Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Breivik




I'm diverging from my recent decision to stop beating a dead horse in order to briefly beat this one.

The problem for Breivik is that he is insane, but for the rest of us the problem with Breivik is not that he is insane, but that he is insane and armed to the teeth.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Closer to home, don't step on your neighbor's front porch at 1:45am - he might shoot you in the stomach as he uses his right to bear arms to protect his property.

Irene said...

Is he really insane? His ideas and actions are extremist and repugnant, and we would like to think only a crazy person would carry out such atrocities. But he seems to have well thought and specific reasons for his actions. He had goals. He is responsible for his actions. If he is insane, then the 9/11 bombers also were insane. They were extremists and terrorists, and so is Breivik. By calling him insane, the far right extremists can distance themselves from his actions in a manner not afforded to even Muslim moderates after 9/11.

Bud said...

Irene: You make a good point. It would be nice to think you're wrong and the guy really is bonkers. To assume this is a calculated move by a political group would be very disturbing.

Bill said...

Bud:

Why would a "calculated move by a political group" be disturbing? This is happening presently in Washington, although not on the mortal damage level that this character produced.

Another matter of interest is what would have been the death toll outcome if one additional person had been on the island, trained in weaponary, and did not mind eliminating that character?

Bud said...

Bill: Concerning your last paragraph, I must ask how you know there was not such a person present? The presence of armed people in the U.S. during shootings has not ordinarily turned out well, I believe, though I have to do some research on that.

scot s w said...

I understand that in Detroit, teams of armed patriots are defending themselves from each other on a regular basis.