Hey there buddy be careful you appear to be misgendering and dead naming the shooter. Wouldn't want the mob on this site to go up in arms against you, fair warning.

@Tejas Misgendering and dead naming the shooter. What is that? I am simply pointing out the ignorance of others who have assumed what happened and bordered on a "why" as to it all. My post reported on some of this and has no personal opinions at all regarding the shooter.

The primary reason why republicans are against abortion is that they want an over larger available labor force to keep labor costs down. Current economic models rely on a perpetual ever increasing population. That being against abortion also happens to align with religious interests is just convenient for them. The political power wielders don't really care about life, but care solely about profits.

@snytiger6 I bet most individual Republicans don't give a shit about that. I doubt they're even smart enough to put that all together. Republican leaders want that because the corporations that bought them told them to want that. The Republican electorate is just full of fucking morons that are easily tricked into voting against their own interests.

@ChestRockfield If cheap labour was the only goal, then immigration would easily answer that. No, planned parenthood is essential to social mobility. Without it, the underclass is maintained and fewer are taking places in higher education, climbing the corporate ladder or worse still entering the political arena and demanding a redistribution of wealth/recourses. Leaving the "haves" safe and smugly secure in their gated communities.
To put it succinctly, here is an alternative version of the old Elvis song "In the ghetto".
"On a cold and grey Chicago morn, a woman went to the clinic." - the end.

Do you know who funds gun lobbyists? The American people by majority many people I follow tell people to donate money to preserve the 2nd amendment.

@Tejas 2nd amendment: 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.
Yeah even the insane and suicidal can have a gun.

The gun yahoos are convinced (by NRA) that they MUST own guns but we no longer need a well regulated militia - that was before we had all the military groups. Now we are well protected unless they need guns for mowing down those nasty zombies. It says nothing about owning multiple shot weapons (machine guns) and they are NOT used for hunting animals.

@K9Kohle the second amendment has nothing to do with hunting. It has everything to do with arming against a tyrannical government. The groups you mentioned are government entities, so I fail to see your logic.

@Tejas It used to be that most of he money funding the NRA was through memberships, but lately a large portion comes from gun manufacturers and far right groups that provide grants.

As for the second amendment, if you knew history, you'd know that originally the U.S. had no standing army, and national defense was left to state militias. The second amendment was to be sure the U.S. would be able to defend itself. However the Civil War changed things. The U.S. didn't want states to be able to break away so easily so they finally instituted a standing military for national defense, and the second amendment's original purpose was eliminated.

Now, back when the second amendment was written the best weapons they had has single shot flint lock muzzle loaders, which take about 20 seconds to reload. I do not think the founders would be so tolerant of weapons available today. Also, I never have even once heard one gun rights advocate remember the words "well regulated" which are in the second amendment. So, even with single shot flint locks, it is evident the founders did have concerns about gun use. Considerign today's guns which are designed to be mass killing machines, I'd say for public safety the second amendment is long outdated and is in massive need of updating to reflect today's weaponry.

@snytiger6 I believe your interpretation to be skewed at best. To answer your points. Back when the amendment was written it was legal and encouraged for civilians who were wealthy to own and use warships armed with cannons against our nation's enemies, so I don't see your point on modern weapons being too deadly. (That's literally the point). For your comment on "well regulated" if you would read one word further it says "well regulated militia" meaning a group not an individual. Also there are thousands of gun laws on the books in this country, I'd say we are beyond "regulated"

@Tejas You are saying: gun owners never use hunting as an excuse for owning guns? Don't buy it. What groups are government entities? NRA? our Military? (of course it is) which is why the general public doesn't need guns. We have laws to protect us from tyrannical governments unless you saw the Dumpster crapping all over our paperwork, as he's not paper trained. He doesn't count he's not a normal human; he's orange.

If it weren’t for the NRA we would have lost our right to own guns long ago. We may very well need our guns to protect ourselves against tyrants like Joe Biden!

@K9JetLee999 I'm saying the second amendment has nothing to do with hunting, just as I said. Your second point, the second amendment was written in partly so citizens can fight against a tyrannical government. So you saying we don't need guns because the government has them is nonsensical. The nra is not a government entity. I don't think you have thought this out much past your emotions, and I believe without proper thought and logic any outcome or "solution" you come to will be flawed fundamentally and detrimental to our society.

