11 USA school shootings in this month alone January 2018

[TaiShang]

Canada has a high rate of gun ownership, but they have a low number of gun-related homicides?

Is this the case? Could it have something to do with the US over reliance on pharmaceutical medications? Or is that actually not the cause but the result of something else, i.e. they are trying to self-medicate due to feeling something else is wrong.

@TaiShang I would be interested in your views on the topic of America's gun culture.

Very good point. Canada is also a relatively high gun ownership society with very low gun-related homicide rates. Besides, Canadian people are also exposed to violent images/movies in popular culture.

It is then difficult to explain the high homicide rates in the US. Some people argue that the difference lies in culture (how could the US and Canadian cultures be possibly different drastically?). I guess what they mean is the psychology of the people which is one of fear and distrust in the US and less fear and less distrust in Canada.

Fear, accordingly, drives people to quickly refer to a gun to solve their problems or avoid potential (perceived) threats.

But it is not just the regular people to blame, I guess. The war and blood culture is promoted by the government organs. The eternal worship on the concept of "doing good by being a military person" generates a more friendly image of a gun holding person.

Besides, the US non-military security apparatus is also over-equipped. The regular police on patrol will look like a gun holding rambo in real life. This generates an image of fear as well as awe. Imagine a kid growing up seeing cops and swats in full military gear.

So, here is the US government dilemma. The (federal and state) governments cannot tell the people to disarm without themselves being disarmed to some degree. It is hypocritical. So, I do not ascribe the gun ownership of the US people to an innate desire for freedom, but to fear.

Fear from government has nothing to do with democracy or tyranny, in a sense, the US government is the most tyrannical because of its capacity to inflict fear and terror in citizens. Even some absolute autocratic countries, the state is not to be feared (or hated) this much.

I believe that the entire US state apparatus is the primary suspect and regular people are victims even when they are criminals. Here is the US dilemma: The source of the problem won't be able to solve it.

So, I guess the problem is both political and socio-psychological. It is just too demanding to be solved. They have to learn to live with that and, I guess, they are doing that. Those who cannot cope with that -- the high consumption of strong medication explains their situation. The high opioid use even cost them average life expectancy.

 

[Ahmet Pasha]

Well...I know what Im gettin for my non existing best friend's birthday.

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[Hamartia Antidote]

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Did anybody try clicking the "Add to cart" button.

 

[SALMAN F]

What the hell? Is this becoming a epidemic over there?
Now tell me again how gun control wont make US a safer place.

It's not the gun control problem it's the people over there are retarded

Like many middle eastern and south Asian countries like Pakistan or KSA guns are easy to buy but there isn't any kind of shooting happened except that of terrorism Iraq is too only terrorism and sometime tribal fights but no school or hospital shooting happened because of mental issues

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Very good point. Canada is also a relatively high gun ownership society with very low gun-related homicide rates. Besides, Canadian people are also exposed to violent images/movies in popular culture.

It is then difficult to explain the high homicide rates in the US. Some people argue that the difference lies in culture (how could the US and Canadian cultures be possibly different drastically?). I guess what they mean is the psychology of the people which is one of fear and distrust in the US and less fear and less distrust in Canada.

Fear, accordingly, drives people to quickly refer to a gun to solve their problems or avoid potential (perceived) threats.

But it is not just the regular people to blame, I guess. The war and blood culture is promoted by the government organs. The eternal worship on the concept of "doing good by being a military person" generates a more friendly image of a gun holding person.

Besides, the US non-military security apparatus is also over-equipped. The regular police on patrol will look like a gun holding rambo in real life. This generates an image of fear as well as awe. Imagine a kid growing up seeing cops and swats in full military gear.

So, here is the US government dilemma. The (federal and state) governments cannot tell the people to disarm without themselves being disarmed to some degree. It is hypocritical. So, I do not ascribe the gun ownership of the US people to an innate desire for freedom, but to fear.

Fear from government has nothing to do with democracy or tyranny, in a sense, the US government is the most tyrannical because of its capacity to inflict fear and terror in citizens. Even some absolute autocratic countries, the state is not to be feared (or hated) this much.

I believe that the entire US state apparatus is the primary suspect and regular people are victims even when they are criminals. Here is the US dilemma: The source of the problem won't be able to solve it.

So, I guess the problem is both political and socio-psychological. It is just too demanding to be solved. They have to learn to live with that and, I guess, they are doing that. Those who cannot cope with that -- the high consumption of strong medication explains their situation. The high opioid use even cost them average life expectancy.

Oh brother!!!
@faithfulguy do you really think the majority of gun owners (ie not the 1% with the prepper bunker) own weapons due to some fear of the government? I think people would own just as many guns (if not far more) if some Liberal Lefter took office and disbanded the entire military establishment. When was the last time you saw the military walking around? Fearful of what...the ghost military? This "we want our guns so the government can't control us" excuse by NRA supporters is the biggest smokescreen con job ever and people here are actually buying into it.

