Another week, another mass shooting

[Risasi]

I hate these stories. It seems like there are a lot of them, but that's because the media goes rabid with 24/7 coverage for the next three months. I just did a quick count. In this century I think only* 239 people were killed in these mass shootings in the US.

Source: http://timelines.latimes.com/deadlie...ting-rampages/

To put that in perspective, the number of homicides in Chicago for 2014 was 426. One year! Much of this is related to gangs. It's all but ignored by the news media. It also has one of the most restrictive gun laws in the country. Do these murders not matter? Some of these aren't just gang members, but also innocents caught in the crossfire. My point is that it seems like there are a lot, but statistically mass shootings are a drop in the bucket in the big scheme of things. And they have been happening for decades. These media jackals are just chasing market share. Schools shootings get eyeballs, which sells ads.

Killers will find a way no matter what. Was it Indonesia or Malaysia who coined the term to "run amok"? There, instead of shootings they just go nuts with a knife. Last year I believe there were about 30+ killed in western China by a group with knives. It didn't make the news much though.

Anywhere that has a lot of people in one place where it's very likely they are disarmed will be a target for these rampage killers, regardless of the tools used.

Here is a good example. I believe this is still the record holder for mass school killing in the United States, in 1927 no less: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath_School_disaster
44 killed and another 58 injured.

Now I'm not saying don't report on these incidents, but perhaps the media should find a means of reporting all about these evil, wicked (Can I say demonic?) murderers without making them somehow immortalized by like-minded individuals?

I do know this. No matter what we will never stop these incidents from happening. Humans have been killing each other since Cain picked up a stick or a rock, or whatever it was and whacked his own brother. Can they be minimized? Perhaps. That's a separate argument though.





*Not trying to make light of that number, it's still deplorable and sickening. I wouldn't see any innocent lives lost.

[Veho Nex]

Mass shootings sell. It's as simple as that. Over the next 30 days we will see a bunch of uneducated morans gathering conclusions without evidence. Some fool on twitter is gunna go #oreshooter knew him in 3rd grade he was bullied and BOOM for the next 6 hours that's all they'll discuss. Then some idiot in facebook is going to show a picture of them and the shooter when they were 12 fishing and how he was a normal guy, BOOM, 6 more hours of "if only we saw his pain". Our society needs work, more importantly our society's obsession with sensationalist journalism needs work.

[Hooahguy]

Killers will find a way no matter what. Was it Indonesia or Malaysia who coined the term to "run amok"? There, instead of shootings they just go nuts with a knife. Last year I believe there were about 30+ killed in western China by a group with knives. It didn't make the news much though.

To be fair in that instance with the almost 30 dead in China from a knife attack, it was 10 perpetrators in a terror attack not a single deranged person. While I dont disagree that people will find a way to commit murders, Im sure there is something out there that can lessen them.

And a very relevant segment by Charlie Brooker:

[Risasi]

To be fair in that instance with the almost 30 dead in China from a knife attack, it was 10 perpetrators in a terror attack not a single deranged person. While I dont disagree that people will find a way to commit murders, Im sure there is something out there that can lessen them.

Yeah, I agree. There is a culture in the US regarding firearms I think is unhealthy. However don't take that to mean I believe we need more gun laws. My viewpoint is...complicated.

Meanwhile in other news, there is actually less: http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...lumn/73199052/

I don't have time to check the video out now, but I will. Thanks.

[Veho Nex]

You never hear about the shootings that were stopped by a law abiding citizen with a concealed or open carry firearm. My favorite reading material on the terlit at my dads house is his NRA magazines that do articles about so and so in such and such area who only fired one or two shots before someone took them down. Yeah NRA mags probably not the best source of unbiased information regarding firearms and those who use them buuut. The fact that those kind of stories exist and we never see them beyond local news points more towards our mainstream media being the huge push factor for mass shootings.

Like Risai said earlier, far more people die every year due to gang violence in our major cities than have died from all mass shootings in the last hundred and 20 years. Why isn't the sensationalist media jumping on Chicago's increase in murders this year? I think I've seen 4 separate articles since Jan each claiming the most violent(homicidal) week (or weekend) in city history.

Why are the thousands killed per year ignored for the (relative) handful killed in a tragic situation?

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Do you want to live in a world where the reason there aren't more mass shootings is because it's normal to kill people to stop them?

Apparently, you do.

