This is terrible; I’m in shock. She was murdered last night, walking her dogs in her upscale Baltimore neighborhood.
I’ve known her for decades. I just saw her in March, at a NASA-sponsored workshop on space safety that she had put together at RFF. The report is due out any day.
In addition to being a wonderful woman, this is a huge loss to the space community; she was one of the few economists really focusing on the economics of space development. My condolences to her other friends, and family.
Firstly, my condolences on the loss of your friend. Seems like she is the sort of person who will be sorely missed by most who knew her.
“It is unlawful for any person without a permit to wear or carry a handgun, openly or concealed, upon or about his person, or to knowingly transport a handgun in any vehicle traveling on public roads, highways, waterways or airways or upon roads or parking lots generally used by the public.”
http://www.usacarry.com/maryland_concealed_carry_permit_information.html
So much for the 2nd Amendment in Maryland; they are a “May Issue” state as far as CCW permits are concerned. Which means they may issue/refuse as they see fit.
Yep, a combination of that, and the fact that Baltimore is crime-ridden.
AFAIK she was stabbed to death. You are assuming she would have reacted on time or that the perp would be more careful if she had/could have a gun.
It is not beyond the realm of reason to believe that an armed person has a better chance against an assailant then an unarmed one. If guns provided no protection at all, federal, state, and local LEO’s wouldn’t bother carrying them.
“It is not beyond the realm of reason to believe that an armed person has a better chance against an assailant then an unarmed one”
And also the more people who lawfully carry the more problematic you are making it for would be muggers. The poor ladies assailant knew he could approach her with impunity, that unless she was LEO officer or one happened to be around that he had little to worry about. Just the idea he (the mugger) would have to consider the possibility that she or some bystander might be armed makes life allot harder for the criminal. They listen to news stories of people shooting their attackers in areas where CCW permits are allowed; wonder if hearing about such might caused them to become more skittish; less bold in approaching people. How many even unarmed people in such places where CCW’s are common are not mugged because some criminal had a bad experience with an unexpectedly armed citizen and becomes much more reluctant to initiate a crime in the future even if he escapes?
It is also not beyond that same reasonable realm to believe that criminals will think twice if the mere potential existence of firearms is known. That is, muggers/rapists/murderers may hesitate to attack a defenseless person if it is much more likely that the potential victim is not, in fact, defenseless.
It’s all about personal space. If somebody enters it you can have a small handgun ready without the assailant being aware. They move closer you face them and let them see the gun. They continue to move closer they are threatening so you fire. If it was a mistake, after you empty your gun into them, you apologize. “So sorry, I felt threatened by your aggressive behavior.” This weeds out aggressive behavior.
Men should not threaten woman. Full stop.
When I was a kid walking through neighborhoods I shouldn’t have at night in NYC you always knew when the muggers were approaching because they always came from behind when nobody else was around. Gangs would attack in daylight so avoiding them was a bit more difficult but they’re also less common. Usually just facing a mugger and staring at them was enough to get them to mumble something and move off.
A woman without a gun can’t use that tactic as effectively.
A woman in NY can get a gun if she knows a policeman. No carry permit required (just don’t say where ya got it.)
Not many comments here.
It’s probably one of those “what can I say?” things for most of us, my condolences. Too often it’s the best people that we lose to senseless violence.
Awful. My condolences to her family.
It’s terrible that in the People’s Republic of Maryland, it’s extremely difficult for law-abiding people who aren’t rich or politically well-connected to get a carry permit. That might’ve given her a chance, depending upon her mindset (some people simply wouldn’t use a gun even to save their own life, or would be so hesitant to do so that it would do no good). She must have little rat-dogs, I would guess, because most any medium-size or larger dog would have defended her with their own lives. Not that little dogs wouldn’t try their best, but other than biting ankles, what can they really do?
It’s truly sad, but honestly, I can’t imagine anyone living in Baltimore of their own free will.
Baltimore is a patchwork quilt, with “good” areas separated from “bad” ones by a crosswalk. I had friends whose home was burglarized at least 3 times in 2 years, once while somebody was home. The police did nothing, even though the friends could see the address at which “their” electronics were being used by the thieves. Friends moved to a much safer state.
I’m so sorry, Rand.
I have good friends who live in Baltimore; they’re retirement age and probably can’t move. I’ve feared for their safety for quite some time.
Back in the stone age, when I was a child (1950’s), we often visited my aunt in Baltimore, and though nothing of going out at night. She worked at Johns Hopkins, and walked the several blocks to work. I even went all over town on the bus alone when I was a teen (1960’s). No more. Thank God she’s dead now; what Baltimore has become would have killed her.
When I visited Johns Hopkins they had more police guarding a single street corner (every day) than were employed by my home town of 13,000.
One day one of my friend’s grad-students decided he bike to work. He came in all sweaty and said he was pedaling along and heard heavy footsteps pounding behind him, so he just pedaled as hard as he could go until he left his attacker behind. He never tried riding the bike to work again.
So far this year Baltimore has 147 homicides, 26 in the last 30 days. Last year they had 344 homicides.
In contrast, in 2010 Vermont had 7, Wyoming had 8, and North Dakota had 9.
I’m sorry for the loss of your friend, Rand. My condolences.
What kind of fiend would stab a woman walking her dog?
Condolences to her family and you, Rand. With something this personal, I prefer to refrain from the political. Certainly, life shouldn’t be taken like this.
My condolences to Rand and anyone else who may have known this poor woman. Much is lost in the continuing coarsening of our society, and it is truly tragic.
It is a shame this happened to her. I had recently listened to her show/podcast on the Space Show (July 14th, 2006). She is a very smart woman and it is a shame that this terrible crime took place.