@Tejas Funny cuz I copied pasted the original 2nd amendment. If you don't agree with the definition talk to the hand. I said THE EXCUSE gun owners use for owning guns is HUNTING. That's their mindless excuse. I didn't make it up. The NRA may as well be a government entity they are responsible for paying off candidates with millions of dollars to keep them. They have enough people/money to do whatever they want. Call them government entities.
Not one college professor has ever said my thought/logic was flawed. I think you are making up stuff to keep guns alive and well. There are going to be laws vs assault weapons. What are they FOR??? Hunting?? NO. PEOPLE KILLING, YES.

@Tejas "The groups you mentioned are government entities, so I fail to see your logic"
You don't see the logic cuz I only mentioned ONE gov't entitly..

@K9Kohle I think you are too poorly educated on this subject to make such opinions.

@Tejas I'm just a typical college educated reader who doesn't like guns and I read most of what I can to stop assault weapons being in the hands of my neighbor, he can have a pistol or something. We're not at war in our homeland, we are not buying guns because it's necessary to the security of a free State. Or maybe according to you we are. I don't have access to your brain. If I"m poorly educated on THIS SUBJECT then so are 80% of the general public.

@Tejas I'm a 4yr college grad, I read anything I can about guns and gun control. I see the news where shootings occur almost daily. If I"m poorly educated so are about 80% of the general public. I think you believe shit that no one else in their right mind would take seriously so that would create a poorly educated opinion on the topic.

@K9JetLee999 I mean if your goal is to reduce harm from "gun violence" then why not advocate for banning handguns, more people die from them by far

@Tejas Guns don`t stop governments. People stop governments.
Take a look at France, "Oh we are raising your retirement age so you will have to work longer". "THE HELL YOU ARE!!". Mass protests on the streets and you can bet anything the govt of France will give in because they will have no choice. This is not the first time they have done this and the french enjoy the most comprehensive worker's rights in Europe.
All done without guns.
Btw, just how many employment rights do all you Americans with guns have? How are you doing on reproductive rights? Good quality state education without political interference? Healthcare?

@Trajan61 LOL [bloomberg.com]

@273kelvin people indeed stop governments, thats my point.

@Tejas But you think you need guns to do it. Conveniently forgetting that Gandhi took down the largest empire the world has ever seen by basically getting everyone to say "NO"
Meanwhile, Americans feel safe and secure that "Their rights will not be infringed" because they have some pop-guns (which they are compared to what the state could come at you with) Yet your legislators are legally taking graft and big corp are taking your air and water.
Funny but I don't see AR-15s being used to defend US rights, just to kill your children

@273kelvin seeing as you don't have a horse in this race, I don't feel the need or obligation to argue American politics and issues with you. Just like I'm sure you wouldn't put much stock in my foreign opinion on your country's politics

@Tejas Oh you can comment on my country any day...you won't get shot for it.
I suppose if I lived in an asylum I might not want to hear about sanity. Although I myself have never judged an idea or argument by its source over its validity. It is a shame you close your ears off to a view from someone NOT steeped in gun culture. NOT in the only country that has gun ownership in its constitution. NOT indoctrinated by gun adverts and NRA lobbying. And NOT watching their school children being killed on an almost weekly basis. But hey ho it's your country and I suppose you gun advocates must have some ideas for solutions to the problem...how have they been working out for you?

@273kelvin You people in England don’t even have the right to own a gun to protect yourselves from thugs and criminals much the less a tyrannical government like the one we have with Joe Biden now.

@273kelvin, @K9Kohle Bloomberg is a rich man who goes around with body guards but wants to take everyone else’s gun away. I say to hell with Bloomberg!

