Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Local Pol Dodges a Bullet

And, I'm not talking about Mayor Menino dodging City Councilor Maura Hennigan's recent challenge for additional pre-election debates.

From the Boston Herald:

A bullet missed City Council President Michael Flaherty by inches as it hurtled through his car window last night, spraying him and an aide with glass as they drove down Dorchester Avenue.

"There was just an explosion, a ka-boom!" a shaken Flaherty said last night, picking shards of glass out of his silver hair after filing a police report of the incident. "It happened so fast. I can't fathom what would bring someone to do something like that. It was so random, so brazen, with absolutely no regard for anyone or anything."


I'm shocked.

"It's outrageous when you are driving down Dot Ave. at 7:40 in the evening and you get your window shot out. Fortunately for me and Tim, we were not hurt," he said, his voice quivering with anger. "What would bring someone to commit a random act of violence like this? It's upsetting."

"How do you prevent something like this? To combat random acts of violence on unsuspecting citizens?"


Isn't it curious that this discussion would even be taking place in the city with some of the most restrictive firearms regulations in the state with the "most effective gun laws in the nation"?

A BPD commander who asked not to be identified said shooting incidents have skyrocketed 20 percent citywide in recent months, and as much as 200 percent in neighborhoods like Jamaica Plain. The most recently statistics made publicly available date from July, and efforts to obtain more recent figures have been unsuccessful.


Sadly, the most likely response forthcoming from Senator Barrios and his Twisted Panties Brigade will consist of cries for more gun control laws aimed at restricting my rights, while those who habitually ignore the law will continue to, um, ignore the law.

From the Boston Globe's account of the incident:

"I'm at a loss for words for what would cause someone to do something like that," said Flaherty.


At a loss for words? And you're the president of the Boston City Council? Boy, Mikey, you need to get out more often.

Try these on for size:

1. A complete lack of anything resembling moral values.
2. No regard for the laws of the Commonwealth.
3. Little or no respect for the lives of others.

Yet, we continue to "solve" this problem by enacting laws aimed at restricting the rights of only those citizens who possess all three of the above traits, and calling it "common-sense".

Had enough?