Mass Shootings

[MFS62]

I don't know if there is a thread specifically devoted to mass shootings, but we might as well have one because it looks like they aren't going to stop any time soon.
Today, it was a school in Texas, 15 killed.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/uvalde-texas ... 54215.html
Oh yeah, the shooter, 18 also died.

Later

[vtmet7]

why do they seem to mostly target elementary schools?

[Edgy MD]

Got some free time this Saturday?

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Greg Abbott is also scheduled for this event. He made sure the 18-year-old suspect fit the very definition of a "good guy with a gun" before this happened by lowering the age, legal carry and permit restrictions, lived through Sandy Hook, once said he was "embarrassed" that Californians made more gun purchases than Texans, purports in moves to ban or restrict choice that he cares about children and yet also said today's event was "inconceivable."

[Lefty Specialist]

There's no answer to this. American politicians have made the successful calculation that there is no amount of carnage that will bring about actual gun control. The unfettered freedom to buy, own and shoot guns is more important than any death toll. It's as simple as that. So we'll have more and more of these and it'll all be just background noise, because 'freedom' is more important. There simply is no level of violence where a viable majority of legislators will say 'enough'.

[vtmet7]

Greg Abbott ...said today's event was "inconceivable."

why did he drag the Princess Bride into this mess?

[MFS62]

Greg Abbott is also scheduled for this event. He made sure the 18-year-old suspect fit the very definition of a "good guy with a gun" before this happened by lowering the age, legal carry and permit restrictions, lived through Sandy Hook, once said he was "embarrassed" that Californians made more gun purchases than Texans, purports in moves to ban or restrict choice that he cares about children and yet also said today's event was "inconceivable."

The is the tweet you refer to: (Yahoo, because the Daily News has a firewall)
https://news.yahoo.com/texas-governor-g ... p_catchall

Later

[kcmets]

why do they seem to mostly target elementary schools?

Because deep down they're cowardly pussies?

[Lefty Specialist]

why do they seem to mostly target elementary schools?

Because second graders are rarely packing heat. Of course, the Texas attorney general wants teachers to be armed, because having terrified kids in the crossfire always ends well. And the 'good guy with a gun' myth was exposed again when the security guard with a gun in the Tops store in Buffalo was just another one of the victims. Teachers and other ordinary people don't become trained snipers in an active shooter situation.

[Edgy MD]

I think there certainly is a solution to this. If most every other country has found one, why shouldn't we?

[batmagadanleadoff]

I think there certainly is a solution to this. If most every other country has found one, why shouldn't we?

If we could fix the gun problem, we could fix a lot of other problems. Becuse we wouldnt have a party that more often than not, wins presidential elections -- all the while losing the popular vote. We wouldn't have Senate majorities that barely represent 40% of the electorate. And we wouldnt have a majority of the Supreme Court nominated and confirmed by popular vote losing Presidents and minority representing Senates. We have a country totally controlled by a minority of uneducated white men and religious nutjobs. Because of our imbecilic electoral college, we are the world's laughing stock.

And even then, the cat's already out of the bag. We have more guns than people. Try and put them guns back in the tube of toothpaste.

But I'll indulge you: What's the realistic solution and how do we realistically implement it? Emphasis on "realistic". Want me to answer my own question? I'll give you the same answer I always give. First, kill the filibuster. Then bring in DC and PR to make it harder for the GOP to undo the fixes. Split up California if you have to to bring in two more Dem senators that the Dems are gonna need and pack the court. But all that wont fix the more guns than people problem.

[Ceetar]

you can't fix this in America, the way America is. Democrats are quick to reassure people they don't want to take their guns. They're quick to give the police more money. They rush to tell you not to worry, they're not treating immigrants or migrants at the border humanely. They'll reluctantly fly in some formula, but won't do anything to address the underlying issues. They'll desperately get together to pass laws to prevent you being mean to a judge by picketing their house. They'll talk a good game about Roe v. Wade even though states have been passing cruel laws regardless.

