Who's Watching Who? by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview

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Who’s Watching Who?

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Bar Shooting

Mass shooting in unlicensed bar leaves

12 dead including three kids

 

A mass shooting carried out Saturday by multiple suspects in an unlicensed bar in St. Louis, the Missouri capital left at least 12 people dead, police said. The victims included three children aged 3, 12 and 16.

Another 13 people were wounded and being treated in the hospital. Police didn't give details of the ages of those who were injured or their conditions.

St. Louis has one of the highest violent crime rates in the US with 793.7 per 100,000 population as opposed to the 198.6 per 100,000 population for the entire US. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.

The city has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings and violent crimes are committed with illegal guns, authorities say. This situation results in the bums still having guns while they are denied to the law abiding citizens, making them unable to protect themselves.

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There have been several mass shootings at bars; sometimes called shebeens or taverns in St. Louis, in recent years, including one that killed 16 people in the city in 2022. On the same day, four people were killed in a mass shooting at a bar in another town, East St. Louis.

Mass shootings at unlicensed bars were becoming a serious problem and police had shut down more than 1,100 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 1,800 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.

Recent mass killings in the St. Louis area have not been confined to bars, however. Police said 18 people were killed, 15 of them women, in mass shootings minutes apart at two houses on the same road in September of last year.

Seven men were arrested for those shootings and face multiple charges of murder, while police recovered three AK-style assault rifles they believe were used in the shootings.

 

Ranney was genuinely impressed. “Wow. 25 shot. 12 dead. And all in just a few seconds.” He thought more; “Well, there were three of them. ...... Still. I wonder what the record is. Let me AI that.”

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He was surprised to get a quick and thorough response; especially after having AI’s refuse to answer some other questions; like the ones about crime. “Freak.” The AI said;

“The deadliest mass shooting carried out by a single shooter was the 2017 Las Vegas attack, with 60 people killed. The deadliest mass shooting involving multiple shooters was the 2014 Garissa University College attack in Kenya, where 148 people were killed.

Breaking Down Records by Shooter Count

Single Shooter

Las Vegas, Nevada (2017)

Shooter: Stephen Paddock

Deaths: 60 (plus hundreds injured)

Context: Opened fire on a crowd at the Route 91 Harvest music festival from a hotel window.

The Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the shooting, saying that Paddock had converted to Islam six months prior to the terrorist attack, and had renamed himself Abu Abdul Barr al-Amriki.

Other notable single shooter incidents:

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Orlando nightclub (2016) - 49 killed

Virginia Tech (2007) - 32 killed

Multiple Shooters

Garissa University College, Kenya (2015)

Attackers: Al-Shabaab militants (multiple shooters)

Deaths: 148

Context: Gunmen stormed the university, targeting students.

Other notable multi-shooter incidents:

Mumbai attacks (2008) - 171 killed (shootings + bombings, multiple attackers)

Beslan school siege, Russia (2004) - 334 killed (many by gunfire, multiple attackers)

Global Context

Single shooter attacks tend to dominate US records, often linked to lone individuals with grievances or extremist motives.

Multi shooter attacks are more common in terrorist operations worldwide, often coordinated by militant groups.

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According to compiled data, mass shootings globally have killed hundreds in single incidents, but the distinction between lone actors and groups highlights different motivations and tactical approaches.

Key Takeaway

Single shooter record: Las Vegas, 2017 - 60 deaths.

Multiple shooters record: Garissa University, 2015 - 148 deaths.”

Note – The AI was wrong here. It should have said; Beslan school siege, Russia (2004) - 334 killed (many by gunfire, multiple attackers)

“Pattern: Lone shooters dominate US tragedies, while group shooters dominate terrorist-style attacks abroad.

Would you like me to create a comparison chart that visually contrasts single vs. multiple shooter incidents by death toll? It could make the differences clearer at a glance.”

 

Ranney just clicked off, thinking how annoyingly repetitious the AI’s are. He could tolerate being wrong, but got annoyed with the repeating and repeating and repeating.