@Trajan61 Okay, firstly we are different counties so I will try and explain. The UK doesn't need guns to protect itself from thugs etc. because we have an efficient police force, backed up by the largest per capita amount of CCTV, in the world leading to a greater % of detection. Also, illegal gun ownership carries such high penalties that criminals tend to only use them when deemed necessary. ie taking out drug gang rivals, a big heist etc. The chances of experiencing low-level crime involving a firearm are so small as to be negligible. For example, the NRA will quote stats that tell you our burglary rates are higher than the US. This is true but consider this; a criminal wants to steal a car. In the US he might hold you up at gunpoint and carjack you. In the UK he would break into your home and take the keys. Neither is a pleasant prospect but things are just things and lives cannot be replaced.
Secondly, we do not need firearms to protect ourselves from tyrants because we have a monarchy. Instead of fruitlessly arming ourselves we delegate the job to our monarch. He/she has but one real constitutional task. To be a concept more than a person, rather like the flag, you pledge allegiance to. But when push comes to shove, they are the final arbiter. And just as your servicemen/women pledge allegiance to your flag/constitution, ours pledge to the crown. Therefore, if we ever did have a traitor like Gen Flynn who might seek to usurp power by calling on the military to overturn a legitimately called election... he could go kick rocks.

@Trajan61 And is armed conflict against the state that effective? True Vietnam managed to achieve victory but only after 40 years of war. that left their country devastated The IRA tried for 20years+ in the 70/80s and gave up in the end.

@273kelvin I just choose not to get too engaged in arguments with people who aren't actively being effected by the subject, so I just find the whole discussion pointless

@Tejas Except that no man is an island. I have so many American friends, do you not think that tragedies that occur in your country might not affect or touch me? That I cannot empathise with those who have lost a child?
A closed mind is not something I would be proud of. When your car will not start, do you ignore the advice of your neighbour because it's not his car?

@273kelvin With the indictment of Trump we may be edging closer to civil war which is nothing but a political witch hunt I’ll keep my guns just in case.

@Trajan61 I have lived through something like a civil war ie. the IRA in the 70/80s. And let me tell you, it was not noble or glorious. Remember also that those gravy seals threatening this could not do 6 weeks without a haircut. So I can't exactly see them going to the mattresses. Strong though you may think his support is, I wonder just how many would put their lives on the line for Mr Bonespurs who stood by John Kelly's son's grave in Arlington and said "I don't get it, what was in it for them?" Keep in mind also how little actual support he has given the Jan 6th insurrectionists. No pardons and not one red cent towards their legal fees, just empty rhetoric from the podium to get cheap applause. Which is a bit more than he gave to Mike Pence

@Tejas Banning hand guns? The US isn't ready for that. It would never pass as things stand right now.

@K9JetLee999 most "gun violence" is done by handguns so I'm surprised why some people are trying to ban the wrong things.

@Tejas 1-machine guns kill too many too fast. 2-it'll be easier on the gun nuts to stop buying machine gusn which should be banned for home use. THEY are for killing people in a war. Some people think they're more eye candy, they are deadly. What is the difference between machine gun or handgun? numbers of dead. PERIOD.

@K9Kohle people don't use machine guns in mass shootings, I challenge you to find the last time a civilian used one in a mass shooting. Gun stores don't even sell machine guns to the public. You said you were educated on this subject but you clearly are not, not even a little.

@Tejas "Why semi-automatic rifles like those used in the Nashville shooting can cause so much damage" [abcnews.go.com]

"The weapon used to carry out the mass shooting in Uvalde on Tuesday is one all too familiar to Americans and lawmakers who have witnessed mass shootings occur over the past decade.
"The Uvalde gunman used an AR-15-style rifle, a popular range of semiautomatic weapons that was purchased from a sporting goods store, to carry out the attack, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and law enforcement officials said Wednesday." [npr.org]

"Notably, most individuals who engaged in mass shootings used handguns (77.2%), and 25.1% used assault rifles in the commission of their crimes" [nij.ojp.gov].

Apparently you are WRONG once again. I suggest you stop scrutinizing every word I .write unless you need to educate yourself.

@K9Kohle you've used multiple different words to describe semi auto rifles. Like the words "machine gun" that literally implies automatic rifle. I also don't call semi auto rifles assault rifles. Assault rifles in my opinion are automatic capable military rifles. So yes if you call things by an inappropriate name I'm going to assume you don't know what you're talking about, and again you still dont.

@Tejas I never claimed to be a gun knowledgable professional of weaponry. I know there are multiple shot weapons and I don't GAS what the're called. My gun recognition isn't the fkn topic. You just have nothing to say so you're going to attack me personally. Don't care: you got nuthin'.

@K9Kohle I'm willing to debate anything gun related you want. At the same time you should expect someone to call you on obvious misinformation. I haven't attacked you personally on anything.

