America's Gun Violence #2

Halifax2TheMax

Part of a much longer article about two young men talking about owning guns.

He remembered being 10 years old and hearing his mother scream so loud that he thought an intruder was in the house, grabbing a steak knife and running to her room, only to learn that she was screaming because a beloved relative had killed herself with a gun.

He remembered a certain level of violence becoming ordinary. The active shooter drills in middle school, when he sat in the corner of a classroom as an administrator wiggled the door handle. The kid who accidentally shot another kid in the head, killing him. Another kid who shot and killed someone during an argument. “I probably know 10 kids who got killed because they were idiots,” Skylar said.

He remembered how else he felt being 18, uncertain and full of wild emotions, listening to extreme metal one day and Dean Martin the next. He sweated when he got mad. He had a strange desire to be punched in the face. He got frustrated and smashed his gaming console once. He remembered his mom and dad paying close attention to his moods, and his dad saying, “Buddy, if you ever get depressed, I want you to tell me,” and his mom saying, “Skylar, are you happy?” He remembered turning 19, and 20, and feeling such things less and less.

He remembered the day he and his dad were stopped at a red light in a rough part of town, and his dad grabbing his pistol from the console, cracking open his door and pointing the gun at a man he thought was about to carjack them but who, it turned out, was just trying to close the door to the gas tank his dad had left unlatched. As they drove off, Skylar remembered thinking how quickly things can escalate, and how in control his dad had seemed, how capable of making him feel safe.

He remembered wanting to be that kind of man, too, so when he turned 21, he used his pandemic stimulus check to buy a Smith & Wesson 9mm at a pawnshop down the road. He started watching YouTube videos of men shooting guns at blocks of soap and dummy torsos that exploded in slow motion. He wore the pistol around the house to get used to how it felt, and now it was two years later, and he still wasn’t used to it. He still wouldn’t take it out of the house.

He sensed an opening to talk about why Evan wanted an AR-10 and his purpose with it.

“What I like is you can basically do what you want with it,” Evan began, referring to its adaptability. He pulled up a photo of an AR-10 on his cellphone.

“See, if I wanted, I could get a longer mag or a fatter one,” he said, referring to the magazine, one of the many modifications that AR-style rifles are designed to enable. “Or I could get an angle grip, or a side grip, or a smaller grip. I can get a longer barrel. I could turn that into a hair trigger and make it easier to fire.”

“There are laws —” Skylar said. “Just like you can’t saw off a shotgun.”

“I could get a flash suppressor,” Evan continued, talking about what else he wanted. “My dream rifle is a Diamondback chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor,” he said, referring to another AR-10-style rifle. “I just like big guns. Monkey brain in male body. Ooga-booga. Like, if I got a truck? I’d take out the muffler. For me, it’s the presence. Like, ‘Look at me! I’m big and bad, and I got a car that goes grrrrr. I’m a special boy, listen to me!’ It’s the dopamine surge.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/07/31/ar15-legal-age-semiautomatic/

nicknyr15

tempo_n_groove said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

tempo_n_groove said:

I have been noticing more and more blatant shootings.  Whether it be in broad daylight or over cold french-fries, it would appear that people just don't give a shit anymore.

You would see it in cold hearted gangster movies but now it's more and more people are doing it.  I don't get how you can go through life thinking that there won't be consequences for your actions like shooting someone over basically nothing?

Because basically there won’t be consequences. Of any import. Just another day in ‘Murica. “They threatened me,” or “I feared for my life.” 

If u have an illegal gun and shoot someone over a cold french-fry, where is the threat?  The laws were made to stand your ground, not for a misunderstanding.

When you get cold fries, you gotta do what you gotta do. According to the shooters mother. 

static111

nicknyr15 said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

tempo_n_groove said:

I have been noticing more and more blatant shootings.  Whether it be in broad daylight or over cold french-fries, it would appear that people just don't give a shit anymore.

You would see it in cold hearted gangster movies but now it's more and more people are doing it.  I don't get how you can go through life thinking that there won't be consequences for your actions like shooting someone over basically nothing?

Because basically there won’t be consequences. Of any import. Just another day in ‘Murica. “They threatened me,” or “I feared for my life.” 

If u have an illegal gun and shoot someone over a cold french-fry, where is the threat?  The laws were made to stand your ground, not for a misunderstanding.

When you get cold fries, you gotta do what you gotta do. According to the shooters mother. 

I'm standing my ground against the threat of cold french fries

tempo_n_groove

Halifax2TheMax said:

Part of a much longer article about two young men talking about owning guns.

He remembered being 10 years old and hearing his mother scream so loud that he thought an intruder was in the house, grabbing a steak knife and running to her room, only to learn that she was screaming because a beloved relative had killed herself with a gun.

