Mass Shootings in Texas (Santa Fe, Hitchcock: car rental, rental, student loans)

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by mgforshort

The sad part is that some of these tragedies could have been prevented with better law enforcement. Look at my own post # 224. Five people died due to prison policy / incompetence. Look at Uvalde, officers standing down. Look at how many shooters get weapons because they weren't properly vetted. We can blame guns all day long, but our policies and their enforcement is poor beyond belief.

Lopez killing of the Collins family was yet another LE failure.
1) LE was confident Lopez was confined in a region that included the area of Collins vacant summer home.
2) Neighboring home had been burglerized in the last couple days before the murders.
3) Lopez was known to be very violent, resourceful, capable.
4) Lopez was still 'at-large' 14 days!!! (Could have been waiting in the vacant home?)


Don't know the specifics, but...
The area should have been under lock-down / controlled access
The Collins' should have been escorted to their home, assured of safe arrival, and informed of the imminent risk of staying there. (not safe if armed, or ambushed)

[mgforshort]

# 231 is all correct, but my question is: how did Gonzalo Lopez get off the prison bus? No chains or handcuffs on a convicted professional hitman with a long history of murdering others ?????? No other guards protecting the bus driver ?????

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by mgforshort

# 231 is all correct, but my question is: how did Gonzalo Lopez get off the prison bus? No chains or handcuffs on a convicted professional hitman with a long history of murdering others ?????? No other guards protecting the bus driver ?????

There was a guard in the rear of the bus (maybe sleeping during Lopez sawing his way out of cage).

Both bus driver and guard got off the bus (To wrestle with and allow Lopez to get a hold of their weapon / protection) and they left the other prisoners on the bus. After gaining control of the driver and the guard, Lopez jumped back on the bus and drove off with the other inmates (A lot went wrong here).

The bus apparently didn't have a police escort or even a driver / operator remote disable switch (Might be a good idea).

[redguard57]

Originally Posted by BBMW

Anyone in TX who might be reading this, have the two recent attacks there changed any minds? Are there any calls for gun control from anyone but the usual suspects who always call for it.

There are more "usual suspects" in Texas than there used to be, but those opposed are still vehemently opposed.

I don't expect any of the recent shootings to make a difference, nor any future ones. If mass shootings changed peoples' minds on guns, the many dozens we've had would have changed minds already.

[Pilsn3r]

Originally Posted by KathrynAragon

They're just facts. Not particularly enjoyable or not enjoyable. Just facts. Sort of like dry crackers. Not bad but not great either - just dry crackers.

It's entirely possible to say two similar things with different words by the way. For example this - it's possible to say the same thing using different words. Such as "It's dark outside" and "The sky is dark blue, almost black, outside." See how I did that? And wow, they even mean the same thing! And yet - different! AMAZING!

Eh. No.
A fact is a provable. Opinion is belief.

"far below" is an opinion. "Below" can be proven as a fact. "Far below" cannot.
For example, it is a fact that the US overall homicide rate is "below" the international average according to your source. Is it provable that a difference of 2 homicides per 100,000 people is "far below"? No. Is it provable that 2 less homicides per 100,000 people is "below" the average. Yes. One could have the opinion that 3rd world country Indonesia with 0.44 homicides per 100k is "far below". But the term "far below" is not a fact, but an opinion. It is a fact that Indonesia with a total population closest to the US is below the international average, and below the US average. Some people may have the opinion that 5 is a "little below" 7, and .44 is "far below" 7. Either way, all people can agree that both 5 and .44 is below 7, but not all will agree that 5 is "far below" 7.

Same for "far below many, many". It is a fact that, according to your source, that the US ranked #76 out of 196 countries in homicides in total. It is a fact that there are 75 countries with more homicides, and 120 countries have less homicides that the US. It is a fact that 120 is greater than 75. It is a fact that the US is in the top 40% of homicides in the world. A claim that the US is "far below many, many countries" is an opinion.

Again, enjoy YOUR facts involving "far below".

[rynetwo]

Originally Posted by WVNomad

Of course it is a stupid comparison. That’s the only way these gun toting zealots can justify their insatiable need to carry a firearm without acquiescing to some reasonable level of control. Everyone here knows (though most won’t admit it) that the reason we keep having these tragic events is that access to fire arms is too easy. It’s not because of mental health issues, it’s not because we don’t arm teachers, it’s because it is too damn easy to get a hold of a gun. Yeah, I know that putting more restrictions on gun ownership won’t eliminate these kinds of shootings, but maybe it might just make it a bit harder for the next psycho to get a firearm, and instead of shooting up a school, maybe he’ll just ****ing jump off a bridge. We know what the Constitution says, and frankly if I had my way, we’d just amend the Constitution and outlaw most gun ownership. I know that isn’t going to happen so I (and most Americans) would settle for improvements like the passage of HR 8 which will require background checks for ALL gun sales. But god forbid, the ****ing Republicans in the Senate won’t even allow the issue to be voted on. What a ****ing nightmare.

I'm glad the mod let your post with name calling stand.

FYI I don't have a gun, but I have a brain.

[rynetwo]

Originally Posted by Dopo

Sorry, but facts disagree with your made up fact

US foreign born population is 15.1%
Germany foreign born population is 12.5%

You do realize the US has more people then Spain, UK, France, Germany, and Italy combined right?

That is why stats are tricky...

[supfromthesite]

If we are talking as a percentage what does that even matter?

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by Pilsn3r

Eh. No.
A fact is a provable. Opinion is belief.

"far below" is an opinion. "Below" can be proven as a fact. "Far below" cannot.
For example, it is a fact that the US overall homicide rate is "below" the international average according to your source. Is it provable that a difference of 2 homicides per 100,000 people is "far below"? No. Is it provable that 2 less homicides per 100,000 people is "below" the average. Yes. One could have the opinion that 3rd world country Indonesia with 0.44 homicides per 100k is "far below". But the term "far below" is not a fact, but an opinion. It is a fact that Indonesia with a total population closest to the US is below the international average, and below the US average. Some people may have the opinion that 5 is a "little below" 7, and .44 is "far below" 7. Either way, all people can agree that both 5 and .44 is below 7, but not all will agree that 5 is "far below" 7.

Same for "far below many, many". It is a fact that, according to your source, that the US ranked #76 out of 196 countries in homicides in total. It is a fact that there are 75 countries with more homicides, and 120 countries have less homicides that the US. It is a fact that 120 is greater than 75. It is a fact that the US is in the top 40% of homicides in the world. A claim that the US is "far below many, many countries" is an opinion.

Again, enjoy YOUR facts involving "far below".

Wow, you are really sparsing those facts.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by KathrynAragon

Wow, you are really sparsing those facts.

well, when dealing with facts, it can be quite important to exclude (or understand) 'averages'. Especially if you would like to evaluate facts with the intent of strategically improving services / performance.

Average, gets you nowhere, but is is a 'cushy' / comfortable number for those avoiding the details or assignment of blame. LEO / DPS in this case.

Education, medical fields in USA are very comfortable with being 'average'..

Texas is very comfortable and prefer using averages, tho there is a lot of diversity (Population, density, demographics...) which should be sorted out if there was any intent to improve. (Which there is not). When 'full-of-yourself', there is little desire to disclose any opportunities to improve. There are a lot of fables / chinese legends which address these barriers, and was purposefully taught in elementary school and early family development decades ago.