Another school shooting...more children dead.

[GMDino]

The shooter was a female, which in and of itself is odd.

She shot her way in through a locked door...so there goes that talking point.

It was a religious school so there goes that talking point about "bringing god back" when offering thoughts and prayers.

Republicans voted against funding more/better mental health resources for students so there goes that.

So, what are left with?

https://www.npr.org/2022/05/25/1101269886/the-onion-mass-shooting-satire

Quote:'The Onion' has republished a grim headline about mass shootings 21 times since 2014

May 25, 20223:00 PM ET




There are a couple of inevitable responses to a mass shooting in America: funerals and fundraisers, prayers from politicians and the resurfacing of one particular article from satirical site The Onion.


"'No Way To Prevent This,' Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens" has been republished 21 times in almost exactly eight years.


Its headline has remained the same for every major mass shooting from Isla Vista, Calif., in 2014 to Tuesday's school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The main image, and basic facts about the shooting, are updated every time.


It always quotes a fictional resident of that state lamenting a tragedy they describe as inevitable:



"This was a terrible tragedy, but sometimes these things just happen and there's nothing anyone can do to stop them," the person says. "It's a shame, but what can we do? There really wasn't anything that was going to keep this individual from snapping and killing a lot of people if that's what they really wanted."

And that was year ago...


Anyone have any other suggestions?  I'm out of them.  I believe in your 2A right.  So what can we do other than just keep mourning?

[kalibengal]

not to get political here...but this country is F' D up by the 2 party system, I have middle schoolers and its always on back of my mind on getting that call some day.

[Matt_Crimson]

What's strange to me is she apparently identifies as a man. But apparently that doesn't matter now? From what I've understood from recent memory is you're a threat to the transgender community if you misidentify a trans person. Yet multiple outlets are reporting it was a woman while also saying they were transgender.

As a matter of fact. A lot of people are still confused about all of this because they're not sure if it was a man or a woman because some outlets reported it was a man, while others reported it was a woman. This seems to be a bit of an implication of playing the gender game if you ask me.

Seriously. Go look at the comment sections on this news story. People are fighting over what this "person" is, and I think it's important. I get that people died and that shouldn't be pushed to the side. But it's honestly got me wondering the impact this kind of thing has on sociology and the way in which we analyze men and women.

As you already stated. You're shocked it was a woman. So am I. But if they identify as a man and you have to accept that as reality, well then I think that changes the discussion doesn't it? Because now it's no longer shocking because it was a man and you add another tick to the violent nature of men and how they're more responsible for events like this, rather than women.

But then you have to ask yourself......how accurate is that check mark? Now, I'm not saying there will be a huge swing one way or the other, but it seems clear to me that such alterations to our society will have impacts on the statistical differences between men and women. This becomes even more true for those who consider themselves gender fluid.

So then, do we make a transgender category to single them out? Of course not, cause that would be considered transphobic.

[XenoMorph]

(03-28-2023, 10:26 AM)GMDino Wrote: The shooter was a female, which in and of itself is odd.

She shot her way in through a locked door...so there goes that talking point.

It was a religious school so there goes that talking point about "bringing god back" when offering thoughts and prayers.

Republicans voted against funding more/better mental health resources for students so there goes that.

So, what are left with?

https://www.npr.org/2022/05/25/1101269886/the-onion-mass-shooting-satire




And that was year ago...


Anyone have any other suggestions?  I'm out of them.  I believe in your 2A right.  So what can we do other than just keep mourning?

Well stop indoctrinating the youth. for 1

Punish people calling for Violence like Jane Fonda calling for murder of republicans

[basballguy]

I am utterly convinced if the Sun were to supernova, Dino would find a way to blame republicans

(03-28-2023, 10:26 AM)GMDino Wrote: Republicans voted against funding more/better mental health resources for students so there goes that.

Anyone have any other suggestions?  I'm out of them.  I believe in your 2A right.  So what can we do other than just keep mourning?

The girl (or guy?) was 28 years old.  A decade removed from school.....

But it's abundantly clear this person has mental health issues.  

[HarleyDog]

(03-28-2023, 12:18 PM)basballguy Wrote: I am utterly convinced if the Sun were to supernova, Dino would find a way to blame republicans

Every day and twice on Sundays.

[*Nately120*]

(03-28-2023, 12:18 PM)basballguy Wrote: I am utterly convinced if the Sun were to supernova, Dino would find a way to blame republicans


The girl (or guy?) was 28 years old.  A decade removed from school.....