He remembered a certain level of violence becoming ordinary. The active shooter drills in middle school, when he sat in the corner of a classroom as an administrator wiggled the door handle. The kid who accidentally shot another kid in the head, killing him. Another kid who shot and killed someone during an argument. “I probably know 10 kids who got killed because they were idiots,” Skylar said.

He remembered how else he felt being 18, uncertain and full of wild emotions, listening to extreme metal one day and Dean Martin the next. He sweated when he got mad. He had a strange desire to be punched in the face. He got frustrated and smashed his gaming console once. He remembered his mom and dad paying close attention to his moods, and his dad saying, “Buddy, if you ever get depressed, I want you to tell me,” and his mom saying, “Skylar, are you happy?” He remembered turning 19, and 20, and feeling such things less and less.

He remembered the day he and his dad were stopped at a red light in a rough part of town, and his dad grabbing his pistol from the console, cracking open his door and pointing the gun at a man he thought was about to carjack them but who, it turned out, was just trying to close the door to the gas tank his dad had left unlatched. As they drove off, Skylar remembered thinking how quickly things can escalate, and how in control his dad had seemed, how capable of making him feel safe.

He remembered wanting to be that kind of man, too, so when he turned 21, he used his pandemic stimulus check to buy a Smith & Wesson 9mm at a pawnshop down the road. He started watching YouTube videos of men shooting guns at blocks of soap and dummy torsos that exploded in slow motion. He wore the pistol around the house to get used to how it felt, and now it was two years later, and he still wasn’t used to it. He still wouldn’t take it out of the house.

He sensed an opening to talk about why Evan wanted an AR-10 and his purpose with it.

“What I like is you can basically do what you want with it,” Evan began, referring to its adaptability. He pulled up a photo of an AR-10 on his cellphone.

“See, if I wanted, I could get a longer mag or a fatter one,” he said, referring to the magazine, one of the many modifications that AR-style rifles are designed to enable. “Or I could get an angle grip, or a side grip, or a smaller grip. I can get a longer barrel. I could turn that into a hair trigger and make it easier to fire.”

“There are laws —” Skylar said. “Just like you can’t saw off a shotgun.”

“I could get a flash suppressor,” Evan continued, talking about what else he wanted. “My dream rifle is a Diamondback chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor,” he said, referring to another AR-10-style rifle. “I just like big guns. Monkey brain in male body. Ooga-booga. Like, if I got a truck? I’d take out the muffler. For me, it’s the presence. Like, ‘Look at me! I’m big and bad, and I got a car that goes grrrrr. I’m a special boy, listen to me!’ It’s the dopamine surge.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/07/31/ar15-legal-age-semiautomatic/

I can't tell if this is made up story or not.  it's written by a "story teller" but credits are to a different person.

Well written though.

tempo_n_groove

nicknyr15 said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

tempo_n_groove said:

I have been noticing more and more blatant shootings.  Whether it be in broad daylight or over cold french-fries, it would appear that people just don't give a shit anymore.

You would see it in cold hearted gangster movies but now it's more and more people are doing it.  I don't get how you can go through life thinking that there won't be consequences for your actions like shooting someone over basically nothing?

Because basically there won’t be consequences. Of any import. Just another day in ‘Murica. “They threatened me,” or “I feared for my life.” 

If u have an illegal gun and shoot someone over a cold french-fry, where is the threat?  The laws were made to stand your ground, not for a misunderstanding.

When you get cold fries, you gotta do what you gotta do. According to the shooters mother. 

When I read that this morning it made me write what I did.  People just don't give a shit anymore.

Halifax2TheMax

tempo_n_groove said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

Part of a much longer article about two young men talking about owning guns.

He remembered being 10 years old and hearing his mother scream so loud that he thought an intruder was in the house, grabbing a steak knife and running to her room, only to learn that she was screaming because a beloved relative had killed herself with a gun.

He remembered a certain level of violence becoming ordinary. The active shooter drills in middle school, when he sat in the corner of a classroom as an administrator wiggled the door handle. The kid who accidentally shot another kid in the head, killing him. Another kid who shot and killed someone during an argument. “I probably know 10 kids who got killed because they were idiots,” Skylar said.

He remembered how else he felt being 18, uncertain and full of wild emotions, listening to extreme metal one day and Dean Martin the next. He sweated when he got mad. He had a strange desire to be punched in the face. He got frustrated and smashed his gaming console once. He remembered his mom and dad paying close attention to his moods, and his dad saying, “Buddy, if you ever get depressed, I want you to tell me,” and his mom saying, “Skylar, are you happy?” He remembered turning 19, and 20, and feeling such things less and less.

