VA Tech Shooting

[RSX WHEEEEEE]

I can't believe a topic wasn't made about this.

Anyway, what are yalls thoughts on the largest school shooting in US history?

[Spas12]

The thing is, I've noticed the number of school shootings increase in 2007. I would say about 4 happened already this year? damn...

School shootings will always occur as long as their are schools. There are ways to prevent some of them, but not all, like this one. I just wonder what caused the maniac to do such a thing.

and BTW, Eric and Dylan got owned yesterday.

[RSX WHEEEEEE]

from the reports, he was apparently an emo kid, whose was repeatedly asked by his english teacher to get counseling after she read his writings.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18148802/

[Caste]

School shootings will always occur as long as their are schools.

Then the solution is obvious, BAN SCHOOLS!


But really, we're never going to get rid of school shootings simply because there's no way we can get rid of the obvious yet scooted over social hierarchies within our schools. Beyond that, we can't also help if someone who is somewhat insane in the first place has his girlfriend break up with them, bringing said person to one final, brutal conclusion in his mind

[Persol]

Sadly, this is going to result in stupid laws being passed.

People will use this to try and enact tougher gun laws... without considering what would have been different if some of the other students had guns.

Gun control in this nation is much like sex education. Instead of people being educated on how to use it properly, they are told it is bad. With sex ed, this results in pregnancies and a culture of people who seizure when they see a boob. With gun control, it results in people seeing guns as the Ultimate Power (sorry chuck) which makes the carrier unique.


Laws will be passed, which don't actually improve the situation. People get all reactionary when a group of kids are shot... not realizing that it's a blip in the total damage guns do every year. This will be used as a 'situation to avoid', rather then looking at the big picture.

It's horrible that, to compound the tragedy, society will only make matters worse by not thinking things through.

[-[Getty]-]

I'm so sick of society. I could explain but I'd rather not, it would take too long.

[Mr. Happy]

Who isn't? Our society is horrible.

I remember from early reports that it had something to do with the "unknown shooters" girlfriend, but they didn't have details. Was it a breakup? Where'd you hear that Caste?


Has anyone else read his plays? He was a very poor writer, but more importantly, make me think his father raped him...

Anyway, I hink handguns should be banned and other guns strictly controlled but legal...something like 90% of gun deaths come from handguns right? I agree with Persol in part, in Viriginia apparently there isn't even a background check, registration process, or waiting period. Just two ID's and your good to go! I think gun safety classes, background checks, police registration, and five-ten day waiting periods are the minimum regulations that should be pased at a federal level.

That's what we have in states not inhabited by bible-thumping conservative rednecks, and the murder rates are MUCH lower.

[Persol]

Who isn't? Our society is horrible.

It really isn't though. Yeah, bad shit happens... but on the whole our society (and people) are fairly good.

Anyway, I hink handguns should be banned and other guns strictly controlled but legal...something like 90% of gun deaths come from handguns right? I agree with Persol in part, in Viriginia apparently there isn't even a background check, registration process, or waiting period. Just two ID's and your good to go! I think gun safety classes, background checks, police registration, and five-ten day waiting periods are the minimum regulations that should be pased at a federal level.

This is what I'm talking about as being reactionary and passing stupid laws. None of what you just said would have actually stopped this.

That's what we have in states not inhabited by bible-thumping conservative rednecks, and the murder rates are MUCH lower.

I'm sorry, but that's not a correct connection. Casual connections do not equal causality. Itlikely has more to do with poverty, population density and organized crime control.

[Mr. Happy]

Ya, don't call me reactionary because im not in any way the reactionary people are the ones who think we need campus alert systems and that the police mishandled this whole thing.

Guns are worthless, and every single other country that has banned them has extremely low murder rates. Japan has something like 17 gun crimes a year? (opening the file cabinet in the back of my brain so don't quote me on it ) I've always thought this, I mean, it makes a lot of sense.

No, he probably would have found another way to act out, BUT, what if guns were banned 50 years ago? Think how many hundreds of thousands of weapons would NOT be available? After all, the only place you could get them would be black market and I doubt the kid would have known where.

OF COURSE, things such as social progression and counseling and whatnot should take precedense, but you CANT dismiss the fact that without guns gun crimes cant happen. Anyway, no one hunts with a handgun, and theres no reason to have it for personal defence (how many people has used a gun to ward off a random attacker in the past year? 3?)

People always try and claim "I feel safer with a gun, what if someone breaks into my house?" and then they go on to talk about it being all nice and cozy in a gunbox with a trigger lock. LOL

Anyway, its not like we have the right to bear arms or anything, people who can actually speak old english properly agree on that. If you want the right, get the constitution re-worded, because right now you dont have it (and I wouldnt really care either way)

On my last point form previous post, the burden of proof is on you, not that im disagreeing with you about it being a complex system with alot of variables, but i AM right got a statistic to back yourself up?


anyway, I laughed when you said my comments were reactionary i dont follow hype

[dragonfliet]

Who isn't? Our society is horrible.

I remember from early reports that it had something to do with the "unknown shooters" girlfriend, but they didn't have details. Was it a breakup? Where'd you hear that Caste?


Has anyone else read his plays? He was a very poor writer, but more importantly, make me think his father raped him...

