GT40s.com Paddock Politics Thread

[Pat]

You’re missing the point here, Al...she should never be able to buy a gun if she’s “...a bit mentally shaky.”


There is a bit of truth to that, but more truth to “People use guns to kill people”.

Something really needs to change in our country, but when we have a POTUS like Trump the Coward, who will not even acknowledge a question regarding gun control other than to say “Thank you very much, thank you very much”, it’s quite obvious he does not have the courage to do what is right.

Having worked in both schools AND prisons for most of my life, I can assure you that when we have to lock our schools to keep the shooters out they will become just like the prisons...do we really want to raise our next generation of leaders with the mindset that convicts have?

I can assure you that we don’t!!!

Doug

Doug, out of curiosity what was the Obama solution??? After Sandy Hook he said, "I’ll use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens, from law enforcement, to mental health professionals, to parents and educators, in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this, because what choice do we have? We can’t accept events like this as routine." What did those efforts produce?
What's your gun control solution???
Seems to me if all you have is to blame somebody, conservatives, Trump, Obama, The NRA and other "deplorables", that may not have much of an effect.
"People use guns to kill people", so what do you want to do about "those people"?
Some have demonstrated pretty severe anger issues here in the forum, should they have guns? Should gangs have guns? The FDA warns that bizarre behavior -- including suicide -- is seen in people taking the stop-smoking drugs Chantix and Zyban. Should those that wear the stop smoking patch not have guns? The American Journal of Psychiatry, reports that women taking hormonal contraceptives — like birth control pills, the patch, the ring and hormonal IUDs — have up to triple the risk of suicide. Should women on birth control surrender their guns?
So what's your solution?

 

[Rod]

There’s a generation of kids growing up with Columbine, Sandy Hook, Parkland, Orlando, etc. and I can only hope they enact strict gun control measures across the country. Baby Boomers, Generation X, Y and Z are just lost. Other developed countries just don’t have the problems we have here. There’s a lot of things we can do, but won’t get done until the kids become adults and vote NRA backed candidates out of office.

I’m so happy to live in CA, it’s not perfect, but I feel safe here without a gun. The NRA sucks.

Another selected study from Denmark? Blame Obama? Seriously? I can’t fight that kind of “logic.” Birth control pills? That some funny $hit.

 

[Keith]

Hello guys, hope you're all OK. I've been dealing with personal health issues and am attending my 4th funeral in 6 weeks tomorrow, yeah life sucks.

Anyway, I felt the need to jump in here on a more personal note. Randy the High Priest of Moderators (although not quite as High in my book as the mighty Judas Priest) is having some serious family issues and if it wasn't enough for the tragic loss of his son, his dear Mother is now in a Hospice and not expected to live out the week. I make no apology for telling you this because I think the guy deserves a lot of respect and he's done his very best (as have I) to keep this Paddock thing cordial, friendly and amusing, but as I explained to Ron & Randy on many occasions, I'm not an American, don't have a dog in this race and most importantly, I have no fucking clue what you're all on about so I'm not the best person on the planet to decide what's up or down in US politics.

So, out of total respect for Randy's fervent wish for some peace & calm in the Paddock, and to give him some breathing space while he is at the Hospice hour by hour, I hope you guys might take a step back and with me, send our best wishes and support for Randy at this most difficult time (again) in his life.

Further, if anyone comes back at this post with anything less than a dignified response I will carry out Randy's worst-case wishes, lock the thread and ban users.

Other than that, I've quite missed y'all...

 

[Pat]

Randy, if you're out there, thoughts and prayers for you and your family at this most difficult time.

“Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak knits up the o-er wrought heart and bids it break.”
― William Shakespeare, Macbeth

 

[Al Wohlstrom]

You’re missing the point here, Al...she should never be able to buy a gun if she’s “...a bit mentally shaky.”

All you NRAers keep protesting that “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.”

There is a bit of truth to that, but more truth to “People use guns to kill people”.

