My Sympathies To The REAL Victims. (Or, My Heart Goes Out To The Virginia Tech Families.)

With the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech, I find it incredible that someone would look up my post of December 2005 regarding a standoff here in Fort Wayne, and comment on it. But they did. Here's my original post from this blog.....

A Thought For The Day. (Or, Don't Point A Fucking Gun At The Cops If You Want To Live.)

From WPTA-TV, December 2005.
The family of a Fort Wayne man killed in a police action shooting last summer is suing the Fort Wayne Police Department.The family of Rudy Escobedo says his constitutional rights were violated by two officers who shot and killed Escobedo in his apartment on West Berry Street at the end of a standoff last July.The Allen County prosecutor has said the officers killed Escobedo in self-defense when he pointed a gun at them.

My original comment on the news story.....

Ok....I didn't comment (here) when the original incident happened. And I didn't comment (here) recently when the guy got gunned down at the airport. But this drove me over the edge. So here goes the rant......YOU HAVE NO CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO GET COKED UP AND WAVE A GUN AT POLICE OFFICERS. You have no right to ignore your medication, get on a plane, mutter about having a bomb, ignore police orders to get on the ground, and reach for what you have purported to be a potentially explosive device. IF YOU DO THESE THINGS, THE OFFICERS--BEING DULY SWORN TO PROTECT AND TO SERVE--WILL QUITE POSSIBLY BLOW YOUR STUPID ASS INTO THE NEXT LIFE.Fuck the guy on the plane. Bi-polar or not....immigrant or not....if an officer points a gun at you and tells you to get the fuck down, DO IT. No sympathy.As far as the asshole (the poor, hurting Rudy Escobedo) that got coked up, barricaded himself in his apartment, hid in a closet, affected a police standoff, and waved a gun at the officers? FUCK HIM. He deserved to get splattered across the wall. His "constiutional rights" ended when he started the event in motion. I have a constitutional right to go to the mall unimpeded. I have a constitutional right to carry a firearm. What I do NOT have a right to is to go into the mall and start shooting. He chose to act irresponsibly...and suffered the consequences. Too fucking bad. No sympathy...and certainly no support for a lawsuit.

So this morning, someone visited my blog and left this message anonymously....

There are two sides to every story; therefore, unless you were there to witness the actual facts of what happened, then I think a little compassion could be used in your wording. I hope someday you have children and you value the mistkes they make...that you can fix yourself. The mistakes, like Rudy's, that you may not be able to fix...well that is unfortunate, but show some feeling to the grieving family. People sue for all sorts of silly reasons...this one-well they are mortified and are looking for closure.
4/18/2007 4:50 AM

And my reply....there, and here...

Thanks for stopping by. A year and a half late, but thanks just the same.

With time comes...well, either compassion, or apathy. I don't regret either the thoughts, or the wording of my post, both of which at the time were appropriate. In the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings, I have to say that my attitude hasn't changed. I don't care much to 'show any feeling to the grieving family'(edit: the same family that filed the lawsuit, thereby erasing any sympathy I might have had.) I understand their feelings of loss, but can't help but to think about what might have happened if the "victim" in this incident had gone on a rampage, and shot the officers, or a neighbor--or 32. THEN who should I feel sorry for?

Rudy Escobedo made poor choices, as I pointed out in December of 2005, and he paid for them with his life. Still no sympathy, and no support for the lawsuit.

Appreciate your input.