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Thread: The Thoughts and Prayers thread. Brought to you by the NRA

  1. I momentarily realized that we cant even teach sex ed properly so i don't know why i expect there to be a proper internet education course but a girl can dream
    Quote Originally Posted by dechecho View Post
    Where am I anyway? - I only registered on here to post on this thread

  2. Judging by those stats you mentioned, the solution is to only have 19 and 20 year olds go to school, since they never shoot the place up.

  3. #43
    Quote Originally Posted by Satsuki View Post
    Unfortunately, I don't think it's a population issue - again, there are countries with far bigger population issues and it doesn't result in gun violence.

    I was trying to theorize last night about what sort of cohort effect would have a hand in school shootings, but it's even a little difficult to find accurate, long term data about what age the school shooters are typically (56% under 18, the rest 21+ - somewhat negligible in numbers.) So, what happened in the last 21 years that would have a lasting impression on a potential shooter, and cause him to act? Our stratification has grown exponentially at this time - but would this have a direct or indirect effect on a shooter? It's been proven that economics have little effect on violent crime. (The only things that increase noticeably during this time are car thefts and drug use.)

    The one thing that I could pin down is of course, technology. the internet. The rising accessibility of the internet during these past ~21 years has meant that there is a computer in every home, a phone in every pocket. Now, I'm not a luddite by any, any stretch of the imagination (obviously) but I am curious about the impacts of this much information and connection being available, and the lack of ACCURATE information on the subject. I don't believe in "internet addiction" any more than I believe in "car addiction" or "chair addiction." There will be individuals out there who are out of control no matter what the media. But, we do not offer any education in the field of internet usage at a young age. Even a library catalogue card system has a learning curve, and we learn(ed?) that when we were younger. (At least, we may have been the last generation to, not sure if kids are even taught it via computer anymore.)

    If we are going to trust the internet with our jobs, economy, communication, entertainment, etc - we HAVE to teach it at a young age, and teach "browsing habits." About how to process the information we receive. About how to communicate with others digitally versus face-to-face. Because we're currently trusting the internet to self educate on crime, deviance, subculture, etc. The lack of honest, real information on this topic (internet education) is astounding. Obviously there's scholarly works - but what about basic internet skills in an elementary school curriculum, next to math, english, PE? I believe that this exponential rise in knowledge (for good and bad) via the internet is having a strong impact on children and young adults. Again - I don't advocate for taking away computers or phones, that's counterintuitive - but we NEED to stress that the internet is not just a toy you can put in the closet when you're done with it, and that it a tool that needs to have a basic manual when you're introduced to it.
    I'm less hopeful that the genie can or should be put back in the bottle. The Internet probably is a key part in that minorities can find each other and talk about making fantasies real. A Trans kid can make a Tumblr and meet other Tumblr Trans kids and figure out how to transition. Same with gay kids. In the past they might have to fake being straight until they are old of enough to move out. Now they can go online and talk with other gay kids.

    I would not be surprised if it isn't the same for mass killers. Somewhere they are probably getting online, talking about their murder fantasies. And eventually, like the two gay 15 year Olds that meet up for their first time, they have to go out and make their death fantasy real.

    In the past they wouldn't have an outlet and probably got themselves killed being a punk bitch or found a socially OK outlet like cop or soldier. "Oh I want to murder people, guess I'll go fight in the Boer war"

  4. #44
    Quote Originally Posted by Frogacuda View Post
    1) Don't show shooters on TV. Let them die in anonymity.
    While this is a good idea, I think the media's role is small compared to the real issue of gun culture in the US. The rest of the world sees the same news stories but doesn't have the same problem of copycats.

  5. #45
    Maybe they are fixated on guns too and since they don't have them they don't use them?

    At the end of the day, they are just objects. They aren't making people kill. So why do people choose them for mass killings? Is it really just the ease of it?

    What is it about the extra effort that stops someone from making chlorine gas in a place that bans guns?

    I would argue that it is because we hype up guns and not the alternatives. We hype them up in film and games and then the sick few go fantasize about it online.

  6. Quote Originally Posted by Fe 26 View Post
    Maybe they are fixated on guns too and since they don't have them they don't use them?
    A lot of them do have them and still don't use them. See Canada.

    At the end of the day, they are just objects. They aren't making people kill. So why do people choose them for mass killings? Is it really just the ease of it?
    Yes.

    What is it about the extra effort that stops someone from making chlorine gas in a place that bans guns?
    You just said it, it's significantly extra effort.
    You sir, are a hideous hermaphroditical character which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.

  7. #47
    Is it really for someone that sits around plotting a mass murder for years? Like none of these mass murders are impulse actions. They're all planned for months if not years.

  8. #48
    Maybe the issue is like the original reaction to "The Sorrows of Young Werther" where young people started to dress like the main characters and the sick few actually committing suicide to mimic the book?

  9. I don’t think most any of these are planned outside of a couple weeks. Maybe an impetus is sparked, but not actual planning.
    Boo, Hiss.

  10. I know Columbine was in process for about a year or more, but that’s an outlier in a lot of ways. I’d be curious to know if other shooters were planning for an extended period of time or not.
    Quote Originally Posted by dechecho View Post
    Where am I anyway? - I only registered on here to post on this thread

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