Colorado

DeViant

What is wrong with the world?
I'd like everyone to take a miniute to think about it.
What kind of society are we living in?
Its not just America, think of how many countries model themselves on the States.
A Quote from a survivor
.
“They held a gun to my head and said they were going to shoot people of color and people wearing hats,” the sobbing girl, who did not give her name, said moments after being reunited with her parents. “I asked them not to shoot me. And they shot another girl by me. They shot her in the head in front of me. Then they shot a black kid in the face because he was black.”
Could you handle that?
Would you like *Anyones* child to suffer through that.
Take a miniute,
Think about it.
Lets hope they all find peace soon

B.

harVey

read in the paper this morning that cnn carried a live interview with a survivour as she was flown away by helicopter, on HER mobile phone.
that's what is wrong with this world.

harVey

Canaboid

It amazes me that Americans havent figured out what is wrong yet. The idea of giving teenagers or indeed any pleb ready access to guns is a recipe for disaster. Bad enough that hormones are wreaking havoc with their lives -don't give them guns to wreak havoc with other peoples lives.

Shiminay

Well said

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All the best,

Dav
@B^)
http://homepage.tinet.ie/~davitt

LoLth

well, IMO it's not just guns that are the problem. Take away the guns and they'll use something else (maybe rig a boiler to explode, or firebomb a building..). The biggest problem is the media. If they would just stick to the news and leave their 'personal slants' out of it then the viewers wouldn't be so engrossed. Fair enough, lower ratings but less damage in the long run.

An Example:

The Colorado shootings. Tragic yes, we were informed and agreed that it was terrible. The media had a field day. They went to town on the two boys who , in America, are a household name.

the result.

Canada - a 14 year old shoots a 17 year old with a sawn off shotgun! (again we have the question, where the hell did a 14 yr old get this?)

California - a kid was arrested for carrying a handgun into school, ALONG WITH A LIST OF 30 NAMES!!!! That's not spur of the moment I'm upset stuff, that's premeditated.

The connection.

All of the kids were reported as being quiet.
All of the kids were on the fringe of society.
All of the kids wanted attention.

After Colorado, the others saw the attention the gunmen got and copied it. The media played up the killers' cases so much that people felt an empathy with them (see the post on the cloudboard about slashdot). Some thought 'I'm like them. I want attention' or maybe 'Yeah, let's make a statement here. If it happens enough people will take notice'.

And of course, there's the hate. All of the kids were on the fringe of society. They had similar hobbies because of this, IT WAS NOT THE HOBBIES THAT PUT THEM ON THE FRINGE. they were there already and merely met up with people like them. The media has always confused this. They blame the hobby, and use it as a convenient scapegoat. Others read and hear this and treat the people who participate with suspicion, scorn and derision. This makes things worse! But the media see an interest from the public and exploit it. Crimes get worse, a type of inbred 'racism' or 'hobbyism' builds. Violence perpetuates itself. And the media gets more news to get more ratings.

An example of this.

Over 100 deaths in America have been attributed to the roleplaying hobby (classed over there as Dungeons and Dragons). They don't seem to be bothered about the murders that a committed by NON- roleplaying people. They just see, roleplaying and jump on it. A film, monsters and mazes, was made that showed D&D causing madness in a teenager. The media conveniently forgets that roleplaying games have been adopted by hospitals as a means of CURING INSANITY and of developing retarded minds. It has been proven to increase vocabulary, mathematical skills and the ability to solve problems through lateral thinking. As well as increasing the skills necessary for social interaction. As with everything though, it is the hobby (the visible common link) and not the mind that is blamed when it goes wrong. 100 deaths attributed to roleplaying in 25 years of it's existence and a worldwide following.

How many murders were copied from films? How many were copied from glorified media coverage? How many crimes were influenced by works such as MURDERERS OF THE 20th century? Guns and Ammo magazine? The glorification of war? Bloodsports?

