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So we're again confronted by the frightening picture of a lone male, apparently driven to desperation (or just extreme frustration) by negative events in his own life, who decided to claim his "five minutes of fame" (or infamy -- the phrase itself is a product of our media-saturated culture) by writing his name in blood. As usual, we''ll see him publicly subjected to amateur psychoanalysis, and we'll hear the usual calls for those with access to the levers of power to "do something".
Before going any further, let me elaborate just a little on my personal background and take on the issue. I live in a rural, predominately white area where sport hunting is a tradition. My natal family were farmers; my father never handled a firearm after his discharge from the Army in 1946, but my grandfather, and many of my uncles did, and kept one rifle or shotgun. I personally have never handled anything bigger than a .22 caliber rifle; that as part of a college Phys Ed class; and for reasons related to a physical condition, I knew from that time on that I'd always be a poor shot.
And I know of three separate occasions in my home town where teenagers got their hands on a parent's gun with tragic consequences; one shot himself fatally with his father's deer rifle; a second shot himself in the leg, but recovered, and a third was wounded in the spine while he and a friend fooled around with a pistol; he survived, but paralyzed from the waist down, and recently died at least thirty years before his time.
And while I'm convinced that any attempt at wholesale prohibition of firearms won't work, the only real argument which resonates with me is that the predominately-rural tradition of sport hunting provides our military with a supply of citizen-soldiers who know how to handle a firearm before they're inducted. That argument has been tested and proven in combat situations for over two centuries.
But the point I seek to stress here is that the current impasse over gun violence and control has intensified because of (1) the concentration of more of our population in urban centers, (2) an influx of immigration, both legal and undocumented, from regions where familiarity with firearms is less-common, and (3) a linkage of the issue to the broad-spectrum "Social Justice" movement -- the single largest component of which is feminism -- in turn, the most prominent societal change of our times.
I spent most of the last decade of my working years in impersonal, "corporate anthill" jobs -- where "lip service" was always paid to an apparent consensus on social issues of the day. "Weapons" of any kind (sometimes including items as small as a pocketknife) were officially prohibited, and access to the plant restricted. This included the parking lot, of course, but there was no way to verify what might have been in the glove compartment or under the seat.
And on a few occasions, always in the mens' room or similar locations. one could hear a complaint about the smugness of some supervisors, usually young and female, who were perceived as holding a bias against outspoken, usually male employees. The polarization isn't always there, and it's subtle, but it definitely exists among, and between a not-that-small number of individuals on both sides of the controversy.
And so it seems fated to boil over, with tragic consequences, from time to time. The "New Puritans" and advocates of the nanny-state scenario have no stronger prospects for outlawing and confiscating all privately-held firearms than a foreign power would have of occupying rural America without the rise of a guerilla-type local resistance. As with the emancipation of women itself, the individual incidents within the spectrum are too diverse, and too widespread, to permit a centralized response.
Last edited by 2nd trick op; 11-08-2018 at 03:50 PM..
Freedom comes with a price. Sometimes the price is paid within the civilian population. Last I recall the US population is continually increasing, which means we are not in fear of killing off our society. The last thing I’m afraid of is being a victim of a mass killer. Just because it happens on occasion does not constitute a need to infringe the 2A. A mass shooting can happen in any city or country on earth.
So we're again confronted by the frightening picture of a lone male, apparently driven to desperation (or just extreme frustration) by negative events in his own life, who decided to claim his "five minutes of fame" (or infamy -- the phrase itself is a product of our media-saturated culture) by writing his name in blood. As usual, we''ll see him publicly subjected to amateur psychoanalysis, and we'll hear the usual calls for those with access to the levers of power to "do something".
Before going any further, let me elaborate just a little on my personal background and take on the issue. I live in a rural, predominately white area where sport hunting is a tradition. My natal family were farmers; my father never handled a firearm after his discharge from the Army in 1946, but my grandfather, and many of my uncles did, and kept one rifle or shotgun. I personally have never handled anything bigger than a .22 caliber rifle; that as part of a college Phys Ed class; and for reasons related to a physical condition, I knew from that time on that I'd always be a poor shot.
And I know of three separate occasions in my home town where teenagers got their hands on a parent's gun with tragic consequences; one shot himself fatally with his father's deer rifle; a second shot himself in the leg, but recovered, and a third was wounded in the spine while he and a friend fooled around with a pistol; he survived, but paralyzed from the waist down, and recently died at least thirty years before his time.
And while I'm convinced that any attempt at wholesale prohibition of firearms won't work, the only real argument which resonates with me is that the predominately-rural tradition of sport hunting provides our military with a supply of citizen-soldiers who know how to handle a firearm before they're inducted. That argument has been tested and proven in combat situations for over two centuries.
But the point I seek to stress here is that the current impasse over gun violence and control has intensified because of (1) the concentration of more of our population in urban centers, (2) an influx of immigration, both legal and undocumented, from regions where familiarity with firearms is less-common, and (3) a linkage of the issue to the broad-spectrum "Social Justice" movement -- the single largest component of which is feminism -- in turn, the most prominent societal change of our times.
I spent most of the last decade of my working years in impersonal, "corporate anthill" jobs -- where "lip service" was always paid to an apparent consensus on social issues of the day. "Weapons" of any kind (sometimes including items as small as a pocketknife) were officially prohibited, and access to the plant restricted. This included the parking lot, of course, but there was no way to verify what might have been in the glove compartment or under the seat.
And on a few occasions, always in the mens' room or similar locations. one could hear a complaint about the smugness of some supervisors, usually young and female, who were perceived as holding a bias against outspoken, usually male employees. The polarization isn't always there, and it's subtle, but it definitely exists among, and between a not-that-small number of individuals on both sides of the controversy.