He remembered the day he and his dad were stopped at a red light in a rough part of town, and his dad grabbing his pistol from the console, cracking open his door and pointing the gun at a man he thought was about to carjack them but who, it turned out, was just trying to close the door to the gas tank his dad had left unlatched. As they drove off, Skylar remembered thinking how quickly things can escalate, and how in control his dad had seemed, how capable of making him feel safe.

He remembered wanting to be that kind of man, too, so when he turned 21, he used his pandemic stimulus check to buy a Smith & Wesson 9mm at a pawnshop down the road. He started watching YouTube videos of men shooting guns at blocks of soap and dummy torsos that exploded in slow motion. He wore the pistol around the house to get used to how it felt, and now it was two years later, and he still wasn’t used to it. He still wouldn’t take it out of the house.

He sensed an opening to talk about why Evan wanted an AR-10 and his purpose with it.

“What I like is you can basically do what you want with it,” Evan began, referring to its adaptability. He pulled up a photo of an AR-10 on his cellphone.

“See, if I wanted, I could get a longer mag or a fatter one,” he said, referring to the magazine, one of the many modifications that AR-style rifles are designed to enable. “Or I could get an angle grip, or a side grip, or a smaller grip. I can get a longer barrel. I could turn that into a hair trigger and make it easier to fire.”

“There are laws —” Skylar said. “Just like you can’t saw off a shotgun.”

“I could get a flash suppressor,” Evan continued, talking about what else he wanted. “My dream rifle is a Diamondback chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor,” he said, referring to another AR-10-style rifle. “I just like big guns. Monkey brain in male body. Ooga-booga. Like, if I got a truck? I’d take out the muffler. For me, it’s the presence. Like, ‘Look at me! I’m big and bad, and I got a car that goes grrrrr. I’m a special boy, listen to me!’ It’s the dopamine surge.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/07/31/ar15-legal-age-semiautomatic/

I can't tell if this is made up story or not.  it's written by a "story teller" but credits are to a different person.

Well written though.

Not sure what you mean by your comment? Was there anything that you read in this piece to give you pause? The author is identified and here’s her bio:

Stephanie McCrummen

Washington, D.C.

National Writer

Education: Columbia University, MA in Journalism; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, BA in History

Stephanie McCrummen is a staff reporter who travels the country writing long-form stories about people and situations that help illuminate the national conversation. Previously, she was a foreign correspondent covering East and Central Africa and a metro reporter covering suburban Virginia. She joined The Washington Post in 2004. Before that she was a general assignment reporter for Newsday. Stephanie is originally from Birmingham, Alabama.

Read more

tempo_n_groove

Halifax2TheMax said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

Part of a much longer article about two young men talking about owning guns.

He remembered being 10 years old and hearing his mother scream so loud that he thought an intruder was in the house, grabbing a steak knife and running to her room, only to learn that she was screaming because a beloved relative had killed herself with a gun.

He remembered a certain level of violence becoming ordinary. The active shooter drills in middle school, when he sat in the corner of a classroom as an administrator wiggled the door handle. The kid who accidentally shot another kid in the head, killing him. Another kid who shot and killed someone during an argument. “I probably know 10 kids who got killed because they were idiots,” Skylar said.

He remembered how else he felt being 18, uncertain and full of wild emotions, listening to extreme metal one day and Dean Martin the next. He sweated when he got mad. He had a strange desire to be punched in the face. He got frustrated and smashed his gaming console once. He remembered his mom and dad paying close attention to his moods, and his dad saying, “Buddy, if you ever get depressed, I want you to tell me,” and his mom saying, “Skylar, are you happy?” He remembered turning 19, and 20, and feeling such things less and less.

He remembered the day he and his dad were stopped at a red light in a rough part of town, and his dad grabbing his pistol from the console, cracking open his door and pointing the gun at a man he thought was about to carjack them but who, it turned out, was just trying to close the door to the gas tank his dad had left unlatched. As they drove off, Skylar remembered thinking how quickly things can escalate, and how in control his dad had seemed, how capable of making him feel safe.

He remembered wanting to be that kind of man, too, so when he turned 21, he used his pandemic stimulus check to buy a Smith & Wesson 9mm at a pawnshop down the road. He started watching YouTube videos of men shooting guns at blocks of soap and dummy torsos that exploded in slow motion. He wore the pistol around the house to get used to how it felt, and now it was two years later, and he still wasn’t used to it. He still wouldn’t take it out of the house.

He sensed an opening to talk about why Evan wanted an AR-10 and his purpose with it.

“What I like is you can basically do what you want with it,” Evan began, referring to its adaptability. He pulled up a photo of an AR-10 on his cellphone.

