Florida popcorn shooting: Are concealed guns about self-defense or power?

[SecularMotion]

How is it that Curtis Reeves, a well-regarded former Tampa, Fla., police captain, allowed a mundane argument over cellphone texting in a movie theater to end in bloodshed and tragedy?

That has become a riveting question in the wake of the death Monday of Chad Oulson, a 43-year-old husband, father, and former Naval petty officer who threw a bag of popcorn at Mr. Reeves as the argument escalated. Reeves, who carried a sidearm throughout a long police career, “should have known better” than to open fire, says former Florida prosecutor Bob Dekle.

Florida prosecutors have charged Reeves with second-degree murder, citing at least one incident in the past where he confronted a theater texter. He was refused bond in a preliminary hearing on Tuesday where he wore a bulletproof vest for, police said, his own protection.

Both texting and gun carry are against the theater rules at the Wesley Chapel, Fla., multiplex where the killing took place.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2014/0115/Florida-popcorn-shooting-Are-concealed-guns-about-self-defense-or-power-video

[dembotoz]

1. power imho

[politicman]

2. both

The more people that carry guns, the more that small disputes can result in shootings.

Imagine one person moves his hand slightly, the other will think that he too is carrying, thus drawing his own weapon and trying to get the first shot as self defence.

Having guns will just provide the potential for small disputes to escalate to shootings.

[RadiationTherapy]

3. Feeling capable to defend one's self is a powerful feeling.

[oldhippie]

4. When is a rule not a rule?

When it pertains to guns in GD. It seems it cannot be enforced.

[Lizzie Poppet]

5. This thread also appears in the Gungeon.

I'd suggest to everyone interested in the topic that they use that thread rather than this one (which will hopefully be locked...although I have no real expectation that the rules are actually going to mean a fucking thing here any more).

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

6. The theater's rules against guns are probably irrelevant ...

... the guy is a retired cop. They have a different set of rules.

[sarisataka]

12. It would depend on FL law...

As a retired cop he is allowed to carry by the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act which preempts state and local law except:

"the laws of any State that (1) permit private persons or entities to prohibit or restrict the possession of concealed firearms on their property" (such as a bars, private clubs, amusement parks, etc.), or &quot 2) prohibit or restrict the possession of firearms on any State or local government property, installation, building, base, or park"

If FL law says a "No Guns" sign legally prevents carry then it would apply. In many states such signs are only policy notices and have no legal weight. Texas is one state I know off the top where the signs have legal backing.

In either case, the laws against murder will be far more important in this case.

[Iggo]

7. They're about fear.

[DirkGently]

8. Angry personality + the Armed Society religion = pointless deaths.

From the article:

There are a lot of people dead today who would be alive but for [a gun carrier] who gets angry and accelerates an argument to a homicide,” says Kristen Rand, legislative director at the Violence Policy Center in Washington. “It’s very clear that carrying a concealed gun creates a mindset among some people that, ‘I’ve got a gun, the state sanctions it, therefore I have a right to use it’ ” in public.

The carefully crafted philosophy pushed so hard by gun manufacturers becomes more extreme every day. The idea of the responsible, "armed citizen" has evolved into a broad new right for people who carry weapons to kill whenever they feel uncomfortable. Given that only "good guys" can legally carry, we need to just trust that anyone who carries is a solemn, responsible citizen, well-versed in the law, and not prone to hasty action, or so the theory goes.

Because Americans are like that, right? No one here gets unreasonably pissed in a movie theater, or on a highway, or at line in the DMV.

So now we're seeing people with guns absorbing the idea they are entitled to start or accelerate angry confrontations in public, secure in the knowledge they can always choose to resolve the situation with firepower, because they will be protected by the flotilla of new legislation making "self-defense" with a gun an increasingly broad and vague idea.

Is it any surprise we're now seeing people actively seeking out confrontation with whatever or whomever annoys or irritates them, confident they are empowered to kill if the other person dares to react?

The idea of being empowered to kill anyone who bothers you or fails to give you proper respect is very seductive to a lot of people. Not just convicted felons. Not just the certifiably mentally ill.

We're going to see more of this.

[aikoaiko]

9. Self-defense.

Its like having a fire extinguisher.

[In_The_Wind]

10. Carrying a concealed weapon should be about self defense.

[NYC_SKP]

11. "Both texting and gun carry are against the theater rules"

This event shines the spotlight on how pointless it is to make rules.

Time to find different solutions.

CC and SYG laws didn't make this happen, some asshole(s) made this happen.

To blame the guns or the laws is to forgive the assholes(s).

How stupid is that?

[El_Johns]

13. Both.