why isn't the discussion about guns? because republicans. why the media jumps on board and nobody wants to mention that once again, guns have been involved in a mass casualty disaster with one dozen people murdered in one event.

the reasons vary, but the means remain the same. too many guns. but we shouldn't talk about that. our country is so perverse in so many ways right now. guns are more important than people. Women, POC, immigrants, these aren't even people really, not to republicans. it's more important to kneecap the opposition party than it is to legislate.

nothing matters. not the law, not the future, not democracy, not justice. only their power and their wealth.

they need to be gone; they're ruining the country. so much damage. and of course trump. if we don't get a supermajority come 2020 I think the USA is over. what's killing me is i don't know if we will. the uncertainty of it all.

eta: so now the remedies being proposed are that tiny children are being routinely taught how to respond in the event of a mass shooting. teachers being armed (what could go wrong?). and we're not going to say the shooter's name any more. whoopee fucking shit. stop the proliferation of guns!

no gun, no shooting. so simple. of all these people dead, who would be alive if there wasn't a gun?

is not sounding the alarm on the dangerous people in the WH and government. tRump is a total disaster as a president. Unifying people is just not in his DNA. He causes a lot of dissent, and enjoys doing it. The gop backs him up, and makes everything even worse. THINKING people are fed up, and angry. Some are like ticking time bombs. Racists are free to spew their hate. This country has taken a giant step BACKWARDS in the last 2 1/2 years for some reason(!!) tRump has made it normal for hate to expose itself, since he has no problems doing that himself. The man is totally off balance. He is now saying "The British people love me" BULLSHIT. They are at present having the most attended marches against a US president in history. They DESPISE him, and do not care who knows it. They see the REAL tRump, and hate his orange, putrid guts.

so I hear the media sounding the alarm.

but often still, too often because it should be never, normalizing him. calling him president and not mentioning that his presidency is illegitimate. shit like that.

fox et al and the people who don't pay attention, don't care, or who love it because of their own racism and misogyny are the problem, along with the super wealthy whose greed is boundless. and republicans.

republicans are the worst. they don't care what trump does. they have power and wield it to ignominious ends.

if you report someone, you'll get told "well, we can't take action unless he does something illegal" and the powderkeg person just goes about their life, now more angry that the cops were notified.

the cops may come out and talk to him, but

unless he gets belligerent towards police he will remain, armed, and now pissed at me,

a few states might allow the gun to be taken, but those laws will soon be overturned.

Certainly, persons who speak specifically about violence, who they hate, what they'd do to them if given the chance and knowing they have guns, warrants a heads up to police. Similar to what many of us have been taught to look out for to prevent suicide--specified and repeated alarming comments and immediate access to means.

Most would fall under the scenario you describe and no, I can't imagine sending those "up the chain". The truth is that most of those who "boil over" to commit such atrocities likely harbor their angry grudges in silence or through anonymous postings. But workplace violence episodes might be different?

Diversion from the real reasons for these shootings is leaving few other choices for a meme

There is the diversion of responsibility from the actions of the shooter to the victims (see something, say something, mental health etc. we are now responsilbe)

There is the diversion of responsibility from easy access to guns, large clips, silencers

There is the diversion of responsibility from the guns themselves (guns don't kill people...etc)

all leading to the final solution, more guns are needed to arm everyone, everywhere

gun laws won't stop this crap, or that legal guns kill 90% of the victims murdered, or that the guy got these guns when he was sane and then went nuts.

The reason guns are used is because they are so easily and legally obtained and they make a huge statement. There's too many of them. A 'need' for arms should be a disqualifier from obtaining them.

points out that our gun laws are so lax in most places you can drive a truck through them. Either consciously or unconsciously, that seems to be what they're telling us. It also dispels the myth that it's only the "bad guys" like convicted felons or...gasp!...undocumented aliens that are doing all the shooting. It's gun owners who are "responsible"...until they're not, using legally obtained firearms. Unless one is a felon, I don't know why anyone would illegally buy a weapon. What's the point in that when anyone can legally buy handguns or long guns in minutes in many states, along with as much ammo as they can afford.

