Columbine HS

The Coffee Shop
21

I don’t know what we can do in the current political atmosphere.

That wasn’t the question.

What do you propose should be done?

…if we believe there nothing intrinsically different about Americans than people of other nations, then the unregulated ownership of guns…

Unregulated? How in the hell did you get that impression?

…including assault weapons…

What do you consider an “assault weapon”?

is the ONLY logical conclusion you can come to as to why there are more mass shootings/murders in America than any other place on earth.

Couple things here. This statement is not true. There are many many other countries that have more murders, including mass shootings, than the US.

Secondly, it’s self explanatory that if there are no guns then there will no gun deaths.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. The reason why gun possession by private citizens is a protected civil right is because guns are a very very good for killing (people and animals).

You anti-civil rights people need to wrap your mind around this concept. Nice things don’t need protection. Nice speech doesn’t need protection and nerf guns don’t either.

On the other hand, we do have the 2nd Amendment - notwithstanding all the different interpretations as to what it actually entails - which is accepted as fact that owning arms is protected under the US constitution.

And also in the constitution is a legal, constitutional method for changing that.

Go for it.

Furthermore, the political fight about guns an gun control have been so polarized and exhausting over the last a few decades to the point of that most of Americans don’t see a solution. So this is where we are today. Do you agree?

The anti-gun rights crowd is a minority in this country.

22

In case you are being serious, Assault weapons in particular, and guns in general.

I was serious. I asked because I think the bigger problem is a lack of mental heath care. Take away guns and the mentally ill will just find other methods to kill…

All countries have a mental health problem, it is not unique to the US. Mental health is not the elephant.

So what do you propose we do?

You know that dalava and I advocating for greater gun control to reduce mass shootings and reduce the overall gun homicide rate.

As a gun advocate what do you propose we do?

23

You know that dalava and I advocating for greater gun control to reduce mass shootings and reduce the overall gun homicide rate.

What specifically and how would it “reduce mass shootings…”?

24

With just a little research into school shootings you’ll see how many similarities there are between the shooters. They are predominantly white males who feel unwanted or rejected by their high school peers. They would rather be infamous than invisible.

25

All countries have a mental health problem, it is not unique to the US. Mental health is not the elephant.
Guns have been around since the founding of the US, so why are school shootings a relatively new phenomenon and largely exclusive to the US?

26

In case you are being serious, Assault weapons in particular, and guns in general.
Are you aware nearly twice as many people are beaten to death (fists, feet, etc.) each year than are killed by a rifle? You’re over 4x more likely to be stabbed to death than killed with a rifle.

https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2016/crime-in-the-u.s.-2016/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-4.xls

27

With just a little research into school shootings you’ll see how many similarities there are between the shooters. They are predominantly white males who feel unwanted or rejected by their high school peers. They would rather be infamous than invisible.

Yeah, that’s what I mean. There’s a sort of sub-culture created by lonely white males that seems to persist. E.g. Holden from Catcher in the Rye. I’d like to find some way to change that so they think that shooting a bunch of mostly defenseless people makes them look like losers rather than cult heroes.

28

I’d like to find some way to change that so they think that shooting a bunch of mostly defenseless people makes them look like losers rather than cult heroes.

That is not the problem. They don’t mind being remembered as losers. They just want to be remembered. Noticed. To feel like they have power and control for a brief while.

29

That is not the problem. They don’t mind being remembered as losers. They just want to be remembered. Noticed. To feel like they have power and control for a brief while.

I think it’s more complex than that. There’s a sort of revenge fantasy element. And a sort of sick cult-like hero worship of them that possibly encourages the continuation of the belief. A sense of belonging to a sort of an elite club. The idea to do a mass shooting does not occur independently to each of them. It’s a culture. Hence one of the rationales for razing the physical location of Columbine.

30

With just a little research into school shootings you’ll see how many similarities there are between the shooters. They are predominantly white males who feel unwanted or rejected by their high school peers. They would rather be infamous than invisible.

Yeah, that’s what I mean. There’s a sort of sub-culture created by lonely white males that seems to persist. E.g. Holden from Catcher in the Rye. I’d like to find some way to change that so they think that shooting a bunch of mostly defenseless people makes them look like losers rather than cult heroes.
Yeah, it’s sad. I knew people at Columbine and my kid goes to Stem School. How do we identify and reach these kids before they ruin lives?

31

You know that dalava and I advocating for greater gun control to reduce mass shootings and reduce the overall gun homicide rate.

What specifically and how would it “reduce mass shootings…”?

What do you propose?

32

You know that dalava and I advocating for greater gun control to reduce mass shootings and reduce the overall gun homicide rate.

What specifically and how would it “reduce mass shootings…”?

What do you propose?

Enforce existing gun laws.

33

All countries have a mental health problem, it is not unique to the US. Mental health is not the elephant.
Guns have been around since the founding of the US, so why are school shootings a relatively new phenomenon and largely exclusive to the US?

“Largely exclusive to the US” - easy access to guns (easy compared to other western countries)

“new phenomenon” - I think that there has been a gradual breakdown in society values through out western society.

Perseus - what do you think is the answer to your question?

34

You know that dalava and I advocating for greater gun control to reduce mass shootings and reduce the overall gun homicide rate.

What specifically and how would it “reduce mass shootings…”?

What do you propose?

Enforce existing gun laws.

Now that is something we can both agree on.

35

Now that is something we can both agree on.

It’s nice, but I doubt it would have much effect, if any, if preventing mass shootings.

And it’s tricky logic for those using it just as a misdirection against new gun laws. If just enforcing existing laws has some huge effect, then why wouldn’t new laws be able to do the same thing? It’s a fine line to suggest that the existing set of laws is just perfect if we’d only enforce them, but any new law is completely useless.

36

Now that is something we can both agree on.

It’s nice, but I doubt it would have much effect, if any, if preventing mass shootings.

And it’s tricky logic for those using it just as a misdirection against new gun laws. If just enforcing existing laws has some huge effect, then why wouldn’t new laws be able to do the same thing? It’s a fine line to suggest that the existing set of laws is just perfect if we’d only enforce them, but any new law is completely useless.

I think we have enough gun laws and if you aren’t enforcing them you shouldn’t be making new ones. All that does is get people who follow the law to follow the law. Those people don’t commit mass murder.

California registers every gun that’s purchased. California also has a data base of people who have committed felonies. California knows that some of the names on those two lists match.

California does little to nothing about it.

37

They are talking about tearing it down and keeping the name. I would pick a new name.

38

I saw the article on this since we live by there. I agree, if you’re gonna tear it down, move it and call it something else.

39

I’d like to find some way to change that so they think that shooting a bunch of mostly defenseless people makes them look like losers rather than cult heroes.

That is not the problem. They don’t mind being remembered as losers. They just want to be remembered. Noticed. To feel like they have power and control for a brief while.

Which is why I have been saying for a while now that we shouldn’t publish their names.

40

Now that is something we can both agree on.

It’s nice, but I doubt it would have much effect, if any, if preventing mass shootings.

And it’s tricky logic for those using it just as a misdirection against new gun laws. If just enforcing existing laws has some huge effect, then why wouldn’t new laws be able to do the same thing? It’s a fine line to suggest that the existing set of laws is just perfect if we’d only enforce them, but any new law is completely useless.

What good is a new law if they will continue to not be enforced.

“Great here’s this new fancy gun law, now what? Bigger budget? More officers?”

"Well, we can’t afford to add any new officers and there will be funding cuts this year, you know “fiscal responsibility” and all.

Oh did I mention that the defense budget will triple this year? That’s not really related but I thought that you’d want to know that we’re thinking about the troops."