West Virginia man fatally shoots wife and himself while kids watch

[Sanddog42]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/01/02/west-virginia-man-fatally-shoots-wife-and-himself-while-kids-watch/

Two great comments from on this story:

Four more victims of the MYTH that a gun protects you from "bad guys". Every reputable statistic on the subject proves that you are much more likely to have the gun used against you or a loved one.

&

One of the greatest dangers from firearms is when a good person finds him/herself in a bad place.

[catbyte]

1. Jesus Christ. What a selfish, cruel POS. Those poor kids will be damaged for life.

[SunSeeker]

2. "Children, ages 6 and 10, ran screaming from the home, a neighbor said."

This is incomprehensively horrible.

[angstlessk]

3. It is not about GUNS..it is about economics...and poverty

How much money must he make to support a family of 4 in a single wide trailer? I would bet it was economic despair that caused this tragedy..

A family of 4..in a trailer....and a man can not even support them...THAT is the tragedy...the rest is just the outcome.

[Electric Monk]

4. I can just sense some of our resident rkba enthusiasts wanting to post here

that if only mom and/or the kids had had their own guns too....

well, I'm sure you get my drift

[angstlessk]

5. I do understand you..I say it is not about GUNS..because

I believe it was about economics...or poverty....that had no other expression...I agree guns are dangerous..but this man would have stabbed his wife and killed himself...no matter if a gun was present or not...

I would love it if America followed Australia and did away with guns...but, sadly that will not happen here.

[billh58]

11. You are assuming,

incorrectly, that it is just as easy both physically and emotionally to pull a trigger from a distance as it is to walk up to within inches of someone and repeatedly stab them with a sharp implement. Statistics prove that having a gun in the home increases the odds of suicide and the murder of a family member many times over.

The economy, or mental depression, or any number of other factors may be the underlying cause of any family tragedy, but a gun is specifically designed to quickly and efficiently kill yourself, or a another human being. It has also been shown that many people survive stabbings and cut wrists, whereas gun shot wounds to the head or a vital organ are more often fatal than not.

The attempts of the NRA and its apologists to frame the health hazards caused by the obscene proliferation of guns in this country as anything else (mental illness, economy, gangs, etc.) is as big a lie as "the Democrats are coming for your guns." Yes, a gun is an inanimate object -- until it is picked up and used for the specific purpose it was designed for: to efficiently kill something or someone.

This Group is for the discussion of how to reduce the number of guns on our streets, gun violence, and to make gun owners more responsible and accountable for the guns that they own. Anything that detracts from that discussion and attempts to justify the use of a gun in the commission of a crime is not in line with the purpose of this Group or its SOP.

We don't want to "do away with guns." Unlike the NRA and its apologists however, we want to make them much more difficult to obtain, sell, transfer, and keep.

[angstlessk]

14. I agree, one can out run a knife, not so a bullet...

I simply meant this man, if he was determined to kill his wife and himself, he could have strangled her, beat her on her head with a blunt instrument...but yes...a gun is the least personal way to kill someone, which makes it the easiest.

I am not an advocate for guns..I wish to hell we could have some sane gun laws in this country awash in guns...

I even would prefer only outlaws have guns..at least we would know where they were!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And make it less likely a child would accidentally kill themselves or their friends....and a spouse less likely to shoot his/her spouse.

[billh58]

15. When you make

the statement "it is not about GUNS" you are parroting the NRA lie that "guns don't kill, people kill." It is very much about GUNS and the culture that has made them the go-to choice for problem solving in this country.

Your premise that "if he was determined to kill his wife and himself" is telling as well. More than likely, this was a spontaneous act and not one of premeditated murder/suicide. The ready availability of a gun just made it an irreversible decision, as is the case in many domestic violence gun deaths. As stated earlier, statistics show that the presence of a gun in the home greatly increase the odds of suicide and death of family members when compared to homes without guns.

I agree that because of the Second Amendment, we will never rid this country of the menace of guns. We can, however, take positive steps to reduce the number of gun deaths with the passage of more stringent laws requiring comprehensive background checks to include health records, and tighter control of the sale, transfer, and monitoring of gun ownership to ensure continued eligibility for ownership through registration.

I am not accusing you of being a gun advocate, but you are wrong when you state that "it is not about GUNS." It is very much about guns, and the lax laws and regulations which the NRA and its apologists have enacted by purchasing corrupt politicians at all levels of government.

[angstlessk]

16. Okay...I should have said "it's not about the MURDER...it is about the economy/mental health"

I did not mean to discount the gun aspect...just the murder...

I have been educated and appreciate it..as I agree whole heartedly with you

[billh58]

17. Thanks for understanding

the difference, and I apologize for the lecture. The NRA standard talking points, including the "guns don't kill..." lie are so often repeated that they are accepted as the truth in many circles. Nothing could be further from the truth, as the only designed purpose of a gun is to kill. One of the first rules of gun safety is never point a gun at someone that you are not willing (or intending) to shoot. Of course guns kill people -- to the tune of around 30,000 Americans annually.

The extremist Second Amendment fanatical gun culture in this country is a very loud and vocal minority, and is well represented by the politically powerful NRA and groups like ALEC and the Koch Brothers. The gun control movement is growing and gaining ground however, and will eventually prevail through the implementation of sane and sensible national gun control legislation.

[angstlessk]

18. AND...when I say it's not about the murder...

in the future..as there will be more like this...I will say...were it not for the gun...it may have been attempted murder...or assault with a deadly weapon...