Something really needs to change in our country, but when we have a POTUS like Trump the Coward, who will not even acknowledge a question regarding gun control other than to say “Thank you very much, thank you very much”, it’s quite obvious he does not have the courage to do what is right.

Having worked in both schools AND prisons for most of my life, I can assure you that when we have to lock our schools to keep the shooters out they will become just like the prisons...do we really want to raise our next generation of leaders with the mindset that convicts have?

I can assure you that we don’t!!!

Doug

Doug, I think all sane people believe that the mentally ill should not have guns. That isn't an idea owned by Liberals. She happened to be a mentally questionable liberal and I was making light of her wailing. You can rest assured that if someone wanted you dead and there wasn't a gun available you better go hide. Guns don't kill people, just as sharp rocks tied to sticks in caveman time didn't kill people, people do!

All you NRAers keep protesting that “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.”

There is a bit of truth to that, but more truth to “People use guns to kill people”.

Both statement say the same thing.

 

[Keith]

I will comment if I may concerning the tragic Florida school shooting. A couple of things stuck out to me, a very casual 'grazer' of the news because I'm such a pussy with a low stress threshold (stress = breathing issues) I don't watch daily. OK, the first thing that caught my eye was a seemingly casual statement by a school employee who said that they thought it (the incident) was "an active shooter drill" and I thought, my God! they actually have regular shooter drills in US schools?

Not at all denying the common sense about having them but totally gobsmacked that everyone thinks that's normal and part of the everyday school scene.

I did some research in the UK and found that we do something similar but only once a year, presumably since the Dunblane incident which is the only one I can find although I think there was a knife/school attack at some time but I can't find it.

That's the first thing, and the second thing I read that gave me cause for concern and reach for the blue puffer, was that despite the fact that the (alleged) shooter had openly made a comment (not a channel) on YouTube that he was going to commit a school shooting, in such a manner that he was reported many times by concerned YouTube watchers, the FBI "did not have the technical means of identifying this person through the comments section of YouTube".

Ye Gods! I do understand the freedom of speech thing and there's a lot, no a whole lot of sh1t on YouTube but I naiively thought that maybe it's monitored or "allowed". Turns out it's not even traceable and that's what perhaps turns the weaker minds among us young & old. Perhaps there is room for a debate on this subject.

Should YouTube and it's ilk be "totally free" of supervision, and perhaps censorship like it seems to be now, or do you think this guy should have been able to be traced and perhaps locked down before he could commit this deadly crime? Did anyone see the movie Minority Report? Something like that perhaps..

 

[Larry L.]

...the FBI "did not have the technical means of identifying this person through the comments section of YouTube".

'Pure horse feathers, Keith. It's been reported that YouTube and the like require their subscribers to give basic personal info when setting up an 'account' (or whatever it's called) so they CAN I.D. perps in cases like that.

In any event, CALLS WERE MADE TO THE F.B.I. "HOTLINE" about the dirtbag's online 'threats' wherein he'd expressed his desire to "become a school shooter", etc., etc., and the F.B.I. by its own admission said they'd failed to follow up on those tips.

He could E-A-S-I-L-Y have been found and "headed off at the pass" just by simply acting on the very specific phone call info alone.

 

[Keith]

Well that's a relief in some ways Larry, I mean about YouTube commenters being traceable. I'll have to take your word for it though as I don't think there's much "news" you can trust these days, it all seems fake.

So you're basically saying the FBI fell down on the job? Is that a "thing" in the US? Are they going to follow up on that or just pass the buck?

 

[Doug S.]

Larry is correct on all counts, Keith. The FBI has acknowledged that protocol was not followed.
I would suspect there will be heads that will roll because of the FBI’s mishandling of the issue...I sure hope so, and would speculate that the parents of the 17 mortally wounded victims would hope so, too (no intent to trivialize the impact on those who were wounded, as well).
This is a tragedy that could have, and SHOULD HAVE, been prevented. The perp gave plenty of reason to be monitored...history of killing animals, online boasts that he wanted to be a “professional school shooter” are only two of those indicators.

He is reported to have bought the guns “legally”...as if that is any consolation.

