Not Exactly a Swift Response

Since the mainstream media won't put the puzzle pieces together ...

Earlier today I heard an ABC Radio news report quoting someone in the Binghampton, N.Y., police department remark how yesterday's immigration center massacre would have been so much worse had not a secretary "played dead" and called 9-1-1 on her cell phone.

That was a nice, feel good moment.

Sadly, I'm afraid it was a bit of CYA on someone's part. Read this from an Associated Press report:

One receptionist was killed, while the other, shot in the abdomen, pretended to be dead and then crawled under a desk and called 911, he said.

Police said they arrived within two minutes ... [snip]

Police heard no gunfire after they arrived but waited for about an hour before entering the building to make sure it was safe for officers.

Waited an hour?

What's the point of dialing 9-1-1?

Sure, the guy apparently killed himself when he heard the sirens, or at least that's the theory, but what if he hadn't?

It was just a few days ago that a family burned to death in South Yorkshire, England, while police stood guard outside and prevented nearby citizens from attempting any rescue, even though there were cries of help from inside. And everyone tut-tutted and said, "Damn, I'm glad I don't live in England!"

Let's not be so hasty to judge.

The rash of gun incidents in the U.S. will no doubt fuel the demands for more stringent gun control legislation. In fact, I've already heard a Brady Campaign spokesman "demand" that Congress do something now.

Consider, however, if those two receptionists had been trained and licensed conceal-carry people? The gunman might have got one of them, chances are he would have been taken down by the second. How many of the 13 who died might have been saved? How many of the four critically injured might not have been hurt? How about the terror experienced by the 26 people who hid in the boiler room for three hours, waiting first for the policemen to decide to enter the building, and then for another couple of hours as a methodical search was undertaken?

Instead, American are going to be lectured how the availability of guns is making ours a deadly society, and how we must rid ourselves of them, emasculate our ability to fight back, so that we can be sitting ducks for the next deranged loner. Sitting ducks who may or may not be able to count on immediate help from law enforcement. Just depends on how much risk a particular police department allows its officers.

(I would suspect that it was the regulations, not the personnel, that are at fault here. Most cops I know would not hesitate to risk their own lives to save others. Most would not sit outside for an hour where they know people have been shot.)

Remember this incident when you hear calls for more stringent gun control laws. With every infringement on your Second Amendment rights of self-protection, you must grant ever more trust that the government will be there to protect you.

It's not very reassuring.