Stopping the Clock

When Florida broke new ground (that anybody noticed) with its liberalization of the concealed carry of firearms (CCW), pundits warned us of bodies stacking in the streets as the state became "Dodge City" writ large.

Now, 30+ state liberalizations, millions of CCW licenses, and a dramatic drop in the overall crime rate later, it seems that the gun grabbers finally got their wish: a murder that actually fits the profile they predicted so long ago. (H.T.: W.F. Price)

Reading this story, I was struck by how few of the usual leading indicators seem to apply. First, there is no racial angle: Dinh Bowman is half white - half Asian, and his victim is white (I assume, else we would have heard about it). There are no (as far as I know) claims of self-defense, a la Trayvon/Zimmerman. Dihn is married, and his wife is beautiful and loyal (indeed, perhaps too much), so this is not a case of beta-male rage.

Dinh is a successful engineer, a former child prodigy and offspring of a professional couple, so there is no obvious class angle. He had a lawfully obtained concealed carry permit, and was lawfully exercising the priviledges pertaining thereto. As his home videos illustrate, he is truly a wizard with a pistol, so this was not a case of sloppy gun handling. And finally, he apparently isn't crazy in either a technical or legal sense.

But he was . . . wound just a little too tight. I would, of course, oppose any firearm licensing scheme whose net was so tightly woven as to prevent Dinh from obtaining one, at least based on any information in this article. But I have to admit that had he not been armed, Dinh probably would have resolved his dispute with a vulgar gesture, and everyone would be a lot happier.

So, as a broken clock is right twice a day, I'll give anti-gun liberals a point on this one after 25 years of trying.