US teens and gun violence (1 Viewer)

[davin]

Re: wtf is wrong with american kids

first, much of this can be done with computers. second, technicians take orders. by your logic, there could never have been any bombing run in the history of warfare because people would disagree.

 

[HotShot]

Re: wtf is wrong with american kids

first, much of this can be done with computers. second, technicians take orders. by your logic, there could never have been any bombing run in the history of warfare because people would disagree.

lol.. logic not gud, but obviously evrthing is not logical, somethings just happen.

anyway. the point is, u give gun to a few teens and ur definetly asking for trouble.

 

[davin]

Re: wtf is wrong with american kids

the law doesn't give them guns through.
its also bad to let 12 year olds drive cars and give alcohol to 8 year olds. hense, you can't.
in the u.s., you have to be 18 to get a gun in general, and 21 to get a handgun.

 

[HotShot]

Re: wtf is wrong with american kids

the law doesn't give them guns through.
its also bad to let 12 year olds drive cars and give alcohol to 8 year olds. hense, you can't.
in the u.s., you have to be 18 to get a gun in general, and 21 to get a handgun.

yet they had the gun....
it was so easy to acquire for them...
they planned it....
they must got if someone... (stolen or bought)
essentially it comes down to the law...
the law...
of having guns and its purpose...
purpose is to shooot....
someone....is it not?

 

[davin]

Re: wtf is wrong with american kids

they tend to be stolen.

the purpose of having guns includes protection (both active and passive), self-defense, hunting, and sport
guns can be used responsibly, and they ARE used responsibily by the vast majority of gun owners, esp those that own guns legally.

 

[xeuyrawp]

PwarYuex, I appreciate the difference between owning a gun for self-defence and owning a gun just because or to shoot a human being who wasn't hurting you in the first place.

Bullying may have been one reason but it was not the whole reason. I agree that the perputrators have larger issues.

But bullying itself is a big deal.

Even if you haven't been bullied much, if you don't complain, you're silently condoning it and creating more victims.

Better to create a school climate where people are treated with tolerance and respect.

I agree we could do better distinguishing between misbehaviour and mental disorder. Some things we take as ordinary misbehaviour are outcomes of a disability someone may be suffering. Why do we not take that into account? I agree it is difficult to observe if you haven't the experience or the background. But if you have a disability or if you're the parent of a child with a disability, you feel solidarity more than anything else.

I hope you are not holding attitudes which could lead to harm or killing. That is as bad as if you had done anything. Remember the Buddhist (and most religions and philosophies follow a version of this, but Buddhism is especially uncompromising and striking, for example compared to Christianity and Judaism) principle of compassion. A true Buddhist would never hurt a fly, much less another human being.

I still value creativity and imagination because they help people feel more compassion for their fellow man and they help people to value life and other people more.

That's what it's all about. The value of life or the violation of that value.

We are all responsible. And we shouldn't just complain - we should try to change the situation for the better. We should look after our fellow man and woman more, because we are all brothers and sisters.

Remember Montaigne: "Nothing human is foreign to me." These are wise words and I try to live by the moral code it stands for.

That's a fair point. My mum's into educational psychology, and she'd agree with you.

I disagree based on my own experiences. I was the target for bullying at school when I came out. Instead of complaining, I took it upon myself to settle the situation by essentially speaking their own language to the bullies. It worked, and they never bothered me or my friends again.

Also worth noting is that bullying is an essential part of growing up. There are bullies in the real world, and if you don't learn how to stand up for yourself, you'll be a target all your life. Dealing with the problem at school really was a turning point for me because I realised that you didn't have be exclusively either smart/mature/kind or strong/popular/happy.

Condoned bullying still occurs in many schools - schools in Britain still have 'fagging' of new students. That's where students essentially act as slaves for older students. I know that a few Colleges in Oxford still have long initiation-rites, and these people are young adults! I use these examples because I know a fair few people that have come from a school in Britain and a few of my lecturers came from Oxford.

Anyway, my point is that if you treat young people as breakable eggs, they will never learn to defend themselves independently.

 

[BronwynKate]

I'm glad you and others were able to deal with the problem independently.

I enjoyed reading about British schools and fags, even though the practice gives me visceral chills. Better to encourage a culture of service.

What a good idea to speak their own language to the bullies.

There is a lot of homophobia in society, isn't there? Even the most subtle comments seem to live and breathe homophobia.

We all started out as egg. Well, egg and sperm. I don't know whether the ovum is breakable, but it is certainly vulnerable and fallible. Yet there are no targets in the womb. The egg certainly bleeds and it splits.

(Note: I am talking of human eggs, not chicken eggs).

(Second note: You could have come out as something else marginalised, not necessarily homosexual).

 

[xeuyrawp]

There is a lot of homophobia in society, isn't there?

Understandbly, a lot of gay people totally identify themselves as queer and feel they don't need to prove themselves as they should get special treatment, or something.

When I worked at Sony, a guy was really aggitating all these other people. When the manager approached him about it, his excuse was that the people didn't like him because he was gay - not because he was an annoying little twat.

What's this got to do with gun violence? maybe these posts should be moved into the online-bullying thread...

 

[BronwynKate]

It's easy with people who have a distinguishing characteristic to think people don't like them BECAUSE of that characteristic.

You never know, the guy could have shot you lot and we would not be discussing this.

In an ideal world, nobody would need to prove themselves.

Proving oneself is overrated.

But you live in the reality-based community which isn't so bad.

 

[xeuyrawp]

It's easy with people who have a distinguishing characteristic to think people don't like them BECAUSE of that characteristic.

But it's not a distinguishing charactersitic unless you make it one, which a lot of people do.

 

[BronwynKate]

I suppose homosexuality is not really a visible characteristic in the way a birthmark or a tattoo may be.

It is sometimes a lifestyle and sometimes an attitude.

 

[BronwynKate]

Why?

What is Rockstar Games?

 

[BronwynKate]

I see.

I didn't know they made Grand Theft Auto.

How naive am I?

Even now I don't see a connection.

One might as well blame Electronic Arts because the Sims encourages torturing people and conspicious consumption which may fill the wants/demands of young school shooters.

Is this a little far-fetched?

 

[HotShot]

Re: wtf is wrong with american kids

they tend to be stolen.

the purpose of having guns includes protection (both active and passive), self-defense, hunting, and sport
guns can be used responsibly, and they ARE used responsibily by the vast majority of gun owners, esp those that own guns legally.

that very very stupid. how is a gun a defensive weapon? a nuke might be, a bullet-proof vest is one. but gun is a offensive weapon.

self-defense- how does it protect u?

 

[davin]

Re: wtf is wrong with american kids

hotshot, explain HOW a nuke is a defensive weapon if a gun isn't?


a gun is a deterant in so much as, if someone thinks you have a gun, or realises you do, they will find someone else to victimise or just outright give up because they don't want to be shot. second, if that doesn't help, having a gun does equalise the odds. example from u.s., a woman had gotten a restraining order on her ex-boyfriend. he didn't care, and showed up at her house with, either an ax or a bat, i can't recall which. she called the police, but before police could get there, he'd broken into her house. were it her against him in a fight, she didn't stand a chance, plus he had a weapon. she shot him. didn't kill him, but it protected herself until police could arrive.