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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens
October 1, 2015 ROSEBURG, ORIn the hours following a violent rampage in southwestern Oregon in which a lone attacker killed 10 individuals and seriously injured seven others, citizens living in the only country where this kind of mass killing routinely occurs reportedly concluded Thursday that there was no way to prevent the massacre from taking place. This was a terrible tragedy, but sometimes these things just happen and theres nothing anyone can do to stop them, said Ohio resident Lindsay Bennett, echoing sentiments expressed by tens of millions of individuals who reside in a nation where over half of the worlds deadliest mass shootings have occurred in the past 50 years and whose citizens are 20 times more likely to die of gun violence than those of other developed nations. Its a shame, but what can we do? There really wasnt anything that was going to keep this guy from snapping and killing a lot of people if thats what he really wanted. At press time, residents of the only economically advanced nation in the world where roughly two mass shootings have occurred every month for the past six years were referring to themselves and their situation as helpless.
http://www.theonion.com/article/no-way-prevent-says-only-nation-where-regularly-ha-51444
daleanime
(17,796 posts)but it's not funny, and it is true.
IDemo
(16,926 posts)I would say that the bulk of Mark Twain's writings pointed to the weaknesses and treachery of humans, and not always in a funny way.
Punx
(446 posts)"Guns don't kill people"
And on Facebook, "We can't do anything about this, might as well enjoy the nice fall weather." or something along those lines.
This is way too close to the truth.
HughBeaumont
(24,461 posts)They sure make it a lot easier and more efficient.
ananda
(28,783 posts)..
Zoonart
(11,750 posts)That is exactly correct. Guns don't kill people; PEOPLE WITH GUNS KILL PEOPLE. Correct me if I am wrong but the active component for death by gunshot is people and without people to manipulate the gun hardware, the guns are themselves passive. So- in the relationship of gun ownership, the weapon is passive, but under control of the owner. That owner activates the passive deadly hardware, just as a driver of a car activates the deadly hardware which is a car. Permits with full background checks and mandatory training should be required before purchase of a gun is allowed.
I have been an active part of this struggle since 1981 when I was the state rep. for the National Coalition To Ban Handguns. It was a Quixotic quest in the state of Pennsylvania and after two years we ceased operation in the state where hunting is a religion.
In my opinion, we crossed the bridge of no return when, as a nation , we allowed the murder of little children in Newton to go unanswered with meaningful legislation.
I do not know what it will take to move this nation to meaningful action on this issue.
valerief
(53,235 posts)Look at Russia. That's our future.
And why do we have owners at all, despite our "Constitution" rhetoric? We can thank religion for that.
snort
(2,334 posts)Its working for cars.
Response to IDemo (Original post)
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brush
(53,475 posts)This should begin immediately will all new gun purchases
As for the huge backlog of existing guns in the country, legislation should be passed that all gun owners register their guns and get insurance or sell or surrender them for a tax credit.
After a reasonable grace period, if anyone is subsequently caught in possession of an unregistered/uninsured weapon, there will be substantial legal consequences.
This is a workable, reasonable solution that could actually increase revenue for strapped local/state governments and provide some jobs.
And we could go even further: Ban handguns and assault rifles altogether as they are designed for nothing but to SHOOT PEOPLE. Shotguns and rifles would suffice for home protection and pellet guns can be used for target shooting enthusiasts. There is a precedent, Australia did something similar in the '90s and their mass killings stopped.
Let's get it done, America. We are better than this.
Octafish
(55,745 posts)About Australia...
What is significant is the decline the laws caused in the firearm suicide rate, which Leigh and Neill estimate at a 74 percent reduction for a buyback of that size. This is even higher than the overall decline in the suicide rate, because the gun buybacks' speed varied from state to state. In states with quick buybacks, the fall in the suicide rate far exceeded the fall in states with slower buybacks:
SOURCE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2012/08/02/did-gun-control-work-in-australia/
JohnnyRingo
(18,581 posts)While their murder rate of individuals declined, they never had what is a uniquely American phenomenon. Until we find out what in our culture causes someone to lash out against groups of innocent civilians, the killings will continue.