And so it seems fated to boil over, with tragic consequences, from time to time. The "New Puritans" and advocates of the nanny-state scenario have no stronger prospects for outlawing and confiscating all privately-held firearms than a foreign power would have of occupying rural America without the rise of a guerilla-type local resistance. As with the emancipation of women itself, the individual incidents within the spectrum are too diverse, and too widespread, to permit a centralized response.
This is an interesting OP. Personally, I think it's interesting because you've focused on the aspect of the relationship between social justice & gun violence for one. & secondly, that you've identified "the single largest component of which is feminism -- in turn, the most prominent societal change of our times."
Historically, when there are prominent societal changes, there tends to be also variously prominent resistance movements responding to the same.
What do you think about groups like MGTOW? How do these & the like 'fit into' the relationships you're describing?
Let's see: ~3x 10^8 people in US ~3x 10^8 guns in US & ~ 3x 10^8 autos in US
~ 40,000 traffic deaths/yr and 10,000 deaths by fire arms/yr
There has ALWAYS been a lot of guns here, but these violent episodes of public, mass assassinations seem to be on the increase (?are there really more or does the 24hr/d cable news cycle just make it seem like more)
Something must have changed to increase this style of violence. The guns were always there. They haven't changed.
Is it the frustration of more divergent political philosophies? Is it changing role of men vs women? Is it increasing rate of drug use? Is it lowered rate of male participation in "violent sports?" Is it increasingly liberal indoctrination in our schools? Is it abandonment of the role of family & local community to govt programs? Is it the increasing rate of home runs hit in the National League?--- All (and I'm sure more) are positively correlated with the increasing rate of mass shootings. ..Be careful in assigning roles of cause & effect.
ps/ The concepts of "control" and of "freedom" are mutually exclusive. Isn't it ironic that the political party that always calls the other one fascist is the one that wants more control?
Let's see: ~3x 10^8 people in US ~3x 10^8 guns in US & ~ 3x 10^8 autos in US
~ 40,000 traffic deaths/yr and 10,000 deaths by fire arms/yr
There has ALWAYS been a lot of guns here, but these violent episodes of public, mass assassinations seem to be on the increase (?are there really more or does the 24hr/d cable news cycle just make it seem like more)
Something must have changed to increase this style of violence. The guns were always there. They haven't changed.
Is it the frustration of more divergent political philosophies? Is it changing role of men vs women? Is it increasing rate of drug use? Is it lowered rate of male participation in "violent sports?" Is it increasingly liberal indoctrination in our schools? Is it abandonment of the role of family & local community to govt programs? Is it the increasing rate of home runs hit in the National League?--- All (and I'm sure more) are positively correlated with the increasing rate of mass shootings. ..Be careful in assigning roles of cause & effect.
ps/ The concepts of "control" and of "freedom" are mutually exclusive. Isn't it ironic that the political party that always calls the other one fascist is the one that wants more control?
One thing that is changing over time, is the amount of power and control over the people, that the Govt seeks. I think this definitely plays a big part in all these shootings.
When a Govt attempts to disarm or regulate the types of weapons its public can have...historically that is usually not a good sign, and there are always ulterior motives (mainly to protect THEIR security).
Look at it like this...if you were a power hungry tyrannical govt and wanted as much control over your people as possible, the first thing you would do is to disarm them, take away their ability to fight back or resist, attempting this by changing public opinion (mass shootings) is just an easier way than a brute force total ban, which would result in an uprising or revolution...its more effective for the people to willingly disarm themselves under the guise of safety or security.
What do you think about groups like MGTOW? How do these & the like 'fit into' the relationships you're describing?
It would be anyone's right, but it seems like a pretty empty way to live.
And there is no doubt it my mind that the most radical aspects of feminism, in the hands of a few militant judges, have weakened the institution of marriage, and left a relatively small number of men with large obligations and few options. I've met a few of them, tied to jobs which reduce their take-home pay to a few hundred dollars a month, and feeding themselves via SNAP cards.
It's not my place to sit in judgement, but when applied by those not familiar with individual cases, the "new rules" seem to produce some strange results.
Last edited by 2nd trick op; 11-09-2018 at 08:33 AM..
When a Govt attempts to disarm or regulate the types of weapons its public can have...historically that is usually not a good sign, and there are always ulterior motives (mainly to protect THEIR security).
Look at it like this...if you were a power hungry tyrannical govt and wanted as much control over your people as possible, the first thing you would do is to disarm them, take away their ability to fight back or resist, attempting this by changing public opinion (mass shootings) is just an easier way than a brute force total ban, which would result in an uprising or revolution...its more effective for the people to willingly disarm themselves under the guise of safety or security.
Yes.....Thomas Jefferson was correct (and still is in my opinion) when he said....
The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government".
^^^^Exactly why access to arms by the public should never be curtailed.
I think the rising number of mass shootings points directly to the increase in size of central govt and the resulting dehumanization of how we detect and deal with mental illness. Responsibilities for detecting and dealing with mental illness, once the domain of families and small communities has been abrogated to "The Authorities."
As a corollary, social media and home entertainment (less opportunity to get out and socialize) has magnified the dehumanization process.
Europe has its pubs. Bars there are more like social clubs or community centers, as opposed to the age-segregated, alcohol centered bars here. We really don't have an equivalent to the pub here. Loneliness here is a huge problem rarely mentioned by the "experts."
There's no justification or white-washing for someone "losing it". If they can't function within the bounds of society and law, they need to kill themselves, not others.
There's a thing called "personal responsibility". Get used to it. When our country was wiser and saner, people understood that, respected it, and supported it.
Now, we've become of nation of shielding the guilty, while redirecting the blame onto others. We need to get tough and crack down on this nonsense, not welcome it. If not, matters will only get worse, and many more people will die unnecessarily.
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