Why are so many Americans losing their mind this year?
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i am going to link to this: Are Mass Shootings Becoming More Common in the United States? small sample:kingblaze84 wrote: »Fair enough, violence is way too prevalent in this country. I have no problem saying that. I'm not advocating for tougher gun laws or anything, I support gun rights but it really does feel people are getting crazier than normal these days. It's possible the media is getting to my head but that shooting in the elementary school has really made me look at American violence in a different way.In a more recent column, written after Friday's massacre of children in Connecticut, Fox argued that "if it seems like these dreadful crimes are occurring more frequently, it is really the immediacy and pervasiveness of media coverage that creates the impression. And thanks to state-of-the-art technology, it can feel as though the tragedy happened in your own backyard." Duwe has addressed the media coverage too, pointing out in a 2005 paper that mass murders in the 1920s and '30s were more likely to take place within families or during the commission of another felony. These are not the kinds of killings that tend to attract a high level of press attention.
I hear you, but you gota be honest and say violence in this nation is way too high and much higher than most parts of the world. It's a cultural problem that has to be addressed, from the federal govt on down. Not sure what we can do about it, there is no magic bullet (maybe a poor choice of words) but I'm just wondering why Americans are so violent compared to most of the Earth. America's violent past and history might be one factor though..... -
It looks like Obama and Democrats will push for strong gun laws soon.....they want to ban assault rifles and create new gun laws. Is this a good idea? With people getting fed up with the sickening violence in this country, I'm willing to bet all or some of this will pass.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/19/obama-gun-violence-task-force_n_2331238.html
WASHINGTON — Declaring the time for action overdue, President Barack Obama promised on Wednesday to send Congress broad proposals in January for tightening gun laws and curbing violence after last week's schoolhouse massacre in Connecticut.
Even before those proposals are drafted, Obama pressed lawmakers to reinstate a ban on military-style assault weapons, close loopholes that allow gun buyers to skirt background checks and restrict high-capacity ammunition clips.
"The fact that this problem is complex can no longer be an excuse for doing nothing," Obama said in his most detailed comments on guns since Friday's killing of 20 schoolchildren and six adults in Newtown, Conn. "The fact that we can't prevent every act of violence doesn't mean we can't steadily reduce the violence."
Gun control measures have faced fierce resistance in Congress for years but that may be changing now because of last week's violence. Since then, Obama has signaled for the first time in his presidency that he's willing to spend political capital on the issue and some prominent gun-rights advocates on Capitol Hill – Democrats and Republicans alike – have expressed willingness to consider new measures. -
kingblaze84 wrote: »LOL no offense taken because as I said, I don't advocate for the elimination of gun rights. I support them, what I'm just trying to understand is why Americans are so quick to use violence as a way to solve problems. I've been in some fights in my lifetime but I've never started one, just finished them (never lost a fight either). Maybe I should read the newspapers less but I'm always struck by people I talk to from overseas when they tell me they don't hear or see the kind of violence that happens here over there, even in most 3rd world countries. You don't watch TV or read the paper so you might be in the dark as to how violent a society we are compared to the rest of the world. Sad situation and again, I admit maybe the media is getting to my head a bit.
No, I've always known this, and our society (the United States) from the start has been this way. When I went to college the international students always spoke of this, but none of the middle Eastern kids were bothered one bit and a lot of them had guns too. Some African kids laughed like "you think this is gun violence?". One Girl from Denmark said "we are all crazy, haha." The viloence that happens now with guns is nothing compared to the late 80's early 90's with gangs and drugs. We as a society let our politicians DICTATE new laws that limit citizens rights from isolated incidents blown waaaaaaay out of proportion by the media. Look up how many people died from gangs and gun violence in LA in the early 90's. Look up how many people died from guns in Miami in the late 80's. There were massacres. The media has learned how to grab the attention of the public and force change through politicians or with their cooperation and guidance. Mass death was never a problem until it hit suburban America. In the 70's when cops were killing off and jailing members of political organizations for expressing their gun rights and rights to police themselves these laws that they are now passing would have caused extreme public outrage. The bigger picture is if the citizens have no way to physically fight the government than the government is all powerful and can not be overthrown no matter how corrupt. We used to be able to cross borders without a passport Canada/Mexico. How long will it be until you have to show Passports just to leave your city or state? Slowly but surely, for your safety, the government is restricting rights and gaining power to control you.