“See, if I wanted, I could get a longer mag or a fatter one,” he said, referring to the magazine, one of the many modifications that AR-style rifles are designed to enable. “Or I could get an angle grip, or a side grip, or a smaller grip. I can get a longer barrel. I could turn that into a hair trigger and make it easier to fire.”

“There are laws —” Skylar said. “Just like you can’t saw off a shotgun.”

“I could get a flash suppressor,” Evan continued, talking about what else he wanted. “My dream rifle is a Diamondback chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor,” he said, referring to another AR-10-style rifle. “I just like big guns. Monkey brain in male body. Ooga-booga. Like, if I got a truck? I’d take out the muffler. For me, it’s the presence. Like, ‘Look at me! I’m big and bad, and I got a car that goes grrrrr. I’m a special boy, listen to me!’ It’s the dopamine surge.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/07/31/ar15-legal-age-semiautomatic/

I can't tell if this is made up story or not.  it's written by a "story teller" but credits are to a different person.

Well written though.

Not sure what you mean by your comment? Was there anything that you read in this piece to give you pause? The author is identified and here’s her bio:

Stephanie McCrummen

Washington, D.C.

National Writer

Education: Columbia University, MA in Journalism; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, BA in History

Stephanie McCrummen is a staff reporter who travels the country writing long-form stories about people and situations that help illuminate the national conversation. Previously, she was a foreign correspondent covering East and Central Africa and a metro reporter covering suburban Virginia. She joined The Washington Post in 2004. Before that she was a general assignment reporter for Newsday. Stephanie is originally from Birmingham, Alabama.

Read more

Yes, she is a story writer.  The quotes and pictures were credited to a Michael S Williamson.  I am just wondering if she made up some of the conversations because it covers a lot of ground between the two individuals and the dialect between them doesn't differ far from the writers notes is all.  Just a question.

Again, it is written very well.

nicknyr15

static111 said:

nicknyr15 said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

tempo_n_groove said:

I have been noticing more and more blatant shootings.  Whether it be in broad daylight or over cold french-fries, it would appear that people just don't give a shit anymore.

You would see it in cold hearted gangster movies but now it's more and more people are doing it.  I don't get how you can go through life thinking that there won't be consequences for your actions like shooting someone over basically nothing?

Because basically there won’t be consequences. Of any import. Just another day in ‘Murica. “They threatened me,” or “I feared for my life.” 

If u have an illegal gun and shoot someone over a cold french-fry, where is the threat?  The laws were made to stand your ground, not for a misunderstanding.

When you get cold fries, you gotta do what you gotta do. According to the shooters mother. 

I'm standing my ground against the threat of cold french fries

The victim passed away today. What a disgusting situation. No regard for life. 

Cropduster-80

nicknyr15 said:

3 Days in NYC
26 shot
3 dead 

Zero protests. 

Right or wrong people differentiate between civilian casualties and criminal activity casualties.  And casualties in this neighbourhood Vs casualties in that neighbourhood 


mass shootings due to their random nature freaks people out in much the same way terrorism does.  When you feel like you are a target doing your normal daily activities, it’s just different 

gun crime in a domestic dispute doesn’t spark protests.  Those people knew each other, and you don’t know them so you were safe.   Gun crime at a mall does.  It’s random and it could be you 

nicknyr15

Cropduster-80 said:

nicknyr15 said:

3 Days in NYC
26 shot
3 dead 

Zero protests. 

Right or wrong people differentiate between civilian casualties and criminal activity casualties.  And casualties in this neighbourhood Vs casualties in that neighbourhood 


mass shootings due to their random nature freaks people out in much the same way terrorism does.  When you feel like you are a target doing your normal daily activities, it’s just different 

gun crime in a domestic dispute doesn’t spark protests.  Those people knew each other, and you don’t know them so you were safe.   Gun crime at a mall does.  It’s random and it could be you 

I disagree. Shootings mid day in the city have had multiple innocent casualties. The McDonald’s worker from the other day? That doesn’t freak anyone out? Most people seem to only care about a specific type of gun violence. Just my observation. 

cblock4life

nicknyr15 said:

Cropduster-80 said:

nicknyr15 said:

3 Days in NYC
26 shot
3 dead 

Zero protests. 

Right or wrong people differentiate between civilian casualties and criminal activity casualties.  And casualties in this neighbourhood Vs casualties in that neighbourhood 


mass shootings due to their random nature freaks people out in much the same way terrorism does.  When you feel like you are a target doing your normal daily activities, it’s just different 

gun crime in a domestic dispute doesn’t spark protests.  Those people knew each other, and you don’t know them so you were safe.   Gun crime at a mall does.  It’s random and it could be you 

I disagree. Shootings mid day in the city have had multiple innocent casualties. The McDonald’s worker from the other day? That doesn’t freak anyone out? Most people seem to only care about a specific type of gun violence. Just my observation. 