As for blaming things on strong medication...oh if it was only that easy to finally pin the root cause on something as simple and straightforward as that.

 

[faithfulguy]

There are a lot of countries in the world with high gun ownership rates, but they don't have anywhere near the gun-related homicide rate of the USA?

Gun related incidents occurred mostly in gang infested minority neighborhoods.

Those places more closely resembles sp 2012 rather than USA.

 

[Bilal9]

There are a lot of countries in the world with high gun ownership rates, but they don't have anywhere near the gun-related homicide rate of the USA?

And those 'countries in the world with high gun ownership rates' would be ??

Gun ownership equates with gun-related violence, as simple as that.

Plus most countries don't have the equivalent of the gun lobby (i.e. NRA) like we have here.

I think 90% of gun related violence can also be equated with uneducated stupid people having access to them, rather than the argument you are driving at, which is all Americans are homicidal maniacs, which they are not.

I've lived here many years (admittedly in more developed and richer neighborhoods) and the last thing crossing my mind is that I'd be gunned down by some stupid 14 year old.

Cr@p just happens sometimes (freak incidents) and you cannot control those things _anywhere_.

Just count your blessings from your favorite creator of choice and go on with life....

 

[gambit]

As usual, no one bothered to do some research into this latest 'statistics' about school shootings...No surprise there...

HuffPost, not a conservative source, accidentally debunked the story...

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/school-shootings-2018_us_5a68586de4b002283007ef83

The authors of the 'survey' included a BB gun, a suicide, a nearby gun event, and an accidental shooting.

When we talk of a 'school shooting', people expected a school that is deliberately targeted by one or more persons.

Inflating and blending the figures are well known tactics of the 'Everytown for Gun Safety' group and they have been debunked for yrs.

https://www.factcheck.org/2014/06/spinning-statistics-on-school-shootings/

 

[Bilal9]

This phenomenon is because of deteriorating psychological health of Americans. They are turning into spoilt brats, they fight people if their coffee is made the wrong way.

I beg to disagree and I don't believe this is the case.

Compared to all generations that have gone before the present millenial generation (X, Y generation), the baby boomer generation was far more uneducated and gun crazy.

Today's kids are far smarter, sane and reasonable (as well as used to racial diversity) than their parents and grandparents ever were.

A few nutcases cannot be construed as representing a whole generation.

 

[Ahmet Pasha]

The most immature generation ever. The former ones had their priorities laid out.

I beg to disagree and I don't believe this is the case.

Compared to all generations that have gone before the present millenial generation (X, Y generation), the baby boomer generation was far more uneducated and gun crazy.

Today's kids are far smarter, sane and reasonable (as well as used to racial diversity) than their parents and grandparents ever were.

A few nutcases cannot be construed as representing a whole generation.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

And those 'countries in the world with high gun ownership rates' would be ?

Switzerland, Norway, Sweden and Canada for example.

I guess you have heard the saying that in Switzerland they have an assault rifle in every home (probably not true, but they certainly do have a lot of them).

Yet they have a very low rate of gun-related homicide.

 

[Bilal9]

Switzerland, Norway, Sweden and Canada for example.

I guess you have heard the saying that in Switzerland they have an assault rifle in every home (probably not true, but they certainly do have a lot of them).

Yet they have a very low rate of gun-related homicide.

Well you do have a point here.

Here is the rate of gun ownership in Western European countries (in 2012) which is a lot lower than US. Plus their gun-laws are way stricter (they don't have strong gun lobbies either). That may be the reason for lower homicide rates.

COUNTRY/TERRITORY....OWNERSHIP_RANK....GUNS_PER_100_PEOPLE.......GUN_HOMICIDES/100,000_PEOPLE

United States...............1............................88.8.............................................3.2
Switzerland..................3............................45.7.............................................0.77
Norway.......................11............................31.3.............................................0.05
Sweden......................10............................31.6.............................................0.41
Canada.......................13............................30.8.............................................0.51



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/nation/gun-homicides-ownership/table/

 

[Shah_G]

I remember these dudes in my school used carry guns like it’s nothing but thank god no gun related incident.. however stabbing in the boys lockeroom was pretty normal.. and idk y our school never installed metal detectors while many other schools did have one..

 

[Bilal9]

The most immature generation ever. The former ones had their priorities laid out.

I guess I have exceptional neighbors then.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

I guess I have exceptional neighbors then.

Well it's like you said, you live in the well-off areas.

Not the American heartlands, i.e. the middle America that supports Donald Trump with a passion and is falling to the political Alt-Right.