I hate to say it, but until the media learns better (and it needs to , soon) I do not think the current copycat killings/attempts are random and once-off. I reckon it is only just starting and loons are going to crawl out of the woodwork, tipped over the edge from inactivity to homicidal action by ultra-sensationalistic and narrow focused media reports. Those two from Colorado are getting set to become Martyrs for the Silent. Either that or the Silent are going to be kept that way by an even harder iron fist than before. Just waiting for the pressure to build again.

/rant mode off

J.

adra

wow

LoLth

Hecate

this sort of thing only really happens on a large scale in the states. There have been a few incidents in other parts of the world; Dunblain etc., but nothing approaching this amount of carnage. The reason?, simple, America is one of the few countries in the world that has that "right to bear arms" cr4p enshrined in its constitution, which dates from fronteir times. Now this has had the effect of creating a gun culture over there, especially in the southern states. From age 5 upwards some kids are basically taught that a firearm is one of lifes necessities, and they arent exactly taught about its proper use (safety wise), just how to shoot straight and to maximum effect. And what happens when u get a child that is slightly lacking in da old head and mix it with a 44 calibre?...headline material. Over here a child who is having a hard time at school or who has social problems might get in the odd scrap, depression, withdrawl etc., but they'll get out of it if they work hard enough. But easy access to loaded weapons provides another way out. So we have the crazy situation in a vast proportion of American schools asking students to deposit their firearms and knives at the door. I dont know any other country in the world that has that system.

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ADVICE:Big Brother is watching you,
learn to make yourself invisible.

robertgallagher@tinet.ie

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

adra

i saw something funny about them blaming online gaming abut these incidents....

They should take away THE ****ING GUNS. Jesus.. they didn't kill anyone by beating them to death WITH A ****ING BOX OF DOOM


quote from an aussie

WhiteWashMan

i think someone once tried to beat someone to death with a quake manual once.
i think they ended up with too many paper cuts though

a quote from Yer'Ma

Venom

What about the box of falcon 4,thats one heavy box.


Ven(im only posting here coz the RP board is miles ahead)om

Kali

major problem in america is that the NRA own most of the politicians.. i'd say at a rough guess that about 40% of congress would be a member of the organisation (would be an interesting thing to check) and they head off every weekend and shoot ducks or targets for some god unknown reason.
if a member of congress or the president for that matter went against the NRA's wishs and tried to pull the plug on firearms in america they wouldn't last a second term in office let alone week.
Corruption is rife.

Riker

Hi
250 million guns, 250 million people and as they would say "You do the math"

Personally I think they should make a plan to gradually get rid of the guns over the next 50 years and start with shutting down every fookin gunshop.

If they really wanted to they could but the problem is after a tragedy like Colorado everyone's saying "Get rid of the guns, this must never happen again, blah blah blah" but it's all forgotten about 1 week later by all but those personally involved in the shooting.

I think Clinton should start a progam where the government pays people a certain amount for every gun they turn in to be destroyed, in relation to it's cost. You gotta give respect to the brits, after Dunblain they sorted it out, got their sh!t together. Yes it's tiny compared to the US but I think they could do it.

Clinton can't keep his d!ck in his pants but after all is said and done he's one of the best presidents the US has seen and he's the man to do this.

Now I gotta go write my Dear John note for tonight...

WhiteWashMan

erm..
shouldnt that be a week in office let alone a second term.

/end teacher mode

and corruption is rifle not rife
hahahahahaahha
what a pun!

Shiminay

Do you realisticly see America gettin' rid of it's guns? Like Kali said - they all love to go shoot ducks and stuff.

HE'S COMIN' STRAIGHT FOR US!!!

BaNg!i!

And stuff...

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All the best,

Dav
@B^)
http://homepage.tinet.ie/~davitt

Hecate

dav wheres your Trenchcoat?

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Cardinal Fang, fetch...the comfy chair!
clans.quake2.co.uk/hiv
www.planet-tribes.com/em

Shiminay

Didn't I mention?

I've started the Sparkly Sombrero Mafia...

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All the best,

Dav
@B^)
homepage.tinet.ie/~davitt