@Tejas YOU__I challenge you to find the last time a civilian used one in a mass shooting
Read the next post. I found a civilian using an AK something to shoot up a school so who's the idiot?

@Tejas I'm willing to debate anything gun related you want. At the same time you should expect someone to call you on obvious misinformation. I haven't attacked you personally on anything."

I am not interested in being put down by you so fuck off.

@K9Kohle yeah you said people used a machine gun a mass shooting, which was false. It seems you've run out of arguments and don't like being corrected on basic information. So if you're done, I'm done. I didn't call you names like you did me or even use vulgar language at you.

@Tejas
In the United States, assault weapon is a controversial term used to define firearms with specified characteristics.[1] The definition varies among regulating jurisdictions (seems not just ME-, but usually includes semi-automatic firearms with a detachable magazine, a pistol grip, and sometimes other features, such as a vertical forward grip, flash suppressor, or barrel shroud.[1][2]
Ten of the seventeen deadliest mass killings in the U.S. since 2012 involved AR-15s**.
I'm unable to find any names I called you. Altho you do seem to have some kind of reading disorder. Are you able to understand what i posted about what the general public calls assault weapons?. Seems they've been used to assault children in schools. Hence ASSAULT weapons.

@K9Kohle I have a reading disorder? You called them machine guns too which is what I called you on. Then you suggested I'm an idiot. Try using proper spelling before you say I have a reading disorder.

@Tejas Like the words "machine gun"
Yeah used ONE TIME. I am not required to know everything about weapons or guns or whatever is used to kill people. I suppose that's your job.
BTW the letters on here are very tiny -I don't normally misspell things.

It is a part of American culture eg a cultural issue. If America can purposely force cultural change as has happened in the past, the acceptance of LGBTQ lifestyles the current example, they can do it with firearms. Also, the culture of arms being a major industry the US has become dependent on for economic growth, has to change.
The culture runs deep. Many years ago when visiting the States, I recall seeing a promotion at a bank; "Open account and get a free handgun".
I remember thinking "I'd like to open an account please, here's $1. No problem Sir, here's a pistol. Thanks! Now, give us all your money, this is a stickup!"

@puff Our pols are willing and able to impose laws that increase tolerance and acceptance of queer culture and lifestyles, along with other identity politics stuff, because it doesn't cost the rich and corporations anything, and since they are the donor class, which is who the pols really cater to and care about, we get only progress on the ID politics and culture war stuff, tho even that is often only temporary, as the recent abortion bans prove. The pols could give us our needed gun control, but the donor class doesn't want that, because it would affect the bottom line of their profits on firearms sales and manufacturing, and anyway, mass shootings are not affecting them directly or personally. Isn't it funny how firearms manufacturing is one of the few industries that has not been outsourced to third world countries or China?

Bingo!

As for helping out the mentally unstable, teachers and parents have often, unsuccessfully, for years and years tried to get children with mental issues into programs,, with therapists, or rehabs etc. Drugs have a lot to do with unstable people. Gangs rarely occur outside large cities. I don't think they are the cause of problems.
But trying to make unstable children more normal would be impossible in some cases because the mother was an addict. The addiction affects the children and they often end up with multiple issues to overcome and it's often so difficult to address them all they fall thru the cracks. The best way to stop school shootings is to have metal detectors and trained cops in the schools. Otherwise i don't see a fix in the near future.

@K9Kohle I get your point and you're not entirely wrong about that, but at least in some cases where certain individuals displayed obvious warning signs more could have probably been done to get them the help that they needed.

Depends on the size of the city or town in question, and the town that I grew up in had a fair share of gangs, although not as many as the city I live in now. That said, mental illness would be the far bigger concern between the two.

As for the last part, I agree. It's best to have armed resource officers on the scene and not arm the teachers, as I don't have that much trust for public school teachers nowadays. I just heard a story from NBC that stated the Nashville school shooter apparently had plans to target other schools but passed up on them due to those schools having far tighter security, which is also proof that deranged shooters go for the gun-free zones so as to make their planned murder sprees all the easier.

@SpikeTalon I know some teachers who are very well qualified with guns. I have no problem arming those teachers.

Didn't the police start the fire with the tear gas??

@ChestRockfield No. The Branch Davidians used gasoline as an accelerant.