This guns and school is nothing new to me. I'm from Cleveland, Ohio. I saw my first gun in school in the first grade. I took my first gun to school in the third grade. Not to shoot anyone, but to show my friends because at the time it seemed cool. I had my first experience in a drive by (being shot at) in the eighth grade. By the time I got to high school there were metal detectors at every door. Even still kids kept guns in their lockers, or would show them off on the school bus. Through all of that no one ever got shot on school grounds while I was in grade school.
Guns dont ? people, people ? people...
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on some level ANY violence is too high. but it being a more complicated issue than "GUNS ARE THE PROBLEM" means i just get immediately fed up with people saying the way to stop shootings is to keep me from buying a 30-round magazine (which i am kept from buying right now, but i think the point is still made).kingblaze84 wrote: »I hear you, but you gota be honest and say violence in this nation is way too high and much higher than most parts of the world.
it's PROBABLY not going to pass on a national level. PROBABLY. what's more likely is that citizens will get ? on a state-by-state basis. we'll throw out my beloved Maryland, for example, where the governor thinks we need more bans on ... whatever in a state that ALREADY:kingblaze84 wrote: »It looks like Obama and Democrats will push for strong gun laws soon.....they want to ban assault rifles and create new gun laws. Is this a good idea? With people getting fed up with the sickening violence in this country, I'm willing to bet all or some of this will pass.
-bans high-capacity magazines (20-round limit);
-regulates "assault weapons" and outright bans "assault pistols";
-mandates private firearm sales of regulated firearms run through the MSP;
-mandates training/certificate to buy regulated firearms;
-has waiting periods and purchase limits.
oh, and which has violence primarily based around the drug trade. but what the ? ever, let's pass legislation NOW NOW NOW while emotions are running rather than, you know, thinking about ? . -
no idea may be of recession
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I say it's mind control, military experiments & just plain crazy.
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Well there are many common items one human can ? another with, and most of them don't require ammo, a registration, a waiting period to acquire or any restriction other than the money to pay for it. My point is the same many make though but figured I would cut my teeth on this thread.
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aladdin1978 wrote: »I say it's mind control, military experiments & just plain crazy.
Military experiments? Mind control? Are most of these mass shootings this year a direct result of the govt making people do this? -
Right_Wight wrote: »Well there are many common items one human can ? another with, and most of them don't require ammo, a registration, a waiting period to acquire or any restriction other than the money to pay for it. My point is the same many make though but figured I would cut my teeth on this thread.
Yeah I think my thread gave people the feeling I want to ban guns or something when I don't, it's just weird how many random acts of violence have happened this year, or how shocking they have been that's stunned me. It's scary cuz I'm 28 and people older then me have told me that this seems to be the worst year when it comes to random work place or public murders. The most sensational at least..... -
kingblaze84 wrote: »Right_Wight wrote: »Well there are many common items one human can ? another with, and most of them don't require ammo, a registration, a waiting period to acquire or any restriction other than the money to pay for it. My point is the same many make though but figured I would cut my teeth on this thread.
Yeah I think my thread gave people the feeling I want to ban guns or something when I don't, it's just weird how many random acts of violence have happened this year, or how shocking they have been that's stunned me. It's scary cuz I'm 28 and people older then me have told me that this seems to be the worst year when it comes to random work place or public murders. The most sensational at least.....
Those older people you talking about must not have been around when all those postal workers were shooting up their jobs. Hence how we got the term "going postal"...
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perspective@100 wrote: »kingblaze84 wrote: »Right_Wight wrote: »Well there are many common items one human can ? another with, and most of them don't require ammo, a registration, a waiting period to acquire or any restriction other than the money to pay for it. My point is the same many make though but figured I would cut my teeth on this thread.
Yeah I think my thread gave people the feeling I want to ban guns or something when I don't, it's just weird how many random acts of violence have happened this year, or how shocking they have been that's stunned me. It's scary cuz I'm 28 and people older then me have told me that this seems to be the worst year when it comes to random work place or public murders. The most sensational at least.....
Those older people you talking about must not have been around when all those postal workers were shooting up their jobs. Hence how we got the term "going postal"...
