19th (Another mass shooting)

[IdleBoast]

Yet another tragic shooting at a US high school:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-43066226

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-us-canada-43066528

Shocking as that is, the TV version of the story had another shocker:

This is the 19th school shooting of 2018.

That's nineteen school shooting in only 45 days.

Near as damn it, that's a school shooting every other day.

That's insane.

The first year of Trump's presidency saw 345 mass shootings.

I cannot understand why the federal government is not doing something about this. "Thoughts and prayers" achieve nothing.

I know that all these injuries and deaths, all these suffering families will not persuade certain parties that their fevered support of unfettered gun ownership is wrong, but I needed to say it:

Seriously, America, what the fuck are you thinking??

[watcher1]

While many Americans mourn again and again over these totally senseless school shootings, we will hear the politicians hue and cry about gun laws and what needs to be done.  Then reality will kick in, the huge amount of money the gun manufacturers and the NRA give to these same politicians will make the politicians soften their tone knowing after a time, everything will die down until the next mass school shooting.

[Athos_131]

Counting up how much the NRA spends on campaigns and lobbying

#Resist

[Athos_131]

It's since been deleted.

Happy Valentine's Day.

#Resist

[Lois]

This is not the first mass shooting and it won't be the last.  I have changed the title of this thread to reflect this and made it sticky in anticipation of more carnage to come.

When will our politicians grow some backbones and address this issue?

[Athos_131]

#Resist

[joan1984]

Laws regarding citizens making a purchase of a firearm are a State function. Contact your State Legislator in this regard, and let them know how you feel.

One good idea is to find out details in the Florida former student shooter crime as to where did he purchase the firearm, to see if State laws were broken.

Or whether the criminal former student obtained the firearm in some illegal manner, as has often is the case with criminals, stealing the firearm.

In one case a criminal son, murdering his Mother to gain access to her properly stored firearms in her gun safe. She had purchased each firearm legally and met all the State firearm purchase and storage laws.

Criminals break laws.

We shall learn much more in the next few days.

Yet another tragic shooting at a US high school:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-43066226

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-us-canada-43066528

Shocking as that is, the TV version of the story had another shocker:

This is the 19th school shooting of 2018.

That's nineteen school shooting in only 45 days.

Near as damn it, that's a school shooting every other day.

That's insane.

The first year of Trump's presidency saw 345 mass shootings.

I cannot understand why the federal government is not doing something about this. "Thoughts and prayers" achieve nothing.

I know that all these injuries and deaths, all these suffering families will not persuade certain parties that their fevered support of unfettered gun ownership is wrong, but I needed to say it:

Seriously, America, what the fuck are you thinking??

[Athos_131]

Laws regarding citizens making a purchase of a firearm are a State function. Contact your State Legislator in this regard, and let them know how you feel.

One good idea is to find out details in the Florida former student shooter crime as to where did he purchase the firearm, to see if State laws were broken.

Or whether the criminal former student obtained the firearm in some illegal manner, as has often is the case with criminals, stealing the firearm.

In one case a criminal son, murdering his Mother to gain access to her properly stored firearms in her gun safe. She had purchased each firearm legally and met all the State firearm purchase and storage laws.

Criminals break laws.

We shall learn much more in the next few days.

Of course.

Raping children isn't a big deal, why should killing them be?

#Resist

[twistedspike]

This is the 19the school shooting of 2018.

That's nineteen school shooting in only 45 days.

Of those 19  eight of them a gun was fired on school property but no one was injured, and two were gun suicides. That only leaves nine shootings that resulted in deaths mass or otherwise. Bashing one particular president or another will not help the problem, except to exacerbate lies between party divides.

[Athos_131]

This is the 19the school shooting of 2018.

That's nineteen school shooting in only 45 days.

Of those 19  eight of them a gun was fired on school property but no one was injured, and two were gun suicides. That only leaves nine shootings that resulted in deaths mass or otherwise. Bashing one particular president or another will not help the problem, except to exacerbate lies between party divides.

Is that right?

'Thoughts and prayers' — and fistfuls of NRA money: Why America can't control guns

The gun rights organization spent a stupendous $54.4 million in the 2016 election cycle, almost all of it in "independent expenditures," meaning spending for or against a candidate but not a direct contribution to a campaign. The money went almost entirely to Republicans to a degree that almost looks like a misprint (but isn't): Of independent expenditures totaling $52.6 million, Democrats received $265.

#Resist

[twistedspike]

This is the 19the school shooting of 2018.

That's nineteen school shooting in only 45 days.

Of those 19  eight of them a gun was fired on school property but no one was injured, and two were gun suicides. That only leaves nine shootings that resulted in deaths mass or otherwise. Bashing one particular president or another will not help the problem, except to exacerbate lies between party divides.

Is that right?

'Thoughts and prayers' — and fistfuls of NRA money: Why America can't control guns

The gun rights organization spent a stupendous $54.4 million in the 2016 election cycle, almost all of it in "independent expenditures," meaning spending for or against a candidate but not a direct contribution to a campaign. The money went almost entirely to Republicans to a degree that almost looks like a misprint (but isn't): Of independent expenditures totaling $52.6 million, Democrats received $265.