Our gun laws really need to be strengthened! Shame on the NRA for oposing any such relief from the carnage that has become so common (the Las Vegas motel massacre was committed by someone who bought the guns legally, too.)

Doug

 

[Keith]

Thanks for the further clarification Doug. It's just too awful for words really..

 

[Walter Williams]

RANDY,

I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DEALING WITH, I KNOW HOW DEEPLY THE PAIN RUNS. I KNOW THE HEART ACH. I KNOW YOU CAN NOT TURN IT OFF. I KNOW THE TEARS ALL TO WELL. IT HAS BEEN 20 YEARS FOR ME, STILL HARD TO DEAL WITH AT TIMES. LEAN ON God, He will get you thru it

 

[Al Wohlstrom]

L.A., Chicago Rank 1 and 2 for Gun Murders; N.O. Has Highest Rate

Isn't LA in California?

 

[Rod]

Al, I don’t have the time or inclination to explain statistics and statistical analysis to you, but I’d suggest a class at your local community college. I’m being serious. Take a class. Statistics was one of my favorite classes. Taught me a lot about information. However, today’s world calls it “data science”. But here’s a hint, there’s almost no crime in a North Dakota, but almost no one lives there. Very low crime rate.

Once the old white men in a Congress are voted out office, retired or dead, the laws will change. Until then, we’ll continue to mourn the loss of people, like Las Vegas, Columbine, Orlando, Parkland, Sandy Hook, etc. Unfortunately, the older generation(s) are lost.

 

[Rod]

I forgot to mention, the article studies data from the year 2009-2010. FYI, we’re in the Year of 2018. Maybe find a more recent article than 8-9 years ago when we were just starting to come out of the Great Recession.

 

[Al Wohlstrom]

What are the deadliest mass shootings in US history? From Florida and Sandy Hook to the Las Vegas attack

While I surely don't think that the mass shooting were not a unthinkable, terrible tragedy, a total of 294 people died in the shootings, hardly the loss of generations.

And 88,000 die annually from alcohol. Not to worry though, it's all in fun!


An estimated 88,000 people (approximately 62,000 men and 26,000 women) die from alcohol-related causes annually, making alcohol abuse the fourth-leading preventable cause of death in the U.S.4

In 2015, 138.3 million people in the U.S. aged 12 or older reported current use of alcohol.
66.7 million reported binge drinking in the past month and 17.3 million reported heavy alcohol use within a 30-day period.
Of those, an estimated 15.7 million had an alcohol use disorder.
While addiction is a risk factor, a person does not have to be addicted to die from alcohol poisoning, cirrhosis of the liver or alcohol’s many other health complications.3
How Many People Have Died From Alcohol?

Did that surprise you? You should be appalled.

 

[Terry Oxandale]

The relative numbers are supportive, but this also brings about a similar aspect of numbers, and number of illegal alien-caused deaths in comparison to these numbers, yet we appear to be spending in inordinate amount of money and energy to reduce those (remember, to stem the murderers and rapists) numbers in spite of the benefits those folks also bring. Yet we do little to nothing to stem the alcohol related ones (and cigarettes during a previous generation).

 

[Al Wohlstrom]

Huge taxes on alcohol and cigarettes and substantial lobbying and greasing of palms. When money talks death isn't talked about.

 

[Al Wohlstrom]

How about medical caused death, 250,000 per year, that's obviously why it's called a practice.
Johns Hopkins study suggests medical errors are third-leading cause of death in U.S.
| Hub

 

[Doug S.]

Here is something I read the other day about the recent school shooter’s ability to purchase an “assault-STYLE” rifle.

“Our gun laws are structured in the state of Florida in a manner that allows the shooter to buy lethal weapons when that same state considers him too young and immature to buy a beer”.

That seems rather absurd to me...how have we allowed our priorities to become so outdated???

Doug

 

[Al Wohlstrom]

Whereas gun related deaths per year are 1/15 of medical deaths and 1/5.5 of alcohol related deaths. 1/2 that of auto related deaths. Evidently one is substantially more dead when killed by a gun.