Rainey, an employee of Blue Ribbon Steak and Seafood, had just knocked on Roop's door at 1815 SW 30th Terrace and gotten no response when Roop pulled into the driveway, driving a pickup, according to an arrest report released Thursday.With over 1 million concealed weapon permits to be issued in Florida, there's no telling how many paranoid Kenneth Roop types are out there packing, seemingly set on a hair trigger, ready to "defend themselves" and their property. Here in South Florida, you can read the blog of one every single day as he warns us how we need to be on guard 24/7 no matter where we are.
Explaining his actions to police after the shooting, Roop said he became "more than a little nervous" as Rainey walked down the driveway toward his truck and appeared to have something in his hand.
As Rainey drew within 4 feet, Roop grabbed his 9mm Glock from his pocket and fired once, striking Rainey in the shoulder, he told police. Rainey fell to the ground, screaming, 'You shot me,' in what Roop described as an "antagonistic" manner, according to the report.
Roop said he was still in fear and thought Rainey was reaching for something, so he shot Rainey once more in the back of the head, "for effect," the report said.
[...]
Roop told detectives Rainey should have respected his three "No Trespassing" signs and explained he didn't warn Rainey after pulling his weapon because, "I'm not going to give him the chance to do something to me; I was in fear." He told police he believes he possesses 14 firearms.
This is the America that the NRA and its supporters have created for the rest of us. It's one where you can simply ring the doorbell of the wrong house and be staring down the barrel of a gun...or even worse, as Nick Rainey tragically found out last Wednesday.
Although I'm certainly worried about the bad guys out there, I'm actually more concerned about armed Floridians like Roop who act first, think second [or don't think at all], and seriously believe that everyone is out to do them harm.
And then there's this...
Once Rainey lay face down on the driveway, bleeding after the first shot, Godfrey said Roop sat in his truck for a few seconds before pointing his weapon once more at the back of Rainey's head.And this...
He said Roop's outlook was similar to "militia-minded, anti-government" types and that he was obsessed with the idea of guarding his home.And, finally, this...
Roop is listed as the president of Ancient Island Educational Media. The company's website describes Roop as a Christian...For effect, of course.
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21 comments:
It seems that this guy was a loose canon and should have had his guns taken away years ago. Assuming he had legal guns. The fact that he claimed to be a Christian isn't any more relevant than saying he was German or preferred chocolate over vanilla ice cream. It appears you are linking his faith to this murder in an attempt to defame Christianity.
Every so often there are instances like this. You seem to be saying we live in an NRA world where every eleven minutes some Christian nut job shoots an innocent person. This is simply not true. However, it is true that every hour someone in America is being shot by some criminal. For every one of these nut jobs with guns, I can show you 100 criminals shooting innocent people.
Keep in mind that Chicago has some of the most progressive gun control laws in America. They are held up as the model for all other cities wanting extremely strict gun control. Yet, 294 people have been murdered in Chicago this year, as of July 23. They are on track to exceed 500 murders by the end of the year, breaking records.
SO, if your goal is less shootings, gun control seems to be counterproductive.
Maybe you just want Christians unarmed?
They're all nut jobs, aren't they? I mean, you have to be a nut job to do this kind of thing, right? That's one of the qualifiers, I think.
But because any kind of move to restrict gun ownership is met with fierce and well-funded opposition by gun fetishists and their club, the NRA, nut jobs are able to own guns. And we just have to accept that as a consequence of this free society in which we live. Just like we have to put up with listening to things we don't agree with because of the 1st Amendment, we all have to put up with innocent Americans getting killed because of the 2nd.
It's the NRA's World and we just have to resign ourselves to that fact.
I won't even bother to address your outrageous charges about wanting Christians unarmed. I included that passage because, to me, blowing away some guy selling steaks seems so un-Christian like. I also have a problem with Christians supporting the death penalty because, you know, the Bible says you can.
But then, that's just me.
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So blowing away an unarmed guy selling steaks wouldn't be un-Jewish like? Or un-Muslim like? I don't see the need to dig on Christianity for a mentally defective man shooting an unarmed man.
While I can agree that there really is no need for civilians to possess large capacity ammunition clips for high powered rifles, or really assault rifles in general, the bottom line is that gun ownership requires responsibility. Guns don't kill people. People kill people.
"Dig on Christianity..."
By pointing out that he was a Christian? Is the report an affront to pickup owners because they reported what kind of car he was driving? Maybe Cape Coral residents should be offended that their city was named.
