ThePlayDrive
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The man accused of killing nine black churchgoers in South Carolina last month was able to buy a gun due to a background check failure, the FBI says.
Dylann Roof should have been stopped from purchasing a weapon due to a felony charge, FBI chief James Comey told reporters on Friday.
But he said the charge was either incorrectly entered into a background check system or mishandled by analysts.
Charleston shooting: System failure 'allowed Roof to buy gun' - FBI - BBC News
From BBC:
This is good and bad news. It's good news in the sense that it shows background checks, when properly used, can prevent shootings. The bad news is that they are not being used properly. The logical conclusion is that people need to be trained more effectively in entering information into the system and in analyzing that information. It's sad that nine people died as the result of something so preventable.
True. It is also proof no man-made system is ever going to be perfect, and sometimes loonies will slip through the cracks and bad things will happen. Life.
What alternative is there to a man-made system?
From BBC:
This is good and bad news. It's good news in the sense that it shows background checks, when properly used, can prevent shootings. The bad news is that they are not being used properly. The logical conclusion is that people need to be trained more effectively in entering information into the system and in analyzing that information. It's sad that nine people died as the result of something so preventable.
I thought his father gave him the weapon for his birthday?
True. It is also proof no man-made system is ever going to be perfect, and sometimes loonies will slip through the cracks and bad things will happen. Life.
I specifically avoided blaming people so I'm not sure who you're talking to when you say "Let's stop blaming people". As the article stated, Roof was able to purchase a gun because of a mistake in the background check system. I don't know that that mistake was anyone's "fault" so no person should shoulder the blame besides Roof.Let's stop blaming people for the criminal actions of others. It is very unfair to leave the impression that had this young man not been able to buy a gun legally that the nine people would be safe and alive today.
I specifically avoided blaming people so I'm not sure who you're talking to when you say "Let's stop blaming people". As the article stated, Roof was able to purchase a gun because of a mistake in the background check system. I don't know that that mistake was anyone's "fault" so no person should shoulder the blame besides Roof.
Whether or not he would have gotten a gun illegally if the background check had worked is uncertain. Perhaps he would have, but given that mass shootings tend to be done with legal gun purchases, I'm do not think that he would have. You may think differently. So be it.
Nine people did not die as a result of some clerical errors - that's nonsense. Nine people died because a deranged and angry young man wanted to kill nine people. He had money in his pocket and if he hadn't been able to buy a gun the legal way he would have found an illegal way to do it or he would have found other means to carry out his plan. I'm guessing that someone who was apparently active in white supremacist groups would have been able to acquire what he needed within his circle of "friends".
Let's stop blaming people for the criminal actions of others. It is very unfair to leave the impression that had this young man not been able to buy a gun legally that the nine people would be safe and alive today.
Why do you find poor quality control acceptable? Do you tolerate it in Canada's food safety system? Or in its infrastructure?
As the article stated, a mistake in the background check allowed Roof to get the gun. I consider that mistake preventable, but I don't think that that means an actual person should be blamed for how Roof capitalized on that mistake. Mistakes happen and we should always be working to prevent them. It just so happens that a bad person took advantage of this one.Perhaps I misunderstood the intent in your OP. You did end it with the following:
"It's sad that nine people died as the result of something so preventable."
That reads to me like deflecting blame to the system and those who man it. But I'll accept your above comments and apologize for the misunderstanding.
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