Like I said...if only criminals had guns...at least we would have a registry of criminals with guns

[angstlessk]

13. First off, I am not a rkba enthusiast..you will not see my nomenclature

in the gungeon..

I hail anyone who wants to control guns in this country...

I also want to see people to be able to get the help they need when they need it...the wife if she needed to leave a monster, or mental health if he was depressed....that too will help..I am sure there was mental illness of some kind...

I am glad he did not kill his kids, which many like this do...

I.AM.NOT.A.GUN.ADVOCATE.

[busterbrown]

8. Yea and I bet he hates all govt safety net programs.. Feels like a taker and hates his own being for

that...Sad!!

[Sanddog42]

19. I was one of a family of 5 in a trailer in southern WV

I admit, it was a double-wide, but still, these are my roots. And I can say that there are much worse situations to be in.

I don't meant to detract from your point about the impact of poverty. In fact, I agree that enforced poverty is a major issue affecting the health of individuals and our society at large, and wealth inequality must be addressed. The shaming of struggling people (by cutting benefits) just adds to the problem.

That being said, the idea that this would have happened regardless of whether there was a gun in that home rests on faulty logic. The determination to kill oneself or another is often fleeting. And it takes less resolve to pull a trigger than any other method of killing. If there had been no gun, it's likely this man would have reconsidered his actions before he went through with them. Perhaps out of 100 such suicides and/or murders a few would still go through with it, but the majority would not. An instructive example is how the number of suicides declined when the oderant thiophane was added to natural gas. The preferred method of suicide by many before that time was to stick their heads into gas ovens and asphyxiate. The additive made that very uncomfortable, but instead of just finding another way to do themselves in, many people just continued living. In the same way, fewer guns would almost certainly lead to fewer stories like this one.

[jtuck004]

6. Suicide Rates Rise Sharply in U.S.

Suicide rates among middle-aged Americans have risen sharply in the past decade, prompting concern that a generation of baby boomers who have faced years of economic worry and easy access to prescription painkillers may be particularly vulnerable to self-inflicted harm.

More people now die of suicide than in car accidents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which published the findings in Friday’s issue of its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. In 2010 there were 33,687 deaths from motor vehicle crashes and 38,364 suicides.

Suicide has typically been viewed as a problem of teenagers and the elderly, and the surge in suicide rates among middle-aged Americans is surprising.The most pronounced increases were seen among men in their 50s, a group in which suicide rates jumped by nearly 50 percent, to about 30 per 100,000. For women, the largest increase was seen in those ages 60 to 64, among whom rates increased by nearly 60 percent, to 7.0 per 100,000.
...

“It’s vastly underreported,” said Julie Phillips, an associate professor of sociology at Rutgers University who has published research on rising suicide rates. “We know we’re not counting all suicides.”
...

Here.


I wonder when despair overtook hope...

[mackerel]

7. poor kids...PTSD

[SCVDem]

9. I sensed the first bit of despair when Bush stole the election in 2000

The first things he did were to undo Clinton's workplace safety regs. Then came Cheney and the NO TELL meeting. Shortly after was Enron and my power bill jumped a hundred a month.

9-11 followed shortly after and then the government takeover by the kangaroo courts. Afghanistan, Iraq, Bullshit mission accomplished and then even more lies and economic damage due to the tax cuts for the rich. Halliburton and mercenaries and more lies from the fronts. Tora Bora. Homeland security and constant fear, the color codes, job loss followed by house loss and economic devastation.

Bankruptcy, no replacement jobs, being labeled as takers and meant to feel inferior.

Constant filibusters and no working together. Lobbyists and big money groups calling the shots.

No hope, you are now poor and almost homeless. Your life is lost in a episode of storage wars. Welfare turns you down, you sold the car but you saved the gun. The phone is cut and so is the power. Food was cup o noodles and they are all gone.

Now we are completely broke and freezing. Cue the music I'll grab the gun and the booze



"The End"

This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end

Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end
No safety or surprise, the end
I'll never look into your eyes...again

Can you picture what will be
So limitless and free
Desperately in need...of some...stranger's hand
In a...desperate land

Lost in a Roman...wilderness of pain
And all the children are insane
All the children are insane
Waiting for the summer rain, yeah BANG!

There's danger on the edge of town
Ride the King's highway, baby
Weird scenes inside the gold mine
Ride the highway west, baby

Ride the snake, ride the snake
To the lake, the ancient lake, baby
The snake is long, seven miles Bang!
Ride the snake...he's old, and his skin is cold

The west is the best
The west is the best
Get here, and we'll do the rest

The blue bus is callin' us
The blue bus is callin' us
Driver, where you taken' us

The killer awoke before dawn, he put his boots on
He took a face from the ancient gallery
And he walked on down the hall
He went into the room where his sister lived, and...then he
Paid a visit to his brother, and then he
He walked on down the hall, and
And he came to a door...and he looked inside
Father, yes son, I want to kill you
Mother...I want to...fuck you

C'mon baby, take a chance with us
C'mon baby, take a chance with us
C'mon baby, take a chance with us
And meet me at the back of the blue bus
Doin' a blue rock
On a blue bus
Doin' a blue rock
C'mon, yeah

Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill Bang, Goodbye, Bang!

This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end

It hurts to set you free
But you'll never follow me
The end of laughter and soft lies
The end of nights we tried to die

This is the end No more pain!


Goodbye!

[madinmaryland]

10. A responsible gun owner, until he wasn't. Nt

[Packerowner740]

12. Oh he was responsible

He was responsible for the death of a mother

He was responsible for two new orphans

He was responsible for a lifetime of mental issues and PTSD for his children