Dear Americans, Quit Shooting Each Other

MickeyLee

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This weekend was crazy. I don't know if people forgot how people during lockdown, or the news band is paying more attention to gun violence.

The last year has me rethinking my stance on guns. One, there is clearly a problem America is not ready to tackle. Two, I don't like the company on this side of the 2nd debate.

My next line isn't flippant, I believe in full moons, the ebbs and swells they can cause May wraps up in a super moon eclipse. Stay home. Stay safe.
 

rbkwp

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dont think a majority are capable of independant thinking
- just sayin/usa

called
development in the best democracy/society in the world
all resect,dare say many are bewidered as wel,ebee

sorry,minimal
my beloved australia seemsto be heading a similar route,in some way
 
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EllieP

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People are lazy. Guns are readily available and legal.

When you have only a hammer every problem is a nail.

Guns can solve your problems instantly. Bad guys and bad cops alike.

Guns give you a false sense of bravery or a false sense of fear.

Full disclosure: I've been a gun owner since I was a little girl. I have concealed carry permits from three states. But I would have absolutely no objections to sensible gun reform. But we all know that's never going to happen as long as we have lawmakers without balls. And I don't mean just the men.
 
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T_Lurch

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@Max Downs There's a variety of factors that have coalesced into the gun violence shitstorm we have today in the U.S., and none of them are going to be easy or quick to resolve. This has been a contentiously debated topic in America for many decades.

1) The United States Constitution's Second Amendment (the right to bear arms) was created during a turbulent and early period of the country's development. America had no centralized military so it fell to the citizenry to arm themselves to fend off invaders. Militias were the only defense the country had against foreign incursions. Technically, the amendment could have been considered obsolete the moment the country was unified and the four branches of the military were formed.

2) The NRA. This organization is basically a thinly-veiled gun lobby that exists solely to help arms manufacturers maximize their profits by buying legislators to keep gun laws lax. It is their interference that has stopped gun control of any kind. They are extremely powerful in this country. For example, their intervention has allowed people to wield assault rifles. Can you think of a situation, other than fighting a war, where someone needs an assault rifle? Hunters don't need them. Crossbows, rifles and shotguns do the job just fine when hunting game. The only purpose of an assault rifle is to deal out mass death as quickly as possible. It should be classified the same as flamethrowers, grenades and rocket launchers, as in not available to the public. There is no plausible reason for someone not in the U.S. Military to be in possession of one. Assault rifles have been the leading weapon in mass shootings.

3) Rampant mental illness. Our country's indifferent and apathetic attitude towards mental illness combined with lax gun laws has been like a match to a powderkeg.

4) Big city overcrowding. People crammed together in cities like cows in a cattle car on a freight train, combined with the stress of city life and the dehumanizing effect of city living. Shootings are far more common in large cities. Road rage, high stress, and the lack of compassion or regard for fellow humans is through the roof in cities.

5) Gun fetishization. Being part of the U.S. Constitution, guns are seen as patriotic and part and parcel of being a good American. And thanks to Hollywood, they're seen as sexy, cool, fun, badass and quick problem solvers.

These are, at least, what I see as contributing to the problem. I have oversimplified the whole thing; you could write a dissertation on gun violence in America if you delved into every aspect of it.
 
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Tight_N_Juicy

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Why is there a shooting every other week in America now,

it's getting worse and worse

Stay safe and God bless everyone

My prayers are with you all

:heart::heart::heart::heart:

It's not every other week, it's EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Thank you for caring.
 

Tight_N_Juicy

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Nothing is going to change. Not while our government is bought and paid for by the exact industries perpetuating these atrocities. And not while our citizens are too uneducated/ignorant/underpaid/overworked. And, we do have a mental health crisis in this country. But our politicians conveniently ignore the people dealing with it while using them as political props to ignore implementing any kind of gun reform.

There are so many factors being ignored by our "leaders" that I have come to a point where I don't at all expect change. I hope for it, but hope isn't a tool. It's just something we keep so we don't lose all will to live.

I want Americans to stop shooting each other/themselves. Maybe someday we'll finally be able to resemble the rest of the world on the number of gun deaths we suffer yearly. I don't at all expect to live to see the day.
 

Tight_N_Juicy

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I would really like to know how far out in front the USA is with the rest of the western world with gun fatalities and injuries.

I’d like to bet the numbers would be similar to a corrupt northern African nation.