[Hooahguy]

You never hear about the shootings that were stopped by a law abiding citizen with a concealed or open carry firearm. My favorite reading material on the terlit at my dads house is his NRA magazines that do articles about so and so in such and such area who only fired one or two shots before someone took them down. Yeah NRA mags probably not the best source of unbiased information regarding firearms and those who use them buuut. The fact that those kind of stories exist and we never see them beyond local news points more towards our mainstream media being the huge push factor for mass shootings.

Yeah I dont really buy into the idea that more guns would solve anything. Fact is, if you look into most of the instances where a "law abiding citizen" took down a shooter, Im seeing a lot of cases where the citizen is also an off-duty police officer/security guard, or has a military background.

Like Risai said earlier, far more people die every year due to gang violence in our major cities than have died from all mass shootings in the last hundred and 20 years. Why isn't the sensationalist media jumping on Chicago's increase in murders this year? I think I've seen 4 separate articles since Jan each claiming the most violent(homicidal) week (or weekend) in city history.

Why are the thousands killed per year ignored for the (relative) handful killed in a tragic situation?

Gang violence is just as tragic, but also not anywhere near as much of an anomaly. As been said before, the media wont go nuts over one or two people being killed in a gang shootout. Its about the anomaly. Granted, mass shootings seem to be less of an anomaly nowadays but still an anomaly. Just like single fatality car crashes will barely make the local news anymore but if there is a multiple fatality or otherwise large car crash then the local papers are all over it.

[Ironside]

Gang violence is just as tragic, but also not anywhere near as much of an anomaly. As been said before, the media wont go nuts over one or two people being killed in a gang shootout. Its about the anomaly. Granted, mass shootings seem to be less of an anomaly nowadays but still an anomaly. Just like single fatality car crashes will barely make the local news anymore but if there is a multiple fatality or otherwise large car crash then the local papers are all over it.

I think this is a good summary. Short version. Mass shootings are a lot more common than the population would indicate in the US. School mass shootings are vastly more common.

And the number of all mass shooting have tripled since 2011. And none knows why, because there's no obvious answer and since it's gun violence, research is forbidden.

[Veho Nex]

Do you want to live in a world where the reason there aren't more mass shootings is because it's normal to kill people to stop them?

Apparently, you do.

Yes I do. I would much rather read about one guy being shot after he opened fire than about 5, 10, 20, or more unarmed people being shot. I feel an armed society would be a safer society. Everyone who clamors for gun control and firearm buybacks and restrictive sales doesn't realize that closing the barn door after the horses are gone is not doing anything. I'm a strong believer in background checks and going in for a mental checkup every X years to just verify people. We won't see those things but taking our guns away is the wrong direction to go.

Yeah I dont really buy into the idea that more guns would solve anything. Fact is, if you look into most of the instances where a "law abiding citizen" took down a shooter, Im seeing a lot of cases where the citizen is also an off-duty police officer/security guard, or has a military background.

Does the fact they were off-duty, security, or ex military reduce what they did? They were an armed citizen at that point, they were not there for the express purpose of protecting the unarmed. The fact that we hear none of this on national channels is a sad state of events.

[Papewaio]

Yet somehow Australia did it and it has reduced gun crimes.

We had a potential yet to be determined terrorist/mentally ill attack on the NSW Police HQ yesterday. This attack made national news and is still being reviewed as to why.

The attacker killed one unarmed IT staff member as he walked out the building, the attacker went on to attack the occupants. Attacker died with no other casualties.

It is unusual enough to make national news. Double shooting fatality in Australia's largest city.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Yes I do. I would much rather read about one guy being shot after he opened fire than about 5, 10, 20, or more unarmed people being shot. I feel an armed society would be a safer society. Everyone who clamors for gun control and firearm buybacks and restrictive sales doesn't realize that closing the barn door after the horses are gone is not doing anything. I'm a strong believer in background checks and going in for a mental checkup every X years to just verify people. We won't see those things but taking our guns away is the wrong direction to go.

So - you want to live in fear? That's what you're doing, you fear the maniacs and you want guns to protect you.

Here's a titbit

"Dressed in a flak jacket, Chris Harper Mercer brought six guns to Umpqua Community College in Roseburg and opened fire on Thursday morning.He was killed by police in a gun battle and another seven weapons were found at his home. All 13 were bought legally."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-34428410

Does the fact they were off-duty, security, or ex military reduce what they did? They were an armed citizen at that point, they were not there for the express purpose of protecting the unarmed. The fact that we hear none of this on national channels is a sad state of events.

No, it demonstrates that an actual civilian would be unlikely to do the same.