Remember, theirs was an apocalyptic cult. Very similar to Jonestown...

@ChestRockfield Yes they did.

@Trajan61

The Branch Davidians committed mass suicide.

[academic.oup.com]

[en.m.wikipedia.org].

[washingtonpost.com]

Gun control is clearly the best place to start!!

@Buck I don't agree.

I agree that the whys need to be dealt with, but those would involve massive social spending, which the government is not willing to do, because it would involve cutting the military budget, along with corporate welfare, tax cuts for the rich, etc. in order to eliminate poverty and provide everyone a decent standard of living, along with affordable mental health care. That sort of reform and social spending will never happen at the fed level, where it needs to happen, so we will continue to breed angry male mass shooters. So in the meantime, until we ever get the kind of socialism we need, instead of two corporate, pro-war, servants of the rich major parties, the least we can do is limit the damage by having sane gun control, so the mass murderers can't kill as many people in one attack. That is the diff between the US and other more civilized countries, where there is more economic equality, better government services for all and more caring about the least of its citizens, so they feel valued and treated more fairly, and thus, less motivated to hate everybody else and see enemies here everywhere they turn..

Instead, we have a plutocracy, where the rich don't give a shit how many non-rich people die in mass shootings, because the mass shooters never kill or even attack anyone in the class of rich folks who really run things here and own all the pols in the fed govt. They have no need for gun control of the general population, as they have all the security details and home security they need, with their gated communities and home security systems as well... They are very content to watch members of the lower class kill off other members of the same lower classes.

I already knew you was a gun nut before you replied. Fact is, gun control is the ONLY thing that will EVER curb gun violence.

If you think you can fix why people do what they do, you’re as crazy as the fucks doing the shootings.

You sound like a sensible person. Your welcome to join us in the conservativeatheist or gunrights groups.

@FrancoFran Well, with statements like that, you are yet another member I can just ignore.

@jlynn37 What he said...... FrancoFran, you are just another ignorant, conservative asshole troll...

@FrancoFran Since you're on the internet let your fingers do the walking. This defines fascism: Britannica Dictionary definition of FASCISM
"a way of organizing a society in which a government ruled by a dictator controls the lives of the people and in which people are not allowed to disagree with the government."
I think someone is using he word as an adjective when it's not appropriate. If you want to define fascist use the NRA as your example.

It is Republicans that should wear the Facist title: controlling women's rights, demeaning LGBTQ, forcing people to snitch on females that travel for an abortion, taking millions from the NRA to force their crap down the throats of the voters, telling us prayer isn't used enough in schools to stop shooters -which is so much bullshit i can smell it from here, everything done by Republicans can be equated to fascists.

@FrancoFran The gender transition stuff you are complaining about here, is hardly equivalent to what we saw on Jan.6, for example.

Makes total sense. In other words, the chickens came home to roost, as Malcom X would say, as the Christians anti-queer bigotry came back to bite them in the ass. Not that the church would ever admit it. I agree it was about straight up revenge, except this time it was the Bible-Thumpers who were unarmed and the queer person who was. They never seem to think about that sort of scenario or outcome, since they assume all of the people they hate will just play the passive victim role, instead of arming themselves to either take revenge or defend themselves...

How would you go about doing something about it? What is your solution? Would you make half of Americans criminals by changing laws? There isn't enough room in prison for half the population? What other steps would you take? If you say we can do something, then what?

@Tejas IDK. But first thing we have to do is put the petty differences aside and sit down and work something out. If we put our minds to it we can accomplish anything.

I think some of them care, they just care more about NRA donations then children’s lives….

If only it were simply a matter of overcoming petty differences…..
I think you fail the appreciate the mindset of the right wing christians. They’re fighting a war for god against us libtard snowflakes, and discussing any kind of gun control measures is never gonna even be on the table. Fact is, they’ve already accepted that school shootings are acceptable collateral damage for their cause!?

@Buck unfortunately you're probably right.

@GrooshStar There’s a mass shooting in the US almost every week now. The politicians hardly even mention it any more, accept the ones directly affected by the current shooting….
It’s like it’s an acceptable norm now?!

As Malcom X said, more or less, America worships and respects violence and guns, in fact, it's about the only things, besides money, that Americans respect and value.

Amen

@Buck Bang, bang!