I agree.  And that’s what makes it so sad and disgusting is that we need multiple fatalities to really catch our attention. 

nicknyr15

cblock4life said:

nicknyr15 said:

Cropduster-80 said:

nicknyr15 said:

3 Days in NYC
26 shot
3 dead 

Zero protests. 

Right or wrong people differentiate between civilian casualties and criminal activity casualties.  And casualties in this neighbourhood Vs casualties in that neighbourhood 


mass shootings due to their random nature freaks people out in much the same way terrorism does.  When you feel like you are a target doing your normal daily activities, it’s just different 

gun crime in a domestic dispute doesn’t spark protests.  Those people knew each other, and you don’t know them so you were safe.   Gun crime at a mall does.  It’s random and it could be you 

I disagree. Shootings mid day in the city have had multiple innocent casualties. The McDonald’s worker from the other day? That doesn’t freak anyone out? Most people seem to only care about a specific type of gun violence. Just my observation. 

I agree.  And that’s what makes it so sad and disgusting is that we need multiple fatalities to really catch our attention. 

Exactly. It’s on peoples mind constantly here. Knowing they can be in the middle of a gun fight at any given time is scary. This doesn’t just happen at night. Knowing someone will shoot you with hesitation because you have them cold fries? Scary. I’m in retail. Do I have to worry if someone doesn’t like the paint color they picked that I’ll get shot? 

cblock4life

nicknyr15 said:

cblock4life said:

nicknyr15 said:

Cropduster-80 said:

nicknyr15 said:

3 Days in NYC
26 shot
3 dead 

Zero protests. 

Right or wrong people differentiate between civilian casualties and criminal activity casualties.  And casualties in this neighbourhood Vs casualties in that neighbourhood 


mass shootings due to their random nature freaks people out in much the same way terrorism does.  When you feel like you are a target doing your normal daily activities, it’s just different 

gun crime in a domestic dispute doesn’t spark protests.  Those people knew each other, and you don’t know them so you were safe.   Gun crime at a mall does.  It’s random and it could be you 

I disagree. Shootings mid day in the city have had multiple innocent casualties. The McDonald’s worker from the other day? That doesn’t freak anyone out? Most people seem to only care about a specific type of gun violence. Just my observation. 

I agree.  And that’s what makes it so sad and disgusting is that we need multiple fatalities to really catch our attention. 

Exactly. It’s on peoples mind constantly here. Knowing they can be in the middle of a gun fight at any given time is scary. This doesn’t just happen at night. Knowing someone will shoot you with hesitation because you have them cold fries? Scary. I’m in retail. Do I have to worry if someone doesn’t like the paint color they picked that I’ll get shot? 

Probably, yes.  Why don’t you get the fuck out of there?  

nicknyr15

cblock4life said:

nicknyr15 said:

cblock4life said:

nicknyr15 said:

Cropduster-80 said:

nicknyr15 said:

3 Days in NYC
26 shot
3 dead 

Zero protests. 

Right or wrong people differentiate between civilian casualties and criminal activity casualties.  And casualties in this neighbourhood Vs casualties in that neighbourhood 


mass shootings due to their random nature freaks people out in much the same way terrorism does.  When you feel like you are a target doing your normal daily activities, it’s just different 

gun crime in a domestic dispute doesn’t spark protests.  Those people knew each other, and you don’t know them so you were safe.   Gun crime at a mall does.  It’s random and it could be you 

I disagree. Shootings mid day in the city have had multiple innocent casualties. The McDonald’s worker from the other day? That doesn’t freak anyone out? Most people seem to only care about a specific type of gun violence. Just my observation. 

I agree.  And that’s what makes it so sad and disgusting is that we need multiple fatalities to really catch our attention. 

Exactly. It’s on peoples mind constantly here. Knowing they can be in the middle of a gun fight at any given time is scary. This doesn’t just happen at night. Knowing someone will shoot you with hesitation because you have them cold fries? Scary. I’m in retail. Do I have to worry if someone doesn’t like the paint color they picked that I’ll get shot? 

Probably, yes.  Why don’t you get the fuck out of there?  

I will eventually. Now isn’t a good time. My store is here  and I have another 6 years on the lease. Business is great, family is here but yea. I’m definitely looking to get out in the future. I definitely won’t be retiring here. 

Merkin Baller

nicknyr15 said:

Cropduster-80 said:

nicknyr15 said:

3 Days in NYC
26 shot
3 dead 

Zero protests. 

