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Ranger shot at Mt Rainier NP - not good


elaine

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It would be neat if the climber's fee at MRNP had an optional "fallen ranger's fund" you could donate to when buying your permit, proceeds of which would benefit families of rangers killed in duty at MRNP or whatever. That would probably have more of a lasting impact than any sort of "in the moment" fund-raising scheme (i.e. slide-show) because the donations would continue in perpetuity, which is really what the surviving family needs.

 

I wonder what sort of benefits the federal government provides for these sorts of incidents. If I were murdered at work, my kids would actually be better off (financially). But, I'm guessing rangers don't enjoy the benefits I do :(

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OW, yes it's a bandaid, but part of what is provided is the idea that a lot of people care and are willing to dip into their own resources to help a little bit. Our world could use more of that.

 

I'm not belittling the idea, I'm just trying to express my inadequacy at having an appropriate response. A fund is a great idea and I'm behind it 100%, I just wish there was more I could do.

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We followed the news at work all day, the local fuzz has black mourning bands over their badges, everyone is bummed for that brave woman and her poor family. My heart goes out to her kids and her poor husband who was also on duty. What a nightmare.

 

I'm in for the fundraising climb. We do similar fundraising in the fire service. Like the Firefighter Stair Climb to raise money for the Leukiemia Lymphoma Society of Wa. Participants sign up and then are required to raise a minimum of like $100 prior to the climb. Or maybe we could run it like a walk-a-thon and have people donate a given amount for every 1000' climbed. just some thoughts

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It's a good point SJ. My thoughts in proposing this were that 1) it should be a positive thing, fun! 2) we'd need to get a group permit so that limits the route choices but that's ok - Shurman or Muir is always fun. 3) a memorial climb like this with some perhaps more experienced folks like me or Loren etc can act as a vehicle for some less experienced folks to get up the hill sans RMI... I think we'd expect some basic previous experience though, the climb shouldnt be considered a class! 4) each climber pledges some min amount to join. all proceeds go to Anderson fund, we must avoid the whole "guiding" question 5) the donation isnt meant to put Ranger Anderson's kids through college, more of a gesture of respect and appreciation than everlasting flow of money.

 

Just stream of consciousness this morning..

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I'm not one to stuff the Facebook thing down people's throats, but if people wouldn't mind adding some conversation on our page it would probably help extend the reach of this topic.

 

http://www.facebook.com/cascadeclimbers

 

Whatever happens here we'll make sure the family and the rangers know how much we care.

Edited by jon
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I wonder what sort of benefits the federal government provides for these sorts of incidents. If I were murdered at work, my kids would actually be better off (financially). But, I'm guessing rangers don't enjoy the benefits I do :(

 

Park Rangers, being Federal employees, would have the opportunity to purchase life insurance which would provide a benefit up to five times employee annual salary. If I recall correctly there are double indemnity clauses in play for loss of life while on duty. A law enforcement officer would be well advised to take full advantage of an opportunity like this but to my knowledge there is no requirement to do so.

 

It's a good thing folk are trying to do here, trying to find a way to express their sorrow for this Ranger's family's loss.

 

d

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Total bummer, and scary - could just as easily have been one of our Beacon rangers on any given day. Though I will say the Beacon crew is used to seeing a steady stream of random nutjobs (other than us) going back and forth on Rt. 14, so they are pretty alert when stopping anyone. And they and the state and county cops also tend to coordinate all their actions pretty closely when they do get a live one going.

 

Condolences to the family, fellow employees, and to all law enforcement and park employees just trying to do their jobs...

 

P.S. Just ponying up for a discovery pass if you use the resource is one small way you can take some of the stress off the state park rangers...

Edited by JosephH
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Many of us share, to some extent, the pain this unfortunate tragedy inflicted on one family, and the wider community. While it is fresh in everyone's consciousness, I think, is the time to show our support to Margaret Anderson's husband and children. I have a friend who is a ranger at MORA, and I have an inquiry in to find the local bank to which charitable contributions can be sent. As soon as I have that information, I'll post it here. There seems to be a lot of interest in contributing to such a fund.

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Sounds like the mountain took the shooter.

 

I know I will catch hell for this but...

RIP poor PTSD vet soldier.

 

Condolences to both families.

Agreed. It was a tragedy all around. All the jeering to shoot the guy like an animal was sickening, but Alex's compassionate response quickly turned that tide.
You are entitled to your feelings, Pat, and I am entitled to mine. Mine haven't changed. He was a cold-blodded killer, and I'm glad as hell he's dead. It's a goddamned shame what his blaze of glory took with him.
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RIP poor PTSD vet soldier

 

If he had PTSD, and if it was related to his service in the USA. There has only been an allegation of PTSD from his former girlfriend. The media has taken this allegation and ran.

 

It is as likely that he was an unstable individual singularly unsuited for military service, and his tour in Iraq consisted mainly or wholly in staying in the rear with the gear. In today world of IED's in asymmetric wars, there is no rear echelon, but the fact remains that it is unclear if he truly is a victim of PTSD.

 

 

It is almost a certainty that he was unsuited for military service even before he joined the Army, but our military is so hyper extended that (some say) many who should be rejected are in fact processed into the Services.

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Kinda seems like the one clear thing (was it PTSD?, was he in the rear in a trailer or exposed to combat?, etc.) was the influence of GUN CULTURE.

 

Keep in mind he was at a "show and tell" gun New Year's party just before this and whatever went down there was what set things in motion. It is known he was one of the folks who pulled a weapon but who shot whom is not clear yet.