Anyway, I hink handguns should be banned and other guns strictly controlled but legal...something like 90% of gun deaths come from handguns right? I agree with Persol in part, in Viriginia apparently there isn't even a background check, registration process, or waiting period. Just two ID's and your good to go! I think gun safety classes, background checks, police registration, and five-ten day waiting periods are the minimum regulations that should be pased at a federal level.

That's what we have in states not inhabited by bible-thumping conservative rednecks, and the murder rates are MUCH lower.

Um, Virginia DOES have background checks.

Yeah, he was a horrible writer, but I'm not getting the whole grotesque thing I saw mentioned in a newspaper article. I've written much, much more fucked up stuff than that. I'm not planning on shooting up my school. I hate when people jump on stuff like that. Oh well.

Tis a shame he went all nuts on us. It's a freaking crappy world.

~Jason

[bobthehobo]

Tis a shame he went all nuts on us. It's a freaking crappy world.

You could say that again.

What pisses me off more than the actual event itself, is how the media takes something so tragic like this, and turns it into a mass media parade.
Like Persol said:

This will be used as a 'situation to avoid', rather then looking at the big picture...It's horrible that, to compound the tragedy, society will only make matters worse by not thinking things through.

[Persol]

Guns are worthless, and every single other country that has banned them has extremely low murder rates. Japan has something like 17 gun crimes a year?

First, the thing about every country that bans guns having lower murder rates is wrong.

Second, it's kind of stupid to point out that a nation with few guns has few mgun killings... when they'd be usuing some OTHER weapon.

No, he probably would have found another way to act out, BUT, what if guns were banned 50 years ago?

We'd have even less recourse for when our government goes south. Think very carefully about WHY we have a second amendment.

People always try and claim "I feel safer with a gun, what if someone breaks into my house?" and then they go on to talk about it being all nice and cozy in a gunbox with a trigger lock.

Which is (hopefully) in the room they sleep in...

Anyway, its not like we have the right to bear arms or anything, people who can actually speak old english properly agree on that.

That's entertaining for two reasons.
1) You think the 2nd ammendment is written in 'old english'
2) It's unsubstaintiated. A militia is an civilian able to serve a military function. There is no requirement that it be state or federally recognized.

On my last point form previous post, the burden of proof is on you, not that im disagreeing with you about it being a complex system with alot of variables, but i AM right got a statistic to back yourself up?

The burden of proof is on ME? Wow, funny how you make a claim, I question it, and suddenyl the burden of proof is on me....
Link

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article ... d=12#MRord

The Bible Belt is:
* Alabama 4
* Arkansas 12
* Florida* 24
* Georgia 14
* Indiana* 21
* Iowa* 49
* Kansas 31
* Kentucky 27
* Louisiana* 1
* Maryland* 2
* Mississippi 9
* Missouri* 12
* North Carolina 14
* Ohio* 24
* Oklahoma 23
* South Carolina 7
* Tennessee 13
* Texas* 16
* Virginia* 19
* West Virginia 30

The national rate ranks between the 21st and 22nd state (not 25, because of population imbalance). 12 bible belt states are above. 7 are below. That's hardly statistically signifigant.

[Fio003]

That's what we have in states not inhabited by bible-thumping conservative rednecks, and the murder rates are MUCH lower.

I live in Northern Virginia, and I only know about 3 bible-thumpers, personally being an atheist. I support gay rights, abortion, and detest Reagenomics. Fairfax County is certainly the minority in Virginia, but generalizations like that are ridiculous.

And from a Virginia perspective, the region is on fire with reactionism. Everyone is praying that the people they know are okay. Personally I find this morbidly funny. What makes a person more special when you know them? How can we so easily discard the deaths of 31 to focus on the 1 death that was our friend?

And the reason a school shooting gets so much media attention is because you aren't just killing a human, you are killing that human's potential. A child has done nothing with his life yet, and the next 20 years could make him as worthless as a crazy bum, or as important as FDR, Washington, Socrates, Confucius, or more sadly but equally important the next Adolf, or the next Napoleon. To say "Shit happens" is an easy way to avoid the tragedy. Because we, as humans, are unable to care to the utmost for everyone, the most fair solution is to not care at all. But 1, while not infinite, is greater than 0.

The second amendment, the right to bear arms, is as absolutely necessary as habeas corpus and freedom of speech. The founding fathers put it in the BoR as a safe guard against the inevitable tyranny of government. Power corrupts absolutely. While it may not happen in our lifetimes, few nations have survived beyond 500 years as a cohesive people. Global warming will surely stress our government, and if it breaks and withers in corruption, then we have a responsibility to rebel and redefine the government to our best interests. What can a population without arms do against the U.S. Army? And so while they provide a great deal of risk, guns must remain accessible in our society, lest lack of demand creates lack of supply and we lose yet another civil right.

[Mr. Happy]

Well it's good to know that there's alot of people quoting me and my ramblings, discussions are good

...Um, Virginia DOES have background checks...
~Jason

okey dokey, guess ill stop listening to the news. I knew i should have looked it up since it seems so stupid that they would have a law like that

[Sacul15]

I hope the shooter didn't play violent video games. Why don't any of these school shooters ever blame their actions on homework?