Running shooting thread 2023

Next month is the 24th anniversary of Columbine. Still too soon I’m sure.

 

This is almost inconceivable, and seems unbelievable. It needs to be shown to and read by every single person and/or governmental entity that might be an agent of drastic change regarding gun laws.

And it is crazy that that even needs to happen.

 

This sounds like making excuses.

The first five words encapsulated, exactly, my first reaction to that story: "Um, the Civil War was more than 150 years ago. Are these people really living that far in the past?"

I don't really think so, at all.

My other reaction: "So, guns are like a drug?"

Because, as I read that, that's the sense I got.

We need to find/have a way to cut people off, cold-turkey. No taking 12 steps to do it, either.

 

I've never been a fan of "Now is not the time..." But a big fan of the MLK quote "The time is always right to do what is right."

 

How much time have you spent in the American South?

 

Not much, but more than enough, apparently.

I simply gave my reactions to the story. I'm fairly confident a lot of other people would have the same reactions, and a similar sense in response to actually reading it. Did you do so?

It really shouldn't matter anyway. The American South is not the only part of this country that exists. It's time for the rest of us to react as strongly as these can't-be-without-their-guns gun fanatics do. The cause/reason to do so doesn't get any more righteous. It shouldn't matter to most people what has to happen to stop these mass shootings.

Why, again, are we even having to have this discussion? Again...

 

Such a good post.

And this is mostly where I'm coming from. Really, how does anyone even have any question about what needs to happen? Why is this so hard?

Because it's really not.

 

I’d like to see the data set that says historically plantation-based counties have a statistically significant edge in gun ownership versus the upland and mountain South. That doesn’t seem right to me at first blush, but my impressions aren’t data.

But as far as the sociology of racial fears and the myth of self-reliance, yeah none of that struck me as particular outlandish. I may not like that way of thinking but I’m not unfamiliar with it. Not everybody is packing out in public here but you should assume anyone may be. And I dare say a majority of Southern households own a gun, even if they are lefty or apolitical.

 

Maybe something simple - like you can still buy an AR-15 and the like - but there is a 30-day waiting period, 60-day - whatever. Seems most of these things happen with freshly bought guns. And maybe in that time period - the shooter has a change of heart, or someone notices that the are going through a tough-time, or notices a map of a local school or church, clippings from other mass shootings lying around their home.
Because we KNOW the next shooter is out there, taking in all of this info and learning from it for when they do their "thing." We KNOW it.

 

@Smallpotatoes and @WriteThinking should get married.

 

Noted: A LOT of legislation was passed in this time period to make motor vehicles safer.

 

Know what's really sad? There are a lot of smart, kind people here. (Many have written thoughtful and terrific things on another thread that means a lot to me.) And many have said smart, logical, well-intentioned things that make sense.

And in a month, maybe two, maybe six, we'll have the exact same conversations and discussions on this thread.

Smart and sad is a devastating combination.