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Sure, people kill people, SteveBM, but certain kinds of guns and accessories make it much easier to kill others, especially many others. It's one reason why rocket launchers and anti-aircraft missles aren't legal.
The question is what is reasonable, not what is "constitutionally protected."
I don't disagree with you, Mr. Logic. I'm a gun owner and shoot for sport. I've shot assault rifles but don't own one not have a desire to own one. I also don't see the need to own one unless maybe you're hunting wild hogs here in Florida where they've become a massive problem. Even then, a standard 30 round clip should be just fine.
Rick, it's the context in which you make your comment. You let the people who use religion as a justification for their actions and voting platform set the stage for anyone who practices that same religion. You've got this hard on for the Christian faith because it's part of the foundation of the republican platform and god forbid you be ok with any of that. You've done it before and I've called you on it and I'm going to continue to do so. You point out that the guy pointed the gun at the back of the dead man's head, then that he was militia minded an anti government "and finally, this..." that the guy was Christian. You know, because readers just had to know that would be true after reading the previous two comments.
In fact, all Christians think the same way as this guy and believe his shooting was just.
Give it a rest already.
Steve...I reject the notion that because I criticize certain Christians for their hypocrisy that it means that I "have a hard on for the Christian faith." I do have a problem with those Christians who use their faith and religion to justify their bigotry...and I'll point it out every time that I see it.
I will concede that I don't like the conservatism that is being practiced certain Republicans today. Guilty as charged. Hypocrisy, bigotry and hate...they all bother me.
Just like it would be relevant to the discussion if a priest were charged with pedophilia, I think it's important to note the fact that a man who was described as a Christian was supposedly involved in an act this heinous. It's relevant to the discussion, no matter how many Christians hate hearing about it. And it's why the report mentioned it in the first place.
I hope this clears things up. Oh, and I have no intention of "giving it a rest any time soon."
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SteveBM: with Rick, it's always about the context. Just the other day on my blog he managed to tie in the bombing of a local travel agency which sells packages to Cuba to the Chick-Fil-A gay marriage issue. Yes, you read that right.
Unfortunately, Rick has his three or four groups which he has deep disrespect for and manages to outrageously blame them for everything bad that happens in this world. Conservative Christians are one such group (actually, conservatives of any color or creed).
Keep on calling him out on it, even if he denies it every time.
Hey Robert...I think I did a pretty good job explaining to SteveBM why this post read the way it did. If you have any input on the content, I'd love to hear it.
As for the long, extended mud-slinging comment thread over at your place, I think the title of your post, "A Matter of Tolerance," was the context in which my comment was made. Whoever did the bombing at the Cuban travel agency appears to lack the tolerance for those persons and companies who believe that there should be a limited business relationship with Cuba. In my mind, that lack of tolerance is very similar to those who disagree with CFA doing business in their towns because of their beliefs. Apparently you disagree and that's fine, but yours and George's hysterics were unfortunate and totally unjustified. And it seems as though you can't put it behind you.
And yes, bigoted, hateful and hypocritical people who use the Bible as cover for their bigotries will never get my respect.
That's just me, I guess.
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robert...i think both the chikfila conflict and the travel club bombing are examples of people not being tolerant of anothers views. i see the connection.
So you would have the same reaction & made the same comments if you read the same article only instead of Christian the guy was Muslim?
The connection fails when you compare a violent act which everyone abhors and rejects, to being demonized for having the freedom to believe what you wish. That's how I saw Rick's comment which I referred to.
Rick: as to your post here, you ruined it when you sarcastically and cynically brought up Christianity. It deserved a response, and you got it. Take the plank out of your own eye and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from someone else's eye.
(Yes, that's from the Bible)
Robert...it's the attitude not the act that was being compared. I mean, I can explain it a thousand times and you'll still refuse to see it in those terms.
"... a violent act which everyone abhors and rejects.." I think one could easily find those who would debate that idea in Miami-Dade County. Like they do the bombing of a particular airliner filled with 73 innocent souls.
And thanks for the daily dose of moralizing.
Steve...yes. My reaction to the shooting would have been exactly the same. If the guy held himself out to be some kind of devout Muslim, I would have mentioned that, too.
I think it's relevant to the discussion whenever someone who claims to be religious or have a deep faith in _________ [fill in the blank] commits a crime of this nature.
But now that you bring it up, imagine the response of certain Americans had the shooter been Muslim. Imagine the tone of discourse and the slurs that would have been uttered.
Mentioning and pointing out that Roop is a Christian is tame by comparison...and totally appropriate.