#Resist

While I will acknowledge your point of donations from NRA supporters are predominantly to the republican party, surely you can also concede that the last sitting potus did absolutely nothing to fix the problem of gun ownership either.  Neither party is blameless in this senseless tragedy that has befallen America and the world. Outlaw guns and only outlaws will have guns.

[Athos_131]

surely you can also concede that the last sitting potus did absolutely nothing to fix the problem of gun ownership either.

Here's why the federal government can't study gun violence

Though President Obama formally directed the CDC to "the causes of gun violence and the ways to prevent it" shortly after the Newtown mass-murder in 2012, the chilling effect had already taken hold, and the CDC has consistently declined to allocate money to study the issue.

FACT SHEET: New Executive Actions to Reduce Gun Violence and Make Our Communities Safer

Congress blocked Obama's call for new gun laws after mass shootings

Most of Obama’s actions didn’t require direct action from Congress, which debated annually how to fund federal law enforcement agencies and had waffled on cash for a 2007 law to improve background checks.

#Resist

[_priapism]

Criminals break laws.

We shall learn much more in the next few days.

That's nineteen school shooting in only 45 days.

Near as damn it, that's a school shooting every other day.

That's insane.

The first year of Trump's presidency saw 345 mass shootings.

[Army of One]

You know what, I'm going to just say this once, because, in all honesty, I know the people in defence of the current state of affairs will argue ad nauseum against what I have to say, and those supporting change...well, I'd be preaching to the choir there.

1. Change your goddamn laws!
Right now, gun ownership laws in America are like a poorly constructed Frankenstein's Monster: nothing works because nothing fits. Laws need to be consistent, and if the states can't handle that, then it needs to be a federal thing.

2. Fix the damn gun culture!
Right now, this is one of the things that ruin the American image to the outside world: the almost obsessive culture surrounding gun possession and usage. Now, we (those outside the US) know full well it is a minority who do this, but it will always be the minority who ruin the image of the majority. To worsen things, of course, there's your...actually, I'll separate this out into a new point.

3. Dismantle your NRA!
I'll quote from the Bible, so that the point is perfectly clear: if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you. (Matthew 5:30, if you want a reference.) The NRA are America's right hand: the leadership (and some members, for that matter) have demonstrated a reckless disregard for the greater population of the nation they call home, and a paranoia that has long crossed the line of delusion. The government needs to admit they have a cancer affecting proper decisions being made, and excise it immediately!

[_priapism]

You know what, I'm going to just say this once, because, in all honesty, I know the people in defence of the current state of affairs will argue ad nauseum against what I have to say, and those supporting change...well, I'd be preaching to the choir there.

1. Change your goddamn laws!
Right now, gun ownership laws in America are like a poorly constructed Frankenstein's Monster: nothing works because nothing fits. Laws need to be consistent, and if the states can't handle that, then it needs to be a federal thing.

2. Fix the damn gun culture!
Right now, this is one of the things that ruin the American image to the outside world: the almost obsessive culture surrounding gun possession and usage. Now, we (those outside the US) know full well it is a minority who do this, but it will always be the minority who ruin the image of the majority. To worsen things, of course, there's your...actually, I'll separate this out into a new point.

3. Dismantle your NRA!
I'll quote from the Bible, so that the point is perfectly clear: if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you. (Matthew 5:30, if you want a reference.) The NRA are America's right hand: the leadership (and some members, for that matter) have demonstrated a reckless disregard for the greater population of the nation they call home, and a paranoia that has long crossed the line of delusion. The government needs to admit they have a cancer affecting proper decisions being made, and excise it immediately!

[Lois]

Thank you indeed.

We have to hold the enablers responsible.

[horny guy]

Don't agree with holding the enablers responsible. Recently a person ran through a crowd with his car.. Do you hold the car manufacturer responsible? Or maybe the DMV for giving the person the License? Why is it only guns that this way of thinking comes to mind. Laws haven't corrected the problem yet either as proven by the places that have the strictest laws, have the most crime.

[Athos_131]

A gun is solely an instrument of death.  It only has that purpose.

A car is not, and yet ownership of one and the regulations on one are stricter.

#Resist

[Army of One]

Don't agree with holding the enablers responsible. Recently a person ran through a crowd with his car.. Do you hold the car manufacturer responsible? Or maybe the DMV for giving the person the License? Why is it only guns that this way of thinking comes to mind. Laws haven't corrected the problem yet either as proven by the places that have the strictest laws, have the most crime.

Firstly, have a look at the laws of the states surrounding these strictest states. The reason why the strictest states have the highest gun crime is because of the states surrounding them have extremely lax laws, which act as a loophole for those who want to get hold of a gun.
Secondly, my second point in my post is "change the gun culture". That's a responsibility on everyone, not just enablers. The same thing would be said if, for example, vehicular crime was high.

[horny guy]

Army of One. Extremely lax laws for the surrounding states? There still needs to be background checks and a process to purchase guns. What is being done withing the strict gun areas to the ones that violate the laws? Seems to me that the punishment for violating the laws in those areas should be to a point where no one would want to risk breaking the laws if they are to be effective. It seems though, instead, it gives the criminals the ability to break the law without opposition.

Athos. There are people that want to kill with guns, no question there, but there are also people that want to protect with them as well. If no one is able to protect themselves then that's a fast road to hell. That's been proven time and time again even back in US history with Indians.