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The above posts are all wonderful responses to why I am so happy a person such as this O'Rourke is now out of the spotlight spewing his propagandist garbage.
Our government is overrun with pampered, sheltered individuals who know nothing about living in a real world with real problems and we have put these people in office ourselves to dictate how we live our lives. Pretty scary, huh?
To me, they are the worst of the worst. They play off of people's emotions and for what? All they care about is having their time of glory, their day of fame and power and of course the financial gains are nothing to be sneered at. It all goes hand in hand with how some people can never have enough attention, can never have enough money, they are in constant demand to feed the demon that drives them and they will cheat, lie, deceive and laugh at those who fall for their antics.
No normal person is a monster who indifferently shrugs off any senseless killing be it in whatever form. The media is all over what they refer to as a mass shooting where several people are affected and they focus strongly on the weapon used and if it is the same type weapon used in other shootings it suddenly becomes 'the weapon of choice'. Now the politicians and the media who work for them (yes, I said it!) are on the band wagon rallying up the emotional (but not due diligent fact wise) voters (and potential voters) to vote for the benevolent candidate who will work to pass laws ensuring such a tragedy will never be allowed to happened again. Yes, another gun law making it illegal to shoot and kill people! The real tragedy here is peolpe actually believe this nonsense.
People are going to have to realize it is not the instrument used in a killing that is at fault, it is the actual killer. A family of 3 is suddenly killed in a drunk driving accident. A person who drank too much alcohol and should have never gotten behind the wheel of a car but did and ran headfirst into a car with a father, mother and child killing all three instantly. It is ever bit as tragic and heartbreaking as a family of 3 being shot and killed senselessly by someone using an AR 15. Do you see the politicians on a warpath to ban alcohol? No you do not. Why, what on earth would they serve at their ritzy dinner parties? Better yet, check them out and you'll find plenty of booze related issues involving our self righteous politicians who are so wiling to sacrifice their time and their lives to helping their constituents and making the world a better place.
I am trying so hard to stop laughing about the irony of all of this and the fact so many people are so gullible in this day and age to fall for crap like this. It is funny, but it is not funny at all.
No politician is going to do anything for you unless they are getting gain out of it. Crime is a large part of our economy and the politicians know this. They also know how to play the game and prey on people's emotions to get what they want out of them - a vote to stay in their cushy political job and glory in their attention and wealth, They know they can use issues like gun control for years to control people's minds and votes. They know it's all a silly game and they are having a big laugh at the gullibility of the people who allow themselves to be maneuvered into supporting them in their lavish lifestyles.
So, when you find yourself actually believing the impassioned, almost hypnotic speeches of someone like O'Rourke, stop and use your common sense. These politicians using such theatrical tactics similar to a holly roller preacher in an evangelist revival are to be taken with a grain of salt at the very least.
People are going to have to realize it is not the instrument used in a killing that is at fault, it is the actual killer. A family of 3 is suddenly killed in a drunk driving accident. A person who drank too much alcohol and should have never gotten behind the wheel of a car but did and ran headfirst into a car with a father, mother and child killing all three instantly. It is ever bit as tragic and heartbreaking as a family of 3 being shot and killed senselessly by someone using an AR 15. Do you see the politicians on a warpath to ban alcohol? No you do not.
Nope, you see decently stringent license and insurance requirements for cars, harsh penalties for DUIs, and some politicians pushing for easier access to mental healthcare to address issues of widespread alcoholism.
Also, there is a literal war over narcotics, many of which aren't a fraction as harmful as alcohol.
Most people in leadership positions, public and private enterprise alike, are egotistical and likely sociopathic, but to write off all government as hopeless is throwing the baby out with the bathwater, exacerbates the problem, and just hands over power to private enterprise which manages to be even less transparent and accountable. Beto didn't get any support because his presidential campaign made it even more clear to voters that he had no depth, that his only merits in 2018 were going to every county in Texas and not being Ted Cruz.
...and remember, these politicians are surrounded by armed security.
Hypocrisy so blatant even a moron should be able to see through it. Alas, we've become a society of brainwashed sheeple, told what to think by the nonstop bullshi# media. Well, some of us aren't, thank God.
I appreciate everyone taking the time to give me their perspective.
I´m not content though to just throw up my arms and say, "Welp, people kill people, that´s how it´s always going to be" when in spite of all the slightly lowered statistics, the US homicide rate is and will potentially remain on par with developing countries and not at all like countries which enjoy our levels of stability and economic successes. Something isn´t right. What´s our problem?
