Ongoing US Mass Shooting Thread

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

These are the best posts. So constructive!

So are these!

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

So are these!

I've offered potential solutions (or at least improvements) in this thread. What you and a few others do is report something and then make some sarcastic remark and roll your eyes.

It gets old.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by pylon

Putting 'lol' would be disrespectful, especially since service men were killed. But it is almost becoming just regular news now in the US. It isn't even shocking any more. It's just another day with massive blood shed. I just can't empathize with a society that simply refuses to address an obvious problem. There is this giant white elephant in the room, and the Republican meat heads are just saying "What Elephant?"

It's not becoming regular news, it already is regular. In fact, it's almost past that wherein newscasts sometimes don't even mention shootings because they are such a regular occurrence. I am Canadian living in the USA, and I simply don't watch news anymore on TV. It's depressing.

It's so strange how the culture of guns is like a cult or religion. You either love and worship your guns, or you are a commie. You can't say things like, I like guns, but I think they should be heavily regulated like other dangerous goods. The NRA and other gun lobbies have trained people to be paranoid. It's disturbing.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

I've offered potential solutions (or at least improvements) in this thread. What you and a few others do is report something and then make some sarcastic remark and roll your eyes.

It gets old.

That has to be one of the most self-serving, narcissistic and arrogant posts I've ever seen from you, and I've been reading your posts for 14 years.

This is the internet. Welcome to computer democracy where people can post what they feel like.

[Resolute 14]

With all due respect, DFF, what the heck else can we do this thread but mock a society that has trapped itself in a cycle of "streets are dangerous because too many guns... people get shot frequently... need more guns to protect ourselves... streets are dangerous because too many guns..."? The whole world knows the solution, but like any other industry that relies on human misery to survive, the NRA and the gun lobby would rather watch people die needlessly than take concrete action.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

These are the best posts. So constructive!

Give Ozy a break, he's just forwarding the NRA's comments.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

I've offered potential solutions (or at least improvements) in this thread. What you and a few others do is report something and then make some sarcastic remark and roll your eyes.

It gets old.

I don't mean any disrespect as you're a great poster (especially when it comes to music!), but as Canadians it's the violence itself in the States that gets old and leads to some of the more sarcastic replies you see now a days.

There's just too much, and the country is slowly showing that it is 100% unwilling to change in the face of it, so the responses kind of are what they are.

It kind if reminds me of Jon Stewart's reply about America's mistreatment of black people and the media trying to act they were tired of hearing about black issues and wondering aloud why they don't focus on other things.

Jon's response was "You're tired of hearing about it? Imagine how ****ing exhausting it must be living it".

[Displaced Flames fan]

I probably need a break from social media. The stuff I see on facebook, and much of it from relatives, is wearing on me.

Apologies all around. I don't like the disdain for the US that is sometimes prevalent on this site. I feel like we should be the best of friends. Probably comes from being from so close to the border and being married to someone who spent 17 1/2 of her first 18 years in Canada. Not sure why I take that stuff personally.

For the record, I'm as frustrated as anyone about these incidents and especially the stance of the gun lobby and the NRA. I will say that as a life long gun owner and someone who is very pro gun rights, my Dad is not a fan of the NRA and their all or nothing view on gun policy. It's not rocket science to figure out that there can be progress made without a total gun ban.

I guess there are a lot of political issues that see things in an all or nothing world though.

[Frequitude]

We are best of friends. And its because of that that we care enough to tell our best friend that they're dead wrong on the matter, that we can see that its hurting them and that they need to know that. Sadly, our best friend is still in the denial phase and we badly want them to get better.

[MissTeeks]

James Holmes, the Aurora theater shooter, was found guilty of 24 counts of first degree murder this afternoon:

http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/16/us/jam...ict/index.html

[pylon]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

I probably need a break from social media. The stuff I see on facebook, and much of it from relatives, is wearing on me.

Apologies all around. I don't like the disdain for the US that is sometimes prevalent on this site. I feel like we should be the best of friends. Probably comes from being from so close to the border and being married to someone who spent 17 1/2 of her first 18 years in Canada. Not sure why I take that stuff personally.

For the record, I'm as frustrated as anyone about these incidents and especially the stance of the gun lobby and the NRA. I will say that as a life long gun owner and someone who is very pro gun rights, my Dad is not a fan of the NRA and their all or nothing view on gun policy. It's not rocket science to figure out that there can be progress made without a total gun ban.

I guess there are a lot of political issues that see things in an all or nothing world though.

For the record.... I don't hate or disdain the US, I disdain the gun laws and acceptance that innocent victims are just collateral damage or acceptable attrition for a constitutional right that stopped being relevant 100 years ago.

The Second amendment needs to be ridiculed and mocked, until it is finally changed to reflect modern society, and plug all of the gaping, human live sucking holes in it.

[driveway]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Apologies all around. I don't like the disdain for the US that is sometimes prevalent on this site. I feel like we should be the best of friends. Probably comes from being from so close to the border and being married to someone who spent 17 1/2 of her first 18 years in Canada. Not sure why I take that stuff personally.

Take it from someone who grew up in Canada and has since moved away (hell if you go back through my posts you'd be able to find some pretty anti-american vitriol): the only difference between Canadians and Americans is which donuts we eat.