The AP did a poll last week and when Americans were asked what was the biggest story of 2012, it wasn't the presidential election or the Libya disaster, it was mass shootings. So the mass shootings this year, especially the one ending with 20 kids and 28 people overall being killed really touched a nerve. Maybe I'm young but next to 9/11, this was the most horrific American story I've heard in a long time. The movie theater shooting also was shocking, things like this have never happened on this kind of level before, not in this sensational a manner. I know the murder rate was higher in the 90s and 80s but mass murders in public places this year of innocent people seems to be the worst I've ever seen. My coworker is 52 and she herself has said she's never seen a year like this when it comes to innocent people -
Until somebody beats blowing up a building with a truck bomb. None of these mass American mass killers are ? with the Oklahoma City bomber, until 9/11 that is. 168 people including 19 kids in a daycare that were younger then the Sandy victims got taken out. I also remember a random murder spree that claimed the life of Versace. Nobody safe.
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People will make any excuse in the world to hang on to their guns. Why? What is the purpose? People (especially the NRA and people of their ilk) have been misinterpreting the 2nd Amendment for so long, it's ridiculous. I hope the government imposes serious gun laws. My solution is outlawing ammo.
To the topic, though, it seems to be a great deal of white people losing their minds. This has alot to do with their lost sense of control in a world that is gradually becoming less white. ? scares them. You give a White person his first experience with real struggle then pair that person with a gun, you get what we're witnessing now -
manofmorehouse wrote: »People will make any excuse in the world to hang on to their guns. Why? What is the purpose? People (especially the NRA and people of their ilk) have been misinterpreting the 2nd Amendment for so long, it's ridiculous. I hope the government imposes serious gun laws. My solution is outlawing ammo.
To the topic, though, it seems to be a great deal of white people losing their minds. This has alot to do with their lost sense of control in a world that is gradually becoming less white. ? scares them. You give a White person his first experience with real struggle then pair that person with a gun, you get what we're witnessing now
I think you're on to something with the bold second paragraph. I notice the vast majority of mass shootings this year have involved white men and it does seem white men are a lot angrier these days if one listens to talk radio and what's going on in these shootings. White men have always been the most frequest mass shooters anyway but this year they really seem to be ? losing it, at least many are. I'm not sure if outlawing ammo is a good idea, I don't feel comfortable with just letting criminals having guns and everyone else being at their mercy. But yeah, America becoming less and less white and their power structure becoming less unfluential, maybe they're taking their anger out on other people because they have no one else to take their anger out on. What's ? crazy though is that these White folks are shooting mostly other White folk. I can only imagine how Black people would react if a White dude went into a Black neighborhood and started blasting off there...... -
FuriousOne wrote: »Until somebody beats blowing up a building with a truck bomb. None of these mass American mass killers are ? with the Oklahoma City bomber, until 9/11 that is. 168 people including 19 kids in a daycare that were younger then the Sandy victims got taken out. I also remember a random murder spree that claimed the life of Versace. Nobody safe.
Damn ? crazy I forgot all about that story.....Timothy Mcveigh is the single biggest American mass murderer of all time, let's hope nobody else tries to imitate him in our lifetime. Sickening and I must ask this question, why are so many White people so ? evil? ? ..... -
kingblaze84 wrote: »Right_Wight wrote: »Well there are many common items one human can ? another with, and most of them don't require ammo, a registration, a waiting period to acquire or any restriction other than the money to pay for it. My point is the same many make though but figured I would cut my teeth on this thread.
Yeah I think my thread gave people the feeling I want to ban guns or something when I don't, it's just weird how many random acts of violence have happened this year, or how shocking they have been that's stunned me. It's scary cuz I'm 28 and people older then me have told me that this seems to be the worst year when it comes to random work place or public murders. The most sensational at least.....
Yes more my fault, took it out of context. I think all the hype of "the end times" or whatever theme to an apocalypse people take, lend to a sort of mass hysteria. There are many factors, I need not list.
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Right_Wight wrote: »kingblaze84 wrote: »Right_Wight wrote: »Well there are many common items one human can ? another with, and most of them don't require ammo, a registration, a waiting period to acquire or any restriction other than the money to pay for it. My point is the same many make though but figured I would cut my teeth on this thread.
Yeah I think my thread gave people the feeling I want to ban guns or something when I don't, it's just weird how many random acts of violence have happened this year, or how shocking they have been that's stunned me. It's scary cuz I'm 28 and people older then me have told me that this seems to be the worst year when it comes to random work place or public murders. The most sensational at least.....
Yes more my fault, took it out of context. I think all the hype of "the end times" or whatever theme to an apocalypse people take, lend to a sort of mass hysteria. There are many factors, I need not list.