Oh it´s mental illness? As if the rest of the First World doesn´t have mentally ill people...Something is terribly wrong with our society. Do we need more law and order? We already have one of the highest incarceration rates in the world already, scratch that. Plus many mass shooters had NO criminal history before, but many did have military-grade weapons.
Responsible gun ownership is very possible, but the very organization that is supposed to stand for that has spent millions lobbying against laws which would expand background checks...? Yall go ahead and keep looking the other way as mass shootings continue to happen...let´s see how many "good guys with a gun" can make a difference.
Nope, you see decently stringent license and insurance requirements for cars, harsh penalties for DUIs, and some politicians pushing for easier access to mental healthcare to address issues of widespread alcoholism.
There is a law now against murder. To try and equate all situations is completely impossible. Many killers do not have the intellect to be original in conducting their crime, ergo so many copycat crimes. Say for instance lawmakers succeed in passing the most restrictive gun control program known to the world today, do you honestly think that will make a difference in the murder rate? All it takes is one genius criminal mind to masterpiece a successful mass murder and all the wannabe's follow suit. Here we go on another wild goose chase to subdue that 'weapon of choice'.
Everything you mentioned sounds like legitimately promising and good solutions, that is until you hit the hard cold facts. There are harsh penalties for DWI's, same as there are harsh penalties for murder, yet both crimes continue to happen and all the laws on the books and all the penalties in the world will not bring back loved ones from the dead after the fact.
Your mention of stringent and insurance requirements mean what in the real world? Are you saying the person who lost his license due to too many infractions (let's go from small to big infractions) will obey the consequences of his actions and not get behind the wheel of a car until he is allowed to? Huh. Makes the old joke sell you some land in . . . begging to be entered here. You will have some who comply and some who won't.
The insurance requirements is just one big joke. It would be nice if everyone did have to carry a liability policy like the law requires. It would be a whole lot nicer if that so-called requirement were enforced and I am not talking about showing an insurance card to get your vehicle inspected, your registration, your driver's license. That loophole is so big the entire state of Texas could fall through it.
I understand we have to try and make things as right as we can and not just give up. But we have to be sensible about what we do and just because something sounds good on paper doesn't make it so.
Right now because of the mass shootings the focus in on the guns. So the solution is to enforce strict gun control. This is the problem, there is no way a law, however strict, is going to prevent a person intent on getting a gun and shooting someone or many.
American citizens have the congressional right to own and bear firearms (at their discretion) for use to hunt and provide food for their family, to protect themselves from harm (be it in whatever form).
The focus should be on what the people are willing to do to the person who commits these murders and that really should be the issue.
btw, this goes for the other things mentioned as well. Are we willing to lock up the person who buys insurance for one month to get this inspection, his registration then drops the insurance and then runs into someone causing considerable damage to their vehicle, possible medical bills and he doesn't have one red cent to pay for his damage.
I say when the police pulls a car over for a traffic violation and finds the driver has no insurance, it's a straight trip to the jailhouse for him and to the pound for his car. I say make it a mandatory death sentence for anyone committing a violent murder by any means (gun, bomb, knife whatever weapon) and then carry on with it. Make the punishment fit the crime and the most important part of all of this is carry through with the punishment.
There is a law now against murder. To try and equate all situations is completely impossible. Many killers do not have the intellect to be original in conducting their crime, ergo so many copycat crimes. Say for instance lawmakers succeed in passing the most restrictive gun control program known to the world today, do you honestly think that will make a difference in the murder rate? All it takes is one genius criminal mind to masterpiece a successful mass murder and all the wannabe's follow suit. Here we go on another wild goose chase to subdue that 'weapon of choice'.
I was just pointing out the irony that, in your example, the law actually does address drunk driving in the same manner as what gun control activists push for. I wasn't endorsing any policy in particular.
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Everything you mentioned sounds like legitimately promising and good solutions, that is until you hit the hard cold facts. There are harsh penalties for DWI's, same as there are harsh penalties for murder, yet both crimes continue to happen and all the laws on the books and all the penalties in the world will not bring back loved ones from the dead after the fact.
You're right, harsh punishment doesn't really work as a deterrent. It just makes some of the more vengeful victims of collateral damage feel better while making life hard enough for the perpetrator that they never reform or learn the lessons necessary to be a functional member of society.
Quote:
Your mention of stringent and insurance requirements mean what in the real world? Are you saying the person who lost his license due to too many infractions (let's go from small to big infractions) will obey the consequences of his actions and not get behind the wheel of a car until he is allowed to? Huh. Makes the old joke sell you some land in . . . begging to be entered here. You will have some who comply and some who won't.
