I thought things had gone quiet onthe gun front

[BillyT]

My condolences go out to all that have been affected by this tragedy.

I would have hope that the record for murder would have stayed here. These kind of situations keep getting larger and larger. It is sad that deep down I know that it will get worst because that is the way of the world. These things that are happening is worldwide and just not unique to America. We keep saying what needs to be done but people keep electing politicians who do the will of the minority and the majority do not stand up to them.

 

[luckynumbah7]

I think the dichotomy in defining terrorism evolved as Americans learned the term. It was originally someone who represented an organized movement, killing civilians in an effort to strike at a nation and ensure that its vulnerability was made known as a strategic action to flex power of a guerilla movement and its cause.

Whenever it's a psycho just bent on murdering as many people as possible, without having a political cause or an organized movement, it's mental health.

What makes you believe he wasn't being motivated by the 'issues of today' - ie, politics? I mean, so far as I know, that's what politics are comprised of much of the time, agitation for equitable treatment that's broken down into the groups being disadvantaged. I know it was Vegas but you can target anyone in a crowd - or just say to yourself that it's probably mostly composed of 'x kinda people and their friends'.

I'm leery of writing it off as a 'mental health issue'. People can be sane and still do horrible shit for horrible reasons. People can also be mentally unwell and do horrible shit for horrible reasons, obviously. Mental illness rarely shoots up a crowd, tho, there always seems to be some sort of motivation of the "I hate x for y reasons" statement following.

It always seems to be the white guys with guns who're deemed 'disturbed' when they claim no affiliation. (or even when they state certain retrograde beliefs that have fallen out of favor in the political clime, like your average white guy is entitled to whatever woman he wants and they should be relegated to service industries if at all; I'm reminded of some of the incel boards and the hatred of women via mass shooting). Stormfront is a decent enough example of people discussing the politics, as is Dylan Roof, the incel guy who frequented the boards. Hard to get more political than a message board founded by a klu klux klan leader and filled with bitter white men bitching about people of color. I can't say they're noted for their progressive views of women, either.

Every other guy (and the occasional woman) who's stated beliefs and behavior that involve politics, loathing and shooting swathes of people are called terrorist.

Maybe it's just that guys have this idea that they're king of a castle and are less likely to work together in an organizational group format because they're not used to having to band together like minorities do in other situations. Puts a bit of a different spin on "Every man for himself.", but not that much of a different spin.

 

[luckynumbah7]

^Tldr;


I wanna see what he has in his internet history before I'm willing to contemplate 'writing off' his actions as 'deranged thinking due to mental illness'.

 

[nycguydowntown]

Until we take money out of politics nothing will change--the crappy republicans need NRA money and the Koch Brothers have threatened to cut off money from republicans if they don't get rid of health care----so we have a bunch of money whores in this country which motivates all political discourse---of course the Dems have their money sources but a majority of them would vote to take money out of politics ---the dumb republican supreme court decision that money is speech has to be reversed----until this happens lots of things won't change.

 

[gsdx]

One automatic wasn't enough. Police found 8 guns in the hotel room.

He was on the 32nd floor. What are the chances that anyone in the crowd could have shot him through the window? (Serious question.)

 

[peeonme]

Why nothing gets done:

In spite of the fact that one would have to be heartless, cold and mentally ill to want these slaughters to continue, we never see any light at the end of the tunnel.

While all are repulsed, angry and overwhelmed when these shootings take place this indignation and rage against such carnage seems to quickly be replaced by everyone quickly and knowingly assuming their proper political roles.

If you are a right wing nut, you realize that those dirty leftys will soon use this event to kick down your door, confiscate grand dad's hunting rifle and leave you helpless to fight off the government when they come for you. So you hunker down and just say no to any gun laws.

If you are on the left, this is an opportunity to attack the NRA, so when you bring them up people quickly tune you out, because the NRA has warned them that you would do this.

If you despise America, it's another chance to talk about what asshole we are in the states.

If you like to label people, then it's "what was he?" time. Why don't they say he was a terrorist?

Of course it's a great time to play that race card and point out Ad nauseam that he was an old white man.

So, while we and those whom we have elected fight over terms and turf, nothing gets done and the killing continues.

 

[gsdx]

The count is now up to 58 dead and 515 injured. There were 10 guns in the room, not 8 as previously reported.

 

[luckynumbah7]

Why nothing gets done:

In spite of the fact that one would have to be heartless, cold and mentally ill to want these slaughters to continue, we never see any light at the end of the tunnel.

That doesn't track. The States are 5% of the world's population and commit 31% of mass shootings. Serious mental illness is 4%, perhaps 5% of the population. Clearly everyone with a serious mental illness doesn't commit mass shootings because there is no way in hell the entirety of the 5% of people with a serious mental illness are responsible for 31% of the mass shootings worldwide.

Perhaps we should stop blaming mental illness for some people's sense of entitlement.

http://demographicpartitions.org/statistics-on-mass-shootings/

And there's no such thing as 'a card for x', while I'm at it.

 

[mikey3000]

I have two plane tickets for The Stratosphere Hotel, Las Vegas strip, for Sunday, right on my fridge. I don't know what to do....

