Pinnacle wrote:It is not a matter of people liking or not liking discussion, it is a time and a place issue.
That might work when the issue is the unplanned pregnancy of a 13-year-old daughter during a holiday meal with all the relatives present. This is a firearms and personal protection forum. The situation that happened in Minneapolis is precisely why we have carry permits. No matter what a person's view on the situation is, it is cathartic to express them here.
when someones life is hanging in the balance
The drama was not ever at that level for anyone, except the deceased.
not an opposition to free and open discussion, just a measure of prudence.
Regulating the time and place for speech is, indeed, censorship of that speech. Again, if you do not wish to discuss it, fine.
removing someones right to remain silent,
I have tried mightily to understand this. Obviously I have an undeveloped ability to understand this. I do not see how what I might state could take away anyone else's right to remain silent. There have been times during a heated domestic argument that I have been quite vocal and still my wife has the uncanny ability to remain silent. Totally silent. Scathingly silent.
(Trust me, you can be charged for the statements of OTHERS)
If I take it you mean that one of us would become a witness, and give sworn testimony, yes, that might go against the shooter. Possibly you are mixing up self-incrimination with accusations. There is a small difference between the two. A few degrees possibly. However, we are not witnesses. It appears that the only real witness would be the sister of the deceased. Have you contacted her as well and advised her that she should not discuss this until everything is settled, or is it just the various members of firearms forums that you wish to muzzle?
If it were I in that same situation, I would hope that people that were not there would reserve comment on a situation until the legal system ran its course and I were declared a free person. Some of us just want to remind others about common sense.
If you, God forbid, would be in a similar situation, your wishes about everyone refraining from comment will not be realized. You will be talked about. News is news. You are tilting at windmills here. In one previous notable situation, where a permit holder happened to challenge the authorities over a minor matter of carrying a firearm in what was designated a prohibited place, it was the PRINCIPAL party that was advised to shut up. No one else received any such admonishment. In that case the principal party probably would have discussed his case, or situation, and rapidly dug his hole much deeper had he not been advised to shut up.
I suspect that if you, and others that are vocal in support of your attempts to stifle free exchange of ideas and news, took your own advice and remained silent, it might go better for all of us.