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His initial awe and admiration for the best mass killers soon wore off after reflection. “They killed many innocent people. It was random violence, not discriminating.” Ranney was unmovable in his conclusion that worthwhile killings must be discerning, discriminating. He patted himself on the back for targeting proven criminals. ........ He was doing his small part, but he was doing it well, and it adds up over time. Ranney disdained those many who worship quantity over quality, smiling to himself how many were unable to recognize savoir vivre or grace.

Sure, he had heard the opinion of some who thought that death was a ridiculously harsh penalty for robbery. He disagreed as often what starts as a robbery escalates into violence. The robbery was just the opening of the door; not all that happened after the home invasion. And by the time the remaining cops find them, it’s not really a first, but a tenth offense. Some even called it “racist,” which he found amusing as it conveys that the speaker thinks most robbers are B&B’s. Yes, they are, but the B&B lovers forbid saying so. That they have trouble dealing with implications is a testimony to their ability to relate to their B&B constituents; at the same time an inability to demonstrate any common sense.

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Ranney thought and thought, concluding that Bernard Goetz, a brave pioneer in the area, would have to get honorable mention even though he didn’t finish off any B&B’s. He was all the rage in his time.

Bernhard Hugo Goetz is an American who is best known for shooting four B&B’s intent on mugging him. After tons of vigilante movies in the seventies, Clint Eastwood a significant player, Goetz came to symbolize New Yorkers' frustrations with the high crime rates of the mid-1980s. The incident occurred on the Seventh Avenue 2 express subway train in Manhattan in 1984. It sparked a nationwide debate on vigilantism, the perceptions of race and crime in major cities, and the ridiculous legal limits of self-defense.

Goetz had been mugged on previous occasions, and knew the game. The four B&B’s approached him and “asked” for five dollars. Bernie gave them something else, and later said he’d have given them more had he not run out of bullets.

Goetz was previously denied a permit to carry a gun, the authorities saying that he didn’t need one. Jerks. Bernie got one anyway and fired the “illegal” revolver five times, seriously wounding three of the attempted muggers and rendering the fourth a paraplegic. The initially unknown shooter, dubbed

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the "Subway Vigilante" by the New York press, was both exalted and vilified in the media and in public opinion.

Goetz surrendered to police nine days later and was eventually charged with attempted murder, assault, and reckless endangerment, as well as with several gun crimes. A Manhattan jury found him not guilty of all charges except an illegal firearms possession count, for which he served two-thirds of a one year sentence. Goetz and others have cited his actions as a contributing factor to the groundswell movement against urban crime and disorder, and successful National Rifle Association-led campaigns to loosen restriction on the concealed carry of firearms.

Violence

Mott the Hoople

I'm a missing link, poolroom stink, I can't talk

(Well that's too bad)

What's goin' on, somethings wrong, I can't work

Can't go to school, the teacher's a fool, the preacher's a jerk

(Well that's such a drag)

Got nothin' to do, street corner blues, and nowhere to walk

Violence, violence

It's the only thing that'll make you see sense

Violence, violence

It's the only thing that'll make you see sense

Gotta fight, nothings right, B&B’s nowhere

(That's so sad)

Watch out for the gun, snake on the run, hide in my hair

You keep your mouth shut, or you'll get cut, I like to scare

(Bet you're so mad)

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I'm a battery louse, a superstar mouse, I don't care

Get off my back or I'll attack

And I don't owe you nothin'

(Okay)

Head for your hole, you're sick and you're old

And I'm here to tell you somethin'

Violence, violence

It's the only thing that'll make you see sense

Violence, violence

It's the only thing that'll make you see sense

Violence, violence

It's the only thing that'll make you see sense

Violence, violence

It's the only thing that'll make you see sense

Violence, violence

It's the only thing that'll make you see sense

Violence, violence

It's the only thing that'll make you see sense

Violence, violence

It's the only thing that'll make you see sense

Violence, violence

It's the only thing that'll make you see sense

Violence, violence

Written by Ian Hunter and Michael Geoffrey Ralphs.

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Seattle

Ranney thought that they had already reached maximum retard level in Seattle, when they outdid themselves, by voting out the incumbent fascist mayor who had the audacity to hire a few cops, and elected a new mayor; an unattractive, 43 year old, un-married, unemployed, lesbian, mother, who is still supported by her parents; ostensibly on the strength of her semi-fresh, dyed mohawk.