Right or wrong people differentiate between civilian casualties and criminal activity casualties.  And casualties in this neighbourhood Vs casualties in that neighbourhood 


mass shootings due to their random nature freaks people out in much the same way terrorism does.  When you feel like you are a target doing your normal daily activities, it’s just different 

gun crime in a domestic dispute doesn’t spark protests.  Those people knew each other, and you don’t know them so you were safe.   Gun crime at a mall does.  It’s random and it could be you 

I disagree. Shootings mid day in the city have had multiple innocent casualties. The McDonald’s worker from the other day? That doesn’t freak anyone out? Most people seem to only care about a specific type of gun violence. Just my observation. 

You’re not wrong, but there’s a lot layers to this.
Death by firearm is so commonplace in America, it’s impossible to follow everything / keep track of all of them. The McDonalds shooting is abhorrent, and I can’t imagine it doesn’t freak out most… but we’re also pretty numb to that kind of violence in this country, as opposed to seeing young kids get slaughtered in schools, or seeing what happened in Vegas a few years back (who among us CAN’T relate to being lost in the moment at a concert or festival? At one of the tool shows in February, I was close to the stage lost in the moment, and heard what must have been the drums echoing from the back of the arena that for a split second I thought could be gunfire. I turned around to look & make sure the crowd was acting normal… that never used to happen to me, and totally brought me out of the zone I was in watching the show - it was creepy). Shootings like in Vegas or at the Bataclan definitely hit closer to home for me personally, for obvious reasons. 

& people only caring about certain kinds of gun violence applies across the spectrum… pro gun advocates like to talk about Chicago being proof that gun laws don’t work, but don’t want to discuss the fact that a sizable portion of guns confiscated in Chicago come from Indiana, a state with fewer restrictions. 

We’re in a terrible quagmire here, and I don’t see it getting better anytime soon, if ever. 

I was returning home to metro Boston from vacation last night to see the street behind mine blocked off by BPD & my first thought was “great, another shooting” - it was nothing of the sort, the corner coffee shop was having an ice cream social for the neighborhood, they had chairs & tables set up in the street w/ families enjoying themselves. It was a fun atmosphere. 

How sad that my go to thought was gun violence. 

Cropduster-80

Merkin Baller said:

nicknyr15 said:

Cropduster-80 said:

nicknyr15 said:

3 Days in NYC
26 shot
3 dead 

Zero protests. 

Right or wrong people differentiate between civilian casualties and criminal activity casualties.  And casualties in this neighbourhood Vs casualties in that neighbourhood 


mass shootings due to their random nature freaks people out in much the same way terrorism does.  When you feel like you are a target doing your normal daily activities, it’s just different 

gun crime in a domestic dispute doesn’t spark protests.  Those people knew each other, and you don’t know them so you were safe.   Gun crime at a mall does.  It’s random and it could be you 

I disagree. Shootings mid day in the city have had multiple innocent casualties. The McDonald’s worker from the other day? That doesn’t freak anyone out? Most people seem to only care about a specific type of gun violence. Just my observation. 

You’re not wrong, but there’s a lot layers to this.
Death by firearm is so commonplace in America, it’s impossible to follow everything / keep track of all of them. The McDonalds shooting is abhorrent, and I can’t imagine it doesn’t freak out most… but we’re also pretty numb to that kind of violence in this country, as opposed to seeing young kids get slaughtered in schools, or seeing what happened in Vegas a few years back (who among us CAN’T relate to being lost in the moment at a concert or festival? At one of the tool shows in February, I was close to the stage lost in the moment, and heard what must have been the drums echoing from the back of the arena that for a split second I thought could be gunfire. I turned around to look & make sure the crowd was acting normal… that never used to happen to me, and totally brought me out of the zone I was in watching the show - it was creepy). Shootings like in Vegas or at the Bataclan definitely hit closer to home for me personally, for obvious reasons. 

& people only caring about certain kinds of gun violence applies across the spectrum… pro gun advocates like to talk about Chicago being proof that gun laws don’t work, but don’t want to discuss the fact that a sizable portion of guns confiscated in Chicago come from Indiana, a state with fewer restrictions. 

We’re in a terrible quagmire here, and I don’t see it getting better anytime soon, if ever. 

I was returning home to metro Boston from vacation last night to see the street behind mine blocked off by BPD & my first thought was “great, another shooting” - it was nothing of the sort, the corner coffee shop was having an ice cream social for the neighborhood, they had chairs & tables set up in the street w/ families enjoying themselves. It was a fun atmosphere. 

How sad that my go to thought was gun violence. 