 

[Zeno Lorea]

I hated to read in the press that there was supposedly "no link to terrorism". I looked up the actual statement from the authorities to see if the press agencies hadn't misquoted, but no: they said "no link to terrorism". Not "no link to other terrorists" or something.

When you kill people in an act like this, that's terrorism. You don't have to follow a certain type of political ideology, like a religion. You're terrorizing people. That is terrorism.

 

[luckynumbah7]

I hated to read in the press that there was supposedly "no link to terrorism". I looked up the actual statement from the authorities to see if the press agencies hadn't misquoted, but no: they said "no link to terrorism". Not "no link to other terrorists" or something.

When you kill people in an act like this, that's terrorism. You don't have to follow a certain type of political ideology, like a religion. You're terrorizing people. That is terrorism.

It's only considered terrorism when you're doing it to other people in the name of personal ideology, not your own people. Your own people are fair game for personal ideology, always have been. Trufax.

That doesn't track. The States are 5% of the world's population and commit 31% of mass shootings. Serious mental illness is 4%, perhaps 5% of the population. Clearly everyone with a serious mental illness doesn't commit mass shootings because there is no way in hell the entirety of the 5% of people with a serious mental illness are responsible for 31% of the mass shootings worldwide.

Perhaps we should stop blaming mental illness for some people's sense of entitlement.

http://demographicpartitions.org/statistics-on-mass-shootings/

And there's no such thing as 'a card for x', while I'm at it.

Nor are the rest of the 5% of people with a serious mental illness likely to be rooting for the asshole with a gun. I imagine the people who resemble the asshole in various ways might be quietly rooting. Or wondering how the event fucks up their vacation plans and whinging that someone dieing looks bad for Cheeto. You know, shit people usually mutter to show they they care about the situation-at-hand and analizing the data to bring about positive solutions. Instead people like to rely on the bogeyman 'insanity!' to wash thier collective hands of it.

/Snark

 

[peeonme]

That doesn't track. The States are 5% of the world's population and commit 31% of mass shootings. Serious mental illness is 4%, perhaps 5% of the population. Clearly everyone with a serious mental illness doesn't commit mass shootings because there is no way in hell the entirety of the 5% of people with a serious mental illness are responsible for 31% of the mass shootings worldwide.

Perhaps we should stop blaming mental illness for some people's sense of entitlement.

http://demographicpartitions.org/statistics-on-mass-shootings/

And there's no such thing as 'a card for x', while I'm at it.

Please read my post more carefully. I didn't say that the shooter was mentally ill.
I said that one would be heartless, cold and mentally ill to not want to find a way to deal with these killings, this is about US, not the killers.
It's about US coming together instead of bickering.

 

[Telstra]

oh my god,
he was in the hotel shooting down at the crowd freely like killing ants.

 

[LeicsDom]

Please read my post more carefully. I didn't say that the shooter was mentally ill.

Although let's be honest anyone who does that IS mentally ill

 

[zoltanspawn]

Today I learned it's both legal and cheap to modify a semi-automatic weapon with a crank that depresses the trigger faster than a finger can. Isn't that retarded?

I have no idea if Paddock used one.

After Trump, I'm beginning to think our country's greatest embarrassment is our unfettered gun culture.

 

[zoltanspawn]

Another interesting fact: there are 490,664 legally registered automatic weapons here in Gunville.

 

[Telstra]

Why do people need automatic machine guns to defend themselves from burglars ?
It is not unreasonable to ban all automatic machine guns from the public.

 

[Kahaih]

Another interesting fact: there are 490,664 legally registered automatic weapons here in Gunville.

Where is ‘Gunville’?

How many of those ‘490,664 legally registered automatic weapons’ werem't used to kill someone today?

 

[KaraBulut]

Why do people need automatic machine guns to defend themselves from burglars ?
It is not unreasonable to ban all automatic machine guns from the public.

Automatic weapons aren't legal. Semi-automatic assault weapons are legal (since 2004 when the federal legislation ban was not renewed).

Semi-automatic weapons are allegedly used for hunting. Because apparently, deer are more fun to hunt with military grade assault weapons.

Where is ‘Gunville’?

How many of those ‘490,664 legally registered automatic weapons’ werem't used to kill someone today?

He probably meant semi-automatic.

But even with the argument on semi-automatic weapons... How many weapons and murders does it take to ponder the need for a change? Fourteen adults/4 semi-automatic guns (San Bernardino)? Twenty children & 6 adults/1 semi-automic rifle and two semi-automatic pistols (Sandy Hook)? Thirty-two people/two semi-automatic pistols (Virginia Tech)? Forty-nine people/1 semi-automatic rifle & 1 semi-automatic pistol (Pulse nightclub)? 59 dead, 560 injured / 10+ semi-automatic weapons (Vegas)?

There's 765,000 uniformed police officers in the US. The estimates are that there's 1.5 million assault weapons in private hands. Gun stocks went up today because every time this happens, Americans buy more guns. If this isn't insanity, I'm not sure what is.

 

[Kahaih]

^So, that’s 19 semi-automatic weapons used to kill people? Did I miss any on your list?

That leaves 490,645 [Privately owned?] semi-automatic weapons that were not used to kill someone [STRIKE]today.[/STRIKE] somewhat recently.*



*Actually your numbers include less recent figures, and none of them were from today, anyway. The Vegas shootings were last night, right?