Summations Only

Rahvin,No matter how many tragedies happen in america, there will continue to be too many people fighting for the right to own guns.I believe this shows that too many americans simply don't mind living in a violent, hateful society. (Perhaps the remainder actually like it.)Can you elsewise explain this?

Does this recent tragedy move you to do something to prevent the next tragedy?

As i wrote before, I think it would FIRST require a society-wide mental adjustment. Jar's very quick reply in favor of guns suggests it would be a losing battle.Perhaps I can post more photos of dead children from gunshots, but that didn't seem to sway too many people on the forum before.This is probably an 'unswayable' solution.

The hateful part might be hyperbole, but the violent part? Compared to other countries, you would argue that america is NOT a violent society? Yes, that's what I hoped my first post communicated. (However, I firmly believe this apathy is an uniquely american trait.) So what can be done with an apathetic society?

Sadly, it must be a wanted reality or else it would change.

No, the problem is 20 dead children.

Have a good weekend gentlemen. I'm off to do some Xmas shopping and spread good cheer, and peace on earth.Or something like that.

"... a higher rate of crime . . . than the United States"?"...(particularly violent crime)..."?"N o r w a y"!?Evidence please.

Chuckle.Crash, if you knew more than me than you would have simply showed me evidence that NORWAY has a HIGHER VIOLENT CRIME RATE than the USA.Do you wanna show your sheer ignorance a second time? Norwegian evidence please.

ditto, regarding Norwegian violent crime rates.(On an entirely different topic, this isn't addressed to any person in particular, maybe it's time we all research how to communicate with people who have Asperger syndrome. We watched in on the big screen "The Social Network", the shooter in connecticut may have had it, and who knows, perhaps some forum members have it too)Edited by dronester, : Asspergers

I don't know Rahvin. You said yourself that school shootings are extremely rare. For the price of a cop or two in each school, we could make significant educational advances by hiring an equal amount of teachers. Perhaps the added education would offset more shootings?So far, the one idea I liked in this forum is adding the legal obligation of keeping guns in a locked safe. If the guns used in the massacres are mostly illegally obtained from authorized gun owners, as was the connecticut shooter, then they need to be kept out of the reach of the mentally ill at all costs.Lastly, the one thing we really haven't discussed in this thread is mental health. What can be done? It has been said america needs to do better with helping/financing mentally ill patients. How about closing a few dozen military bases overseas and using the money for them? Can psychologists label gun ownership as a mental disorder that is harmful to society? It sometimes alarmed me the way some people can go on and on about specific guns and their technical specs. Yikes. What's up with that? I've read erotic stories from Hustler magazine with less passion.Edited by dronester, : sloppy, "illegally obtained from authorized gun owners"

Rahvin,This last shooting has, paradoxically, left me numb and angry. I am hoping that I can make some sense of all of this. I would find comfort in reason, IF there is any here.Something in my core says education would help. But I couldn't quantify that now. That is the reason for me exploring more teachers or maybe counselors in school versus just more security. Also, my disdain for more public displays of guns in the form of police/security prompts this. I think the display may be seen as a glorification of weapons by some . . . I have recently been lucky enough to be selected as a grand juror. The court building is sometimes protected by security in full weapon/swat gear. I can't believe this is the society we are building for ourselves. I know. It seems we are a mentally sick society for wanting this status quo. I am ignorant of gun permits, so I ask, is there something that triggers a flag if a mentally ill person has a history of medication for mental issues? Is there a database of all poeple who take medications for mental illness that is checked when a permit is applied? Should there be? Can there be? I know it won't prevent all gun deaths, but surely it can prevent some? I don't know why even members of the NRA would fight this, don't they have friends and family they care about? Agreed. Again, I am only considering those with a history of mental illness. I am familiar with a specific case of an insurance company not wanting to spend the ongoing money on a mentally ill person. So after one month of treatment, the person is declared healthy by the bean counters, the person is released from supervision, and the downward cycle begins again. This is crazy. Agree. But, there may not be one practical solution solution to this whole madness. I concede, my suggestion would only deal with the mentally ill. Maybe not even a significant percentage in this gun violence problem. I think the problem is that the "opposition" doesn't seem to think there is a problem. It would be long term, but if the idea that gun ownership is at odds with the rest of the civilized world, maybe we can slowly reclaim sanity?Sorry, my words in this thread are more questions than debate.

I don't know Rahvin. It would greatly help me if I knew some information from this last shooting would prevent the next dozen massacres. Perhaps. But this is a topic my girlfriend and I talk about ALLLL the time, so I am using it as more than just a buzzword. I would like to see this topic as a different thread some time (it would quickly go off-topic here), but briefly: To make a better society, what school lessons should be added to our schools? I would like to see: 1. Conflict resolution skills taught. EVERY year. 2. Foreign culture studies. Every year. When we understand, we fear less. I am going to India in february. I wish I could take every american with me. Rahvin, I think you would be an interesting co-traveler, especially to a non-westernized nation. 3. Critical thinking skills. Every year. 4. Creative problem solving. Every year. 5. ??? Perhaps others already have their own list in their heads. Yep, I am quite familiar with HIPAA. However, when the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, I wonder if there is at least a compromise? I understand both sides, but don't have a solution. Yep, my girlfriend, a therapist, informs me. However, these last two shooters, the 'joker' and this connecticut shooter make me wonder if there is ANYthing more than can be done to determine risks from certain people. I previously mentioned that the insurance companies should not use bean counting as a method of evaluation. Will this get better or worse under Obamacare? YES. Americans (sometimes me too) are rather insane about too many erroneously perceived threats. But the corporate media and government willfully stirs that pot for intended results. Therefore, education is our only chance of gaining sanity.

Wow.To repeat, education is our only chance of gaining sanity.

Errrm, . . . I take it back, . . . there is no chance of gaining sanity.(We are all doomed, . . . can those Mayan's prophetize or what?.)