My heart goes out to Aurora, Colorado

Newbie

Benchwarmer
To all the victims, their family and loved ones, and to the
all the people who live there.

What a senseless tragedy, and once again, it takes something
like this to remind us what is truly important in our lives.
 

LJ4ptplay

Starter
To all the victims, their family and loved ones, and to the
all the people who live there.

What a senseless tragedy, and once again, it takes something
like this to remind us what is truly important in our lives.

Agreed. Good post.

What troubles me is the frequency of these killing sprees in the U.S. There was another one the same week in Alabama. A guy walked into a restaurant with a semi-automatic rifle and started shooting people. He then walked down the street and turned himself in at a FedEx. :shrug: Luckily noone was killed, which is why the media didn't cover it, which also makes me sad.

I think the violence is a symptom of our culture and society. Gun laws or no gun laws, something is fundamentally wrong with our society. I can't put my finger on it.

I personally believe it is a combination of many factors, not just one. Media, disconnectivity within community, family, etc, poor mental health care, poor education, distrust and hatred of people that are different, proliferation of easily accessible weapons and a constant promotion of selfish values.

I think all of these attributes of our society have created a "perfect storm" for these killing sprees to take place. While I'm not so naive that I believe we can eliminate the violence within our culture completely, I do believe we can stake steps to drastically reduce it.

Unfortunately, the issue is complex and would take a massive commitment and investment of time and resouces, not to mention the deeply divisive issues (e.g. gun control) seem to drive the debates on such a topic, which, inturn, leads to more vitriol, hatred and disconnection.

In other words, nothing will be done and another killing spree will probably take place in a few months. We have averaged more than two a year since Columbine and sadly, I think it will just become a "normal" part of our society.

Anyway, that's my two cents.
 

orangeblobman

Rotation player
Agreed. Good post.

What troubles me is the frequency of these killing sprees in the U.S. There was another one the same week in Alabama. A guy walked into a restaurant with a semi-automatic rifle and started shooting people. He then walked down the street and turned himself in at a FedEx. :shrug: Luckily noone was killed, which is why the media didn't cover it, which also makes me sad.

I think the violence is a symptom of our culture and society. Gun laws or no gun laws, something is fundamentally wrong with our society. I can't put my finger on it.

I personally believe it is a combination of many factors, not just one. Media, disconnectivity within community, family, etc, poor mental health care, poor education, distrust and hatred of people that are different, proliferation of easily accessible weapons and a constant promotion of selfish values.

I think all of these attributes of our society have created a "perfect storm" for these killing sprees to take place. While I'm not so naive that I believe we can eliminate the violence within our culture completely, I do believe we can stake steps to drastically reduce it.

Unfortunately, the issue is complex and would take a massive commitment and investment of time and resouces, not to mention the deeply divisive issues (e.g. gun control) seem to drive the debates on such a topic, which, inturn, leads to more vitriol, hatred and disconnection.

In other words, nothing will be done and another killing spree will probably take place in a few months. We have averaged more than two a year since Columbine and sadly, I think it will just become a "normal" part of our society.

Anyway, that's my two cents.

Dude, it's modernity that's the problem. People are soulless and without direction, living not for some greater goal but only to satisfy today's impulses and urges.
 

Newbie

Benchwarmer
Agreed. Good post.

What troubles me is the frequency of these killing sprees in the U.S. There was another one the same week in Alabama. A guy walked into a restaurant with a semi-automatic rifle and started shooting people. He then walked down the street and turned himself in at a FedEx. :shrug: Luckily noone was killed, which is why the media didn't cover it, which also makes me sad.

I think the violence is a symptom of our culture and society. Gun laws or no gun laws, something is fundamentally wrong with our society. I can't put my finger on it.

I personally believe it is a combination of many factors, not just one. Media, disconnectivity within community, family, etc, poor mental health care, poor education, distrust and hatred of people that are different, proliferation of easily accessible weapons and a constant promotion of selfish values.

I think all of these attributes of our society have created a "perfect storm" for these killing sprees to take place. While I'm not so naive that I believe we can eliminate the violence within our culture completely, I do believe we can stake steps to drastically reduce it.

Unfortunately, the issue is complex and would take a massive commitment and investment of time and resouces, not to mention the deeply divisive issues (e.g. gun control) seem to drive the debates on such a topic, which, inturn, leads to more vitriol, hatred and disconnection.

In other words, nothing will be done and another killing spree will probably take place in a few months. We have averaged more than two a year since Columbine and sadly, I think it will just become a "normal" part of our society.

Anyway, that's my two cents.

Agreed! And, as much as I hate guns, I don't think stricter gun
laws will stop the person who wants to kill. (i.e. Norway has
strict gun laws, but that man was able to kill over 70 people last
year.) That being said, the fact that an average person can just
go out and purchase a semi-automatic assault rifle is beyond ludicrous!

What I don't agree with is the media trying to figure out the
personality type of a person capable of this kind of destruction.
How many "quiet and strange" teenagers walk the halls of every
school system?

I think part of the problem is that our population is getting too big,
and people are having children without teaching them right from
wrong. (But, even if you try and teach someone good morals, they
can still snap, as we know.)

