In article ,
JNugent wrote:

KingOfTheApes wrote:

Let's see what happened in the jungle today...

Ohio Cancer Survivor Shot and Killed Bicycling to Work Wednesday,
July 16, 2008 FoxNews

A cancer survivor bicycling to work for the first time to save on
gas was shot and killed, according to Toledo police. Police Capt.
Ray Carroll said 46-year-old David Babcock was seen on a street
having a heated argument with another man before he was shot around
5:30 a.m. Tuesday. "(There were) two people arguing, yelling at
each other, then the gun shots went off," said Carroll. "We were
given just a vague description (of the suspect)." Babcock was
pronounced dead at an area hospital. The coroner said Babcock took
a bullet to the face that caused massive bleeding and hampered his
breathing.

"Hampered his breathing"?

To say the least, clearly.

Witnesses told police they saw a suspect run down a street in the
mostly residential neighborhood.

"Run down the street"...

Not, you motice: "drove away down the street" (see below).

The shooter took a ring of keys from Babcock, according to MYFOX
Toledo. No arrests have been made. Authorities don't know the
motive for the shooting. Babcock survived surgery to remove a brain
tumor 13 years ago. His fiancée, Rene Long, said he had put lights
on his bike and wore a reflective vest so he would be safe on his
inaugural, 8-mile ride to his job at Fresh Products Inc., a maker
of air fresheners. "I was so proud of him. He couldn't wait to ride
it to work. That was his first day of riding it to work," Long
said.

Are we drawing any lessons from this? I'd draw this lesson, IF YOU
DON'T HAVE THE PATIENCE OF BUDDHA AND THE GUN OF JOHN WAYNE, STAY
HOME. I've got neither.

These are points to bear in mind... Too many guns out there.

That's there. Not here (though there may well be too many here as
well).

Too much road rage. Too little respect for cyclists. Too many
reckless drivers. Too many indifferent policemen, authorities, etc.

There might be (in both countries), but there's nowt above to lead
you to that view - you'd have to arrive at it independently of the
report of the instant case.

Indeed. We all read these things through the filters of our assumptions
and prejudices. One could as easily come to alternate conclusions if
starting from a different world view. A local conceal-and-carry
advocate would probably say that if everybody carried guns, everyone
would be more considerate and polite to each other and there'd be fewer
such incidents.

It's part of what's called self-serving bias and it's part of human
nature. We interpret events to favor our preexisting beliefs.

Was there any evidence at all that the incident had anything to do
with bikes, road rage, cars or indifferent policemen? How do we know
that the assailant wasn't just, for instance, a cuckolded husband?

Statistically speaking, most murderers are people who know the victim
well or at least have some personal connection. Truly random murders
are fairly rare.