I don't know why anyone would want to live here, in this dying country. If my family wasn't here, I'd be gone so fast.

[whippoorwill]

Got some free time this Saturday?

If they had any decency they'd at least postpone this til Sunday. Dreadful.

[Fman99]

I have hobbies and leisure pursuits too, but none of them can be wielded by deranged monsters to rob a bunch of innocent little children of their lives. So fuck your hobby and your second amendment rights.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Is that the American Pie Don McLean?

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

It is-what a disgrace.

Was thinking that along with "arming teachers" (apparently 2 armed security people were unable to stop this guy) it's only a matter of time before ban-mask-mandate-in-school crowd surrenders everyone's liberty and proposes mandatory kevlar school uniforms too. That'll solve the issue for sure

[batmagadanleadoff]

If it wasnt in such bad taste, I'd run a poll asking when the next American mass shooting happens. (Me: less than one month).

[MFS62]

This guy gets my virtual thanks(from an article in Yahoo news)

“F*** you [Ted Cruz] you care about a fetus but you will let our children get slaughtered,” wrote Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., an Iraq War veteran, who then referred to Cruz’s Mexican vacation last year when much of Texas was without power. “Just get your ass to Cancun. You are useless.”
To ensure no confusion about his position, 17 minutes after that message Gallego added, “Just to be clear f*** you [Ted Cruz] you f****** baby killer.”

Later

[Edgy MD]

The offices of Senator John Cornyn and Congressman Dan Crenshaw both announced that their guy won't be attending the NRA convention, despite having committed to slots earlier.

In both cases, their offices claim that a scheduling conflict prevents them from attending and participating, and that they had already informed the NRA before this shooting.

[MFS62]

Meaningless gestures. They probably won't feel a hit with their constituents for that.
If Coryn wants to do something meaningful, he should support background checks for gun buyers. The bill was proposed by Democrats and passed in the House two years ago and has been sitting there with no chance of passing the Senate.

Later

[Edgy MD]

It may indeed have nothing to do with sincerity (it does), but I don't agree that their absences from the convention are meaningless. Part of the job of those who oppose the NRA is to make them too toxic for politicians to touch. For a moment paid for in innocent blood, that is apparently what has happened. We all need to build on that, without the blood.

US Congressman Paul Gosar took to Twitter to parrot a false malicious campaign started on 4chan. “It’s a transsexual leftist illegal alien named Salvatore Ramos,” he wrote.

He took the tweet down later when he realized what an idiot he was being. This of course represents no shame or sincere change of heart for the clearly bigoted Congressman. It doesn't matter. If all they know is how to briefly distance themselves from temporarily inconvenient associations, we need to make the toxicity of those associations permanent. We need to make the shame stick.

There needs to be stink everywhere that guy shows his face. And everybody needs to smell it.

[MFS62]

Didn't the NRA file for bankruptcy a few years ago?
Where did this resurgence (as in money) come from that it is now holding a big convention with prominent speakers?
I wonder if Agent Orange will charge for his appearance or ask for donations when he's there.
Follow the money on this one.

Later

[MFS62]

Switzerland has a high ratio of guns to people, but not mass shootings. They seem to have the right approach to guns:
https://www.businessinsider.com/switzer ... ths-2018-2

Later

[seawolf17]

Every country in the world deals with the same shit we do -- depression and mental health issues, video games -- and yet NONE of them have shootings like this. NONE. OF. THEM.

IT'S. THE. GUNS.

Melt down every goddamn one of them, as far as I'm concerned.

[metsmarathon]

it's almost like switzerland takes that whole well-regulated militia phrase as a serious idea.

i would love for us to have such a well-enacted gun policy. you want a gun? you want to protect the homeland from threats internal and external? great! get training! get licensing! get skills! get regulated!

why is it so hard for lawmakers to point to the "well-regulated" words in the fucking constitution? it's right fucking there in plain text. the constitution demands it.