The insurance requirements is just one big joke. It would be nice if everyone did have to carry a liability policy like the law requires. It would be a whole lot nicer if that so-called requirement were enforced and I am not talking about showing an insurance card to get your vehicle inspected, your registration, your driver's license. That loophole is so big the entire state of Texas could fall through it.
Aside from instituting marshal law with random checkpoints, there's no way you can get every single driver to follow every single law 100% of the time. Would you say that means we should ditch all driving requirements?
You can't enforce any law with 100% efficacy, even in police states. That doesn't mean you ditch all laws. You can't ever get your house 100% clean. That doesn't mean you give up all attempt at cleaning.
Quote:
I understand we have to try and make things as right as we can and not just give up. But we have to be sensible about what we do and just because something sounds good on paper doesn't make it so.
Right now because of the mass shootings the focus in on the guns. So the solution is to enforce strict gun control. This is the problem, there is no way a law, however strict, is going to prevent a person intent on getting a gun and shooting someone or many.
Most mass shooters are cowards who acquire their firearms legally without so much as a speedbump. I think most people just wonder why it's easier to kill 50 people than get mental healthcare in this country.
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American citizens have the congressional right to own and bear firearms (at their discretion) for use to hunt and provide food for their family, to protect themselves from harm (be it in whatever form).
I think you mean "constitutional". And the Second Amendment is written so vaguely that either a clarifying amendment or a Supreme Court case is needed to decide whether the text makes all arms legal to all people or just allows the states to have standing armies. The constitutional argument kinda falls apart when you consider that most military weapons are off limits to civilians.
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The focus should be on what the people are willing to do to the person who commits these murders and that really should be the issue.
Unfortunately, increasing access to mental healthcare seems to be a political non-starter.
So there you have it. The US is many times more violent than every other rich country, and there's no possible way to solve it. Our governments are hopelessly corrupt, so we should burn them to the ground.
Last edited by Westerner92; 11-04-2019 at 01:55 PM..
I think you mean "constitutional". And the Second Amendment is written so vaguely that either a clarifying amendment or a Supreme Court case is needed to decide whether the text makes all arms legal to all people or just allows the states to have standing armies. The constitutional argument kinda falls apart when you consider that most military weapons are off limits to civilians.
Then you obviously haven't read The Federalist Papers, which were written to go hand-in-hand with the Constitution, and go into further detail. The Constitution was written in a time when people could communicate with pretty simple language, without needing a lot of fluff to act as filler. And there have been numerous rulings by the Supreme Court w/regards to the meaning of the 2nd Amendment. And what military small arms are "off limits" to civilians?
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Originally Posted by Westerner92
Unfortunately, increasing access to mental healthcare seems to be a political non-starter.
Then you haven't been listening......many "conservatives" have been beating the drum in recent years about the issue of mental health. The REAL issue is who pays for it.....having seen friends that have gone to "counseling", IMHO most of it is snake-oil smoke and mirrors. Literally had one friend who's "counselor" told her that she could get "X" number of additional sessions paid by her insurance for every new "symptom" or "issue" she told her about.
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Originally Posted by Westerner92
So there you have it. The US is many times more violent than every other rich country, and there's no possible way to solve it. Our governments are hopelessly corrupt, so we should burn them to the ground.
Take away key major metropolitan areas in this country (who also, by chance, have some of the strictest gun control measures), and the overall crime rate of the US drops well behind those "rich countries" you speak so highly of.
You are exactly right and thinking that is what I typed - I know it was what I was thinking! No excuse, just goofed.
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Originally Posted by Westerner92
I was just pointing out the irony that, in your example, the law actually does address drunk driving in the same manner as what gun control activists push for. I wasn't endorsing any policy in particular.
I'm sorry, if you are making a point here, it completely escapes me. The only irony I see here is your sentence "the law actually does address drunk driving in the same manner as what gun control activists push for". Pushing for what?
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Originally Posted by Westerner92
You're right, harsh punishment doesn't really work as a deterrent. It just makes some of the more vengeful victims of collateral damage feel better while making life hard enough for the perpetrator that they never reform or learn the lessons necessary to be a functional member of society.
I see now I did not make myself clear on this. I do believe harsh punishment is a deterrent to crime. There will always be that certain few who will continue to create havoc regardless of the penalty. I am a firm supporter of the death penalty and I said it should be used. One thing we know for certain, the death penalty is definitely the ultimate deterrent for the criminal put to death and I believe the more actively it is used in states, the more of a deterrent it will be all around.
I second what TexasRedneck says so no need for me to go any further with any of this conversation.
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Poor Beto
You are exactly right and thinking that is what I typed - I know it was what I was thinking! No excuse, just goofed.
