will, themselves, become additional targets by the obsessive predator. He will add them to his collection of targets. This dynamic is illustrated in this case, as the predator took aim at the newspaper. He announced his collection of threats on social media.
Who knows the actual numbers of predators and their victims in this country, as the study and reporting is wholly inadequately monitored or studied. The easy access to guns only rounds-out the risk.
36
Thank you for such a good analysis and explanation of what's going on with these men without taking cheap shots at American society in general. This all about these men and the powerful minority that refuse to heed the will of the majority for more gun control.
It sounds like there's no way to stop these men as even intervention itself can trigger them. So, what is the answer? Is there a way to identify them and isolate them from society? It's only getting worse with more people dying as gun control is now never going to happen with a hard right court and the court-sanctioned gerrymandered power of the GOP cemented for years to come.
7
We now live in a country where the response to anger is revenge. As our leader tells Harley-Davidson that they will be taxed the "likes of which they've never seen," revenge is everywhere. Revenge with a gun does not necessarily mean the shooter is mentally ill. It means our leader has modeled yelling, screaming, hurtful, gun carrying revenge, so much that it now seems the norm. This shooting is, sadly, no surprise.
49
Is Twitter doing more harm than good? President Trump makes the greatest misuse of this device. He tells lies on it. He spreads copious amounts of disinformation to his followers and the world, using Twitter. His followers instantly believe him and lap it up like hungry hounds; the rest of us take a deep breath and exhale and and say to themselves, " The Prez is at it again. When will it all end."
Now we learn that Mr. Ramos was sending threats to his “enemies” using Twitter.
The social media are double edged swords. The potential for misuse is as great as for benevolent use.
Should we lay down some rules?
30
Very sad story. He appears to have a fixed delusion about a woman who he knew previously. It's difficult to have predicted that he would become homicidal, even had he been in the mental health system. The question is whether he had a history of violence, been exposed to violent behavior in his family growing up, or made clear threats.
1
The article clearly states quotes from people aware of and directly involved in the situation that definitely thought he would resort to violence.
It's written plain as day. Don't know why you wrote this?
5
Presumably he did not serve in the military, but he did work for the federal government. But he is not like the usual psychotic killers who kill themselves when confronted by police. He was someone who had an identifiable grudge against specific people. Sounds like the typical stalker mentality, the ones who are just enraged by a court order. The question would be where or how he acquired such a disregard for human life.
4
Another angry white male with a mass murder machine wreaks havoc on civil society and our fake president issues "thoughts and prayers" callously. Vote the NRA out of our government; vote Democratic.
32
Hiding under a desk-what a coward.
12
This is your reminder that once again an armed murderer, who just killed 5 people in cold blood, and was a grown man, was taken into custody safely. Meanwhile, unarmed teenagers are continually killed by officers around the country over imaginary threats to their life.
122
Because "an armed murderer" was white...
13
And unarmed teenagers - of all colors - are also taken into custody safely, in large numbers.
Selecting which cases to compare doesn't make a real argument. Look to the percent killed in each race per arrest of similar type if you want to make an ACTUAL point.
Otherwise I can quote this case, and many others with the known hundreds of thousands of black men arrested without killing them - then point to one single case where a woman was killed during arrest, and say that this proves a bias against women.
2
This man saw how crazy his behavior appeared in the newspaper, could not accept it for what it was, and twisted it into a perception of being victimized by the newspaper to avoid having to face the ugliness inside of himself. Even after a judge offered him a chance to see what was going on he refused to face the truth. That is deluded. Anyone that far from home is unpredictable and beyond rational communication with anyone.
18
Two take-aways from this situation: 1. The shooter was white and armed; therefore, he's still alive. Had the shooter been black or brown, he'd be dead. 2. Trump's immigration ban and border wall didn't prevent this situation.
119
These two "take-aways" are incorrect. First, you assume Mr. Ramos (with a HIspanic surname is white), which probably is wrong. More important, more unarmed "white" people are killed by police each year. Second, what does the ongoing debate about immigration have to do with this story....let's check the outrage at the door and deal with the facts.
8
Yes, it is a general rule John, if the shooter is caucasian then he must be mentally unstable, police will wait with all caution to take him into custody. Once the trail is done he will be sent for counseling and evaluation at the expense of the taxpayer. But if the shooter or percieved shooter is brown or black, he must be a terrorist or a criminal, so will be shot dead with no questions asked.