But it's abundantly clear this person has mental health issues.  

Unless cutting mental health funding and preventative care is more bi-partisan than I've been led to believe (I don't claim to be an expert on this), maybe this is something that could be helped along by republicans changing their policies a bit.

I know in Texas Greg Abbot was part of cutting mental health funding but still went to the "Mental health!" well when it came time to explain Uvalde.

I mean, you say it's mental health so who is standing in the way of fixing this county's dangerous lack of mental health?  And I don't mean this as a "gotcha" moment, maybe it is bi-partisan, but if mental health is being cited then what do we need to do as a society to see to it that something is actually done?  I feel like we're just coming up with things to blame so we can just go right back to changing nothing.

[basballguy]

(03-28-2023, 12:31 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Unless cutting mental health funding and preventative care is more bi-partisan than I've been led to believe (I don't claim to be an expert on this), maybe this is something that could be helped along by republicans changing their policies a bit.

I know in Texas Greg Abbot was part of cutting mental health funding but still went to the "Mental health!" well when it came time to explain Uvalde.

I mean, you say it's mental health so who is standing in the way of fixing this county's dangerous lack of mental health?  And I don't mean this as a "gotcha" moment, maybe it is bi-partisan, but if mental health is being cited then what do we need to do as a society to see to it that something is actually done?  I feel like we're just coming up with things to blame so we can just go right back to changing nothing.

In my opinion, better parenting is the solution in almost every situation involving mental health.  

As parents, we know what our children are capable of long before it happens.  

[HarleyDog]

(03-28-2023, 12:31 PM)Nately120 Wrote:  I feel like we're just coming up with things to blame so we can just go right back to changing nothing.

Excellent point. This is the way.

[*Nately120*]

(03-28-2023, 12:38 PM)basballguy Wrote: In my opinion, better parenting is the solution in almost every situation involving mental health.  

As parents, we know what our children are capable of long before it happens.  

That gets into the bi-partisan argument of which side of the political coin is more interested in investing and promoting things that enable and facilitate better parenting.  I'm all about just cynically giving up on fixing shootings in this country mostly because I see them as yet another bi-partisan wedge issue.  I know it's not polite to discuss politics after every shooting, but if people want this to be an apolitical thing they should stop mentioning things that the two sides don't agree on funding or attempting to fix.

Let's face it, a lot of us don't see why our taxes should go to paying for other people to get trained to be better parents, or to go see some shrink, or to even pay for more armed security to protect other people's kids.

Frankly, if everyone can agree this shooting actually happened I'll call that progress.

[HarleyDog]

(03-28-2023, 12:38 PM)basballguy Wrote: In my opinion, better parenting is the solution in almost every situation involving mental health.  

As parents, we know what our children are capable of long before it happens.  

Agreed, with limitations. I will go out on a limb and guess that most school shooters probably didn't have good parents or role models making a daily impact. This is another reason why I detest teachers pushing their personal agendas on students. 

[BigPapaKain]

(03-28-2023, 12:38 PM)basballguy Wrote: In my opinion, better parenting is the solution in almost every situation involving mental health.  

As parents, we know what our children are capable of long before it happens.  

Maybe we should be pushing to licensing procreation to weed out bad parents.

Of course, that'd mean legal access to birth control and abortions, so the GoP would never go for that.

Maybe we could make it easier for parents so we can go back to one income houses being feasible.

That'd mean making social safety nets, so the GoP would never go for that.

Maybe we could make medical and mental care affordable or universal.

That'd actual help people who aren't bringing in 7 digits annually, so the GoP would never go for that.

[CKwi88]

And people say trans women never compete in men's sports in America.

I guess if you needed irrefutable proof that "thoughts and prayers" do jackshit here you go.

[KillerGoose]

(03-28-2023, 12:38 PM)basballguy Wrote: In my opinion, better parenting is the solution in almost every situation involving mental health.  

As parents, we know what our children are capable of long before it happens.  

I agree. 

The question becomes "how do we facilitate that?" and I think we are currently heading in the wrong direction. Economic factors, healthcare and education are all major factors that I think are failing right now. Economically, costs have been on the rise for decades and wages haven't kept up. People have less disposable money, which leads to distress and feelings of hopelessness. I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up relating to more detached parenting on an aggregate level. I have no idea if it does, I am just spitballing thoughts here. Anecdotally, I grew up poor and so did several of my friends. My friends in this case, more often than not, had exhausted parents who just wanted quiet time because they got off their second job or some other, similar reason. 