Anyone got the stats?

upload_2021-5-24_8-48-27.png
 

AllDixNeedLuv69

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the violence wont end until better laws are made to keep guns out of peoples hands that dont need them--like me--i am on 3 meds for mental issues and i know i dont need a gun for obvious reasons

also laws need to be stricter--soon as the killer/shooter is captured all you hear about is who he/she is where from and know the last thing they had to eat--they need to remember the people that got shot and lived from it and the people that got shot and died from it--

soon as the person is arrested--that person has more rights than the people they killed--this is so wrong in so many ways--people are against the death penalty because its wrong and things can go wrong to make their deaths more painful--tell that to the people he shot and left dying as he went on shooting other innocent people

and people say blacks this muslems that--the biggest threat to this country is the white man--more violent crimes are committed by the white man but when a black man does something its like thats all you hear --i am a white man and sometimes it sucks to know that other white men like me are out there being racists and murderers--
 
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rbkwp

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know im guilty of ridiculing your authorities/chosen,as you seem to have none better
but
i do have fun,and thats supposed ro be of importance,in out lpsg life huh
 
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T_Lurch

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also laws need to be stricter--soon as the killer/shooter is captured all you hear about is who he/she is where from and know the last thing they had to eat--they need to remember the people that got shot and lived from it and the people that got shot and died from it--

The media is highly complicit in this as well.

Morgan Freeman of all people once said (and keep in mind, I go out of my way to ignore anything any celebrity says, but this time he was 100% on the nose) that we pay too much attention to the shooters' identity and we end up making the shooter a celebrity. Movies, TV shows, books get made about the shooter which gives them fame and exposure. He said what we should be doing is avoiding giving out their identity and focus on the victims; when some subhuman asshole storms into a school or a mall or wherever and guns down a bunch of people, don't reward the maniac with fame; let him languish in obscurity.

One of the reasons we get active shooters is because of sad, pathetic nobodies who are full of rage and want to leave their mark on the world. They want notoriety. Not to mention that they often inspire copycats. Why give them what they want?
 
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T_Lurch

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know im guilty of ridiculing your authorities/chosen,as you seem to have none better
but
i do have fun,and thats supposed ro be of importance,in out lpsg life huh
No worries, and no offense taken.

America isn't perfect and your criticisms are valid.
 
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EllieP

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I get clay target/sport shooting ect and farmers who need them for pest animal control. But the rest of it is just gun love. It’s so stupid.

I don't love my guns. I respect them a great deal. I never look forward to the day I might have to use one.

But as a single woman living in Atlanta my Dad made me promise to never be far from one when I'm alone. He's in a third generation Texan who thinks anyone who open carries is an idiot and should be stripped of his firearm. I'm with him on that.
 
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T_Lurch

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I don't love my guns. I respect them a great deal. I never look forward to the day I might have to use one.

But as a single woman living in Atlanta my Dad made me promise to never be far from one when I'm alone. He's in a third generation Texan who thinks anyone who open carries is an idiot and should be stripped of his firearm. I'm with him on that.
My father was a retired homicide detective and was very familiar with a variety of firearms. He taught me a healthy respect for guns, and the responsibility that comes with gun ownership.

@Max Downs most well-adjusted Americans merely regard guns as a tool and a necessary evil, but you've got sub cultures here that fetishize them. Those sub cultures tend to be the loudest and get the most attention. A common misconception many Americans have is that we're the only country where guns are allowed, but I know many European countries (as well as Australia) allow the citizens to possess firearms with a license.
 

Motion-of-the-Ocean

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Having gotten into this topic in the politics section, I know I should steer clear since it is one of those things where I can feel and am subject to the judgement and hysteria from both sides.

As both a gun enthusiast and unabashed liberal, I've always felt like an island onto myself. I can go to any range or gun show and connect and converse for hours with any hard core right-wing Trumper on the minutiae of firearms, yet the minute the subject turns to any other issue there is a 99% chance those same people who accepted me will now see me as some Marxist socialist commie who approves of harvesting babies' brain juice.

Likewise I can converse for hours with most Democrats and lefties on 99% of the political and social issues, but the minute they find I own guns, carry one wherever I legally can and defend gun rights with the same take no prisoners approach I do with Women's Choice; I am suddenly a Trumper, have a small penis or I'm a mass murderer in waiting or just looking to shoot someone for some slight or injustice.

Solutions can never be possible as long as there is political divide and demonization. So while yes, unfortunately the majority of those against solutions are die-hards for an orange idiot and who seemingly cling to their guns and have irrational beliefs on 99% of the issues. But then is the case for those constantly wanting solutions but failing to understand how deeply ingrained the gun culture is and dismissing those feelings. Neither insulting the pro-gun crowd or talk of replacing all weapons with rainbows and unicorn farts is going to win converts.

