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Why Americans don't do anything about mass shootings[W:465]

TU Curmudgeon

B.A. (Sarc), LLb. (Lex Sarcasus), PhD (Sarc.)
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From CNN

Why Americans don't do anything about mass shootings
​

In October, 2017, the worst mass shooting in US history took place at a country music concert in Las Vegas. Fifty-eight people were killed and more than 500 people injured. Bill O'Reilly boiled the massacre down to six words: "This is the price of freedom."

I hate to say it, but he is right. Sunday, just 34 days after Vegas, 26 people were gunned down and about 20 others were wounded during a church service in Texas. And here's what is really sick -- we won't be surprised when there's another mass shooting next month. Maybe it'll be your church, your mall, your concert or your movie theater. That's the price of freedom.


In America, we are free to stockpile weapons. We are free to order ammo online. We are free to outfit our guns with bump stocks, like the Vegas shooter did. This is the price we pay for freedom, alright. The freedom to not give a damn.

COMMENT:-

Is the comment about "The freedom to not give a damn." COMPLETELY off base?​
 
I agree. When ten people were murdered I thought, “That’s what freedom looks like.”
 

The freedom to die is not freedom.....it is tyranny
 
(Sigh)

Just like we won't be surprised when there is another bombing, truck/car running over groups of people, mass knife attacks, arsons, assaults, rapes, etc.. etc., etc..

PEOPLE cause harm, the tools they use to do so are merely a chosen method.

However, MOST people choose NOT to do harm and thus operate motor vehicles, use kitchen utensils, and own guns without doing any harm to anyone else.

The fact that a few bad actors do what they do is no excuse to limit the freedoms exercised by the vast majority of humanity who do no such wrongs.

We have laws that punish those who do bad acts. Meanwhile, we should not restrict the lives of those who do no wrongs simply based on fear of those who might.

THAT is the price of freedom.
 

In most countries kids will not get shot in math class.
 
Captain Adverse said:
In our country MOST kids do not face this risk either.

Thanks for another example of an emotional appeal overriding rational thought.
Click to expand...

Those parkland parents are so overly emotional
 
One price of freedom is responsibility. If people can't handle responsibility they should naturally expect their "freedoms" may be limited by society. I don't understand why that would be a controversial idea.
 
<alt>doxygen said:
One price of freedom is responsibility. If people can't handle responsibility they should naturally expect their "freedoms" may be limited by society. I don't understand why that would be a controversial idea.
Click to expand...

The vast majority of people act responsibly; did you miss that in my prior post?

You don't restrict EVERYONE for the acts of a few.

You do hold those who act badly responsible for their individual actions.
 
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jimbo said:
Thanks for another example of an emotional appeal overriding rational thought.
Click to expand...

Yes I'm sure you wish the parkland parents would cry much quieter
 
chuckiechan said:
And most kids don't get shot in math class here, either.

BTW, how are those "Gun Free Zones" working out for you?
Click to expand...

They work pretty well all over the world......just not here
 
Captain Adverse said:
The vast majority of people act responsibly; something you apparently missed in my prior post.

You don't restrict EVERYONE for the acts of a few.

You do hold those who act badly responsible for their individual actions.
Click to expand...

I was responding to the thread, not your post.

I don't recall ever advocating restricting the rights/freedoms of all based on the actions of a few. The point was that the people who can't act responsibly may find themselves losing some freedom(s).
 
Captain Adverse said:
In our country MOST kids do not face this risk either.

Thanks for another example of an emotional appeal overriding rational thought.
Click to expand...

Right, but increasingly this is a reality for children where as in other places this isn't. It's also a more recent phenomenon as well, but since it is increasing it's worth inquiring as to what solutions can be found instead of it just being the "price of freedom".
 
chuckiechan said:
And most kids don't get shot in math class here, either.

BTW, how are those "Gun Free Zones" working out for you?
Click to expand...

So essentially you're saying it is now acceptable that any kids be shot in math class? Also, are you floating that idea of more people being armed as a solution?
 

No, not "increasingly this is a reality for children."

There are over 150,000 schools in the USA. https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=84

How many school shootings happen each year?

The media hype of every such incident blows the situation out of all proportion to "reality."

IMO the fact we make such actors notorious encourages them to act out in such ways...giving them exactly what they desire.

They seek notoriety, to make them seem consequential via infamy and their half-hour of fame in an otherwise wasted life.

They get a "twofer" by these acts; revenge for alleged slights, and to become the focus of national attention for as long as their trial lasts...or until another seeker steals the limelight.

Meanwhile, you heighten the fear in order to push an agenda, using the emotional appeal of "what about the children!" ignoring the fact Millions upon Millions of people own guns and never use them for bad purposes.
 
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https://www.cnn.com/2017/10/03/americas/us-gun-statistics/index.html
 
We as a society need to figure out how and why we are creating these losers. Adults and teens.

It's already obvious it's not about the guns...this latest one also had bombs too. A recent loser used his car. They strategize (pull fire alarms,, lock doors, get around security, etc) so they will just carry out their attacks some other way. They live for the planning, esp since most seem to intend suicide.



"Freedom doesn't mean safe, it means free."
 

That plan does not work anywhere on earth
 
vegas giants said:
Yes I'm sure you wish the parkland parents would cry much quieter
Click to expand...

The parents have every right to cry or more accurately grieve. But emotion does not solve problems. Rational thought does. Banning semi autos or high cap magazines is not rational thought. It's emotion.

The most recent school murder involved a shotgun, a revolver, and pressure cookers. None of which are semi auto or high cap. Biden at one point advocated ditching your Glock in favor of a double 12, and firing both bartels off your back porch in the air. That wouldn't solve anything either.
 
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