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Thread: Just another day in the USA.

  1. #11
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    The death toll of them does seem to be increasing. An ex-military guy, that's almost a profile at this point, half the mass shootings seem to be ex-military, well maybe it's not, but it seems way disproportionately represented (and really the profile would be ex-military white guys).
    Trees don't grow on money

  2. #12
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    Have they found a note or explanation why? I don't know if the preacher molested him, he decided that since they all want to get to heaven to help them along, or what was the thinking behind the shooting.
    Of course the tool he used will be blamed, rather then himself, or the thing that has caused so much chaos over the years that they were performing.
    Where was the homeowner and why didn't they intervene?

  3. #13
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    pinkytoe, would it be appropriate to bring all the shooting by the neighbor boy to the attention of the police? Is this a noise violation where you live? Sounds like he is disturbing the peace, and that might put him on their radar, and radar of social services?

  4. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by catherine View Post

    I looked at Wikipedia to find the # of people killed in mass murders in Canada in the same time frame, and it wound up being 160. Our population is not quite 10 times Canada's, but close. So it turns out not THAT far off per capita. But, the Canadian numbers include not just gun violence but also murders by arson, explosives, cannibalism and a crossbow.
    I don't want to know how you commit mass murder by cannibalism.

  5. #15
    Senior Member razz's Avatar
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    I have to disagree with Alan on this one. It is not victimization as much as individualism. Yes, we have our problems but the self-righteous sense of individualism that I see in the US media is killing you.

    I always struggle with the obvious generosity of the US citizenry vs self-importance of the individual. Yes, I have read the US Constitution. I truly believe that the US Founding Fathers had a collective sense of protecting the individual rather than the individual dominating their society at all costs that is the norm today.
    Have often wanted to have this conversation to see where it went so glad it has arisen. Off to buy my plumbing snake.
    As Cicero said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

  6. #16
    Senior Member JaneV2.0's Avatar
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    I don't know who all these self-professed "victims" are, but I guess judging by spree shooters, they're mostly white males. I'm glad I don't know any.

  7. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by catherine View Post
    So, razz and you others up there in Canada. How are you hiding all your mass shootings? You must be having them. We share a continent and history. You're not that different from us. Only a border and a different leader separate us. So I know you all are out there killing each other like we are and just not telling us. Come on--come clean!
    Too lazy to check (or don't really care)... but wonder how their gun laws differ from the US?

  8. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by razz View Post
    I have to disagree with Alan on this one. It is not victimization as much as individualism. Yes, we have our problems but the self-righteous sense of individualism that I see in the US media is killing you.

    I always struggle with the obvious generosity of the US citizenry vs self-importance of the individual. Yes, I have read the US Constitution. I truly believe that the US Founding Fathers had a collective sense of protecting the individual rather than the individual dominating their society at all costs that is the norm today.
    Have often wanted to have this conversation to see where it went so glad it has arisen. Off to buy my plumbing snake.
    In this case, a self-righteous individual came running out of his house to exchange fire with the shooter. When the shooter fled, the self-righteous individual flagged down a passing truck driven by a self-important individual who instantly agreed to give chase, which they did until the shooter crashed. Nobody involved seems to have asked for permission before acting. God bless the United States of America, especially Texans.

    I disagree with you on the Founders' intent. It wasn't "The government shall protect...". It was "Congress shall make no law...". The wording seems pretty clear that the Constitution, especially the Bill of Rights, is aimed more at limiting government's power to a strictly enumerated list and preventing government from imposing its will on the individual in various important areas rather than any "collective sense of protecting the individual". It's much more a hands-off document than a hands-on document.

  9. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by JaneV2.0 View Post
    I don't know who all these self-professed "victims" are, but I guess judging by spree shooters, they're mostly white males. I'm glad I don't know any.
    White males suck! Well, maybe not if they're Canadian.
    But, thanks for highlighting another element of the toxic American culture I mentioned earlier. The proud display of hate and disdain by race and gender is a gateway to violence and destruction.
    "Things should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler." ~ Albert Einstein

  10. #20
    Williamsmith
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    Quote Originally Posted by razz View Post
    I have to disagree with Alan on this one. It is not victimization as much as individualism. Yes, we have our problems but the self-righteous sense of individualism that I see in the US media is killing you.

    I always struggle with the obvious generosity of the US citizenry vs self-importance of the individual. Yes, I have read the US Constitution. I truly believe that the US Founding Fathers had a collective sense of protecting the individual rather than the individual dominating their society at all costs that is the norm today.
    Have often wanted to have this conversation to see where it went so glad it has arisen. Off to buy my plumbing snake.
    Razz, my notion of your reference is the balance between individual rights and the common public good. My expertise in this is admittedly only self taught and sparse. There are so many so called Constitutional Scholars that it makes my head swim but I have settled on a simple explanation that I attribute to my heritage.

    It seems that somebody in my family went to the trouble of proving that , in my case, my great grandmothers great great great grandfather....I think I got enough greats in there.......one day while working the farm in what was once The Commonwealth of Virginia and now is the hills of Western Pennsylvania, threw down his pitchfork and declared to his wife, “Clory, I’m tired of being pushed around by these here redcoats! I’m going down to the tavern and signing up for George’s Revolutionary Army. I’ll be back in no time.” To which Clory replied, “Whatever, Philip. Just make sure you feed those chickens before you leave.” Or something like that.

    And off he went. They gave him a rifle of some sort and marched him until his feet bled. Then they lined him up next to a bunch of other likeminded fellers at the Battle of Brandywine and Judge Chew Mansion where he swore he’d kill him a bunch of Englishmen. Trouble was at least one of them was a better shot than him and he lost an eye to a musketball. After which he spent one miserable winter in Valley Forge before coming back to the farm looking like a beagle that went on a three day run and finally got hungry.

    Im getting to my point. You see, the framers had this notion that they didn’t want a pure democracy like the Greeks. Sure, it was a dandy way to get things accomplished......majority rules. But what about poor farmers like Philip? Didn’t they matter? Was the common good the only responsibility government had? Guys like Jefferson thought that the minority mattered and in Revolutionary America....it was the poor ignorant farmer who was the minority and powerless. So they set up a representative government that was supposed to secure the rights of the individual. They didn’t even think they needed a Bill of Rights since they had been so clear about limiting powers of government but they relented in order to secure ratification.

    And so Philips kids, and their kids, and all the kids leading on down to this kid.....kinda feels like this government is here to protect individual natural rights and that what then follows is for the common good. Not the other way around.

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