Gun Culture is No Culture
Washington Post, May 9, 2023:
‘The Allen Fairview Chamber of Commerce in Texas [where a gunman killed eight people, including three children, at a shopping mall less than 24 hours earlier] published a Facebook post Sunday welcoming Pulling Triggers and Pulling Corks — a business that hosts events for people interested in firearms, wine and whiskey — to its ranks. Along with the caption, the Chamber posted a photo of the business’s logo, which features a gun firing and a bottle with the cork flying off…. The Chamber removed the post before issuing an apology the same day, explaining that it had been scheduled before the shooting. “While this is standard practice for the Chamber, the contents of the post were insensitive and should not have been published given the tragedy in our community,” said the Chamber’s apology, which was first reported by WFAA in Dallas… “We pray for the victims, their loved ones, and this community,” the Chamber’s apology said….’
Newsfeeds are full of stories reporting on the mass shooting at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas. But while the long list of What We Know stories are rich with reporting about the shooter’s record of being kicked out of military service and his more recent social media content, it has been difficult to find any information about how he came to own the weapons, ammunition and accessories he packed up and used to kill eight…