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As much as I want to believe you would report it the same, based on past commentary, I don't believe you would. Yes, I can imagine the tone of discourse and slurs had the shooter been Muslim. That would be unfortunate and wrong and sad to hear. So what's the difference? The difference is that Christianity is the majority religion in the USA and you wont hear the same slurs about it. Unless, of course, you read a post like this. Sorry, but you're doing the exact same thing that you hate to hear, just maybe not as intense or fueled by hatred.
Nowhere in the article does it mention that Roop was a "devout Christian" or that he had "deep faith" in anything. The website for Ancient Island Educational Media is the shooter's (murderer's) home business website. In addition to sharing his religious faith, it also lists him as an economist and cave diver. Yet you failed to list that in your rant even though it holds about as much water here as the guy's religion does.
I think Rick's mention of Christianity is fair. That's how the shooter defines himself and he put it out there on his website for everyone to see.
I think it's fair to point out the contradiction of his beliefs with his actions.
Many in this country believe, not personally agreeing or disagreeing, that Islam dictates violence through jihad and had the shooter been Muslim, the outcry would be "what do we expect, he's Muslim" and an onslaught of anti-Muslim hate speech.
Here, the tenets of Christianity; live a virtuous life, love thy neighbor, etc, would seem to indicate that the person wouldn't be likely to pull a gun on someone and shoot him in cold blood.
So Rick answers your question SteveBM and you call him a liar. Classy move.
SteveBM: a "slur?" By mentioning it? Whatever.
If you already know the answer to a question, like you apparently did, why ask it?
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Rick - yes, I suppose it was pointless to ask a question like that. I just don't believe you'd have made the same jab at another religion that isn't so closely associated with the political party you strongly dislike. Sorry.
Silver - quality argument there, well at least the last paragraph was anyway. However, wouldn't those same values hold true in other religions? The information that this guy was a Christian was buried away on his home business site, in a paragraph where he talks about the ocean and his experience with it. I still believe the man's religion is totally irrelevant. Nowhere does it say the guy went around pushing Christianity, nor does it say he was a devout anything.
Again, it was the context of the original post, the way it was composed, that I took issue with as I have before. Here the reaction was, "what do we expect, he uses Christianity to believe he's a good person when he's not". It was assumed that because he listed his religious affiliation on a home business website that the media chose to pluck from a paragraph about ocean experience that he was a bible thumping, god-loves-me-no-matter-what-I-do, Christian (oh, and probably Republican too). Just because one is Christian, or Muslim, or Jewish, or (insert religion here) does not mean they are not human and not prone to bad judgement, mistakes, or evil. I don't see how you can judge a person's acts based on their religious affiliation.
Look, I appreciate the dialogue but it's really pointless to continue the discussion. I know where you all stand, you know where I stand even if you don't understand why. I guess I'm not that good at explaining myself. I haven't liked the jabs at Christianity or the Catholic church on this site in the past, I don't like them today, and I'm not going to like them tomorrow. Maybe that clears it up.
Let me repeat myself because it seems like I have to all the time when it comes to discussing these types of things: I have nothing against Christianity or the majority of Christians. I do have a problem when someone perverts the teaching of the Bible to serve their ideology or particular cause. The fact that Roop holds himself out as a religious person on his business website and blows away a steak salesman without cause in his driveway one day is, I truly believe, worth noting.
You think that me mentioning it is mean-spirited, inconsequential, irrelevant and totally ideologically driven. You're wrong, totally wrong, but sure, I respect your freedom to believe whatever it is you believe.
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For crying out loud, nowhere in the post Rick says Roop's christianity caused him to murder the other guy. Only that it's un-Christian to live in constant paranoia and ready to blast away another human being.
If I were a Christian, instead of getting all defensive, I would spend more time denouncing those who hide their bigotry and disdain for others behind their faith.
Reading this thread, I think of how last week a Mississippi pastor refused to marry a black couple because some racists in his congregation were opposed. The Southern Baptist Church, to their credit, didn't hide or justified it saying it was an isolated case; it strongly denounced those members and affirmed that racism is neither Baptist nor Christian.
And Robert, with regards to Chick-Fil-A and the firebombing of a Cuban travel agency: same exact thing. You can't get on your high horse about Mayor Menino intimidating Chick-Fil-A while pretending that is worse to point out that certain sectors of the Cuban American community perform worse acts of intimidation, often with the tacit approval of many in the community.
Whoever bombed that travel agency is minor leagues. Let me tell you, if you really want to gain the respect of Cuban-American hardliners you need to bring down Cuban jetliner. They will give you awards and idolize you until the day you die.
Trust me on this one.
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