Personally, being stuck in the middle and straddling both sides of the issue, I don't know what the solution is. All I know is there can be none as long as both sides kept shouting hyperbole past each other. Those on one side only want to focus on the gun itself and think passing symbolic laws involving pistol grips and magazine limits will totally end the human capacity to kill each other. While those on the other oppose any other solutions that factor into the violence like poverty, inequality, universal health care (which would include mental care) and mandatory teaching in school of non-violent crises intervention techniques that would help people deal with confrontations more constructively.

One must also bear in mind a lot of the mass violence, while not caused by the media, certainly amplifies it. If it bleeds it still leads and the 24/7 news cycle easily leads to the impression bullets are constantly flying in every town, everyday. This is also reinforced by the fact Americans are really piss-poor when it comes to statistics and fail to realize the average American has more of a chance of dying in an auto accident on the way to the mall (or having a heart attack on the way to the car), then being shot up at the mall by some random spree-killer. The media giving a spotlight to these killers also continues the cycle, as instead they should be treated as mentally sick nobodies and not even named publicly let alone devoting whole segments and articles on trying to figure out "why they did it".

Well I'm sure this post won't get a lot of agreement or accolades; but as I said, when it comes to this topic I'm used to it.
 
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T_Lurch

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Having gotten into this topic in the politics section, I know I should steer clear since it is one of those things where I can feel and am subject to the judgement and hysteria from both sides.

As both a gun enthusiast and unabashed liberal, I've always felt like an island onto myself. I can go to any range or gun show and connect and converse for hours with any hard core right-wing Trumper on the minutiae of firearms, yet the minute the subject turns to any other issue there is a 99% chance those same people who accepted me will now see me as some Marxist socialist commie who approves of harvesting babies' brain juice.

Likewise I can converse for hours with most Democrats and lefties on 99% of the political and social issues, but the minute they find I own guns, carry one wherever I legally can and defend gun rights with the same take no prisoners approach I do with Women's Choice; I am suddenly a Trumper, have a small penis or I'm a mass murderer in waiting or just looking to shoot someone for some slight or injustice.

Solutions can never be possible as long as there is political divide and demonization. So while yes, unfortunately the majority of those against solutions are die-hards for an orange idiot and who seemingly cling to their guns and have irrational beliefs on 99% of the issues. But then is the case for those constantly wanting solutions but failing to understand how deeply ingrained the gun culture is and dismissing those feelings. Neither insulting the pro-gun crowd or talk of replacing all weapons with rainbows and unicorn farts is going to win converts.

Personally, being stuck in the middle and straddling both sides of the issue, I don't know what the solution is. All I know is there can be none as long as both sides kept shouting hyperbole past each other. Those on one side only want to focus on the gun itself and think passing symbolic laws involving pistol grips and magazine limits will totally end the human capacity to kill each other. While those on the other oppose any other solutions that factor into the violence like poverty, inequality, universal health care (which would include mental care) and mandatory teaching in school of non-violent crises intervention techniques that would help people deal with confrontations more constructively.

One must also bear in mind a lot of the mass violence, while not caused by the media, certainly amplifies it. If it bleeds it still leads and the 24/7 news cycle easily leads to the impression bullets are constantly flying in every town, everyday. This is also reinforced by the fact Americans are really piss-poor when it comes to statistics and fail to realize the average American has more of a chance of dying in an auto accident on the way to the mall (or having a heart attack on the way to the car), then being shot up at the mall by some random spree-killer. The media giving a spotlight to these killers also continues the cycle, as instead they should be treated as mentally sick nobodies and not even named publicly let alone devoting whole segments and articles on trying to figure out "why they did it".

Well I'm sure this post won't get a lot of agreement or accolades; but as I said, when it comes to this topic I'm used to it.
I sympathize on you there.

I'd like to think that any reasonable person, right or left, would find abhorrent shootings of any kind. To me it shouldn't be a partisan issue, but a human decency issue.

In the interim, probably the most realistic moves would be mitigatory; banning assault rifles and more stringent screening for prospective gun owners. That would probably reduce shootings somewhat, or at least reduce the number of fatalities if one occurs.

The media, as far as I'm concerned, are carrion crows that feast on carnage and death. Their hands are bloody as well from where I stand, for glorifying serial murder and shootings, designing fancy logos and specials around the latest maniac of the day.

The tripartite chimera of media/NRA/mental illness seems to me the biggest enabler of all this.