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[News] American mass shootings



chickens

Have you considered masterly inactivity?
NSC Patron
Oct 12, 2022
2,702
After all the noise in the build up to Qatar, esp over women's rights, it would be hypocritical not too.
But as said I'd be amazed if there was any outrage.

Can we outraged at our own racism!

Well, to me, there’s quite a substantial difference here, and the difference is, America has had many opportunities to vote in a way that would allow alterations to their gun laws, and have chosen not to take them. The lives of their own kids seems less important to them than their ability to freely wave an assault rifle around in McDonalds.

Now, to me, that seems a frankly moronic choice, but it is their choice. Nobody makes them vote the way they do, and if that’s what’s important to America then God bless them and I won’t be visiting.

The issue with Qatar was that Qatar needed a lot of infrastructure built quickly and couldn’t manage it without bringing in external labour. They contracted out internationally and people took the jobs, just as you or I might do. I’ve worked on a contract basis. They’ve all waved goodbye to their families, saying they’ll be back in 6 months and that they’ll send money home, and thousands of those workers were killed. They didn’t get home.

They’d just taken a job, none of them voted for death, people are missing their son or their father for no other reason than deliberate failure to implement and enforce basic health and safety in their working conditions. There have been widespread reports that workers had their passports confiscated once there, and couldn’t leave if they wanted to. This was not accidental, this was done with the state deliberately looking the other way because it needed its infrastructure built on time.

I didn’t watch the last World Cup, to me it felt that in doing so I’d be legitimising the Qatari position of the end justified the means. I couldn’t pretend that it’s ok for thousands of ordinary people to die to put on, what at the end of the day is supposed to be a football festival. I completely understand why others did watch it, I missed it, and everyone should draw their own line for themselves.

Not a single one of those workers in Qatar voted for their death, they just took a job. America chooses its gun laws and lives (or dies) with the consequences.
 








Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
73,888
West west west Sussex
No not another mass shooting - well I guess statistical there were a couple last night, but not in the 20's so not worthy of reporting.
No instead this is Jon Stewart being well...



...Jon Stewart.

 






BadFish

Huge Member
Oct 19, 2003
18,226
No not another mass shooting - well I guess statistical there were a couple last night, but not in the 20's so not worthy of reporting.
No instead this is Jon Stewart being well...



...Jon Stewart.


It is interesting that 'well regulated' and 'should not be impinged' are working against each other here.

Words and language are so important . . . Well when people are so intent on trying to use them for their own ends.

John Oliver's mistake is to try and use logic in a situation where it will not shift people's opinions.

The gun control debate has been pushed so far that logic and good sense simply will not trump the fact that people want everyone and anyone to have guns.

The only people that benefit from this are the guns manufacturers supporter by the NRA.
 


herecomesaregular

We're in the pipe, 5 by 5
Oct 27, 2008
4,656
Still in Brighton
I dated an American student as a very naive19 yo at Uni and went to the States back in 91 and 92. Baton Rouge, New Orleans. Her father was a preacher (found God after experiences in Vietnam). Very friendly family and people but with some strikenly odd opinions back then re guns, religion, tolerance and the Constitution. Christ knows (pun intended) what their opinions would be now, shudder to think. Doubt very much I'd visit the USA nowadays. Struggle to understand American's arguments about guns. The solution is simple but just seems so unpalatable to them. Bizarre and sad. Is there a more paranoid nation?
 






Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patron
Oct 8, 2003
56,231
Faversham


Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
62,429
Location Location
Sandy Hook set the bar. When nothing happened to the federal gun laws after that horrifying, catastrophic bloodbath of the infants, it was crystal clear that nothing would ever be allowed to change. The NRA is too powerful, too embedded, and too many Americans love their guns so, so much. They still think they're living in the 1860's.

It will never change.
 


South Oz Seagull

Well-known member
Jan 2, 2022
306
Norwood SA
I don't think we in Australia or the UK understand the deep racial divisions in America which are behind the gun issue to a certain extent. Many white Americans tend to fear and hate their black countrymen and perceive them as criminals and rapists, and unfortunately crime statistics tend to support this view. Guns are their supposed solution. Personally, in my time in the US I found black Americans more genuine, welcoming and likeable than white Americans and I preferred their company.
 




Jackthelad

Well-known member
Mar 31, 2010
1,075
It sounds like it was a Trans person with a vendetta and mental health issues. Mental health issues and easy access to guns are never a good idea. I doubt anything will change.
 


South Oz Seagull

Well-known member
Jan 2, 2022
306
Norwood SA
It sounds like it was a Trans person with a vendetta and mental health issues. Mental health issues and easy access to guns are never a good idea. I doubt anything will change.

