An Atlantis Plastics Inc. employee shot four others and then shot himself, all dead, at a plastics factory in Henderson, Kentucky. All four of the Atlantis Plastics employees shot were killed instantly, while the gunman also died from his self inflicted wounds. It was another tragic shooting incident in the United States which is fast becoming the most violent country in the world because of all the reported shootings including this one at the Atlantis Plastics Inc. factory in Henderson, KY, which would hardly be expected under any circumstances. Unfortunately it has happened and investigations are still going on as to what really happened.
The reports coming from the investigations on this Atlantis Plastics shooting incident seem to indicate some sort of argument between the gunman, an employee at the plant himself, with the plant supervisor. He must have gotten angry and decided to take matters into his own hands, which included shooting dead four other innocent colleagues and then himself. There have also been reports that two other Atlantis Plastics employees in this Henderson Kentucky plant were injured in the melee and they were the lucky ones. This tragic shooting incident at the Atlantis Plastics factory only brings to focus what we must do in order to protect ourselves everyday from violence that is growing in America.
Perhaps one way to have prevented this horrible shooting deaths of so many people at Atlantis Plastics in Henderson Kentucky could have been if the individuals who suffered the untimely accident wore kevlar vests which would have protected them from the bullets shot by their colleague. With guns still the predominant form of weapons that Americans have used to tragically shoot people dead, if only the six Atlantis Plastics employees had worn bullet proof kevlar vests at work, which might have prevented bodily harm well.
Obviously it is not common for people to even wear Kevlar vests under normal circumstances but as the Atlantis Plastics tragedy at Henderson KY has illustrated perfectly, as well as recent shootings in America that have taken place in schools with so many kids and adults dead, it might not be silly for us to wear some form of bullet proof protection gear to work anymore, or basically even when we step out of the house. After this incident at Atlantis Plastics, if I were working there and came out unscathed, probably the first thing I would do is to protect myself with a bullet proof vest of some sort. It might sound over the top, but my family would not want me to be one of the victims in another similar incident if it were to happen in Atlantis Plastics again.
About
“After this incident at Atlantis Plastics, if I were working there and came out unscathed, probably the first thing I would do is to protect myself with a bullet proof vest of some sort.”
Yeah, for about 4 hours. Maybe.
Have you ever worn a kevlar vest? I can assure you that kevlar vests are not about to become fashionable anytime soon, since they are bulky, heavy, hot, and difficult to adjust for any level of comfort. A lot of cops won’t wear them because of the discomfort factor.
To correct some other errors in this opinion piece:
a) America is not even in the top 25 in the world when it comes to crimes of violence, even if you don’t factor in war zones. According to the UN’s report “The 2004 Demographic Yearbook, and the UN WHO’s statistics, the USA’s homicide rate is 28 of the 100 nations who took part in the survey. Over 150 nations did not take part, including all of the nations on the African continent. So the USA is far, far from being the most violent nation on earth.
b) Kevlar vests are not “bullet proof.” They are merely bullet resistant TO SOME BULLETS. A bullet with the correct ogive, mass, and velocity will easily penetrate a vest, even from a handgun, and nearly all centerfire rifles of nearly all calibers will launch bullets capable of penetrating all but Level 4 vests. Level 4 vests are approximately 8″ thick. They are usually worn by bomb squads.
c) Studies by John Lott, Gary Kleck, Don Kates, and David Kopel all support the proposition that the best defense against a murderer with a gun is a faster counter-offense by the victim WITH A GUN. That’s why all cops carry guns. It’s so simple. If the good guys are armed and prepared, the bad guys don’t stand a chance. As Lott’s study was titled: “More Guns, Less Crime.”
The facts are available, and easily retrieved. The wise will learn and survive, the foolish won’t.
Schmidt, you are indeed wise and knowledgeable. Thanks for enlightening us. However, the USA being just three places outside the top 25 according to the report or survey you cited does not make it any safer than what the media have been reporting and we could still become the most violent if things don’t improve, never say never. Perhaps someone as wise as you should rise up and tell the govt what to do to make sure things do not get worse. There are no errors in this piece because it is an opinion and never did I say the USA was the most violent you should learn how to read opinion pieces too instead of having your head buried deep in studies and surveys.