All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[Zelena]

There was a 'good guy with a gun' at the market.

He was the security guard. He tried to shoot the guy. The shooter had body armor, so he just died instead.

Was it before or after the shooter started killing people?

I remember a killing in a school… Is a teacher supposed to carry a weapon and be ready to use it at any time while teaching?

[babyblob]

A White man posts a racist paper yelling about the White Replacement Theory online then drives hours and kills several black people in a grocery store in a hate crime.

And Asian man kills 1 person at a church in California and wounds 5.

Guess which story is getting more air time on Fox News?

This country has a huge issue with guns. I am not sure at all what the answer is. But it is hard to find that answer when the GOP wont even let people ask the question. And we have the gun nuts that go to court to stop anything even remotely seeming like gun restrictions.

We have a group here in Ohio that are so upset at the Red Flag Law where guns are taken from a person arrested for Domestic Violence until the case plays out.

I cant believe how easy it is to get a gun in this country. I am a convicted felon of a violent crime. I have severe mental health disorder. I should not at any point be near a fire arm. Yet I know 3 places that I can go to and have a gun with in the hour. The sick thing is one of those places is a legit gun store that does not come close to following back round check laws and despite being looked into several times they still are around. Sadly that is not an exaggeration on my part and I wish it was.

[DanMad1977]

A White man posts a racist paper yelling about the White Replacement Theory online then drives hours and kills several black people in a grocery store in a hate crime.

And Asian man kills 1 person at a church in California and wounds 5.

Guess which story is getting more air time on Fox News?

This country has a huge issue with guns. I am not sure at all what the answer is. But it is hard to find that answer when the GOP wont even let people ask the question. And we have the gun nuts that go to court to stop anything even remotely seeming like gun restrictions.

We have a group here in Ohio that are so upset at the Red Flag Law where guns are taken from a person arrested for Domestic Violence until the case plays out.

I cant believe how easy it is to get a gun in this country. I am a convicted felon of a violent crime. I have severe mental health disorder. I should not at any point be near a fire arm. Yet I know 3 places that I can go to and have a gun with in the hour. The sick thing is one of those places is a legit gun store that does not come close to following back round check laws and despite being looked into several times they still are around. Sadly that is not an exaggeration on my part and I wish it was.

You answered your question already.

Forbid all firearms.

Weapons are not allowed in my country, so deaths of firearms are very very rare. You can't even carry a knife with you. I feel more secure that way.

If you have a weapon you are more likely to use deadly force. Its easy to shoot someone in your rage, than strangle or punch some to death.

[babyblob]

One thing sadly that is often over looked in the gun problem is when a person who is able to pass a back round check buying a gun for someone who cant.

After the Dayton Mass shooting here in Ohio a friend of the shooter was convicted of giving him a gun. After that there was talk of toughening up the penalties for people who buy guns for people not able. Of course gun nuts went crazy. Threats of law suits if anything was passed. There was a bill drafted but it died in committee and never saw a vote. Hasnt been attempted ina serious way here since.

[babyblob]

You answered your question already.

Forbid all firearms.

Weapons are not allowed in my country, so deaths of firearms are very very rare. You can't even carry a knife with you. I feel more secure that way.

If you have a weapon you are more likely to use deadly force. Its easy to shoot someone in your rage, than strangle or punch some to death.

The thing is banning guns would be an answer like in other countries. But how do we get rid of the thousand and thousands of guns already in the streets? Banning future sales and future production is one thing but what to do with what is out there.

And sadly even passing a ban like this is decades from happening in America. Gun culture is too ingrained and that needs to change. We cant even decide in this country is assault riffles should be banned for the general public let alone all guns. Hell we cant even pass a ban on high capacity magazines.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

The thing is banning guns would be an answer like in other countries. But how do we get rid of the thousand and thousands of guns already in the streets? Banning future sales and future production is one thing but what to do with what is out there.

And sadly even passing a ban like this is decades from happening in America. Gun culture is too ingrained and that needs to change. We cant even decide in this country is assault riffles should be banned for the general public let alone all guns. Hell we cant even pass a ban on high capacity magazines.

Quoted for truth. If people were forced to choose between the First Amendment and the Second, most of those people would be just fine with not having freedom of speech as long as they keep their previous guns. Too many people treat guns as sacred cows to be worshipped like deities, it’s a longtime sickness this country will NEVER overcome.

[babyblob]

The other sick thing that is showing in this country is just how ingrained Racism is in the fiber of the people. It has always been there, and the last few years it has been out in the open. But the amount of people who are waving the false flag claims, the people who are trying to sweep the motive that the shooting was racism the fact this kid went there with the plan of killing black people.

This shooting could have been a real wake up call. A statement could have been made that racism has gone too far and the people that enable it be it on social media, in the news, and in our government need to be shut down. Sadly the racism has been doubled down on and a lot of people who should be talking are staying silent. People who should be held accountable like Fox News and Tucker for spreading their White Replacement Theory are being over looked.

I am not shocked I am just damn disappointed and damn upset. And I am a white guy. I cant even begin to imagine how POC are feeling seeing this shooting and the overwhelming under reaction to the motive that drove it.

[Tami]

So does Democratic Party need leftwing equivalent of Tea Party to force some sensible changes through?

If not, what does stand a chance of getting changes through that I imagine a large number of people through?

