US flags to fly at half-staff till Aug 10 to honour Gurdwara shooting victims

Soul_jyot · #1 (**permalink**) 07-Aug-2012, 20:14 PM

US flags to fly at half-staff till Aug 10 to honour Gurdwara shooting victims

To honour victims of the shooting inside a gurdwara in Wisconsin, US President Barack Obama has ordered that the American flags be flown at half-staff at all the US government buildings and its diplomatic missions overseas till August 10.

"As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence in Oak Creek, Wisconsin,... I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, August 10, 2012," said a proclamation issued by the US President.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/united-states/38903-us-flags-fly-half-staff-till.html

"I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations," the statement said.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=38903

On August 5, six persons were killed and three critically injured when a gunman opened fire inside a Gurudwara in Wisconsin as the congregation was making preparations for Sunday morning prayers.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryP...nt/909522.aspx

linzer · #2 (**permalink**) 07-Aug-2012, 21:49 PM

This is a nice gesture but some effective legislation limiting the availablity of assault weapons would be more meaningful.

Ambarsaria · #3 (**permalink**) 07-Aug-2012, 22:37 PM

START: 8/6/2012
END: 8/10/2012
US Flags at Half Staff in Honor of Oak Creek, WI Shootings

HONORING THE VICTIMS OF THE TRAGEDY IN OAK CREEK, WISCONSIN
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on August 5, 2012, in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, August 10, 2012. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=38903
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=38903
BARACK OBAMA

http://us.halfstaff.org/

May God bring peace through it all for the loved ones and prevent future sacrifices of the innocent.

Sat Sri Akal.

Gyani Jarnail Singh · #4 (**permalink**) 08-Aug-2012, 09:03 AM

I DONT support limiting weapons....its like Banning Cars because people die in road accidents - drunk drivers, mad men at wheels crashing into bus stops school yards etc also included...
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=38903
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=38903

IF the idea of Guns being Banned..Controlled..is supported by SIKHS..then what about the 3 ft Naked Swords that some Sikhs waved at the US Embassy in Delhi ?? I have heard plenty of stories of armed men who used swords to kill innocent civilians..do we then ban swords kirpans ??

President Kaleke of the Wisconsin Gurdwara DEFENDED himself and the sangat with his KIRPAN !! What IF the Kirpan had been banned ?? More people could have died ???

Luckysingh · #5 (**permalink**) 08-Aug-2012, 09:43 AM

I totally agree.
Limiting or restricting availability of guns is not going to provide a solution.- especially in the U.S. since every state has it's own regulations.

Gyani Jarnail Singh · #6 (**permalink**) 08-Aug-2012, 11:00 AM

defenseless unarmed people are easier to kill....in the 1984 Genocide in India...see how the few armed SIKHS were first DISARMED by the Police/Authorities sent in...( WE ARE HERE TO PROTECT YOU )...and then these same police turned away when armed mobs attacked the now defenseless unarmed sikhs...
WHERE EVER the SIKHS REFUSED to surrender their swords and weapons..there the MOBS kept away !! Interesting isnt it ?? The well armed sangats congregated in DEFENDED GURDWARAS were the LEAST ATTACKED....all the killed/massacred were poor lower class sikhs living in slums and without any means of self defense...those were target of mobs.

linzer · #7 (**permalink**) 08-Aug-2012, 20:29 PM

I completely disagree. I'm not talking about all guns I'm talking about semi automatic weapons which make it much easier to kill alot of people in a short amount of time. Sure there will always be violent people killing other people but it's not very likely that a man with a sword ,or a non automatic revolver, is going to kill 12 people in 60 seconds.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=38903
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=38903
Countries that have more sensible gun control laws don't see the type and extent of violience that we are seeing in the states now. Much of the problems that we see here in Mexico with gun violence are as a result of the readily availabe arms right across the border. Many laws in the states that limited guns have been since been repealed under pressure from the fanatics of the N.R.A.
In the states guns will never be banned but a more reasonable approach to there availability needs to taken. By the way yes every state can make their own laws but federal law takes presidence over state law.swordfight

Luckysingh · #8 (**permalink**) 09-Aug-2012, 10:39 AM

Linzerji,
That is a very good approach that should be taken across the board.

The problem with the states having their own regulations is that in one state it may be illegal to carry a gun in a car, in another it may be OK but illegal if it is concealed!!
In some it's fine to keep it under your bed and shoot an intruder, in others it may be that you have to prove the threat, ie. if intruder had a weapon!!

These differing gun laws also apply in posession and purchase, as we know that the killer in Colorado had purchased everything legally!!

It does take a lot of effort and time to implement new laws into action. But if they just had some more sensible federal laws across US, then perhaps these massacres could be prevented.

Ambarsaria · #9 (**permalink**) 09-Aug-2012, 12:18 PM

Let us be little practical and cautious in our conjectures. For example the following,

1. Knife Example

Chinese teen kills nine in knife attack: reports

AFP – Thu, Aug 2, 2012

A teenager has been arrested after killing nine people and wounding four others in a knife attack in northeast China, state media reported Thursday.

The 17-year-old, who was identified only by his surname Li, barged into the home of his girlfriend armed with a knife following an argument and killed two relatives of the girl, the Legal Daily said.

As he left his girlfriend's home in Liaoning province's Xinbin county, he stabbed six more people to death and wounded five, it said.

One of the injured died Thursday in hospital, the paper said.

Li was arrested near the scene of the attack, late on Wednesday night, and was taken into custody, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

Police had nabbed him as he was preparing to jump from a building in an apparent suicide attempt, it added.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=38903

No other details were immediately available. Calls made to local authorities and police in Xinbin county went unanswered.

Violent crime has been on the rise in China in recent decades as the nation's economy has boomed and the gap between rich and poor has expanded at an alarming rate.

Experts say the increase in assaults shows that China is paying the price for focusing on more than 30 years of economic growth while ignoring problems linked to rapid social change.

Studies have described a rise in the prevalence of mental disorders in China, some of them linked to stress as the pace of life becomes faster and socialist support systems wither.
However, authorities stress that murder, which carries the death penalty, remains far less common than in most Western countries.

(http://news.yahoo.com/chinese-teen-k...102629246.html)
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=38903

2. BOX Cutters

Hopefully we have not forgotten about 911. Bunch of idiots with Box cutters but with perverse smarts killed more than 3500 people.

Unfortunately just as there is good ingenuity for putting intellect to good deeds, there will always be a flip side.

Separately what you guys think about the Sikh Kirpan being suggested to have a blunt edge! Sometimes we lose perspectives and start living in non-real La-La land and philosophize too much.

One has to adapt the ways to protect and defend with the ways and means of the place you are in. There is no other choice.

Humbly submitted for consideration.

Sat Sri Akal.