And, of the course, the media. The majority of TV shows
are about murder, and I won't even mention the Internet, I can
go on and on about that! If I had children, I would be very afraid
to allow them free internet access...
 

Weissenberg

Grid or Riot
Crime and violence have always been a huge problem within the American society, it has nothing to with modernity. LJ4ptplay already pointed out what are the real reasons of crime/violence in the US: media, poor health care, poor education, hatred and inequality. If London, despite having an almost identical population, has a six times lower homicide rate than the city of NY*, you've to admit that there is something wrong with the American society.

*
London: population of 8,174,100 - 0.01 homicide per 1,000 inhabitants in 2011
New York: population of 8,244,910 - 0.06 homicide per 1,000 inhabitants in 2011
 

orangeblobman

Rotation player
Agreed! And, as much as I hate guns, I don't think stricter gun
laws will stop the person who wants to kill. (i.e. Norway has
strict gun laws, but that man was able to kill over 70 people last
year.) That being said, the fact that an average person can just
go out and purchase a semi-automatic assault rifle is beyond ludicrous!

What I don't agree with is the media trying to figure out the
personality type of a person capable of this kind of destruction.
How many "quiet and strange" teenagers walk the halls of every
school system?

I think part of the problem is that our population is getting too big,
and people are having children without teaching them right from
wrong. (But, even if you try and teach someone good morals, they
can still snap, as we know.)

And, of the course, the media. The majority of TV shows
are about murder, and I won't even mention the Internet, I can
go on and on about that! If I had children, I would be very afraid
to allow them free internet access...

There is no GOD anymore, so anything goes. People aren't centered by religion. Everything is material, physical. Morally bankrupt.

When I have my children, I will not have a television in the home. The first five or ten years of his life will be without television and he will be much healthier for it.
 

LJ4ptplay

Starter
There is no GOD anymore, so anything goes. People aren't centered by religion. Everything is material, physical. Morally bankrupt.

When I have my children, I will not have a television in the home. The first five or ten years of his life will be without television and he will be much healthier for it.

I don't think religion, or lack of religion, has anything to do with it. The least violent countries, with the lowest crime rates (e.g. Japan, Sweden, Norway, Denmark) all have the highest percentage of agnostic/atheist populations, some as high as 75%. America is the most religious country in the modern industrialzed world and has the highest violent crime rate in the modern industrialized world. Also the highest number of citizens per capita incarcerated in the enitre world. God does not necessarily equal morals.
 

orangeblobman

Rotation player
I don't think religion, or lack of religion, has anything to do with it. The least violent countries, with the lowest crime rates (e.g. Japan, Sweden, Norway, Denmark) all have the highest percentage of agnostic/atheist populations, some as high as 75%. America is the most religious country in the modern industrialzed world and has the highest violent crime rate in the modern industrialized world. Also the highest number of citizens per capita incarcerated in the enitre world. God does not necessarily equal morals.

They might not be violent, but the countries you mention have deep, DEEP problems bubbling under the shiny exterior. You have kids dying from marathon gaming sessions in South Korea, for example. Isn't that a symptom of a deeply troubled society?
 

Newbie

Benchwarmer
There is no GOD anymore, so anything goes. People aren't centered by religion. Everything is material, physical. Morally bankrupt.

When I have my children, I will not have a television in the home. The first five or ten years of his life will be without television and he will be much healthier for it.

There is still a God for many. Anyway, think of ALL the atrocities
committed and being committed in the name of religion?

I don't know what the answer is, or the cause. But, I do know
that in our country, many people want it all and to do it all. And,
the children are suffering because of this mindset.

So, is it from a lack of family values. Do we NOT value our
children as much as other societies?
 

orangeblobman

Rotation player
There is still a God for many. Anyway, think of ALL the atrocities
committed and being committed in the name of religion?

I don't know what the answer is, or the cause. But, I do know
that in our country, many people want it all and to do it all. And,
the children are suffering because of this mindset.

So, is it from a lack of family values. Do we NOT value our
children as much as other societies?

I can say I'm doing this and that in the name of Newbie, this doesn't mean Newbie is bad.

I don't think we value our children as much. I think, in general, we feed them to the wolves at an early age. You have parents who are effectively children themselves, and they're having children, it's just a terrible downward spiral we're in and it looks like it will get worse before it gets better.
 

Newbie

Benchwarmer
I can say I'm doing this and that in the name of Newbie, this doesn't mean Newbie is bad.

I don't think we value our children as much. I think, in general, we feed them to the wolves at an early age. You have parents who are effectively children themselves, and they're having children, it's just a terrible downward spiral we're in and it looks like it will get worse before it gets better.

I don't think I suggested anywhere that God or religion is a bad thing.
Nor are weapons (guns, knives, hammers, etc., etc.) "bad."

It is the person (who commits a wrong deed) behind it that is behaving "badly."

As far as God and religion, I think I can safely say that the tenets
of all religions are positive in and of themselves. You know: to love one
another, to be kind, to love thy neighbor.

How humans can take those tenets and twist them to justify killing
is beyond me.

Anyway, I didn't mean to go on and on about religion.
 
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