bad news from the US

Yep. It's the worst mass shooting in US history.

 

Is it coz there are so many guns in the US? I dunno, but people say that, so I'm just asking. Like in the UK, no one has hand guns, and I don't remember every reading about a school massacre.

 

Having lots of guns around certainly doesn't help; however, I think it goes deeper than that. People in the U.S. have lost a sense of community because the success of the individual is valued so highly (while the success of the collective is an after-thought). We've also been burrying our heads in the sand and refusing to talk about such fundamental topics as self worth, sex, charity, greed, and others that we've made a culture where it's not o.k. to even exist unless you fit into an unrealistic model of warped reality perpetuated by the highly commercialized "mainstream" media. The family of the perpetrator of this shooting will likely say that they had "no idea he was capable of this" because they never took the time to get to know him -- all too common these days. The lost soul that took up a gun to get the attention of those around him showed us once again the error of our ways but once again we will not learn and we will not see -- we will write off the shooter as a lunatic with psycho-defective tendencies.

I love my country, I respect the process of American law, but I find the society that has been established by our immediate forefathers to be an ignorant, avoidant, and egocentric one. In my opinion, that's why the shooting happened -- the violence, the gun, and the deaths were merely a device of convenience used by the shooter to tell everyone that the system around him is broken. He clearly broke under the pressure of the American image, was likely unknown by his friends and family because he was made to be affraid of his true self, and was taught that since those around him had to think only of themselves that he, too, should fend for himself. This created a cycle of perpetual failure, self-loathing, and isolation that ultimately resulted in the breakdown that caused the shooter to rampage.

 

What really pushes my buttons is when people use the excuse that no one really got to know them or they were lonely or wanted attention. These people knew right from wrong and realized the consiquences, that is something that should not be forgotten. They have committed serious crimes, and should be punished as such. Just because they didnt have a very good social life or were picked on or whatever doesnt mean they should go on a rampage, I mean, my hell if everone did that there wouldn't be anyone left in the U.S. To me these kids just have anger issues and hide behind those excuses. Just my two cents

Oh by the way, one thing they also dont take into consideration is the ripple effect caused by the death of a loved one. Not very many know how painful it is to lose a loved one at such a young age, I being one who does. So in reality they may also be responisble for more deaths than those they acutally killed themselves. Their death may lead to others to commite suicide and such.

 

Yeah, I saw that news this morning.
But these sad event had happened quite often in the US.
It was the worst in the history of gun shooting and killing in the school in the US.
It was about 6 years ago but we had a student who brought a gun and killed his friend in my old high school in Alabama(I'm still in high school but I'm in private high school now)

As long as you can buy a gun at supermarket...I think these sad news will be on the tv again:tantrum:

But still it is terrible news.

Pray for the souls of the loss...

 

I completely agree with Blamblazer. Now, it's no excuse, naturally, but our society really has become a terrible monster. I can't talk to people about being bisexual or depressed, and it's a good idea to keep my dyslexia under wraps as well, when relating to work, and since I can't talk about it, they begin to eat away at me from the inside. Then we have our TVs telling us exactly how everyone else is better than us every single day, as well as constant headline reports of violence. It's enough motivation to run off and live in a cave, heh.

 

While I can't comment on the social aspects unique to America, I do believe the availability of guns is something to take into consideration.

For instance, in Australia - it is nearly unheard of to have a uni student with a gun. That's not to say that the gunner's psychological condition was caused by having guns around. Rather, the way in which he dealt with his condition/emotions (the killings) were influenced by the presence of guns.

I don't think that the anger, hurt and other emotions that the gunner felt that led him to kill those people are unique to America. I think what makes this case unique is the fact that he had the opportunity to use a gun - where in a country that limits guns severely, the opportunity to use a gun when angry/hurt usually just isn't there.

 

Well, it appears that the killer was in the USA on a visa from China.

That said - the easy availability of guns in the US is obviously a major factor in an event such as this.

Tragic and very sad. What is even sadder is that little (if anything) is likely to be done about it - such is the power of the gun lobby.

*EDIT*
OOps. Dave and I aren't parroting each other - seems that he must have submitted his post as i was typing mine...Oh well - at least we are thinking in much the same direction...

 

I can definately see that. Additionally, as I'd mentioned, the media had a lot to do with it, I believe. It's seriously a chore trying to find a news paper or watch a news report that doesn't proudly display some horrible, violent crime or some figure of mass death, and I feel that some of us just soak that up.

Heh, edit: In that case, Tri, I withdraw my argument hot topic, no?

 

Great minds think alike :icon_wink

 

Yeah this is really sad, he was on a visa from South Korea - though apparently he grew up in America since he was 8. He left a "chilling note" complaining about the affluency of some of his fellow students and seems to have snapped.

I can't think of any other reason. Nothing like the Dunblane Massacre has happened since the UK banned guns, and the US really needs to do the same.

 

Willie, rent and watch Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. It's a brilliant documentary and it totally looks at what the issue is with gun violence in America. It's not the amount of guns because we have around the same number of guns per capita in Canada but like 1/10 the gun violence. Moore suggests it's something cultural and I think I have to agree.

 

Except for the fact that if I recall what was on the radio this morning correctly, the shooter was a South Korean studying in the US.

But your points are good... just not exactly the right fit for this particular story.

 

You're dyslexic?! I would never have thought that... you write just as well as anyone here! Or is it more of a reading thing?

 

Actually, no, it probably isn't a factor... I used to think so too but we have just as many guns per person in Canada and not even nearly the same amount of violence.

I think it's the attitude towards guns and violence in the States... obviously if there were no guns, there wouldn't be gun violence but there'd probably be some other form of it.

 

I think we need more strict methods of gun control but here in the US people cling to the 2nd Ammendment like its their life.

 

Which is funny because it's not like the 2nd Amendment says anything about people having the right to own semi-automatic firearms... I'm pretty sure the gun lobby conveniently EXPANDS upon what America's founding fathers were attempting to enshrine in the Constitution. Which is funny because conservatives in the States are always saying judges should stick to a literal application of law (rather than being "judicial activists" gah barf puke I hate their stupid spin-doctoring manipulation) yet with the 2nd Amendment they're quite happy to interpret it to their hearts' content.

I mean, it reads: "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

I'm betting they meant something along the lines of the country should be allowed to have a military, not that each and every citizens had the right to have however many guns they wanted. In fact, if you think about it, a government doesn't really want each and every citizens to be incredibly well-armed because that would make rebellion pretty damn easy and dangerous.

 

ik no kiddin

 

Oh my gosh: get this: http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-foxpullsbonesepisode,0,4937407.story?coll=zap-tv-headlines

Is it just me or is that completely stupid? No wait, it's not just me. Because this episode has NOTHING to do with a shooting. The ONLY connection is that the episodes involves the murder of ONE (as in singular) college student. But oh no, it might TRAUMATISE someone! It might be TOO MUCH!

This is even dumber than when they pulled the school shooting Buffy episode... which was at least somewhat understandable--although delaying the finale in the US until mid-summer was just inexcusable!

I just HATE how Americans are so bloody coddled! Oh no, someone might sue us for emotional distress! That's what it's really about--it's not about being "sensitive" it's about covering your ass.

If they really want to be "sensitive" then take all the episodes dealing with someone dying of cancer off the air--that sure as shit affects and "triggers" a lot more people than one (admittedly horrible) school shooting.

And just never, never, never show a plane hitting a building! We wouldn't want anyone to relive that trauma!