Sad but true.

it’s like when I only play the lottery when it’s hundreds of millions of dollars.  When it’s not I couldn’t tell you what’s going on 

it’s kind of like that with shootings.  Some resonate more than others for a variety of reasons 

there was a shooting probably less than a mile away a month or two ago.  Some guy broke into his ex’s apartment and killed her.  Doesn’t mean I didn’t  feel terrible, but I couldn’t relate at all, as I’m not in that situation.  Proximity didn’t matter.  A school shooting in the same state hundreds of miles away freaks me out because I can relate, my kids go to public school 

we all have our things about shootings that make us relate differently.  It can be as simple as you don’t eat at McDonald’s therefore it’s too abstract to personally relate 

nicknyr15

Merkin Baller said:

nicknyr15 said:

Cropduster-80 said:

nicknyr15 said:

3 Days in NYC
26 shot
3 dead 

Zero protests. 

Right or wrong people differentiate between civilian casualties and criminal activity casualties.  And casualties in this neighbourhood Vs casualties in that neighbourhood 


mass shootings due to their random nature freaks people out in much the same way terrorism does.  When you feel like you are a target doing your normal daily activities, it’s just different 

gun crime in a domestic dispute doesn’t spark protests.  Those people knew each other, and you don’t know them so you were safe.   Gun crime at a mall does.  It’s random and it could be you 

I disagree. Shootings mid day in the city have had multiple innocent casualties. The McDonald’s worker from the other day? That doesn’t freak anyone out? Most people seem to only care about a specific type of gun violence. Just my observation. 

You’re not wrong, but there’s a lot layers to this.
Death by firearm is so commonplace in America, it’s impossible to follow everything / keep track of all of them. The McDonalds shooting is abhorrent, and I can’t imagine it doesn’t freak out most… but we’re also pretty numb to that kind of violence in this country, as opposed to seeing young kids get slaughtered in schools, or seeing what happened in Vegas a few years back (who among us CAN’T relate to being lost in the moment at a concert or festival? At one of the tool shows in February, I was close to the stage lost in the moment, and heard what must have been the drums echoing from the back of the arena that for a split second I thought could be gunfire. I turned around to look & make sure the crowd was acting normal… that never used to happen to me, and totally brought me out of the zone I was in watching the show - it was creepy). Shootings like in Vegas or at the Bataclan definitely hit closer to home for me personally, for obvious reasons. 

& people only caring about certain kinds of gun violence applies across the spectrum… pro gun advocates like to talk about Chicago being proof that gun laws don’t work, but don’t want to discuss the fact that a sizable portion of guns confiscated in Chicago come from Indiana, a state with fewer restrictions. 

We’re in a terrible quagmire here, and I don’t see it getting better anytime soon, if ever. 

I was returning home to metro Boston from vacation last night to see the street behind mine blocked off by BPD & my first thought was “great, another shooting” - it was nothing of the sort, the corner coffee shop was having an ice cream social for the neighborhood, they had chairs & tables set up in the street w/ families enjoying themselves. It was a fun atmosphere. 

How sad that my go to thought was gun violence. 

Oh absolutely agreed. 

Halifax2TheMax

Merkin Baller said:

nicknyr15 said:

Cropduster-80 said:

nicknyr15 said:

3 Days in NYC
26 shot
3 dead 

Zero protests. 

Right or wrong people differentiate between civilian casualties and criminal activity casualties.  And casualties in this neighbourhood Vs casualties in that neighbourhood 


mass shootings due to their random nature freaks people out in much the same way terrorism does.  When you feel like you are a target doing your normal daily activities, it’s just different 

gun crime in a domestic dispute doesn’t spark protests.  Those people knew each other, and you don’t know them so you were safe.   Gun crime at a mall does.  It’s random and it could be you 

I disagree. Shootings mid day in the city have had multiple innocent casualties. The McDonald’s worker from the other day? That doesn’t freak anyone out? Most people seem to only care about a specific type of gun violence. Just my observation. 

You’re not wrong, but there’s a lot layers to this.
Death by firearm is so commonplace in America, it’s impossible to follow everything / keep track of all of them. The McDonalds shooting is abhorrent, and I can’t imagine it doesn’t freak out most… but we’re also pretty numb to that kind of violence in this country, as opposed to seeing young kids get slaughtered in schools, or seeing what happened in Vegas a few years back (who among us CAN’T relate to being lost in the moment at a concert or festival? At one of the tool shows in February, I was close to the stage lost in the moment, and heard what must have been the drums echoing from the back of the arena that for a split second I thought could be gunfire. I turned around to look & make sure the crowd was acting normal… that never used to happen to me, and totally brought me out of the zone I was in watching the show - it was creepy). Shootings like in Vegas or at the Bataclan definitely hit closer to home for me personally, for obvious reasons. 