Anyone in Australia or Canada can still put their hands on a gun and stocks of ammo in an hour's time, but they don't go on shooting rampages. Why then do we do it? Kids in Australia and Canada watch the same Mad Max movies, play the same violent video games we do, but they don't feel a perverse need to attack their neighbors where they congregate.
Many Middle Eastern countries celebrate the journey to manhood by gifting a boy with a full auto AK47 on his 16th birthday, but even they don't go on self motivated mass killing sprees.
I admit I don't get it. What is wrong with us? As Michael Moore put it: "Guns don't kill people, Americans kill people".
Octafish
(55,745 posts)Going from memory:
People in communities who know one another, respect one another. Consider the indigenous cultures of the world. There is near-zero crime. When the communities grow larger, some people will do things like lie, cheat, steal, kill thinking that no one knows who I am, so why care?
That's why strangers are so scary to monolithic cultures. The Other may be bringing in something dangerous, like a gun or knife or idea like Democracy.
Throw in a culture which glorifies winning at all costs; denigrates as useless untermenschen the undesirable losers like asshole boys and girls who don't look like they were in Victoria's Secret; and solves problems, like inconvenient politicians or ownership of oilfields, with gunfire, and the nation becomes the very recipe for disaster after disaster after disaster.
Deadshot
(384 posts)People can change and flip out rather quickly. Annual psych evals would catch those people.
brush
(53,475 posts)Snobblevitch
(1,958 posts)a federal gun registry is illegal.
An insurance mandate would certainly be welcomed by the NRA. The insurance would not cover illegal use or negligent use of firearms.
Bad Thoughts
(2,514 posts)And there love of gun culture is completely visible.
awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)that makes me feel so much better
iandhr
(6,852 posts)The fact that a satire news agency which often post stories that are close to reality and a template ready to go for shootings speaks volumes.
countingbluecars
(4,766 posts)this morning when he called in to Morning Joe.
JohnnyRingo
(18,581 posts)"Guns don't kill people, Americans kill people".
Because of a sporting culture, anyone in Canada can put their hands on a gun, but they don't go on shooting rampages. The kids there play the same violent video games and young adults watch the same gory movies we see, but they don't have mass murders.
Many children in Middle Eastern countries receive a full auto AK47 for their 16th birthday, and warlike as their culture is, even they don't go on senseless mass killing sprees of fellow civilians, so why do we?
Why do Americans feel a need to grab a van full of guns and attack our neighbors where they congregate? No other country on Earth has this peculiar social problem, regardless the ready availability of weapons.
Deadshot
(384 posts)Glassunion
(10,201 posts)They recycle the same article after mass shootings.
I was thrown off by the date on the article.
Glassunion
(10,201 posts)Glassunion
(10,201 posts)several times a year after an incident like this occurs...
7/17/15 - http://www.theonion.com/article/no-way-prevent-says-only-nation-where-regularly-ha-51443
5/27/14 - http://www.theonion.com/article/no-way-to-prevent-this-says-only-nation-where-this-36131
olddots
(10,237 posts)we can't have equality , peace and prosperity for all and we can't stop barbaric mobsters from making this country worse than we could ever imagine.
Crunchy Frog
(26,548 posts)When did they move to straight news reporting?
IDemo
(16,926 posts)Satire as a concept becomes increasingly irrelevant when a culture approaches the utterly ludicrous.
Dems to Win
(2,161 posts)High speed rail? Oh, we can't do that
Universal health care? Oh, we can't do that
Paid parental leave? Oh, we can't do that
Reliable, verifiable voting technology? Oh, we can't do that
End homelessness? Oh, we can't do that
End mass shootings? Oh, we can't do that
Even the military Can't Do It. Couldn't prevent an attack on the Pentagon with 45 minutes notice. Can't prevent child abuse on our own military bases in Afghanistan!
Pathetic helpless giant, we are.