12
Sure looks white to me in the photo.
1
We can't identify all unstable gunmen before they act, but this guy had been through court system and referred for mental illness and should have all guns confiscated. Of course that would be difficult unless we KNEW he had the gun s, hence if we are serious, ALL Gunn's must be registered and ALL guns removed from anyone with mental illness record etc..I'm sorry, the deaths fo these several innocent people, let alone the thousands that die from senseless gun violence each year, many innocent bystanders, "trumps" (no pun intended_ ANY considerations of "privacy", "self -defense", 2nd amendment etc. Its just this type fo nonsense that will actually destroy our democracy as it has others. When the system allows for this type of random danger, people will demand the system is changed. This is what happened in Tsarist Russia, and Weimar Germany etc. My families lives -ie the Right to live in peace are far more important than even the Bill of Rights-
21
White man-shoots and kills five people-taken in alive
Same week Anton Rose seventeen year old black boy- runs from cops at a traffic stop and shot in the back and killed.
We need to have the same treatment for all our citizens.
I don’t think that this lunatic should have been shot, I just think that the cops in this country need to use their skills in taking in people alive to have their due process on all citizens, not just the white ones.
96
And what did Tom Marquardt, former executive editor and publisher do with his "long" held fears that Mr. Ramos might resort to violence against the newspaper? Nothing it appears. If the first responders were not as quick and fearless as they were this massacre could have even been worse. Trust your gut.
13
What exactly should he have done? There is no legal remedy against someone you suspect might be violent. If you want to scatter the blame from the shooter, try the judge who released him with just probation although even that seems to have aroused his ire. I would suggest this is exactly the type of person who should never be able to obtain a weapon. Without it, he's just another troubled crank. Annoying but probably not deadly.
34
What exactly could he have done? Have him arrested? His weapons confiscated? Have him monitored? I don't believe those things were possible; and anyway, efforts to respond to this guy's threats only seemed to incite him further.
12
Are you looking for someone to blame? Someone who you can hold responsible for this tragedy?
Someone besides Ramos? The case seems to have been in the court system for years: 2012-2015. Lawsuits were dismissed.
What should have been done? maybe a law to take guns away from those who threaten violence?
33
Perhaps it's time that the authorities monitor and follow up on threats in emails and tweets. The law needs to be changed so that some form of restraint be applied to people who express violent threats publicly. Since these signals frequently precede violence, timely intervention would save lives.
54
Prior restraint has long been anathematic as unconstitutional. But with so many guns around and knee-jerk antisocial behavior being modelled from the top, starting in tweets around 5 am every day, maybe it's time to reconsider.
17
So tragic and so senseless. The dead gone; their loved ones destroyed; the public dispirited. What is the meaning to this violent act and why do they keep happening?
5
For one, easy access to guns. We will keep on having incidents of people using guns as long as we make it so easy to buy guns. No other country has so many guns.
20
"why do they keep happening?"
Because the NRA owns congress...
13
Remind me again how immigrants are the problem?
205
How is it that home-grown white male terrorism is not identified as the actual terrorists within our national borders?
14
Is there a way that someone who demonstrates obsessive threatening behavior can be restrained? Monitored? Is it possible? I think every community has seen someone like this - someone who is angrily obsessed with a neighbor, a romantic object ( not a willing one), the police or local authorities, and nowadays, ranting on public media.
In this case, it seems to me that back when he was threatening the woman, weapons should have been confiscated ( it was a shotgun, it will never be included in a general weapons ban). I wonder if any mental health assessment was ordered...
53
People exhibiting anger in public is disturbing but most times, the yelling and displaying of the feelings diminishes the likelihood of subsequent violence upon others. The dangerous people hold it in and go find a means to take it out on those they think wronged them.
2
It’s the pattern of behavior of inappropriate anger that never stopped that should have led to intervention with social workers and psychiatrists.
1
It is very difficult for them to "intervene." Nearly impossible.
1
We know there are people like this out there, that is why Mr. Trump's habit of pointing at the press and calling them our enemy, and Milos Yiannopoulos calls for vigilantes to shoot reporters is so irresponsible. The Republican establishment needs to refrain from attacking the Fourth Estate and Mr. Trump needs to stop calling the free press the enemy.
211
No relations, seemingly personal dispute; in reality obsessive compulsive (crazy) behavior. Does not mean I tolerate Trump's or any other irresponsible person's egging-on the mentally fragile among us. But people like Ramos has no business owning guns. Maybe not even a driver's license—yes, that can be a form of penalty taking away the privilege of being in the public streets with a lethal weapon, car.