The first thing that came to my mind this morning was, "Hmmm...guns were legally obtained. Wonder if maybe it'd be a good idea to look at how easy it is to bet a gun?"

We are absolutely becoming inured to this and, I'll speak for myself here but I don't think I'm alone in this, I am more and more making a conscious decision to not want to go anywhere where there are huge crowds. Also, if I were a younger person, would I want to become a teacher knowing that it's now become a dangerous job?

I am so disheartened by all this gun violence and the glorification of guns in our society.

because the VB shooter was a well-known, well-educated, well-paid public servant with a clean record and a veteran - so the ideal American citizen and a big culture shock for analysts.

It in essence violates the concept of the American Dream and that dream's ideal participants.

They therefore feel obligated to spin this event into oblivion to try and justify not demanding action on gun control.

In other words: DENIAL.....

As you wrote: As an employer and as a dentist I hear lots of angry people in a day. How am I supposed to know what is serious enough to call authorities or associated family to discuss angers which have manifest in my presence?

That's very perceptive. The basic question is 'why are people in the US (I don't use the word Americans) so UNhappy'. Denmark people are happy. New Zealanders are happy. Canadians are happy. I would not describe people in the US as happy.

Students with crippling student debt are not happy. People with on-going medical issues are not happy. People working multiple jobs can't find adequate and affordable housing. I could go on and on.

That should be incorporated into the Democratic message. What would make USA happy?

In my opinion, this has downward spiral of 'unhappiness' began 40 years ago with Reaganomics. Whenever Republicans come into governing power, this downward spiral is accelerated. Whenever Republicans speak of any reform, they bring up the concept that socialism will KILL you, not that those in Denmark are not being killed and are.... happy.

Whether it be about guns or any other subject.
All 3 cable news networks follow the right wing narratives, use the same key words, the same phrases. It has been going on long before Trump.
MSNBC included.
We have yet to see the Mueller report yet no networks will call it the redacted Mueller report. Etc.

You know. Thoughts and prayers. That is overused and widely scorned.

After Vegas that was replaced with "It's a mental illness problem". That has not gotten traction.

So now we're on a variation of the ridiculous Homeland Security meme - If you see something, say something. This implies these mass shootings are our fault because we were hesitant to speak up.

Nobody needs either!! I still remember that little 9 year girl who was murdered in the Gabby Giffords massacre by what was determined to be a the 12th bullet if I remember from his extended magazine and that he was actually stopped when he had to stop and reload. If he had to reload at 10, that little girl might still be alive.

Why aren't we talking about either of those?

In the local community college to be an unhinged hot head.... yet he was able to march right down to the store and buy deadly weapons.

Isn’t it a lot easier and more effective to ban certain types of deadly weapons, period, instead of trying determining each individual’s anger mindset?

And, I agree with the person here who says why are Americans so full of hate and anger?

Reminds me of this oldie but goodie from the Bush years which are still relevant currently under Trump. Hate and anger spews from almost all of them.

Instead of acting directly to address the problem, like New Zealand did after Christchurch, our fucked up power structure puts the responsibility on individuals to address systemic problems.

It’s your fault your coworker went postal with weapons he should never had access to.

We, all of us, should watch "Chernobyl" on HBO.

and don't do that. We as a people can't become a nation of spies and toadies.

Sounds awful.

if so, is it our duty to report tRump as he is the only out of control deranged individual I know.

and from what i have read, shooter was typical "kept to himself&quot says the neighbor), "nice guy" (says the coworker) etc. that they so often seem to be. So who would have known?

there's so many no-go aspects when it comes to mass murder. Don't want to talk about the weapon, don't want to talk about the killer, don't want to talk about the victims...unless you can blame them somehow.

I mean, that's what 1/3rd of the country seems to think "suspicious" means, right?

Last edited Sun Jun 2, 2019, 12:59 AM - Edit history (1)

my coworkers and I were saying last night that no WAY did that guy have it worse on the job than we do right now