You are correct about the ladies.  They are true heroes.  But in retrospect - and given the outcome, I think the Superintendent was accurate in his statement.  The guy was just looking to commit suicide.  That is the only way he could have fired at and missed everyone.

Come on Really? I've heard the saying "never bring a knife to a gun fight". I'll go one step further and include a purse. This lady, good intentions and all (I'll give her that), could have potentially exasperated the situation further. The gun could have went off killing someone (IMO this guy wanted to die and if he really wanted to kill everyone in the room he could have...easily). So I'm going to go against the grain of everyone here and call BS on this woman channeling Ruth Buzzi in an Artie Johnson "dirty old man" sketch.

Ruth Buzzi sitting on the park bench, Artie comes shuffling up and takes a seat.

Artie -"Do you believe in the hereafter?

Ruth - "Yes I do"

Artie scooching closer - "Then you know what I'm here after"

Ruth hits Artie with her purse.

When someone is bore-sighting on your forehead, logic goes out the window and all that is left is training...the fellows behind the counter were at a tactical disadvantage...and psychological disadvantage, too.  In order to move when the purse struck, they would have to come out from the shelter of the counter they were behind.  Yeah, days and several viewings of the video later we can second guess what they should have done, but at the point of impact, even realizing that the man could very shortly walk around the end of the counter and drill everyone, it would be a hard thing to come out from what little cover was there.  Having said all that, I agree that when the lady hit him, it provided enough of a distraction that the fellas could have yelled, "let's git him"...and maybe they would have succeeded and maybe they would have caused him to blast away in earnest.  I think he was a confused individual and maybe all he wanted was someone to punch his ticket.  In the end, he was the only one who died...as it should be.  Politically motivated question here:  How would this whole thing panned out if a couple of the board members had been carrying concealed weapons?

I thought the Superintendent was going to talk him to death, or debate him about taxes....someone points a gun at me and mine, they better kill me first.  Purse, toilet seat, whatever....I'm fighting.

ya, but her actions could have very well got her killed.  I don't think what she did was smart.  Brave, yes, but not smart.  He was waving a gun over her.  She was darn lucky to be walking out of there vertical. 

if the men had rushed him with his back turned it probably would have turned ugly.  Somebody would have been shot since it's clear there were bullets in that gun he was waving around.  As it was all the men survived but the gunman. 

I agree with BFD..it's much easier to second guess after the situation.  I've been in a very scary situation when time stands still (when I was attacked) and had to think quickly.    None of us really know what we would do in a particular situation until we are faced with it.   

 My son who is here said he would have run out the door also.  They were asked to leave by a man waving a gun around.  When that happens you leave.   There were five men sitting at the table.  There didn't need to be six or seven hanging around. 

The only thing I saw that was cowardly really was that first guy who ran out leaving the women behind.  But in a way we've asked for this type of response from our men when we stared with the sissyfying  of them years ago.  We're trying to make our men to be more like women and then when they act like it we don't like it.    For the most part, men stopped being men some time ago.  You can thank your woman libbers for that. 

And that's the point. She had none. It all turned out good, but it could easily have gone horribly wrong because of her actions. This article would have a different tone if he squeezed the trigger when struck and shot someone or if Ginger got killed. I'm all for people trying to assist, but in this case it accomplished nothing and luckily did no further harm. If she had a brick in her purse and knocked him out, I'd say then she thought it through. The woman definitely has courage, but action for the sake of acting is not very bright IMO. I'm glad her children are not attending her funeral this weekend. Sorry I can't get behind this woman being a hero of any sort.

Come on Tova, isn't that a little harsh? The first planes that hit the passengers most likely thought it was a hijacking. To my knowledge, the PA plane passengers were the only ones to learn the fate of the other three aircraft. If they had known perhaps none would have reached their targets.

They knew they would die regardless, but were going to do it on their terms not the hijackers. Ginger didn't know the fate of the assemblymen. She was not in danger until after she acted. Again, luck was on everyones side except the shooter.

I believe a repeat of the 9-11 hijackings could not successfully be undertaken today, now that people know what's in store. Like I said I'm not opposed to someone taking action, just that they believe their actions might be successful. I don't believe Ginger gave much thought on what she hoped to accomplish.

I found it interesting looking back after I was attacked, that when I was on the ground and he was standing over me I had a very very hard time kicking him "you know where."     I don't know why other than the fact that I'm not a physically abusive person towards another.  I'm a very physical person when it comes to my well-being most of the time but that manifests itself in disciplining my body or exercise; not attacking another.   It's foregin to me.   It was very hard for me to take those kicks.  I believe they were not nearly as hard as I was capable of.    In the end it did nothing, because he managed to get me to my feet and into a headlock. 

In my mind I would agree with you and would have said I would bite off his ear, kick him, twist a finger breaking it etc, but when it came down to it my only goal was to get out of there by running away from the situation as fast as I could. 

If my children were there...now we're talking a whole nuther ball game. 

I kicked a guy who attacked me in the jewels.  He laughed in my face, and I used my strongest kick.  Who knows maybe he was ball-less...lol, that's probably why he was picking on a girl...it's not the cure all most women think, the eyes are probably the most vulnerable place, but while he was strangling me, I didn't have the arm reach to scratch the eyes.  Sometimes, even fighting, you lose.  But like Kelly, I'd rather fight and lose than sit and wait to die.

I've been violently attacked twice, both times I fought, even though I knew there wasn't much chance of winning.  I've also seen sheeple watch as an old man was beaten while I screamed and screamed for people to help him, and finally ran to find help since no one watching wanted to get involved. 

The old "no one knows until it happpens to them" is true, but not absolute.  I always figured I fight, and when I was attacked, I did. 

I agree.

Well Ginger just lost a little bit more credibility in my eyes today. She is selling her "weapon", the infamous hand bag, on e-Bay. Opening bid $500 (mow over 9K). I guess that's the price she puts on her "bravery".

http://www.11alive.com/news/national/story.aspx?storyid=169056&catid=166

Maybe it's just my disdain for eBay. I also take issue with the importance places on objects. I'm happy for the charity, but would she have done better to ask everyone interested just to donate to that cause? I believe it would have been better if everyone that bid would have just sent their money to that charity (perhaps some will) in her name. Did they really need to get an ol lady purse as a consolation prize? I can almost bet someone bidding on this believes it has some value. Oh well only, I suppose only the winning bid is what matters. Maybe now I'm being too harsh in these days of minor celebrity status "cash ins" (For good or bad). At least the kids win.

Interesting concept. Guess this throws the whole equality argument out the window. I am curious, in a society where some believe men and women are equal how come men are the ones still expected to give up their lives for women? I thought women made a big deal out of them doing what would normally be expected of men yet this arguments seems to points to the contrary.

I don't know how I would really react in that kind of situation but I am not ashamed to admit I would be totally scared. That I may risk my life to save others is possible but I won't discount the idea that I too may make a run for my life too. I don't think my manhood should be defined by the amount of women I am willing to give my life for. I would risk my life if need be if it were a man, woman or child.

BTW, in my opinion, a hero is a person who risks their lives to save others not to make a dumb decision that could not only put their lives at risk but everyone else's even more. This lady's actions may seem heroic but considering the odds of her succeeding were slim at best of stopping him (the whole knife to a gun fight thing or in this case a purse) it was more of a stupid decision where she did not take other peoples lives into consideration when she acted. That is how I see it.