Just set back the trans movement by 10 years, which is probably a good thing. No way would I condone the inevitable surge in violence against trans people which is now on the cards though.
 


wellquickwoody

Many More Voting Years
NSC Patron
Aug 10, 2007
13,915
Melbourne
So when the World Cup is in the US 3 years time, will we all be appalled and outraged by the country's inherent racism, misogynism, apparent lawlessness and corruption?



Thought not.
Well yeah, but what has that got to do with football?
 




MJsGhost

Oooh Matron, I'm an
NSC Patron
Jun 26, 2009
5,030
East
Well, to me, there’s quite a substantial difference here, and the difference is, America has had many opportunities to vote in a way that would allow alterations to their gun laws, and have chosen not to take them. The lives of their own kids seems less important to them than their ability to freely wave an assault rifle around in McDonalds.

Now, to me, that seems a frankly moronic choice, but it is their choice. Nobody makes them vote the way they do, and if that’s what’s important to America then God bless them and I won’t be visiting.

The issue with Qatar was that Qatar needed a lot of infrastructure built quickly and couldn’t manage it without bringing in external labour. They contracted out internationally and people took the jobs, just as you or I might do. I’ve worked on a contract basis. They’ve all waved goodbye to their families, saying they’ll be back in 6 months and that they’ll send money home, and thousands of those workers were killed. They didn’t get home.

They’d just taken a job, none of them voted for death, people are missing their son or their father for no other reason than deliberate failure to implement and enforce basic health and safety in their working conditions. There have been widespread reports that workers had their passports confiscated once there, and couldn’t leave if they wanted to. This was not accidental, this was done with the state deliberately looking the other way because it needed its infrastructure built on time.

I didn’t watch the last World Cup, to me it felt that in doing so I’d be legitimising the Qatari position of the end justified the means. I couldn’t pretend that it’s ok for thousands of ordinary people to die to put on, what at the end of the day is supposed to be a football festival. I completely understand why others did watch it, I missed it, and everyone should draw their own line for themselves.

Not a single one of those workers in Qatar voted for their death, they just took a job. America chooses its gun laws and lives (or dies) with the consequences.
This.

Add in the corruption of the bidding process too and that's exactly why I didn't watch a minute of it.

To compare the Qatar WC with the one in the US is apples & pears.

That's not to say I think all is well in the US - quite the opposite. Their economy is positively REELING from the impact of my self-imposed travel ban. :)
 


BadFish

Huge Member
Oct 19, 2003
18,226
This.

Add in the corruption of the bidding process too and that's exactly why I didn't watch a minute of it.

To compare the Qatar WC with the one in the US is apples & pears.

That's not to say I think all is well in the US - quite the opposite. Their economy is positively REELING from the impact of my self-imposed travel ban. :)

It is about where everyone draws the line. I don't by the idea that those of us that boycotted the Qatar world cup should have to boycott them all because everywhere has dodgy elements. It's nonsense.
 


Happy Exile

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Apr 19, 2018
2,136
Is there a point at which the failure of all the prayers to stop all this makes them realise that unless they take control of guns there's a clear invalidation of their faith after every mass shooting?
 


Peteinblack

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jun 3, 2004
4,147
Bath, Somerset.
Is there a point at which the failure of all the prayers to stop all this makes them realise that unless they take control of guns there's a clear invalidation of their faith after every mass shooting?
This assumes that the gun-lovers will respond to evidence and logic!
 




Simster

"the man's an arse"
Jul 7, 2003
54,965
Surrey
I don't think we in Australia or the UK understand the deep racial divisions in America which are behind the gun issue to a certain extent. Many white Americans tend to fear and hate their black countrymen and perceive them as criminals and rapists, and unfortunately crime statistics tend to support this view. Guns are their supposed solution. Personally, in my time in the US I found black Americans more genuine, welcoming and likeable than white Americans and I preferred their company.
You are right in that the racial division in the US has to be seen to be believed. I will never forget as a student coming over the border from Canada into Detroit, and the US border guards warning us to keep the car locked at all times as we drove through the city to get out west. Within 20 minutes we were in a scene out of the apocalypse, in gridlock on a four lane high road through urban decay. And incredibly, we were pretty much the only white faces we could see in the traffic jam or walking the admittedly desolate streets. It was absolutely incredible and I wouldn't have believed the stark racial segregation as the 51 year man that I am now if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.

So yes, I have to agree with what you say. But there is a bizarre paradox that cannot be ignored, and that is that you don't find gun stores on every corner in white affluent neighbourhoods (the people so worried about crime), yet they are absolutely everywhere in the urban decaying areas where so many black people live in segregated America. They are the American equivalent of betting shops.
 
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