(08-05-2019, 05:51 PM)jagibelieve Wrote:

(08-05-2019, 04:37 PM)Kane Wrote: Another shooting another laundry list of bad excuses...

Video games? Really?
Are we going to blame Eminem and Marilyn Manson next?
Maybe it's all the legal pot making people go all Reefer Madness?

Two main issues here.
Mental health.
Proper enforcement of current laws and restrictions.

These are what needs to be addressed. Firstly, by the social/family aspect... ya know... try to raise your kids right. Don't screw up their heads with your bs (like identity politics, abusing them, bringing your mental issues on them [get therapy]) Secondly by society (at some point we have to take responsibility, on both sides of the aisle, race arguments, religion arguments, whatever, at stop festering an environment where the answer is almost always violence and division)
Thirdly, people need to be held accountable to selling guns to people they shouldn't, cutting corners on paperwork, and there probably should be stricter regulations to gauge mental health.
And finally, illegal possession, use in crimes, or illegal use otherwise should be punished to the strictest of possibilities.

But sure... blame video games, music, republicans... blm... cops... NRA and guns... whatever.

I think that the problem is the result of multiple things.  I agree with you regarding family and social makeup.  However, there are multiple parts to this problem that should be addressed.

Violent video games certainly do have a place in this.  Certainly it's not the SOLE reason, but it is part of the problem.  Violent video games desensitize children to real violence and killing.  Add to the content the fact that video games have become the "parent(s)" in a lot of children's lives.
The video game isn't the problem. The parents allowing a child not mature and/or intelligent enough to differentiate between games and reality is the problem.

One big reason (my opinion) is the rise of social media and the internet.  There is just too much violent and graphic information out there that didn't used to be readily available.  Couple that to the fact that so many people, specifically younger generations are so tied to social media and their cell phones.  That ties into my third point.
I agree... Social media and the internet are poisonous to society and especially those easily influenced, like children. Once again though, it is up to parents to regulate and police their minor children's use of these things. We can not assume the internet to be good and our kids freely roam it. We as parents (and as people who use social media) should be better in general. What we post, how we disagree. We kinda need to close Pandora's box and maybe keep some stuff to ourselves.

Mental health is an issue which should also include drug use.  People, especially younger generations don't interact or socialize "normally".  Their "friends" are the people on social media and their interaction is via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.  There is no "risk" of rejection other than not getting "followers" or "likes", especially if their "friends" have more "likes" or "followers".
Yes, drug use (legal and illegal) is a big problem. Mental health in general is largely ignored by most people as a huge cause in the rise of violence, division, divorces, drop outs, etc etc.
The root issue here starts at home. We tend to pass on generational problems (i.e. broken homes cause broken homes, alcoholism and drug use cause more substance abuse). I think overuse of social media itself could actually be a mental health issue. How often have we read people absolutely lose their minds in posts on this political forum alone, never mind the absolute garbage all over Facebook and Twitter these days. (I'm going on 4 years Facebook free and 1 year off Twitter)

Another reason is the lack of education and training.  You have children getting suspended from school for eating a pop-tart into the shape of a gun or wearing a t-shirt that might depict a fallen soldier's memorial (picture of a rifle, boots and helmet).
I'm seeing that we actually agree on a lot. The biggest issue we face is ourselves as a society devolving.

Finally, you have our law makers more concerned about "global warming" and the right to choose which restroom you use and letting children "decide" what gender they want to be.

It has nothing to do with firearms and I wish that certain politicians and MSM would quit pushing the "weapons of war" and "assault weapons" narrative.

It all starts with us.
We have the power to change the future, if we could all stop arguing over the wrong details. (black/white, what type of guns are OK, censorship over guidance/education)

---

(08-05-2019, 10:18 PM)MalabarJag Wrote:

(08-05-2019, 09:19 PM)The Drifter Wrote: Typical mass shooter a white male? Think again

The attacks in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, over the weekend that have taken at least 31 lives have put a spotlight on the problem of young, isolated white men carrying out mass shootings.

Read more at https://www.wnd.com/2019/08/typical-mass...bUZcFTt.99

This is spin.

Defining a "mass shooting" as 4 or more victims includes a lot of gangland (drug war) shootings. They are not in the same ballpark as someone going into a public place and killing as many random people as possible.

There are a number of different "reasons" that mass shootings exist, but one thread connects them: the killer is a loser in life who wants to go out in a blaze of glory. The best way to stop this is to eliminate any publicity. Don't name the shooter but give them a degrading new name. My personal choice would not pass the filter here. Of course the press would have to cooperate, so good luck with that.

I heard mass shooting defined yesterday as 8 or more victims.

I guess you could pick whatever number to fit whatever narrative is needed.

I'm not really sure why "white male" should matter. Are we to single out white males that come from broken homes to "prevent" mass shootings?
Seems kinda... racist.

---