I read one article in which some Republican politician, in response to pushes for gun control, started whining about how he didn't want to see the Florida shooting
I'm hoping that this time, aiming directly at NRA support in what looks like it's shaping up to be a blue wave election will actually push politicians to DO something
as someone who has taught in the US in a really shit school in a really shit school district where shootings were a real threat that could happen (my school was on lockdown twice when i was just student teaching!)
and we ended up practicing one when i was in the computer lab with my class and it was ALL GLASS WALLS ON 3 SIDES and yeah we could hide under the tables BUT there wasn't much room because of all the wires and stuff
that drill happened and i watched the kids get under the tables and as a teacher during the drill, i had to like... observe to make sure everyone was ok and i noticed all of the computers were on and clearly had work on them
me, a young 22 year old student teacher talking to my senior teachers at the meeting after school: So... in that situation, I would just probably die with the class? them: yeah
And this is just common sense and I literally cannot because the arguments against gun control, especially in the aftermath here when talking to the people who lived through it, are just stupid
They're not even asking teachers to take a bullet for their students. They're asking them to potentially kill one of their students to save other students.
since as someone who grew up with guns in the house (my dad was a cop), a gun that is properly stored (in a safe, with ammo separate) is 0% helpful in a second
my school officers didnt have guns but they had taser and pepper spray and we were already in the knew enough for police brutality I CANT IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE WITH A GUN
the shooter isn't some poor victim that we need to empathize with. he openly talked about guns, had concerning social media, declared he wanted to be a school shooter. he's not a victim he's the attacker.
I just copied that tweet to someone on facebook who keeps going "But that guy was bullied and people should have reached out to him and maybe they could have prevented this"
I was miserably bullied in school, and I was miserable enough in high school to have actual violent fantasies toward anyone who seemed happy, and I remember when I heard about Columbine that I felt like I could imagine how the shooters must have felt
Despite how I was feeling, I never hurt anyone and I knew all along I never could even given the opportunity, because I knew it was wrong and other people didn't deserve it???
Video games don't make people violent or lacking in empathy; they don't even encourage it in people who are already violent or lacking in empathy, as far as I know
At this point gaming is a popular enough activity that someone being a gamer and a criminal is more likely to be coincidence than correlation in any case, much less causation
first person shooters are a popular video game genre here in japan and guns show up in other media but they aren't shooting schools and other people because gun restriction is so tight here
Great reddit comment I saw the other day: “video games have always been at fault for mass acts of violence - everyone knows the Crusades were caused by Grand Theft Equine: Constantinople”
I can't be the only person thinking: oh the second amendment is sacred to you guys but unlawful search And seizure is ok to just toss out every time the Patriot act or civil asset forfeiture comes back up
When it comes to this debate I get "well you can't stop them illegally buying guns" but no one seems to have an answer when I go "how come you can buy a military weapon with the magazine?" why is that still for sale why is it necessary to have a military style weapon so easy to get? But sure Grand Theft Auto is to blame
because even if you could just walk up to someone on the street and buy cocaine like they seem to think you can... I'm pretty sure there'd be fewer illegal weapons dealers than illegal drugs dealers
most people who buy drugs aren't planning on killing anyone and the dealers know that, even if people do die and it is dangerous. I'm pretty sure no one selling AKs illegally has any illusions as to what their clients are planning.
"If we ban guns, people will just buy them illegally!" I live in a country where guns are regulated, I could not tell you where to get your hands on one! I couldn't tell you where to buy one legally!
my personal position on guns is that all guns should be registered, liability insurance should be required (covering damages for accidental injury or use of the gun in the commission of a crime) and gun owners should be required to get licensed and keep the license up to date (license requirements including safety training, background checks, etc)
and, like. also I'd like to see significant restrictions on the types of guns people can get; but registration and insurance will make it real hard & expensive for people to build up stockpiles of guns, and having a licensing system would make it easier to keep guns out of the hands of people with, e.g., restraining orders against them
and it's a lot harder for people to argue against requiring training, registration and insurance for guns than it is to argue against specific gun bans. those people who go "well cars kill more people"? WE REQUIRE ALL THOSE THINGS FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO OWN AND OPERATE A CAR
gah yeah the entire second amendment argument is really pretty nonsensical in today's world as it is, regardless of how it was written. the intent of it was to keep the militia with weapons of defense, not for every tom dick and harry to buy an assault rifle. that was never what it was about
and every time I hear them talking about "We need our weapons in case we need to stop government tyranny." and in my head I just keep shouting "....do it. Do it. Stop saying you're gonna and do it."
i really wish it could be made a requirement that everyone has to spend at least a year outside America simply for perspective (and not as members of the military, just as Life Experience (tm) )
"he wouldn't have to if you'd be a goddamn adult and cared enough to speak for him"
"meth is illegal but we still do it so let's make it easy and sell it in walmart"
"fuck you"
them: yeah
Also conservatives: “let’s ban abortions tho”