Healthcare is exorbitantly expensive and relates back to economic factors. A person is sick and needs treatment, only to find out that the treatment isn't covered by their insurance/don't have insurance which means they need to go into severe debt to treat it. Another anecdote, but a woman I dated in college required brain surgery several years before we met. Her family owned their own business but didn't have health insurance. After her surgery and treatment, they were over $1.5MM in debt. Several years after we broke up, she required surgery again, and was then diagnosed with cancer. It's not only a soulcrushing story in general, but the monetary investment to just overcome something like that is debilitating. 

Education is pretty straightforward. Higher education is very expensive and even high-school curriculums aren't up to snuff in many areas of the country. At my high-school, I had an advanced placement statistics course I took and the professor said "if you keep your mouth shut and don't cause trouble, I'll give all of you an A."  I learned nothing from that class and received an A. Thankfully, my college classes were much better but across the board, education quality needs attention. 

A lot of nuance on this topic, but I think my general idea is that well regulated, compensated and educated individuals make happy individuals. Happy individuals, on an aggregate, make better parents. We are seeing the opposite. Many people my age are waiting to have children or declining to altogether due to education and economic concerns. 

[treee]

Blatant political agenda from the same group of people that will criticize the politicizing of mass shootings all the other times it happens.

[*Nately120*]

(03-28-2023, 01:56 PM)treee Wrote: Blatant political agenda from the same group of people that will criticize the politicizing of mass shootings all the other times it happens.

Isn't this political though?  I realize it isn't supposed to be, but how can stuff like this be such an endlessly repetitive and hopeless issue without the two parties refusing to agree on the causes and solutions to it?

How could anything be this unsolvable without it being political?

[treee]

(03-28-2023, 02:06 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Isn't this political though?  I realize it isn't supposed to be, but how can stuff like this be such an endlessly repetitive and hopeless issue without the two parties refusing to agree on the causes and solutions to it?

How could anything be this unsolvable without it being political?

Sure, it is systemic and political. My point still stands though. 

[*Nately120*]

(03-28-2023, 02:08 PM)treee Wrote: Sure, it is systemic and political. My point still stands though. 

I get it, but to me the issue is more blatant misinformation than politics. I'm just sick of politicians saying mental illness and then cutting measures, or just standing still on it and then I'm sick of voters who agree it's mental illness reelecting the politicians who do nothing or do the opposite of what they apparently agree is the issue. 

I'd have more respect for the GOP if they stopped the mental illness façade and just stuck with the solution being more bibles and more guns.  At least they stand by that in policy.

[basballguy]

(03-28-2023, 02:16 PM)Nately120 Wrote: I get it, but to me the issue is more blatant misinformation than politics. I'm just sick of politicians saying mental illness and then cutting measures, or just standing still on it and then I'm sick of voters who agree it's mental illness reelecting the politicians who do nothing or do the opposite of what they apparently agree is the issue. 

I'd have more respect for the GOP if they stopped the mental illness façade and just stuck with the solution being more bibles and more guns.  At least they stand by that in policy.

How are democrats combating mental illness?  

Mental illness goes beyond school shootings...the next best example is in the homeless community.  Something like 1 of 4 homeless people suffer from mental illness.  

If I look at California, Newsome's homeless combat 'plan' covers everything except mental illness.  

I know this sounds like a pivot in the conversation but I don't believe anyone anywhere is doing anything meaningful about mental illness.  

[*Nately120*]

(03-28-2023, 02:30 PM)basballguy Wrote: How are democrats combating mental illness?  

Mental illness goes beyond school shootings...the next best example is in the homeless community.  Something like 1 of 4 homeless people suffer from mental illness.  

If I look at California, Newsome's homeless combat 'plan' covers everything except mental illness.  

I know this sounds like a pivot in the conversation but I don't believe anyone anywhere is doing anything meaningful about mental illness.  

Even accepting all this is true, it's all the more reason for us to stop pretending we care about mental illness.

Even if politicians wanted to target mental illness it's going to come down to asking people to pay taxes for other people to get something, and we don't particularly like that.  Until someone can prove that mass shootings are causing the ultra rich to lose money I guess we're SOL.

I'm just being a defeatist so I'll tap out of this one.