That's a good observation. The sandy killer's moms was on that end times ? . -
kingblaze84 wrote: »The AP did a poll last week and when Americans were asked what was the biggest story of 2012, it wasn't the presidential election or the Libya disaster, it was mass shootings. So the mass shootings this year, especially the one ending with 20 kids and 28 people overall being killed really touched a nerve. Maybe I'm young but next to 9/11, this was the most horrific American story I've heard in a long time. The movie theater shooting also was shocking, things like this have never happened on this kind of level before, not in this sensational a manner. I know the murder rate was higher in the 90s and 80s but mass murders in public places this year of innocent people seems to be the worst I've ever seen. My coworker is 52 and she herself has said she's never seen a year like this when it comes to innocent people
Only touching nerves to you people caught up in the media nonsense and sensationalizm. I could care less. Ok that was insensitive, but lets just say I dont care as much. Those kids and those people in the movie theatre are no better than the people who have been subject to this kind of violence their whole lives because of gang violence and drugs in urban communities. So now that violence is hitting Middle Suburban America it gets this kind of reaction from politicians and media? But as long as its in the low class neighborhoods its ok? Innocent victims make the situation more serious but if your born into this violencwe and blood shed its tough luck and good luck to ya? People die everyday, and if you think these new gun laws are being passed for your saftey your crazy. I for one dont like being controlled and told what I can and cannot do or what I can and cannot have. White people are not the problem and blaming them and saying they are crazy because they are losing power is only a fantasy minorities are perpetuating with wishful thinking. The system we have here in America is going no where. White people still retain (all) the power and they are less likely everyday to relinquish it to you, me, or anyone else who is not the color of a piece of chalk.
More about why your hearing so much and seeing so much on the news. The coverage we have now did not exist 15-20 years ago. Social media was still in comparatively infant stages. I only now through tv, netflix, and youtube see some of the things that went on in the 70's. ? is crazy. I saw police destroy a whole building in philedelphia with a bomb because they did not want to continue a shoot out. Not to mention innocent victims were killed there as well. There are always innocent victims supposedly when people die. We as in (the United States Citizens) need to be concerned with all the "innocent victims" we are creating throughout the world with our armed forces.
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manofmorehouse wrote: »People will make any excuse in the world to hang on to their guns. Why? What is the purpose? People (especially the NRA and people of their ilk) have been misinterpreting the 2nd Amendment for so long, it's ridiculous. I hope the government imposes serious gun laws. My solution is outlawing ammo.
To the topic, though, it seems to be a great deal of white people losing their minds. This has alot to do with their lost sense of control in a world that is gradually becoming less white. ? scares them. You give a White person his first experience with real struggle then pair that person with a gun, you get what we're witnessing now
What about people who actually hunt food like deer because the cow and chickens being put out in the farm industry are about as healthy as cigarette....
What about people who live in low income neighborhoods where police are less likely to help with crime and more likely to harass and put you in jail...
The gun range is also a good place to blow off stress....
Your more likely to die from an obesity related disease or some Pharmaceutical drug than to die from a gun.
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YOLO
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I know when you hear certain crimes you almost already know what race the person is, not trying to sound racist but everybody knows this.
and I'm not even saying I disagree with this theory.
but I was just sittin here thinkin, "Why aren't white people flippin out bustin peoples brains and killin themselves over in london, or france or germany etc?..." or maybe i'm just not hearing about it.
It seems like over here in the U.S. they have no problem gettin the ? off. kinda trippy. -
I still don't believe this "white people have gone crazy" bs. I think that this is yet another case of overrating race and the media. Perspective already killed this jawn, so there's no point in saying more. Same with what he said about gun possession.
As for violence in American schools?
1. It is still extremely rare. Our schools are generally VERY safe, trust me.
2. Violence in American schools is not a new thing that started with our apparently "special" generation. One could say that the worst case of school violence, even more so than the Virginia Tech shooting, was the Bath School disaster. And that happened in the '20s (almost a century ago!), and 38 elementary kids tragically died. And not a single gun was used to shoot a victim, so once again, guns are not necessarily the problem. The problem that we need to look at are parenting, socialization, anger, stress, mental illness (it's crazy how time and time again we just seem to completely ignore the reality of mental illness), etc. Paying too much attention to guns is just paying too much attention to the symptoms. -
young_reezy wrote: »I know when you hear certain crimes you almost already know what race the person is, not trying to sound racist but everybody knows this.
and I'm not even saying I disagree with this theory.
but I was just sittin here thinkin, "Why aren't white people flippin out bustin peoples brains and killin themselves over in london, or france or germany etc?..." or maybe i'm just not hearing about it.
