Shooting---again

[Truckman]

I don't question that---but something fundamental has changed

Among them the increased sensationalism in the reporting of such happenings bringing about the politicized polarization by those of unscrupulous aims on all sides hoping to cash in on the available impending power shifts......Ben

[Honda]

Among them the increased sensationalism in the reporting of such happenings bringing about the politicized polarization by those of unscrupulous aims on all sides hoping to cash in on the available impending power shifts......Ben

As usual I completely agree with you on this.

[Honda]

The bear in the room is gun control. No need to dance around it. I continue to live by the old worn out statement "if you outlaw guns only outlaws will have guns". Anyone depraved enough to commit pathological psycho murder as has occurred in these two instances will find a way, be it running a vehicle through crowds, slashing them with large knives, blowing them up, poisoning them or by any other diabolical means. If we banned assault rifles today there would still be millions of them on the street easily assessable by those with murder in their hearts. Likewise I have always said high capacity shotguns can do far more damage in crowds that assault rifles. Shall we ban those too? Where does it stop? Someone above asked "so what do we do about it"? I only wish I had that answer. A start might be controlling the utterly obscene violence that mostly male children are exposed to in video games. Most of the games are all about using assault rifles and other munitions to kill the hell out of people. After playing those for hours on end it is not surprising that some of weak mind and lack of personal control would take it from the digital world to the real world........All too sad.

[Truckman]

A very good summation, Tom......Ben

[Phillbo]

You can't ban or control crazy.... I think (again, just my opinion) not publicizing the name of the shooters might help a bit. Take away their 15 minutes of fame.

[wacojoe]

Then there’s the normal every weekend mass-shooting in Chicago by characters undoubtedly not in either the nut or religious zealot categories —

https://www.foxnews.com/us/7-people-...lled-3-wounded

These do not even garner headlines in the media anymore.

[Mike]

While I believe the media is seriously impacting the copycat killers, I also believe the violent first-person video shoot 'em up games the kids play for hours at a time also play a role in the problem.

[Honda]

I was thinking about this a little more. A kid can not legally go into a store and buy a Playboy. They can't go into a R rated movie without an adult. So why can't we ban this disease of explicitly violent, abnormal gun usage, carnal filled killing in these video games that they can buy anywhere. Folks these male kids (mostly) are addicted to these games. I have seen it in my own family. They withdraw from normal child activities. The cloak themselves into their bedrooms and play these games for hours on end. They have "team mates" that they plan attacks and plan ways to kill people. Almost all of the characters are dressed similarly to the way these shooters have been and MOST are armed with AR type rifles. It teaches them how to load magazines, how to store extra rounds how to quickly load and reload and gives them extra points for becoming an expert at killing proficiently. Before we blame these killings on "white nationalists" I think the true cause might just be before our eyes and it starts with these games when they are as young as 6 years old. They are given unsupervised access to the internet where they can obtain information from hate groups of all origins. It's a powder keg and we are seeing it blow up before our eyes. Is it really that much of a jump in logic to believe that a very small portion of these kids who have this addiction would take it to the next level? Not for me. Taking away guns from law abiding citizens as desirable as that would be for the left is NOT the answer, but it damn sure would make them "feel" good. Political expediency should take a step back and look at the root cause of this and it's not a gun it's the operator. The parents of these kids also share the blame. As long as they are not bugging them they don't give a damn about what they are playing or who is indoctrinating them. Shame. I do believe that AR type guns are too easy to obtain especially for teenagers and I am in favor of reform to that end, but a ban is NOT the answer. It won't work.

[Mike]

The kids are desensitized by the games to the point where they don't know what real life is. They can kill a few hundred folks on the video game and then just reset it and start all over. That is not real life and they haven't a clue what real life is.

I think a good start would be to ban all the video games where you are killing "humans". I don't think the games have to go away entirely, just make the targets something other than humans or any likeness of humans.

[Honda]

The kids are desensitized by the games to the point where they don't know what real life is. They can kill a few hundred folks on the video game and then just reset it and start all over. That is not real life and they haven't a clue what real life is.

I think a good start would be to ban all the video games where you are killing "humans". I don't think the games have to go away entirely, just make the targets something other than humans or any likeness of humans.

Completely agree. Look I am not saying banning these type of video games is a panacea for mass murderers but it's a start.

[Truckman]

I wonder if the murderer in Dayton ever knew he killed his own sister......Ben