 

Probably safe to assume he knew he was on the hook for at least several counts of attempted murder and he fled the party, loaded up his rig and fled for the woods. He probably thought the Park Service Rangers had called his plates in.

 

So he comes out blazing......

 

Leaving the 2nd Amendment out of this (maybe a spray thread?), it does seem clear at this point that Barnes was heavily addicted to his guns. Some folks seem to have identified themselves more with the power to take life than the power to change their lives.

 

Almost as if the answer to pain, powerlessness and hopelessness nowadays is a warm gun.

 

I found that pic of him with the Saiga 12 gauge to be pretty creepy. More so because in part we have not seen the last of this (Gifford?) but also because he actually acted on rhetoric that is so prevalent in our country now.

 

Is this really so shocking and unforeseeable?

 

My 2 cents is that he probably was a big fan of that Stallone movie First Blood and acted it out.

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Kinda seems like the one clear thing (was it PTSD?, was he in the rear in a trailer or exposed to combat?, etc.) was the influence of GUN CULTURE.

 

Keep in mind he was at a "show and tell" gun New Year's party just before this and whatever went down there was what set things in motion. It is known he was one of the folks who pulled a weapon but who shot whom is not clear yet.

 

Probably safe to assume he knew he was on the hook for at least several counts of attempted murder and he fled the party, loaded up his rig and fled for the woods. He probably thought the Park Service Rangers had called his plates in.

 

So he comes out blazing......

 

Leaving the 2nd Amendment out of this (maybe a spray thread?), it does seem clear at this point that Barnes was heavily addicted to his guns. Some folks seem to have identified themselves more with the power to take life than the power to change their lives.

 

Almost as if the answer to pain, powerlessness and hopelessness nowadays is a warm gun.

 

I found that pic of him with the Saiga 12 gauge to be pretty creepy. More so because in part we have not seen the last of this (Gifford?) but also because he actually acted on rhetoric that is so prevalent in our country now.

 

Is this really so shocking and unforeseeable?

 

My 2 cents is that he probably was a big fan of that Stallone movie First Blood and acted it out.

 

Agreed 100% but I think he is part of a very small minority of gun owners. unfortunately when one of them acts out they can do a lot of damage.

 

btw guns like the saiga 12 or mac 11 are so stupid. Unless you are killing people with them (stupid thing to do) you just eat up ammo and running around shooting trees in half gets old quick (at least for me it did). I've shot AKs and they're kind of fun but again I don't really see the point unless you are killing people.

 

oh and another thing, I'll be in cody for MLK weekend, maybe see you out on the ice!

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Kinda seems like the one clear thing (was it PTSD?, was he in the rear in a trailer or exposed to combat?, etc.) was the influence of GUN CULTURE.

 

Keep in mind he was at a "show and tell" gun New Year's party just before this and whatever went down there was what set things in motion. It is known he was one of the folks who pulled a weapon but who shot whom is not clear yet.

 

Probably safe to assume he knew he was on the hook for at least several counts of attempted murder and he fled the party, loaded up his rig and fled for the woods. He probably thought the Park Service Rangers had called his plates in.

 

So he comes out blazing......

 

Leaving the 2nd Amendment out of this (maybe a spray thread?), it does seem clear at this point that Barnes was heavily addicted to his guns. Some folks seem to have identified themselves more with the power to take life than the power to change their lives.

 

Almost as if the answer to pain, powerlessness and hopelessness nowadays is a warm gun.

 

I found that pic of him with the Saiga 12 gauge to be pretty creepy. More so because in part we have not seen the last of this (Gifford?) but also because he actually acted on rhetoric that is so prevalent in our country now.

 

Is this really so shocking and unforeseeable?

 

My 2 cents is that he probably was a big fan of that Stallone movie First Blood and acted it out.

 

Agreed 100% but I think he is part of a very small minority of gun owners. unfortunately when one of them acts out they can do a lot of damage.

 

btw guns like the saiga 12 or mac 11 are so stupid. Unless you are killing people with them (stupid thing to do) you just eat up ammo and running around shooting trees in half gets old quick (at least for me it did). I've shot AKs and they're kind of fun but again I don't really see the point unless you are killing people.

 

oh and another thing, I'll be in cody for MLK weekend, maybe see you out on the ice!

 

 

This is sad but you can't go blaming the guns. Saying one type of gun is stupid is the same as saying the car a drunk driver used was part of the cause. Saiga's and Ak's are not the best guns but they are cheaper so more people buy them. The 99% of gun owners see the point of owning them (and killing people is never on the list).

 

As a gun owner, veteran, and a person who has been to that park and seen that ranger before this is just a sad start to a new year. I'm glad the killer was not "hunted and killed" and that nature took care of it for us.

 

I had a best friend taken from me via a drunk driver. Funny that the alcohol was not the root of the cause in the media and such. I know way more people affected by drunk drivers than being in gun related crimes yet people always blame the guns :(

 

 

That said RIP ranger :cry: and your family is in my prayers

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you're telling me that theres a good reason to own a semi automatic assault rifle style shotgun with a detachable box magazine? You can't shoot skeet or hunt anything with them as the barrel is too short to pattern well or have a good swing, and you can only have 3 rounds in the gun anyway. totally pointless, unless you're going to kill people.

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This is sad but you can't go blaming the guns

 

I'm not, I said "gun culture" and it isn't like a gun self reproduces, WE demand more and more firepower. And we're the ones who elect idiots simply because they tell us we should be able to have any weapon we want and bring it anywhere we go.

 

What the fleep are folks so afraid of?

 

Just tired of folks whose only political and cultural value seems to be the supremacy of firepower.

 

In this case, Rangers (and not just the LE types) are the ones who have to face the consequences.

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