Look into the eyes of a terrorist. A threat to your safety and mine. Something should be done about her. Ammirite?
Macie. Photo from owner Susan R. Smith, courtesy of the Loudoun Times.
Oh wait! Something was done about her! I feel safer already.
Virginia, where I live, is an “Open Carry” state. Where folks can pack their pistols and take them with them no matter where they go.
- To the grocery store (always a terrifying experience — what if they bruise my apples?).
- To a bar (because, really, what could possibly go wrong?)
- When taking a leisurely stroll in the park.
Maybe your state is among them! Wouldn’t that be great?
Photo from the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, courtesy of the Wall Street Journal. And Google, natch.
Now what connection could that picture and that map possibly have?
Well, guess what happened on Tuesday? Just guess.
Macie, an 11 month old lab mix was running in a park on a beautiful day. Her crimes were many. Serious.
- She was off the leash
- She was friendly
- She did not respond immediately to her owners call
So naturally she deserved to be shot. Oh, and killed.
I guess I should back up a bit.
Macie was running off-leash in a park where she wasn’t supposed to be off-leash but where everybody lets their dog run off leash.
Smith said her dog approached the couple and jumped in the air. She said the dog was leaping behind the man but was not barking at the time.
At that point, the man yelled out, “Call your dog,” Smith said. “He said it once, maybe twice.”
Smith said she and her friend then started running toward the dogs, who were about 20 yards away.
“We called for our dogs,” Smith said. Then she said she saw the man’s arm “go to his side” and across his body. “He sees us coming,” she said. The man pulled out a gun and fired it at the dog.
The man faces no charges. He was legally carrying a gun and reportedly “fired in self-defense.” But really, there was no threat. The owner was coming for the dog. She was a fucking puppy saying hello.
Sources: The Washington Post, The Loudoun Times
*****
This story has me pretty upset. Because I walk Duncan not too far from the scene of Marcie’s killing. Duncan is often off-leash, too. Because it is a beautiful place to let him run. There aren’t many places where off-leash is permitted around here. Those places that exist are small fenced in dog parks that reek of pee.
Duncan is quite good at coming when I call him — he always gets a treat. But he’s friendly, and I have to (and do) restrain him when I see an unfamiliar walker or jogger coming towards him. He loves to say hello.
Duncan and I walk here most days. Not far from where Macie died.
To me, this man is a perfect example of exactly the problem with folks carrying around guns. They use them. Stupidly. And without consequence.
Common sense and restraint don’t enter into the picture.
We need to do something about our society where folks feel the need to carry a gun, and feel entitled to use it.
FiftyFourandAHalf 