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Paris Shootings and Explosions Kill Over 100, Police Say

(www.nytimes.com)
623 points franzb | 2 comments | 14 Nov 15 00:25 UTC | HN request time: 0.023s | source
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po1nter ◴[14 Nov 15 00:34 UTC] No.10563599[source]▶
According to iTele there are now 118 dead.

Edit: Now it's up to 140. What a sad day :(

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toyg ◴[14 Nov 15 00:42 UTC] No.10563630[source]▶
Reworded to avoid offence (hopefully): deaths are not irrelevant, but their exact precise number is irrelevant. What matters is the scale of the security failure, compounded by the fact that they suffered a similar one less than a year ago and they were currently on high-alert (because they've only just started bombing Syria).

The knowledge that a network could carry out such a widespread and well-coordinated attack without being preempted, in a situation of maximum alert, will heavy on the minds of any French citizen regardless of whether victims were 118 or 119. Basically, the French security system has been revealed as completely ineffective. That is a huge problem.

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sosborn ◴[14 Nov 15 00:53 UTC] No.10563681[source]▶
> Basically, the French security system has been revealed as completely ineffective.

How can a country possibly prevent these things while still maintaining a free society?

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fein[dead post] ◴[14 Nov 15 01:04 UTC] No.10563756[source]▶
Arm your citizens.

Edit: Seems HN would rather die on their knees. Shame.

NotHereNotThere ◴[14 Nov 15 02:14 UTC] No.10564065[source]▶
I fail to see how arming citizens would prevent bombs from blowing them up.

What the hell is wrong with people, suggesting guns as a solution to unpredictable violent situations where guns wouldn't make any difference.

You arm citizens, now what? Shoot anyone that looks mildly suspicious? Hear a bomb go off, you take out your gun then scare the shit out of people surrounding you, then get shot by somebody else that thinks you're part of the bombing?

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qb45 ◴[14 Nov 15 09:06 UTC] No.10565034[source]▶
Apparently, armed citizens can help in some cases. Three armed people stopped a nuthead shooting in train in France:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/21/amsterdam-paris...

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1. Kankuro ◴[14 Nov 15 10:17 UTC] No.10565186[source]▶
These three persons were not armed.

My feeling (being a European) is that I would feel much more threatened by the fact than people I can see in the street can have a gun than I would feel safer because some random strangers could protect me with their guns.

From time to time there are some news that someone get stabbed because for having allegedly had a bad look on someone else. With guns, you don't even have the option to run.

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2. qb45 ◴[14 Nov 15 10:57 UTC] No.10565259[source]▶
Admittedly, I didn't know all the details of this story. It seems that they indeed stopped the attacker with bare hands when his gun jammed. Just shows how much luck they had.

There are civilians lawfully carrying guns in Europe, just not many of them, so be free to already feel threatened. I'm not saying we should give guns to every kid out there, but if 1% of citizens were armed, shooting up 100 people wouldn't be such an easy endeavor.