It’s surely got to point that no honest person can really be surprised, let alone shocked, when next mass shooting happened. I’m really baffled that it’s got to point where people accept schools need heavy duty protection from gunmen. That’s not freedom!

The Progressives were supposed to be the Left's Tea Party, until they got absorbed into the whole, now you practically have to declare yourself progressive just to get elected as a Democrat.

As for change, I guarantee you that, if somehow (no idea how) Democrats gained at least 60% majority over House and Senate as well as the Presidency, you will see change. Having a balanced or left-leaning SCOTUS would help as well.

The only thing that is keeping change from happening is the right and those few borderline 'Moderate' Democrats.

[Tendrin]

Having a hard time disagreeing with anything here.

https://twitter.com/djrothkopf/statu...14397330935809

What happened in Buffalo is not just about some isolated shooter, some deranged sociopath. He was fueled by an ideology of hate promoted by an American president, by a leading American news channel, by an entire US political party.

REad the whole thread.

[Gray Lensman]

The thing is banning guns would be an answer like in other countries. But how do we get rid of the thousand and thousands of guns already in the streets? Banning future sales and future production is one thing but what to do with what is out there.

And sadly even passing a ban like this is decades from happening in America. Gun culture is too ingrained and that needs to change. We cant even decide in this country is assault riffles should be banned for the general public let alone all guns. Hell we cant even pass a ban on high capacity magazines.

I would hope that US lawmakers could at least look at other countries with high gun ownership rates that still don't have the levels of mass shootings this one does. Canada, what looks to be ALL the Nordic countries.....not sure if I want to look at the former Yugoslavia states....but there are plenty of examples of nations with high gun ownership rates that don't, seem to have the incredibly high number of gun deaths the US does, and no politicians are willing to look at what they have done. Because to the Republican party, even the slightest regulation seems to mean "grab all the guns"

[Tendrin]

I would hope that US lawmakers could at least look at other countries with high gun ownership rates that still don't have the levels of mass shootings this one does. Canada, what looks to be ALL the Nordic countries.....not sure if I want to look at the former Yugoslavia states....but there are plenty of examples of nations with high gun ownership rates that don't, seem to have the incredibly high number of gun deaths the US does, and no politicians are willing to look at what they have done. Because to the Republican party, even the slightest regulation seems to mean "grab all the guns"

The role white supremacy and its preservation plays in our 'gun culture' can't be ignored too.

[Panfoot]

The thing is banning guns would be an answer like in other countries. But how do we get rid of the thousand and thousands of guns already in the streets? Banning future sales and future production is one thing but what to do with what is out there.

And sadly even passing a ban like this is decades from happening in America. Gun culture is too ingrained and that needs to change. We cant even decide in this country is assault riffles should be banned for the general public let alone all guns. Hell we cant even pass a ban on high capacity magazines.

I think that's kind of the thing, it's something that has to happen, but it's not something that you can fix quickly, it's gonna take decades to do. The problem with that being, the American mentality is very adverse to long term fixes like that, just look at our crumbling infrastructure, instead of actually repairing it along the way we just wait until it fails and spend even more money that we are reluctant to use to fix it. Even if we get past the terrorist parties love of guns to implement more gun regulation, people are gonna want it to be fixed now now now, and that's just not how it works, just like how some people think "Well the Civil rights movement worked so racism is dead, right?".

[Gray Lensman]

I think that's kind of the thing, it's something that has to happen, but it's not something that you can fix quickly, it's gonna take decades to do. The problem with that being, the American mentality is very adverse to long term fixes like that, just look at our crumbling infrastructure, instead of actually repairing it along the way we just wait until it fails and spend even more money that we are reluctant to use to fix it. Even if we get past the terrorist parties love of guns to implement more gun regulation, people are gonna want it to be fixed now now now, and that's just not how it works, just like how some people think "Well the Civil rights movement worked so racism is dead, right?".

One thing on infrastructure I just found out a few hours ago (thank you John Oliver) is that utilities are incentivized to build new things and avoid maintaining old stuff. Stupid regulations like that don't help.

[Zauriel]

You answered your question already.

Forbid all firearms.

Weapons are not allowed in my country, so deaths of firearms are very very rare. You can't even carry a knife with you. I feel more secure that way.

If you have a weapon you are more likely to use deadly force. Its easy to shoot someone in your rage, than strangle or punch some to death.

Firearms are also prohibited in Japan as in Germany. Strict gun laws work well in both countries because neither Germany nor Japan has very many mentally unhealthy people like the USA does. Plus, most citizens in those nations obey the law.

But there are still mentally disturbed people in Japan.
But Japan's strict gun laws didn't stop those crazies from finding another way to kill people. they can't buy guns but they can buy knives, especially kitchen knives. The stabbing incidents in Kawasaki stabbings and Sagamihara are recent.

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

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


Switzerland has one of the most lax gun laws in the world and mass shooting incidents are rare in Switzerland. They did occur in the country but seldom. That is because the Swiss does have some mentally unstable people.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catego...in_Switzerland

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Menznau_shooting

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zürich...enter_shooting

[Catlady in training]

With the current anti-trans rhetoric being so popular, I am afraid they might become next target of some deranged psychopath, like that shooting in Florida few years ago.
Or maybe some pro-choice protest.