Have we gotten immune to the effect of gun violence?

[jnug]

Things that we hear on a regular basis are no longer news and tend to be ignored. We don't hear anything about the millions of traffic accidents each year either. Or aircraft sabotage. Or closer to the issue, murders in any large city.

Overall we don't do that bad. 325 million population. A dozen or less nut job mass murderers. A better chance of falling off your deck.

There is always a better chance of falling off your deck than being shot in America. Jeezus Christ...what a forum....My God!

 

[jimbo]

When Columbine happened, it shocked the nation. Was one of those days when everyone stopped what they were doing, turned to the nearest TV, and watched in absolute horror.

Now, unless it happens to someone we know, we just shake our heads and move on. The NRA has conquered America.

NRA has nothing to do with it. NRA was around long before Columbine. The second amendment for a couple hundred years.

Must be something else.

 

[Phys251]

NRA has nothing to do with it. NRA was around long before Columbine.

It's craziness wasn't a problem until the Cincinnati Revolution.

The second amendment for a couple hundred years.

Including the first half of the amendment.

Must be something else.

Such as gun nuts standing in hours-long lines to buy guns the day after children were slaughtered at Sandy Hook Elementary? Or that the gun used to kill Trayvon Martin was auctioned off for over a hundred thousand dollars? Or the online rhetoric where some gun nuts have decided for themselves when it would be acceptable to become literal terrorists? Yeah, you're right, it is more than just the NRA. But the NRA enables the problem.

 

[jaeger19]

Such as gun nuts standing in hours-long lines to buy guns the day after children were slaughtered at Sandy Hook Elementary? .

Well one.. why is that an issue?

And how did that involve the NRA?

Or that the gun used to kill Trayvon Martin was auctioned off for over a hundred thousand dollars

Well.. that's questionable whether that really happened.

What we do know is that the NRA did not host the auction..and that the most prominent site for selling of firearms.. "Gunbroker".. publically stated it would have nothing to with the firearm or its publicity.

Or the online rhetoric where some gun nuts have decided for themselves when it would be acceptable to become literal terrorists?

But the NRA enables the problem

Please explain exactly how the NRA 'enables the problem"..

I am curious why you think the preeminent organization for gun safety.. and a strong proponent of higher penalties for those committing crimes with firearms.. is "enabling"..

 

[Maccabee]

Why are trump rallies gun free zones? trump supporters should be allowed to bring their guns into his rallies. Why does trump disrespect the 2nd amendment?

Secret Service guidelines.

 

[Maccabee]

Because he's a government sociopath.

Or it's because he has no say in safety procedures.

 

[independentusa]

Well one.. why is that an issue?

And how did that involve the NRA?



Well.. that's questionable whether that really happened.

What we do know is that the NRA did not host the auction..and that the most prominent site for selling of firearms.. "Gunbroker".. publically stated it would have nothing to with the firearm or its publicity.




Please explain exactly how the NRA 'enables the problem"..

I am curious why you think the preeminent organization for gun safety.. and a strong proponent of higher penalties for those committing crimes with firearms.. is "enabling"..

I think you are behind the times, the NRA is no longer about gun safety, it is about selling guns. Good example is the concealed gun law passed in Wisconsin. When the law was being argued before the Wisconsin legislature the NRA argued that there should be no safety training requirement for carrying a concealed weapon, none at all. Even the GOP controlled legislature would not go that far and required a 40 hour training course to insure the safety of those carrying concealed weapons. If the NRA was so concerned about safety, why no safety course. The NRA has become a selling agent for the gun manufacturers from whom they get most of the money to run the organization. That and the money they take for foreign countries to help them provide funding for their political partners.

 

[Maccabee]

I think you are behind the times, the NRA is no longer about gun safety, it is about selling guns. Good example is the concealed gun law passed in Wisconsin. When the law was being argued before the Wisconsin legislature the NRA argued that there should be no safety training requirement for carrying a concealed weapon, none at all. Even the GOP controlled legislature would not go that far and required a 40 hour training course to insure the safety of those carrying concealed weapons. If the NRA was so concerned about safety, why no safety course. The NRA has become a selling agent for the gun manufacturers from whom they get most of the money to run the organization. That and the money they take for foreign countries to help them provide funding for their political partners.

You do realize that the NRA runs several training courses throughout the country and in fact don't directly sell any firearms, right? If this was about money, the NRA would be demanding mandatory training.

 

[lwf]

The herding of cattle are the on average 90 Americans every day who die to gun violence.

240 Americans every day die in alcohol-related deaths. This in no way trivializes gun deaths, but it does put them into perspective.

 

[Keridan]

I think we have gotten tired of the hysteria of something that has a lifetime risk of 1 in over 51,000 chance of getting us. Granted, it goes almost up to 1/3 of 1% if you open it to all gun violence. Yet, we have them shoved down our throats as if it's some constant threat in order to feed one side's narrative.

Interestingly, banning guns in other countries does nothing to the murder rate. If they get the guns away, people find another way to kill. Some countries don't even see a decline in gun related deaths.

If anyone was proposing truly helpful and reasonable measures to curb gun violence and wasn't too busy making noise about it, I'd listen. I don't ever see that, though.

At some point, people realize they are being used as pawns and being provoked into supporting an agenda.

 

[Phys251]

240 Americans every day die in alcohol-related deaths. This in no way trivializes gun deaths, but it does put them into perspective.

Both are a problem. This isn't either-or.

 

[Mach]

They may need to show us victim/family approved footage from the gun shot wounds, especially the exit wounds, in full detail, wake Americans up to the reality that they are shielded from by "thoughts and prayers"?

 

[lwf]

Both are a problem. This isn't either-or.

I absolutely agree. I just think it's important to keep perspective. As upset as I am about gun related deaths, shouldn't I be almost three times as upset about alcohol related deaths? Would the solution to gun violence also apply to alcohol? Shouldn't alcohol related deaths be getting three times as much media exposure as gun related deaths?

I'm not trying to be sarcastic here. These are actual questions I struggle with, and I don't know the right answer.

 

[Phys251]

I absolutely agree. I just think it's important to keep perspective. As upset as I am about gun related deaths, shouldn't I be almost three times as upset about alcohol related deaths? Would the solution to gun violence also apply to alcohol? Shouldn't alcohol related deaths be getting three times as much media exposure as gun related deaths?

I'm not trying to be sarcastic here. These are actual questions I struggle with, and I don't know the right answer.

Very good points, and I've wondered about this myself. One would think that since there is bipartisan agreement that alcohol-related deaths, and traffic fatalities, and the eighty freaking thousand fatalities from the flu last winter would be issues that we could solve together. We could call a truce on our deep political divisions and solve those together. So what's holding us back? A lack of political will. And that's, I think, where we have to step up and make our voices known. But it will be a long road to get there.