& people only caring about certain kinds of gun violence applies across the spectrum… pro gun advocates like to talk about Chicago being proof that gun laws don’t work, but don’t want to discuss the fact that a sizable portion of guns confiscated in Chicago come from Indiana, a state with fewer restrictions. 

We’re in a terrible quagmire here, and I don’t see it getting better anytime soon, if ever. 

I was returning home to metro Boston from vacation last night to see the street behind mine blocked off by BPD & my first thought was “great, another shooting” - it was nothing of the sort, the corner coffee shop was having an ice cream social for the neighborhood, they had chairs & tables set up in the street w/ families enjoying themselves. It was a fun atmosphere. 

How sad that my go to thought was gun violence. 

It’s not impossible to keep track of all of them. It’s happening right here, right now. I wonder how many other nations have an archive like this one?

https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/

And I’ve been pissed about gun violence in this country since at least Columbine and not just “certain gun violence.” I’m fucking sick of all of it. I can’t wait to leave this country.

Halifax2TheMax

From the NYT email blast:

‘Guarded optimism’

Crime, murder and mass shootings have dominated headlines this year. Just over the weekend, a shooting in Cincinnati wounded nine people, and another in Detroit killed one and wounded four.

But the full crime data tells a different story. Nationwide, shootings are down 4 percent this year compared to the same time last year. In big cities, murders are down 3 percent. If the decrease in murders continues for the rest of 2022, it will be the first year since 2018 in which they fell in the U.S.

 

2021 and 2022 rates are estimates. | Source: Jeff Asher; F.B.I.

The declines are small. But they are welcome news after two years of large increases left the murder rate nearly 40 percent higher than it had been.

“I would say I have a heavily guarded optimism,” said Richard Rosenfeld, a criminologist at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

One reason for hope: The likely causes of the spike in murders in 2020 and 2021 are receding.

Disruptions related to Covid probably led to more murders and shootings by shutting down social services, which had kept people safe, and closing schools, which left many teens idle. (My colleagues Thomas Fuller and Tim Arango wrote about the connection between the pandemic and gun violence.) But the U.S. has opened back up, which will likely help reverse the effects of the last two years on violent crime.

The aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in 2020 also likely caused more violence, straining police-community relations and diminishing the effectiveness of law enforcement. That effect, too, has eased as public attention has shifted away from high-profile episodes of police brutality. A similar trend played out before: After protests over policing erupted between 2014 and 2016, murders increased for two years and then fell.

2020 was a chaotic year overall, with Covid, protests about police and a presidential election. This turmoil fostered social discord and anomie, which also could contribute to murders: As people lose trust in each other and their institutions, they are more likely to lash out in crime and violence. As the chaos recedes, the violence may be receding as well.

This kind of good news rarely goes reported — an example of what my colleague David Leonhardt has called the media’s bad news bias. In 2022, bad news bias has left many Americans thinking that violent crime is worse this year when it ultimately may not be. And this bias has skewed public perceptions of crime and violence in the past, too.

Bad news bias

When the media reports on crime, it almost always focuses on grim stories. A recent analysis by Bloomberg found that headlines about shootings in New York City recently increased while the actual number of shootings remained relatively flat. The old cliché here is that if it bleeds, it leads.

The constant stream of bad news is one reason, experts say, that Americans consistently say crime is getting worse when it is not. Between the 1990s and 2014, crime — including violent crime and murders — fell more than 50 percent across the U.S. Yet for most of that time, a majority of Americans told Gallup that crime was up compared to the year before.

The bad news bias potentially leaves Americans more scared for their safety than they should be. It also may drive more people to believe that punitive criminal justice policies are needed, or that reforms are increasing crime when they are not. In a speech last month, for example, Donald Trump recounted several recent murders in grisly detail and called for “tough,” “nasty” and “mean” anti-crime policies.

A balanced view

Experts caution against making too much of the year’s trends. The decreases so far are relatively small, and they could end up a blip. Robberies and some property crimes are up in big U.S. cities. And America still has far more gun violence than its peers, largely because of widespread gun ownership.

The murder rate “is still significantly higher than it was two or three years ago,” said Jeff Asher, co-founder of AH Datalytics, which tracks U.S. crime data.

But the trend, right now, is heading in a good direction. For an accurate view of crime in the U.S., Americans need to hear that.

For more: On the A train, New York’s longest subway line, riders say they feel less safe — even though crime has not risen since 2019.

tempo_n_groove

So media sensationalizes the shootings?  Nah, really?!?

It's nice to read that shootings and crime are actually going down.  It is why and how the ones that are committed is what troubles me.