It seems like over here in the U.S. they have no problem gettin the ? off. kinda trippy.
This is the point I am making... Same kind of things happen everywhere. OUR news or news here in the U.S. does not go out of their way to cover the global news. It would be far fetched to assume a "Mass shooting" in Germany would generate the type of response that has recently occured.
U.S. news is only given to you with the intention to sway your feelings and attitudes toward reported subject.
True Journalism is dead.
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A lot of these psychotic individuals suffer mental disorders, which can be mistaken as daily stress. But mental disorders derives from stressors, along with abusing synthetic or conventional drugs; the combination can cause mental hallucination over time, which alters their natural characteristics, which also causes certain individuals to take on phantom fears in life.
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perspective@100 wrote: »kingblaze84 wrote: »The AP did a poll last week and when Americans were asked what was the biggest story of 2012, it wasn't the presidential election or the Libya disaster, it was mass shootings. So the mass shootings this year, especially the one ending with 20 kids and 28 people overall being killed really touched a nerve. Maybe I'm young but next to 9/11, this was the most horrific American story I've heard in a long time. The movie theater shooting also was shocking, things like this have never happened on this kind of level before, not in this sensational a manner. I know the murder rate was higher in the 90s and 80s but mass murders in public places this year of innocent people seems to be the worst I've ever seen. My coworker is 52 and she herself has said she's never seen a year like this when it comes to innocent people
Only touching nerves to you people caught up in the media nonsense and sensationalizm. I could care less. Ok that was insensitive, but lets just say I dont care as much. Those kids and those people in the movie theatre are no better than the people who have been subject to this kind of violence their whole lives because of gang violence and drugs in urban communities. So now that violence is hitting Middle Suburban America it gets this kind of reaction from politicians and media? But as long as its in the low class neighborhoods its ok? Innocent victims make the situation more serious but if your born into this violencwe and blood shed its tough luck and good luck to ya? People die everyday, and if you think these new gun laws are being passed for your saftey your crazy. I for one dont like being controlled and told what I can and cannot do or what I can and cannot have. White people are not the problem and blaming them and saying they are crazy because they are losing power is only a fantasy minorities are perpetuating with wishful thinking. The system we have here in America is going no where. White people still retain (all) the power and they are less likely everyday to relinquish it to you, me, or anyone else who is not the color of a piece of chalk.
More about why your hearing so much and seeing so much on the news. The coverage we have now did not exist 15-20 years ago. Social media was still in comparatively infant stages. I only now through tv, netflix, and youtube see some of the things that went on in the 70's. ? is crazy. I saw police destroy a whole building in philedelphia with a bomb because they did not want to continue a shoot out. Not to mention innocent victims were killed there as well. There are always innocent victims supposedly when people die. We as in (the United States Citizens) need to be concerned with all the "innocent victims" we are creating throughout the world with our armed forces.
Yeah man I agree overall, America kills thousands of innocent people worldwide all the time all over the globe, politicians never shed tears over the tons of innocents killed in drone strikes and air raids in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and ? knows where else. I have myself brought up this up in threads over the years. One reason I didn't vote for the warmonger Obama in November 2012.....
As far as the rest of your post, there has been outrage over the innocent people killed in the hood over drug spots and delivery routes, it seems the problem with people getting killed in the hood is that NO ONE KNOWS HOW TO STOP IT. With drug dealers being one of the biggest employers in the hood, how do we tell them to stop busting guns when so many benefit off of dead competition? I used to sell drugs myself (still do what I gota do once in awhile) so I know how tough the competition is, but the deaths of innocents always disturbs me when I watch the news. Stop snitching is the unofficial motto of the hood, so until that changes it seems few things will change much, although murders and crime rates are down overall so progress is being made. But we also gota keep it real, ANY STORY involving someone shooting up a movie theater or elementary school will get a lot of attention. Will the media bring up how many innocent people our govt is murking overseas all the time? I doubt it so that's why I feel what you're saying, American govt is borderline evil and I also hope they don't find these shootings a good excuse to start banning guns. We do have to have more thorough background checks on buyers though.
