Another madman, on a rampage, killing people. Let's not let another tragedy slip away without taking advantage of it.

Once again, a gunman opens fire in public, killing a dozen and wounding others. His targets, according to the president, were specific. “He targeted military and civilians”, so said President Obama a couple hours after Aaron Alexis went on his rampage at the Navy Yard in Washington. “Targeted”? What does he mean by that? Once again, without benefit of paid writers and no teleprompter, POTUS is confused about facts. But, let's not let a good tragedy go to waste.

He’s not the only one. Reporters, young and old, experienced and newbies, are only interested in relaying anything they hear. I'd like to hear one, just one gutsy reporter, question and challenge what is told them. “Never mind the facts, they just get in the way of a good story”, seems to be the order of the day. And, unfortunately, it often is.

Loved some of the general reporter comments and questions. How can anyone sneak a gun onto a military base? Really? Is there a realistic person out there who thinks that our bases are surrounded by 20 foot tall prison walls, with razor wire running along the top, and high voltage wires to keep unauthorized people out?

The shooter came to the base with a high-powered rifle capable of bringing down a helicopter, a shotgun and a pistol. “High powered rifle capable of bringing down a helicopter”? It was a .223 caliber rifle, an assault rifle. An anti-personnel gun, for goodness sakes. Good for hunting small game, not the best choice for deer, and a laughable choice as an anti-aircraft weapon. And, the pistol. Reports say it was a 9mm Glock. Factual reports are that Alexis brought a shotgun to the base, then “acquired” the rifle and pistol from one or more people once the attack began. I have unanswered questions about two things here. Who said the weapons were the semi automatic civilian AR-15 and the Glock 9mm handgun? I would have thought the guns on the post would have been standard issue M-16 rifles and Beretta M-9 handguns. But, I haven’t seen an investigator’s report, yet, and both descriptions could be accurate. Until the press became familiar with the AR-15, by the way, any gun that “looked like” an M-16 (something the press was familiar with) was called an M-16. “Glocks” are like Kleenex. Any semi automatic handgun is called a Glock, just like any tissue is called a Kleenex. Again, I’ll await the facts before assuming too much.

CNN’s Resident Alien Idiot, Piers Morgan, “reported” that Alexis brought all three guns to the Navy Yard. Even when he was given updated information, he ignored the facts. They just got in the way of his story.

Now, some truths of a general nature. Most any military installation in the United States can be breeched. From neighboring woods or rivers or oceans, all are vulnerable. Legal military ID’s will get you on board, as will legal civilian contractor ID’s. Visitors at many, if not all, military bases must stop for passes before being admitted. In the case of Camp Lejeune, a visitor must have a sponsor and that would be a person who has clearance and access on board. There are special events passes available, but they are strictly regulated. And, if any journalist thinks that it’s possible to check the 35,000 cars that enter Camp Lejeune every day for weapons or unauthorized people, then I want to make sure I’m not breathing in your happy dust.

So, why would a rational person pick a military base, a place where there are hundreds if not thousands of armed soldiers, marines, airmen or sailors running around, to carry out a massacre such as the one at the Navy Yard? Another truth for you. There are fewer ARMED servicemen and women at a stateside base than there are civilians shopping in most any city where concealed carry is authorized. Remember Bill Clinton? In 1993, he signed an order prohibiting anyone from carrying privately owned firearms on military bases. Military weapons are locked away in armories. Only those military personnel on duty and charged with security or law enforcement duties can carry guns. Military bases, stateside, are gun-free zones, for the most part. A limited number of personnel are armed at any given time.

Remember this other gun grabbing guy, this one from the 19^th century, a lawman named Wyatt Earp? Famous for cleaning up Tombstone? Yeah, that’s the guy. He did not allow citizens to have guns when they were in his town. He and his deputies were the only ones, supposedly, who could pack hardware. Movies and TV shows have shown him as the hero, the guy who cleaned up the town. Facts paint a different picture of this gun grabber. He was a flim-flam man, a cheat, and a cold blooded killer. Much like Adolph Hitler, he did not want anyone to be able to challenge his dictatorial authority, therefore he took away their guns.

If Clinton and Obama are so anti-gun oriented, then let them disarm the secret service agents who provide them protection. That’s as likely to happen as Obama is to accept the health care plan that he’s cramming down our throats.

One commonality in all these mass killings is finally getting a smattering of attention. It’s mental illness. To date, every individual involved has suffered one form of mental instability of another. Only a few responsible reporters have addressed this issue. It’s not politically correct, of course, because those people “are sick” and special. It’s better, many think, to deny the constitutional rights of 300-million law abiding sane people than it is to lock away nut cases.

And, that's just one more thing that frosts my backside.  

Ok, here we go. Midday 09-17-2013 update. Questions remain as to whether the AR-15 found at the scene was actually used by Alexis. A semi auto handgun, also found, was likely taken from a security officer. The investigation is on-going, and like I wrote earlier, too many people...reporters and politicians...have jumped to too many conclusions too early.
Stay tuned. More egg on the face coming for Feinstein and others.