I’m certain that the readers of this diary, like all people of good will, are shocked and saddened by the hate motivated killings in Kansas City. That hate is in such sharp contrast to the family of victims Reat Underwood and his grandfather Dr. Corporon, who have been able to express their pain and loss without returning any of the hate in kind.
The gunman, Frazier Glenn Cross or Miller, was a person who was prohibited from owning or possessing guns because of his prior conviction for weapons charges and other crimes in his career in the ‘hate movement.’
According to a U. S. law enforcement official quoted in the link above Miller’s guns were obtained by a ‘straw purchaser.’ A straw purchaser is someone with a clean record who buys the guns for a prohibited person. This is illegal, but our laws work as they were intended by the gun lobby and make it almost impossible to convict a straw purchaser who takes even rudimentary precautions against being held accountable.
Those who read my diaries here or my writings elsewhere or my regular blog know that I believe that compulsory insurance that pays victims directly and remains in effect if guns are stolen, illegally transferred or allowed to get into the hands of someone not taking out new insurance is a practical and effective measure in reducing gun carnage.
The straw purchaser would not have been able to get insurance for such a venture or the insurer would take strong measures to prevent such situations among it’s customers. This is the point of requiring it along with providing for victims. Money for victims is important even if it does nothing to reverse their true losses.
I expect to be accused of using this horrible incident to further my agenda. That’s not inaccurate, but my agenda is to find a way to slow the killings caused by guns in our country. Both Miller and his guns killed the three precious people in Kansas City. Miller won’t get another chance to kill, but guns go on. There will be more killings tomorrow and the next day.