Canada has perpetual little-brother syndrome, we're so similar to Americans, and so overshadowed in every single way that the fundamental question of Canadian identity is: How are we not America? It lends itself to really reductionist thinking.

That said, America is super-duper dumb when it comes to guns, and, because of the American domination of English-language news world-wide, these entirely predictable violent events get so much airplay it gets old.

Either repeal the 2nd Amendment and actually start doing something about gun violence, or stop splashing gun-deaths on the front page of newspapers and websites, because it isn't news anymore.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by driveway

Take it from someone who grew up in Canada and has since moved away (hell if you go back through my posts you'd be able to find some pretty anti-american vitriol): the only difference between Canadians and Americans is which donuts we eat.

Canada has perpetual little-brother syndrome, we're so similar to Americans, and so overshadowed in every single way that the fundamental question of Canadian identity is: How are we not America? It lends itself to really reductionist thinking.

That said, America is super-duper dumb when it comes to guns, and, because of the American domination of English-language news world-wide, these entirely predictable violent events get so much airplay it gets old.

Either repeal the 2nd Amendment and actually start doing something about gun violence, or stop splashing gun-deaths on the front page of newspapers and websites, because it isn't news anymore.

I can't speak for all Canadians but I can honestly say I never felt the urge to treat an American like my older brother, other than a big bad military and the NFL they have nothing on us...at all!

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by T@T

I can't speak for all Canadians but I can honestly say I never felt the urge to treat an American like my older brother, other than a big bad military and the NFL they have nothing on us...at all!

We used to be able to claim lower taxes! Not anymore (at least not in most places).

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by T@T

I can't speak for all Canadians but I can honestly say I never felt the urge to treat an American like my older brother, other than a big bad military and the NFL they have nothing on us...at all!

Americans have plenty on us, but it should detract or diminish your pride in being Canadian. I appreciate both countries for what they are. I'm proud to be Canadian, and I enjoy living in the USA.

America has a lot of great things, great cultural things, scientists, pro sports and stadiums, diverse & excellent cuisine, INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS, college sports, diverse cultures state to state, and much more.

America also has a very nasty underbelly. Widespread poverty, deep racial tensions, ridiculous incarceration rate, their addiction to oil, the addiction to the Cult of Guns, their addiction to outspending all their combined friends on military, the circus in Washington, deep divide between "conservative" and "liberal" and putting their nose in literally everyone's bidniss.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

I probably need a break from social media. The stuff I see on facebook, and much of it from relatives, is wearing on me.

Apologies all around. I don't like the disdain for the US that is sometimes prevalent on this site. I feel like we should be the best of friends. Probably comes from being from so close to the border and being married to someone who spent 17 1/2 of her first 18 years in Canada. Not sure why I take that stuff personally.

For the record, I'm as frustrated as anyone about these incidents and especially the stance of the gun lobby and the NRA. I will say that as a life long gun owner and someone who is very pro gun rights, my Dad is not a fan of the NRA and their all or nothing view on gun policy. It's not rocket science to figure out that there can be progress made without a total gun ban.

I guess there are a lot of political issues that see things in an all or nothing world though.

If it matters, I don't think anyone has disdain for American's as individuals. When it comes to a collective though, there are some things that frustrate the hell out of your "friends". Just like in life, it's maddening watching a friend consistently do stupid crap when a solution to their problems seems so obvious.

[burn_baby_burn]

Originally Posted by T@T

I can't speak for all Canadians but I can honestly say I never felt the urge to treat an American like my older brother, other than a big bad military and the NFL they have nothing on us...at all!

I kind of like Hawai'i in the winter.

[combustiblefuel]

Wrong thread.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by burn_baby_burn

I kind of like Hawai'i in the winter.

I prefer St.Maarten, ...doesn't mean I like France more than home.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

They way I see it there are two big problems getting rid of the gun problems in the US.

1) The government would be taking something the citizenry once had away. Imagine if the Canadian government said "There's too many car accidents caused by texting and driving, therefore we're banning all cellphones". You'd hear many of the exact same arguments from "I'm a responsible cellphone user, I don't text and drive" through to "I need a cellphone to protect my family". As Canadians we've had the 'ban on guns' since, well for me, always. I can't fathom having a gun in the house, or carrying one around. Hell I've never even held one, and feel weird when there's a gun around (including if it's in a holster on the hip of a police officer). So I can't truly put myself in the shoes of someone who grew up with one, and had it by right, only to be told it's being taken away.

2) Intuitively, having a gun for protection makes sense. However the statistics say otherwise. It's really hard to get around that gut feeling and acting in what your gut says is against your own best interest. It's like hitting the snooze button in the morning, you know the research says to get up, but your brain says "9 more minutes" and what do you do? Hit the snooze button, skip breakfast, and reek havoc on your sleeping patterns. It's hard to go against what 'feels' right, even when your brain might know better. That's why you can show as many of the stats as you want, but if it doesn't make sense to the gut, it doesn't happen.

Maybe I'm off base, but I'd say those are the two biggest hurdles you'll have to over come to get the culture to change.

Grandfathering makes the most sense, any "new" guns aren't available for the public, but anything that is currently is fine. It'd be a slow change, but, as I see it, the only possible way it could work.