8
Here we go again. An obviously unstable individual had access to a gun. And he has killed 5 people, injured two more and shattered lives in his twisted anger. And what will the response be? "Thoughts and prayers." My God, when will our elected officials have the guts to stand up to the NRA and do something about this carnage??
182
Easy there. I support all kinds of strong gun legislation including banning so-called assault weapons and registration of all guns. This maniac used a shotgun. Hard to blame this one on the NRA---an organization without merit.
11
Why should he have been allowed to get his hands on any kind of gun at all?
8
We are talking a shotgun, a weapon of mass murder, not a water pistol.
We don't care about him and we never will care about him. We care about the lives shattered by this person. You can do the world a favor by taking his image down.
94
This so very sad, all my condolences at Capital Gazette now maybe it is time for reporters to be more careful when reporting the details of such individuals who obviously are dangerous especially if they are free.
4
That's exactly what the current administration wants: for reporters to be afraid of telling the truth. Control the press and the next step is dictatorship.
41
Do you realize you are suggesting the press should not be free to tell the truth but should censor itself to suit the unhinged? After abolishing freedom of speech and of the press, which rights do you think we should give up next?
8
Maybe it is time to hold people accountable for "mere" threats-?
66
How? If you and I are in a shouting match and I threaten to, "knock your block off" and you respond, try it and I'll kill you", what are the authorities to do?
When is the line crossed? Is a verbal threat worse than an internet posting? Which crosses the line, a threatening phone call or someone silently hanging around?
Thought police are not the answer.
11
this comparison is meaningless and undermines what is being suggested. a long history of harassment on line, vulgarity, threats against named newsmen, court cases, hardly a verbal argument. yes it is time to monitor such threats. it is not thought police, it is concrete evidence of simmering animosity for years. he was known to the police and the courts, it is a small community paper his animosity was blatant as bullhorn. where is a solution? lock the front door?
3
It's not thought police when he expresses violent threats against a person and people who had not and were not threatening him. This was not an argument. The newspaper reported the facts of his court case, he was displeased and threatened and then followed through with violence.
2
A possible scenario: This murderer will be examined, found mentally unstable, admitted to a hospital and eventually released because the prisons are so crowded, and he'll be deemed "cured". The Charles Mansons of the world are incurable. Why should society bear the pain and expense of their existence?
21
A more likely scenario: He's convicted of five counts of first degree murder and sentenced to life with no chance of parole.
13
I can just imagine President Trump wishing he had the power to pardon him, and maybe even invite him into the White House, to decorate him for bravery, killing those enemies of the people, the "despised fake news" etc.
1
Reports are that he is not speaking and just stares blankly. He trying to make people believe he is insane. He knew exactly what he was doing.
He will never walk free again.
Trump repeatedly casts journalists as "the enemy of the people." All it takes is one unstable, unbalanced person with easy access to guns and a delusional affinity for Trump, and the result is multiple dead journalists.
This is no way to run a civilized country.
142
What does the loathsome Trump have to do with this?
One unstable, unbalanced person with easy access to guns and a delusional affinity for democrats shot up a republican baseball practice.
There are nuts of various political beliefs. This maniac did not seem to have a political bent. Not everything involves Trump.
16
I am questioning your characterization of this being a "civilized country". We are rapidly approaching, or may have indeed, crossed over into the "semi-civilized" category.
14
I think the "loathsome" Trump has a lot to do with this. His base thrives on his inflammatory tweets and comments. He is certainly not a calming influence.
9
Ramos had an obsession with being a victim of his own bad behavior and he certainly seems to fit the bill of a highly intelligent sociopath, somewhat like Ted Kazinski, the UniBomber. They both exhibit borderline personality disorders if not worse. Ramos should have been intercepted long before this happened and placed in a mental health facility, but that won't happen because there are no funds for mental health since we spend all of our money on wars that accomplish nothing but murder and more mayhem. It's called the United States of Insanity. When will "We the People" decide enough is enough.
