Roseburg . . .

Of course you've heard the news. 26 year Chris Mercer, an immigrant from the UK (dreamer perhaps?) went to Umpqua Community college, and killed 9 students and staff, before he was was killed by responding police. He reportedly took control of a classroom, and asked people their religion, shooting those who replied "christian" in the head, and others in the leg. His online activities suggest an affinity, if not actual ties to, the Irish Republican Army, a streak of violence and other warning signs. Thus, he was crazy, but not quite yet to he point of being singled out.

Preznit Obama responded predictably, expressly politicizing the issue, and called for more gun control, and mentioning by name the UK (where guns are all but banned) and Australia, where they have been confiscated and destroyed, except for the police who can use them to control the population.

I wanted to mention Roseburg in particular, though. I have spent a lot of time in and around Roseburg many years ago.  It is a quintessential mill town, basically a huge lumber mill, Roseburg Lumber, with town built around it for support.  The loggers in the area support themselves by cutting the abundant Douglas Fir, White Fir, Red Cedar and more, and selling them to the mill. The truck drivers drive logs to mill, and finished wood away.  If you have a house built in the last century, there's an excellent chance some of its lumber came from Roseburg.

If the town is at all the way I remember it, it is in the gun-soaked culture of middle America. Deer season is more important than football season. Both logger and trucker are likely to supplement their families nutrition using high powered rifles to harvest the local Black Tailed Deer and Roosevelt Elk, both in and out of season. Local farmers and ranchers use AR-15 type weapon to hunt the local coyotes, as well as clear the field of unwanted ground squirrels. If there are any quail left, they get attended to as well.

If Obama and the democrats wish to run on repealing the 2nd amendment, they can, in fact I urge them to. They should start in Roseburg.