Gun Control thread (merged many)

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by August

Anyone looking for reasons should start with the killers own words:

"I have noticed that so many people like him (the Virginia news crew killer) are all alone and unknown, yet when they spill a little blood, the whole world knows who they are. A man who was known by no one, is now known by everyone. His face splashed across every screen, his name across the lips of every person on the planet, all in the course of one day. Seems the more people you kill, the more you're in the limelight."

These monsters feed off each other and the media, eager for ratings and damn the consequences, are happy to provide the fodder.

I think that's definitely part of the problem, but not the whole problem.
Our media is just as bad, take a look on youtube at clips from all the programs that were aired during and after our last mass-shooting:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Raoul+moat
I mean, this was treated as a big thing in the UK, even though by American standards it was pretty small fry, 2 dead and 2 injured.
Admittedly, I think part of the focus was because it happened only one month after another nutjob went postal in a much bigger way, and here's the same media frenzy:
https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...bria+shootings

Ok, it's perhaps not quite as frothing at the mouth as the US media gets, with all their special graphics and talking heads, but between that and twitter, it's not that far off. The end result is the same, the guy gets their name out there for a good time, gets their own wikipedia entry and eternal fame.

So...why does it happen with such a frequency in the US as opposed to elsewhere? What are the differing factors? If the US and the UK has similar media treatment of spree killers (you should have seen the fuss over the Ipswich Ripper incident never seen so much press in Ipswich before) then why does the UK not see more spree killings?

Personally, I think that there is a trifecta of issues, the firearms, mental health care and the press. Unless you treat all three of the issues, then the other two will mean that the issue won't go away but will just morph into another way. Ban the press from reporting it, and people will go on the internet where you can't ban it, ban firearms and people will probably switch to knives, fix mental health care and you might reduce the number but probably not by as much as would be possible under a three pronged approach.
Of course, the 1st and 2nd Amendments are the key factors in two of the three issues and those will be the hardest to examine and deal with.

However, just writing the problem off as being natural or just a part of life, becoming numb and normalised to it...I don't think that's a healthy way for a country to go.

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Nice one

My attempt at injecting a little humour....

Hundreds of refugees, fleeing violence in their own country, arrived in the UK today.

On various flights from America.

Make them welcome there, and tell them not to come back.

[vienna]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Nice one

My attempt at injecting a little humour....

Hundreds of refugees, fleeing violence in their own country, arrived in the UK today.

On various flights from America.

Ah, then our plan is working...


<O>

[Betonov]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

Make them welcome there, and tell them not to come back.

The one guy I know and did that was made welcome and wouldn't go back if you payed him

[Onkel Neal]

Good, glad to hear it. Want more?

[Betonov]

If they're experianced and/or have a trade, sure

[Onkel Neal]

No no no, don't discriminate. Where's your humanitarian spirit?

[Betonov]

Died with the last unemployment stint. Along with a lot of my other emotions.

[August]

Originally Posted by Oberon

So...why does it happen with such a frequency in the US as opposed to elsewhere? What are the differing factors?

Well for one thing we have 6 times the population of say England. Just that factor alone should dictate we have 6 times the incidents.

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Betonov

The one guy I know and did that was made welcome and wouldn't go back if you payed him

We had some...but the US took them back off us in 1993, wouldn't even let them leave their cool toys behind either.

Originally Posted by August

Well for one thing we have 6 times the population of say England. Just that factor alone should dictate we have 6 times the incidents.

That's true, but by numbers alone you have six times the amount of the UKs shooting sprees of the last decade in about a month. I mean, this year there has been more incidents than there has been days in the year so far.

[Rockstar]

Originally Posted by Sea Demon U-48

So because i'm a gun owner i'm a white trash, trailer dwelling redneck. Way to stereotype.

Im originally from Wisconson, left over 43 years ago. Travelled alot and came to find out there is a huge difference between a frontiersman as portrayed on Blazing Saddles speaking authentic frontier gibberish and a stereotypical redneck or a white trash trailor dweller.

Additionnaly it was directed at myself.

Sorry cheeshead.

[Rockstar]

Originally Posted by Oberon

What, exactly, has your nation done to reduce the number of mass shootings per year?

We're reducing the number of refugees.

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Rockstar

We're reducing the number of refugees.

Reducing the number of children too...

[mapuc]

Have to go against what I said in my last post.

Every time this happens I hope the authorities and whoever it may concern would sit down and start talking, about what can be done to prevent this or make it harder to happen again in the future.

All I see is, people throwing stone at each other or bite each others head if in different forums, every time it happens.

Markus

[August]

Originally Posted by Oberon

However, just writing the problem off as being natural or just a part of life, becoming numb and normalised to it...I don't think that's a healthy way for a country to go.

There's a lot of things that can be done without gutting the Constitution.

One thing that needs to be done right away is to get rid of "gun free zones". They do nothing constructive at all. They just tell the killer that his victims will not be able to stop him. It's why they pick those places. You don't see them trying it at a police station or a gun shop where somebody might shoot back.

As for banning coverage I disagree with what you said earlier. Confine their identities to the dark recesses of the internet and you take away 99% of the fame. That's 99% of their motivation. I like the County sheriffs take on it. Never say their name. Never post their picture. Do not give them what they want!