83
@Jeff bunkers, great post. It was Reagan who took the initial action that forced the closing of vast numbers of mental health facilities, (see https://www.salon.com/2013/09/29/ronald_reagans_shameful_legacy_violence... which is quite ironic given his own mental illness. Seems the GOP is great for electing mentally ill and criminal presidents, but do you think their base will ever learn? It's doubtful. These typical GOP decisions always make things worse, and not just for the poor, but for themselves. I'm fed up with GOP stupidity, greed and their conscienceless grab for ever more power. Now we have DT, who is like Reagan on steroids and once again the U.S. populace will suffer the consequences of spending money on DT's ego rather than actually creating the kind of social supports that make this a safer country to live in.
8
Not borderline, Narcissistic.
4
Was Ramos enabled by national tweets from the president about "fake news", and about "dishonest" media types? Words from
POTUS have consequences. Is this latest shooting one of them?
70
Wondering if family members of those tragically lost in this latest massacre will be referred to as "Angel Families" & will receive enlarged photos of their loved ones, signed by our narcissist-in-chief, during a WH visit.
54
This event may only qualify for "Thoughts and Prayers" and a few more swipes at "The Media" after he checks-in with Chief Advisor Hannity.
5
I hardly think this is the time to use this tragedy as a way to criticize Trump. This is really not the situation that fits that narrative.
6
I agree, but stand by and watch Trump use the tragedy du jour in a tweet. You can bet on it.
Someone who is convicted of harassment should not have access to guns of any type. And, there may be laws that say this. But, there also need to be workable gun registries to have any chance of removing guns from those who pose a danger to others or to themselves. I know that registries are fiercely opposed by gun groups, but if they agree that criminals and the mentally unstable should not have guns, how should we make these laws actually work, and not just be words?
104
Your reliance on a registry is exactly the reason Americans object to them. You say it yourself. You want the ability to confiscate guns from people who have not committed a crime. But that is our system of law, the American system of law. We don't prosecute or deprive people of rights for crimes they have not committed. How are you going to predict that a person will commit murder with a gun? Says who?
Our current laws address that situation. They have to be adjudicated in a court as dangerous. It's called due process.
5
In the very first sentence of the comment Mark states, accurately, that there WAS a conviction of Harassment. What other crime would need to be added here? There was an adjudication here—and the person was in court. Presumably the judge discussed this with the offender at that time. Do we trust people convicted of crimes to be honest about their gun “collections?”
11
There is no reason to worry that removal of guns from anyone who is temporarily unfit to keep them from doing harm could be a means to confiscate guns, generally. Just develop the laws and practices to allow for temporary removal and return where justified accordingly. If someone is suicidal or suffering from circumstances that generate rage, they are potential threats to themselves or others and should not have access to firearms. Fear of having a mass confiscation of firearms should not prevent removing clear risks of deaths by guns.
12
We probably need to learn more about this deeply disturbed individual, but our gun laws should be strict enough that a man who threatens violence can't legally buy a gun, any type of gun, as well as ammunition anywhere in America. For some reason, men who feel jilted or rejected are a particular menace.
All guns should be registered, insured, and their ownership tracked. Our country is awash in guns and about 200,000 are apparently stolen every year. A gun can easily be purchased from your neighborhood drug dealer as well as gun shows, private sellers, and online. A gun can even be made at home with the help of a 3D printer.
There's no way to prevent all violence with guns or otherwise, but our gun death rate shows we have a public health emergency on the same scale as our opioid epidemic. Most civilized countries do far better at protecting their citizens. Our current administration and Republican Congress haven't lifted a finger to limit gun violence.
But at least we're arresting indigent Central American women who present themselves with their children while legally asking for asylum. And many of these women are fleeing violence within the few countries that do a worse job protecting their citizens.
128
Nice narrative but the Central American women that inspire your indignation are not legally asking for asylum. Those who do legally ask for asylum are not arrested.
5
Aristotle, reports from the border indicate many asylum seekers are not given the opportunity to ask for asylum before they're arrested. Our country is now placing restrictions on how many can present themselves for asylum despite the fact that there's no basis in law for limiting those numbers. People are waiting weeks on the Mexican side of the border after they arrive.
Also, there's no requirement that an asylum seeker may only present themselves at a port of entry.
And regardless of whether one is arrested for illegal entry or not, you're still entitled to ask for asylum within the first year of your presence in our country.
Of course, asylum is by no means guaranteed and must still be legally adjudicated. What adds to heinous nature of the current zero tolerance program is the implied threat that parents will only get their children back if they plead guilty to unlawful entry and accept expedited removal without recourse to the asylum process.
11
Yes, arrested people include those legally seeking asylum. That, dear Aristotle, is why so many of us are outraged.
4