"Hailed as a Hero" Woman shoots gunman in church.

[The Backlash Cometh]

She's on CNN, apparently shot a gunman who was just feet away from getting into an open rotunda where most of the congregation were accumulated.

My comment: If you hear the interview of the woman on Larry King, notice the words she selects. She sounds like she was in law enforcement. I just don't know why they didn't mention that.

[MNDemNY]

1. A "volunteer" security guard? WTF is that?

[Angela Shelley]

3. There are millions of volunteer security guards in the USA

but the trick is, you don´t know them right away, because their handguns are concealed.

Proof: popularity of controversial "gun control threads" at DU.

[NightWatcher]

4. some people volunteer at places that they feel need security.

One of my former teachers volunteered to be an escort for patients at a women's clinic. There were too many freepers yelling at the patients, so some people volunteered to help them feel safe.

The place is responsible for the security volunteer's actions.

It's really a good idea.

[Wcross]

7. Volunteer= Not paid. Pretty simple. n/t

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. How long, do you suppose, she was working in this capacity?

And did anyone confirm she had a permit for that gun?

I have no qualms giving her hero status, with or without a permit, but I'm just trying to figure out why CNN and Fox News are covering this in such a different manner.

[Wcross]

15. Political agendas at the two networks are different.

CNN is anti-gun, they have been caught in the past deliberately misinforming on the gun issue. Back during the campaign for the assault weapons ban they showed automatics as an example of what should be banned.

[MNDemNY]

13. I understand the damn word,

but, what organization in they're right mind would allow "volunteer" ARMED guards onto their property. Are these "guards" the churches militia? Just askin'.

[Wcross]

17. So you would feel better somehow if they paid them? n/t

[kegler14]

18. Most, if not all, "megachurches" have security.

The megachurches tend to attract all kinds of nutballs and desperate people. The pastors sometimes get death threats. They also collect a lot of money during services.

[KansDem]

24. I think I ran into a "volunteer security guard" a couple of months ago...

I was trying to get to work by taking an unfamiliar route and wound up at the entrance of a community center. I had turned left when I noticed the street ended a couple hundred yards down as the entrance of a community center parking lot. Well, I approached the parking lot with the intention to make a "U" turn when this man got out of a car parked there and flagged me down. I thought he was wanting directions somewhere and I thought to myself, "Pal, I'm lost so you picked the wrong guy to ask." So I slowed down and he walks over to my car and says, "You didn't see that stop sign?" And I said, "Pardon me?" He was wearing civvies and driving a plain car. "That stop sign back there! You didn't see it?" "What sign?" I thought he was referring to a sign going into the parking lot. I was confused. "You ran through a stop sign back there," he said while pointing back down the street a couple hundred yards (later, I surmised he was referring to a stop sign in that general area--one that I did stop at--but certainly no where near the community center). "I didn't see any sign," I said. I still didn't know what he was referring to, but I was getting angry by this time. "Think it a good idea to slow down, then?" came his reply. I looked at him and said, "Thanks for the tip!" and held up my hand with the thumb and index finger touching in that "o.k." gesture. He looked like he wanted to kick my ass!

But he couldn't have been a police officer since he didn't identify himself. So I surmised he was either a over-zealous private citizen or a security guard hired by the center. I never thought he could have been a "volunteer security guard," which in this case would have been someone in between an "overly-zealous private citizen" and a "security guard hired by the center."

[NightWatcher]

2. She was a former police officer

but yes, she is VERY careful about her word choice.

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. I hate to admit it, but Fox News was more accurate with that fact.

I switched channels and there's an entire profile of courage biography on the woman, and they made no qualms about her background.

[kentuck]

5. Here is more insight into this "hero".

Most people agree that she probably saved a lot of lives. But police are not saying if she killed the gunman or if he killed himself. Also, she was the "personal" bodyguard of the new pastor that took over from Ted Haggard. It's hard to say if this was the work of God or the work of the Devil?

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2007/dec/11/volunteer-vaults-to-hero-status/

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. It's just strange coverage. Very spotty on CNN, very detailed on Fox.

[kegler14]

19. What's your problem with this woman?

Whether or not she actually killed the guy, she IS the one who put him down. You should be thankful.

[The Backlash Cometh]

22. It's the media coverage, or the divergence of media coverage, which

has us perplexed.

[bigscott]

10. she said she had some help

She claimed the "holy spirit" moved her to shoot the shooter - I heard this on NPR this morning

Colorado Springs seems to be a hotbed of evangelicals.

[The Backlash Cometh]

11. Sounds like she's trying to justify something that requires no justification.

[slackmaster]

16. Her svelte figure was a factor

If she used a Weaver stance, she'd be harder to hit than most people.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

12. She was fired from the Minneapolis police dept.

Yesterday, the Rocky Mountain News reported that the shooter may have killed himself, but that will be verified in the next couple of days.

MKJ

[The Backlash Cometh]

14. The plot thickens

[earthside]

20. The NRA Finally Has a 'Hero" ...

... from one of these mass murder sprees.

Both front pages of our local Denver newspaper have full and half-page photographs of this volunteer guard with the caption: "It was me, the gunman and God."

Hero worship.

The poor souls who were shot by the madman finally get featured on page 8 of the Rocky Mountain News and page 12 of the Denver Post.

Far from calls for gun control, this incident will accelerate the demands that people be allowed/encouraged to carry weapons with them everywhere -- the church, the mall, on campus, in the museum, in bars, in the park ... everywhere. Because, like terrorists, there are evil, crazy people everywhere just waiting to kill us.

I think what we will sadly see is the glorification of a person who killed a 'bad guy' ... a strong, powerful, courageous person who can protect us from evil. You know, like George W. Bush and Richard Bruce Cheney did after 9/11 -- that will be the message from the NRA, Fox Noise, the radical Republicans, Slimebaugh, Beck, etc.

Though tragic for the dead and wounded, this insane killing will be turned into propaganda using the 'heroic' guard as the icon for promoting more fear and advocating more security, security, security.

There is something deeply wrong with the very soul of this nation, it is deep and corrosive ... I think it is the emerging preeminence of fear and anger as the basis for our culture.

Armed guards at churches ... another 'hero' with a gun.

"Home of the brave"?

Not anymore.

[The Backlash Cometh]

21. The image of church worshippers having to defend against barbarians at

the church gate is going to sell very well.

Anyone have anything on the gunman? What was his motive?

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

26. Raised by a "very religious" family, home schooled, kicked out of the same

missionary group, the first place he went.

He went over there, around midnight, talked to several people and then after an "altercation" shot the place up and we Denver area folks heard several hours later that it was an unknown man with a skullcap. He had almost twelve hours to drive from Denver to Colorado Spring.

Apparently, he's posted rants on a website.

Denver Post did a quite decent job following up on extremely meager information...
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_7686929

MKJ

on edit, I read both papers today and the one thing everyone remembered was when he played Marilyn Manson and Linkin Park at the Christmas talent show in the youth missionary group.

And, I'm sorry to say that they found Linkin Park threatening.

double edit: his dad's a neurosurgeon.

[piedmont]

23. It doesn't make her actions any less heroic. But you can try to tear her down all you please. nt

[benEzra]

25. Here's a photo...