Aug 3^rd Cal Thomas

Cal Thomas spends much of his column today commiserating with the parents of the murdered TV journalists in Roanoke, Virginia. He also spends considerable space telling us about his own early days as a journalist covering his share of horrible events. He did this, he tells us, because he loved his job, loved it in spite of its low pay because eventual fame and wealth awaited him if he was successful. Then he talks about the murders and that “Governor McAuliffe and President Obama were quick to exploit the incident, predictably calling for more gun laws Understandably Parker’s father echoed their sentiments.”

Cal then reiterates this bit of inanity,” Laws do not stop lawbreakers, but good guys with guns can stop bad guys with guns.” It’s obvious that laws don’t stop all lawbreakers, which is why we have a judicial system; if they don’t stop any lawbreakers, do we abolish laws? What nonsense. Then his next bit about good guys with guns…! If good guys with guns could stop bad guys with guns there would be no dead policemen; the police officer recently murdered in Illinois would be alive. He was armed and now he is dead!

Cal Thomas wants to know how Vester Flanagan, the killer of those two journalists, was able to get a firearm. “They will want to learn why his mental problems, unprofessional behavior and displays of anger that led to his dismissal from more than one TV station…did not show up during a required background check.” Say what? Why would any of that “show up on a background check?” Background checks do not require a ‘nice guy’ certification from previous employers. And, of course it requires little intelligence for anyone wanting a gun to avoid background checks altogether. You just buy your gun at a gun show from someone who isn’t a licensed dealer; plenty of people selling weapons at these shows are not licensed dealers. If there’s no gun show handy you can buy a gun from the guy down the street, or you can order one by mail.

This killer would have had no problem passing a background check, he had not been arrested and he had not been treated for mental illness, which doesn’t mean he wasn’t psychotic. It would take less than an hour for him to pass a background check, pay for the weapon, buy ammunition for it and be on his way. There is no waiting period, no cooling off period, required to get your weapon in Virginia,  so you can shoot someone while you’re still really angry at them.

It does not surprise me that Cal Thomas seems to know so little about the purchase of weapons even though this is a main focus of his column. He has a history of writing about issues with which he has little familiarity. I am surprised that newspapers, including the Record Eagle, are willing to pay him for his columns in spite of his ignorance.