Violent start to summer break in Metro ATL

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by seussie

There's having no purpose, maybe, and there's not being able to have a purpose.

Just to comment on this subject in general, and I am not really disagreeing with you.

It is often said that young people become disaffected and violent because they do not have (or are not given) a sense of purpose.

But what exactly does that mean?

When I was a teenager and someone had asked me what my purpose was, the response would have been a blank stare.

Now in my eighth decade on the planet, the answer is not that much clearer. You work, to take care of yourself and those who depend on you. You tend to your community and the planet. You try to make the world a little bit better. You learn and you teach. You have a little fun. You try to treat people right and follow the golden rule. You encounter many obstacles and struggle to deal with them.

In short, you engage in human existence. You are one of billions. For most of us there is no magic "purpose."

Honestly, I don't think that makes us failures, although it is often easy to believe we are. But even if we are really feeling like down and viewing our lives as a total flop, that is no reason to go out and start shooting our fellow citizens.

And re the store in Frankfurt, there is no reason any German citizen needs to go in there and buy a gun, much less use it on anybody else. I would venture the guess that none of the six teens that were gunned down in Atlanta this week were shot by guns that had been legally purchased at gun stores.

[BR Valentine]

Originally Posted by Iconographer

They also possess vast cultural differences.

That has absolutely nothing to do with why those places have less gun violence. The only relevant difference is gun regulation. The US has more gun violence becuase it has vastly more guns per capita than anywhere else in the developed world and vastly less gun regulation. If you make devices that are designed to kill insanely easy to acquire and carry more people are going to die from said devices. It’s that simple.

[aslowdodge]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Just to comment on this subject in general, and I am not really disagreeing with you.

It is often said that young people become disaffected and violent because they do not have (or are not given) a sense of purpose.

But what exactly does that mean?

When I was a teenager and someone had asked me what my purpose was, the response would have been a blank stare.

Now in my eighth decade on the planet, the answer is not that much clearer. You work, to take care of yourself and those who depend on you. You tend to your community and the planet. You try to make the world a little bit better. You learn and you teach. You have a little fun. You try to treat people right and follow the golden rule. You encounter many obstacles and struggle to deal with them.

In short, you engage in human existence. You are one of billions. For most of us there is no magic "purpose."

Honestly, I don't think that makes us failures, although it is often easy to believe we are. But even if we are really feeling like down and viewing our lives as a total flop, that is no reason to go out and start shooting our fellow citizens.

And re the store in Frankfurt, there is no reason any German citizen needs to go in there and buy a gun, much less use it on anybody else. I would venture the guess that none of the six teens that were gunned down in Atlanta this week were shot by guns that had been legally purchased at gun stores.

I would also venture to say that none were rifles like Chiatal posted, but handguns

[bigup]

Originally Posted by BR Valentine

That has absolutely nothing to do with why those places have less gun violence. The only relevant difference is gun regulation. The US has more gun violence becuase it has vastly more guns per capita than anywhere else in the developed world and vastly less gun regulation. If you make devices that are designed to kill insanely easy to acquire and carry more people are going to die from said devices. It’s that simple.

Differences in gun regulations may be a big factor, but you cannot rule out cultural differences as a suppressor of violence, be it with guns or otherwise. In Japan, culturally-rooted social obligations to one's community (and the deep sense of shame that comes from violating these obligations), community programs that give citizens a sense of belonging, and government policies that enable universal access to healthcare and other services (although these are not perfect measures) all contribute to the lower level of violent crime.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by BR Valentine

That has absolutely nothing to do with why those places have less gun violence. The only relevant difference is gun regulation. The US has more gun violence becuase it has vastly more guns per capita than anywhere else in the developed world and vastly less gun regulation. If you make devices that are designed to kill insanely easy to acquire and carry more people are going to die from said devices. It’s that simple.

No, it most certainly is not.
The biggest problem is the inability to face certain realities within our culture and to adopt the rather callow notion that this is 'all about the guns'...and I say this as an advocate of gun control. Banning guns is not going to make the problem magically disappear. I'd find that notion laughable if the topic weren't so unfunny.

[Beretta]

There’s a place on this forum to discuss guns and this isn’t it. Thread closed.