Saturday, December 8, 2007

Omaha Mall Shooting

I don't have much to say about this, except that this is yet another indictment of our public mental health system. The gunman was a former ward of the state, for whom over a quarter of a million dollars was spent, the result of which was that he was still incapable of living with his parents. I don't want to jump on the pro-CCW bandwagon, although I totally agree with those who say they we should not be deprived of our second amendment rights simply because of the arbitrary rulings of a property owner. I doubt that the holder of a concealed weapon, which is legal in Omaha, could have made any difference in this outcome, unless an extremely alert and well-trained person had seen the shooter as he exited the elevator and took him down immediately. It is overall just a sad and tragic situation. My prayers are with the survivors and the families of the deceased. Maybe this kid should have been locked up but it is difficult for bureaucratic employees to discern which of their clients are truly dangerous and which are merely incapable of being high-functioning members of society.

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