 

Given that, it virtually goes without saying that she is also a communist and has some sort of problem with police. Though much less in number, some of the blue fascists still think it

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appropriate to use force against armed and threatening criminals. Sheeeeit.

Then he read their “news” and understood further. You see, the problems are caused by the police and the lack of redistributed taxes; not the criminal B&B bum waving around and pointing a gun. Even the frequently broken into business owners say so. But what else can they “safely” say after being surrounded by the unimpeded B&B bum regalia?

Police shooting heightens safety concerns,

South Seattle residents say

Workers at South Seattle hookah salons, cleaners, and restaurants say they are still shaken one day after a Seattle police officer shot and killed a man outside a cafe storefront near Martin Luther King Jr. Way South and South Othello Street.

Employees at Le’s Deli and Bakery watched the shooting unfold feet from their front door around 1:30 PM Tuesday, after multiple 911 callers reported a shirtless man waving a handgun near the busy intersection.

Seattle police said officers commanded the man to drop his weapon and attempted de-escalation. But, police said, the man pointed his handgun at officers, who then fired. Police rendered medical aid, but the man died at the scene.

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She and another worker said homelessness, frequent sirens, and now gunfire have contributed to daily unease. Employees at a nearby hair salon, dry cleaner and restaurant emporium told Seattle TV reporters that they share similar concerns about safety at the intersection.

The King County Sheriff’s Office is leading the independent investigation into whether officers’ use of deadly force met Washington’s good faith legal standard. The film of the crazed B&B bum, brandishing a gun is not enough “evidence” for the powers-that-be in Commietown.

The county’s Independent Investigative Team will review officer actions, body camera video, witness accounts and forensic evidence, and forward its findings to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Neighborhood group says safety issues are longstanding.

The South Seattle Crime Prevention Council, once one of the area’s most active community-police partnerships, has not met since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, longtime member Pat Murakami said.

Murakami said the council previously helped residents, businesses, schools and faith communities work directly with

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police to resolve safety concerns and intervene early when neighbors saw troubling behavior. But, that since 2020 they find it too dangerous to do that.

 

Ranney thought the whole thing absurdly funny. ......... And usable information. He wasn’t dumb enough to live there.

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An Offer You Can’t Refuse

Start your collection the right way, with The Great One. And it’s free!

 

Ranney had his since he was a kid, who with the advice of his father, a US Army WWII veteran, who served under Patton in

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Europe, and came to agree with him that the US had fought on the wrong side, established a specialized collection of The Great One. Parts are reproduced here. The chronology has been somewhat broken dur to Ranney wanting to put the stamp depicting both Hitler and Mussolini first in his loose leaf book. He always felt that Mussolini never got enough credit for his African crusade.

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Eye of the Needle

Ten Wheel Drive

Sharp edged summertime

Sits on my shoulder

Cutting deeply into my skin

I’ve been ending for so long

I can’t remember what it’s like to begin

I’ve been wasting my time

I’ve been trying to climb

Through the eye of the needle.

Dog eared pages

Of phone books and diaries

Dusty leftover pieces of failures

Sit there smiling under my broom

And they keep feeding the fire

That keeps driving me higher

Through the eye of the needle

Watch the shadows circle

Watch them circle ‘round the ceiling

Waiting for conclusion’s sake

Without a trace of feeling

Waiting for the sun to set

And tumble into China

I got to break loose

Long years wasted

In closets and corners

Looking for a future to wear

Been through hell

Looking so hard for heaven

Who knows what

I’ll find if it’s there

And I know I should quit

But I still try to fit

Through the eye of the needle

Kiss of the twilight

I have felt it, baby

Taking the last light

And to melt it, baby

Somebody is talking to me

Through the eye of the needle

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Sharp edged summertime

Sits on my shoulder

Cutting deeply into my skin

I’ve been ending for so long

I can’t remember what it’s like to begin

I’ve been wasting my time

I’ve been trying to climb

Through the eye of the needle.

Improvised chants

Tending toward a scream

Written by Michael Zager and Aram Schefrin

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