Meet Steven Gilmore. The wannabe rapper tried to rob a Florida convenience store Friday night and shot an employee in the head with a BB gun in a bid to establish "street cred" for his nascent hip-hop career. The 21-year-old Gilmore, seen in the below mug shot, admitted his harebrained scheme after he was arrested Saturday night, according to Gainesville police. Gilmore, who also copped to a stickup of the Hungry Howie's restaurant, told police that he thought the robberies would provide him the kind of reputation he apparently believes is required in the rap world
Now, is this is the root of this crime based in the "gun culture" or the "rap culture"?
Now normally, I won't name post the name of criminals because I don't want to glorify their violence or provide any legacy for them...but in this case I want plenty of publicity for this young man. I want it to be difficult for him to live down his decision.
I want to publicize how some people view crime, as a means to an end, as a way of life. They view crime this way, not out of ignorance, not out of unconscious response but out of a calculated, fully informed decision. This is the type of "culture" that firearm related violence comes from, not the law abiding gun owner.
This is one of the popular myths that people want to attach to firearms. That every "gun owner" has the same culture, the same values, the same principles. We don't. The results are clear & easy to see - Some people commit crimes with their firearms and some people use their firearms for sporting and self defense purposes without breaking the law. Same types of firearms, just completely different cultures.
10 comments:
What an idiot.
J.R.,
I agree completely. That is why I posted his name. Normally, I won't name the criminal to avoid giving them the publicity they desire.
This was so stupid, I think his name should live on. People should see how the desire for "street cred" worked out for him.
Yeah but it goes both ways, Bob!
I know a guy with asperations of being a Country singer and for "Street Cred" he went out and bought an F-150!
In the end global warming effects us all!
Oh and worse yet, as a 2nd Amendment Activist, for "Steet Cred" I make it a point to obey EVERY letter of the law.
There's a reason why the FBI cooks their numbers to make it seem like certain groups of people commit the majority of crime in the US!
...they like country music!
Bob, Do you think the two groups overlap a little? I mean, the different cultures must merge at some point, right? I'm thinking about the least dangerous of the criminals and the lawful gun owners who take some shortcuts, maybe take some risks. Shouldn't we put them in a gray area?
And what about the lawful gun owners who become criminals? Isn't it sometimes an incremental transition? What do you think?
MikeB,
Welcome, glad you are back to commenting here.
Yes, I think the two groups overlap. But the overlap is very, very small.
Just as there are in any two cultures, there will always be overlap and there will always be criminals.
But the STATISTICS, the evidences shows the overlap to be incredible small.
The conviction rate for CHL holders in Texas is 0.2612%.
Now, that is a small subset of the total number of legal gun owners, but as the FBI crime data show only 10% of all violent crime is committed with firearms.
Now, is it reasonable to say that the majority, the vast majority of those firearm related crimes are committed by suburban or rural people who are middle aged and have firearms for sporting purpose OR are the vast majority of those firearm related crimes committed by mostly urban, mostly younger people associated with gangs or drugs?
This is a no brainer...as you say it should be an obvious truth. Of course, there is also evidence to back up the answer. It is the gang/drug culture that is committing most of the crime. One report estimated as much as 80% of ALL crime was gang/drug related.
So, the overlap is there but it is exceedingly small.
mikeb302000,
"Bob, Do you think the two groups overlap a little? I mean, the different cultures must merge at some point, right?"
Probably about as much overlap as there is between computer owners and hackers.
Obviously, to commit a crime with a gun, you must have a gun. However, possession of a gun does not indicate intention to commit a crime any more than you owning a computer means you plan to hack into Citibank with it.
I think Mike could offer us some very good feedback on the issue.
Mike, you're an unabashed illigal gun owner. How did you buy your guns, who did you sell them too. What did you do with your guns when you illigally held them?
Of course you're not posting under your legal name, likely no longer in the country, and decades beyond any crimes, so I suspect the statute of limitations has expired on all your crimes.
I don't think any of us here have your breth of experience. Will you share it with us?
Looks like Tam just picked up this story!
hook your genset up to your sitemeter widgit, she's gonna start spinning!
Weer'd, I'm afraid you're gonna have to wait for my auto-biography to come out, man. I've told you before I'm not going to reveal any more details about my personal life than I already have. And to set the record straight, I mentioned that exactly one time. Like an obsessed pit bull you've picked it up and cannot seem to let it go. What's wrong with you, Weer'd? Why do you get so obsessed with things like this? Why do you repeat ten or fifteen times a question which you know will not be answered?
I suppose in some way you think you're harming me by repeating the question, like my refusal to answer proves something dark and sinister.
You always resort to personal attacks when your arguments are not rewarded with capitulation. That's too bad because I've always enjoyed your arguments. I don't understand the need to transition into name-calling and personal attacks, like you do.
No such thing, Mike. You speak an awful lot about "Gun Flow", "Gun Availability" in relation to crime. (I could reverse your very same obsession claim to that) I disagree with this assumption because the only instances of "Flow" I see are the occasional theft, and "Community Guns" shared by gang members.
Still you have witnessed the "Flow" firsthand, as you openly claim to have owned guns illegally. So if you were to explain how you acquired your firearms (of course no locations or real names need be used to protect from self-incrimination...tho statute of limitations is likely expired so you have no legal fears) and how they left your possession when you traveled to Italy would show a lot how guns "Flow" in the illegal markets.
You of course also talk a lot about "Shared Responsibility" I think this data could give a lot of insight on that as well.
Of course these questions are loaded and leading, but you lost all defense when you admitted to being an illegal gun owner.
I ask these questions simply so that you will refuse to answer them (either in dodges like above, or simply ignoring the questions)because I know that your personal accounts would contradict all the core principals of "gun flow", "Gun Availability" and "Shared Responsibility" you champion on your blog.
Furthermore comments about your illegal guns never see the light of day under your screened comments, something you openly admit in your blog and others, but do all you can to squelch in your comments section deems it worthy for repetition.
So feel free to dodge or ignore me all you want. It only makes your guilt more evident!
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