Ongoing US Mass Shooting Thread

[CroFlames]

This video is exactly the type of thing that will start changing attitudes. Public awareness campaigns like I've mentioned before in this thread. Much like it took a long time to change attitudes toward tobacco, it will take campaigns like this.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

This video is exactly the type of thing that will start changing attitudes. Public awareness campaigns like I've mentioned before in this thread. Much like it took a long time to change attitudes toward tobacco, it will take campaigns like this.

The problem with America is that the average person simply isn't on board with change, and are part of the problem, even if they don't see it that way.

Even those that hate guns and what they've done to their country respond with "well, it ain't changing so there's no point worrying about it", or they come up with justifications to not worry about going after the issue down there.

Basically with Americans you have individuals who support guns at the worst to individuals who are jaded and apathetic to gun issues at the best. It's very scary. You need opposition, and based on reading very reasonable posters on CP and the general sentiment of reasonable Americans elsewhere, the strong opposition isn't coming, they just don't care because they see it as a lost cause.

The sad thing is, it isn't a lost cause, almost nothing ever is, but the only thing that does truly lead to something being a lost cause is when the voices of reason comes together and claim something to be a lost cause.

[wittynickname]

Originally Posted by jayswin

The problem with America is that the average person simply isn't on board with change, and are part of the problem, even if they don't see it that way.

Even those that hate guns and what they've done to their country respond with "well, it ain't changing so there's no point worrying about it", or they come up with justifications to not worry about going after the issue down there.

Basically with Americans you have individuals who support guns at the worst to individuals who are jaded and apathetic to gun issues at the best. It's very scary. You need opposition, and based on reading very reasonable posters on CP and the general sentiment of reasonable Americans elsewhere, the strong opposition isn't coming, they just don't care because they see it as a lost cause.

The sad thing is, it isn't a lost cause, almost nothing ever is, but the only thing that does truly lead to something being a lost cause is when the voices of reason comes together and claim something to be a lost cause.

Here's the thing: Americans by and large are on board with change, on board with universal, mandatory background checks on all gun sales. Plenty are on board with the idea of an annual gun registration. Plenty are on board with giving up guns altogether.

But the NRA has deep pockets and is more than happy to line those of the politicians who actually have the power to change anything.

[2Stonedbirds]

Originally Posted by wittynickname

Here's the thing: Americans by and large are on board with change, on board with universal, mandatory background checks on all gun sales. Plenty are on board with the idea of an annual gun registration. Plenty are on board with giving up guns altogether.

But the NRA has deep pockets and is more than happy to line those of the politicians who actually have the power to change anything.

The gutless shooter in Virginia passed a background check.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...ints-live.html

Flanagan legally purchased the gun, the US Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives confirmed and said that a background check on him was completed

Here's a list of other dirtbags to pass their background checks...

John Russell Houser (Lafayette)
Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez (Chattanooga)
Dylann Roof (Charleston)
Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi (Garland)
Jared and Amanda Miller (Las Vegas)
Elliot Rodger (Santa Barabara)
Ivan Lopez (Fort Hood 2014)
Darion Marcus Aguilar (Maryland mall)
Karl Halverson Pierson (Arapahoe High School)
Paul Ciancia (LAX)
Andrew John Engeldinger (Minneapolis)
Aaron Alexis (DC Navy Yard)
Tennis Melvin Maynard (West Virginia)
Wade Michael Page (Sikh Temple)
James Holmes (Aurora theater)
Jared Loughner (Tucson)
Nidal Hasan (Fort Hood 2009)
Jiverly Wong (Binghamton)
Seung-Hui Cho (Virginia Tech)
Naveed Haq (Seattle)
Mark Barton (Atlanta)

The Charleston shooter passed his background check when the ATF ran his name from a different state altogether instead of S. Carolina. His prior history prohibited him from possession of firearms.

Rodger had legal registered handguns in California, and after his room mates called police to check out his violent, erratic behaviour and seven officers showed up, not one had the presence of mind to run his name against the registry. If they had they could have confiscated his handguns.

More legislation doesn't seem to be the answer to bureaucratic ineptitude.

[jayswin]

Correct. It will take much more than stricter background checks to change the gun culture in the United States.

[2Stonedbirds]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Correct. It will take much more than stricter background checks to change the gun culture in the United States.

It's a social issue. It's a mental health issue. It's a wealth disparity issue.

You can look at several countries that have all of those issues in check, with very liberal gun laws and there is not a problem.

Certain countries with very strict laws right up to complete firearms prohibitions have extremely high rates of firearm crime.

I think some certain controls work, but there is a deeper issue in the US that is driving firearm crime and I don't see a magic legislative bullet per say that will solve their woes.

[2Stonedbirds]

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe (D) also called for mandatory background checks...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/...b0a40aa3acea2f

...while the loser who committed his crime with a legally purchased firearm was still evading police.

[jayswin]

Well I for one am shocked that the guy with a huge assault rife in his avatar believes guns aren't an issue. Absolutely shocked.

[2Stonedbirds]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Well I for one am shocked that the guy with a huge assault rife in his avatar believes guns aren't an issue. Absolutely shocked.

I'm sorry, did you have something to contribute?

[KelVarnsen]

He did actually.

[2Stonedbirds]

No, he didn't address any of my points, but simply made an ad hominem.

Nice of you to stand up for him though.

[KelVarnsen]

It's just who I am.

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by 2Stonedbirds

No, he didn't address any of my points, but simply made an ad hominem.

Nice of you to stand up for him though.

That word doesn't mean what you think it means.

[2Stonedbirds]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

That word doesn't mean what you think it means.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem

Originally Posted by jayswin

Well I for one am shocked that the guy with a huge assault rife in his avatar believes guns aren't an issue. Absolutely shocked.

Care to fill me in MarchHare? Or should we stay on topic?

[T@T]

Originally Posted by 2Stonedbirds

It's a social issue. It's a mental health issue. It's a wealth disparity issue.

You can look at several countries that have all of those issues in check, with very liberal gun laws and there is not a problem.

Certain countries with very strict laws right up to complete firearms prohibitions have extremely high rates of firearm crime.

I think some certain controls work, but there is a deeper issue in the US that is driving firearm crime and I don't see a magic legislative bullet per say that will solve their woes.

It's not magic, it's called guts.

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by T@T

I'm just curious...would that actually DO anything to the majority of the guns in the pile beyond being somewhat symbolic in nature? I look at the pic and see that the steamroller doesn't appear to be sinking into the pile at all.

[driveway]

Repeal the 2nd amendment. Only thing that'll work in the long run.

[AcGold]

Isn't US gun violence down in the past 20 years?

[2Stonedbirds]

Originally Posted by AcGold

Isn't US gun violence down in the past 20 years?

Yes, down by 49% since 1993.

http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/...ublic-unaware/

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by 2Stonedbirds

It's a social issue. It's a mental health issue. It's a wealth disparity issue.

You can look at several countries that have all of those issues in check, with very liberal gun laws and there is not a problem.

Certain countries with very strict laws right up to complete firearms prohibitions have extremely high rates of firearm crime.

I think some certain controls work, but there is a deeper issue in the US that is driving firearm crime and I don't see a magic legislative bullet per say that will solve their woes.

We are talking about wealthy, western nations. America is staggeringly bad in the area of gun violence compared to it's peers.

You can't exactly compare America to the Congo.