The L.A. Times and language comprehension

thwart

THwôrt
verb
  1. prevent (someone) from accomplishing something

The Los Angeles Times must have a different dictionary. Their story, Man praised as hero for thwarting UC Merced stabbing rampage, details the selfless actions of contractor Byron Price during Faisal Mohammed’s rampage at UC Merced. This is another of those “You keep using that word…” situations.

When Price opened the classroom door, his father said, a professor yelled “No!” and a man rushed toward him with a large hunting knife.

Price told his father he kicked to open the door wider. As the assailant lunged toward him, Price dropped to the ground and lay on his back, shielding his chest and face as he fought with his legs, his father said.

Price was stabbed in the side during the attack. Mohammed went on to severely injure two more people outside the classroom. In total, four were injured. Mohammed would be shot later by responding police officers.

I don’t want you to think that I’m minimizing Price’s bravery. Most people run away from the sounds of danger; he ran toward it. But because of California’s insane laws, neither he nor anyone else who was actually there at the time was able to use a weapon to stop the attack. Like Victoria Soto at Sandy Hook Elementary, the only tool Price had available to protect others was his own flesh. In truth, he wasn’t able, or allowed, to thwart anything.

In this case, the “gun free zone” didn’t cost innocent lives. It did, however, once again cause trauma that will last a lifetime for the victims. Once again, the only one present with a weapon was the killer.

Laws that forbid an effective response to a murderer are simply immoral.

One Comment

  1. MC Staff said:

    Just a quick follow up: It’s since been reported that Mr. Price now supports liberalizing California’s gun laws making it easier for people like him to carry firearms.

    November 12, 2015

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