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I rarely weigh in on this side of the boards, and this will likely be a unicorn. But I gotta tell you, from outside the US, you guys seem to have turned guns into some sort of fetish. We have tons of guns in Canada. But our gun death rate is a FIFTH of yours. I don't know how to articulate it beyond that. It just feels as if you ascribe some gigantic symbolic value to guns that I just don't get. And thousands and thousands of people die, at their own hand or someone else's.
And the statistics provided at the second link suggest that there is some truth to the quoted sentence from MADD.In the United States, the number of drunk driving deaths has been cut in half since MADD was founded in 1980.
from the MADD link above.Every day in America, another 28 people die as a result of drunk driving crashes
I really wish people would stop politicizing these tragedies. This horrible church shooting is about an evil person who did an evil thing. I don't care about gun control laws after something like this or whether stringent regulations would have prevented it or whether he would have found another mode of slaughter. These arguments are tired, played out and inappropriate at a time like this. Our thoughts ought to be turned towards the grieving families. Scapegoating "close-minded" gun owners for the wicked actions of another does nothing to further dialogue or promote cooperation.
But after an overwhelming series of mourning mass school deaths, mass theater deaths, mass church deaths, one certainly can't blame people who want to do something about it rather than holding their reaction to continual and neverending sorrow.
Could be the frustration that proponents on the gun control side are rarely given any respect and are constantly belittled for their "attempts to repeal the 2nd amendment" even when that isn't even on the table, the arguments that nothing can be done so don't do anything--which is a convenient excuse for those who don't WANT to do anything about it because it might mean they would have to give up the free-for all current attitude about gun ownership, and the fact that this is happening AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN and all that happens is people wring their hands and say "oh, isn't it horrible that this happened?" and do nothing about it.True...but belittling those who hold a difference of opinion while shifting blame (unintentional as it may have been) away from the person who actually committed the act is not the way to go about bringing change.
If SK is really interested in curtailing the problem, why not try respect? Why not try NOT resorting to name calling or childish insults? This is a solemn event that is cheapened when we use it to attack our political opponents and I believe it was inappropriate.
True...but belittling those who hold a difference of opinion while shifting blame (unintentional as it may have been) away from the person who actually committed the act is not the way to go about bringing change.
If SK is really interested in curtailing the problem, why not try respect? Why not try NOT resorting to name calling or childish insults? This is a solemn event that is cheapened when we use it to attack our political opponents and I believe it was inappropriate.
Could be the frustration that proponents on the gun control side are rarely given any respect and are constantly belittled for their "attempts to repeal the 2nd amendment" even when that isn't even on the table, the arguments that nothing can be done so don't do anything--which is a convenient excuse for those who don't WANT to do anything about it because it might mean they would have to give up the free-for all current attitude about gun ownership, and the fact that this is happening AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN and all that happens is people wring their hands and say "oh, isn't it horrible that this happened?" and do nothing about it.
Where was he in any way political?
Verbatim:"Until responsible gun owners support responsible gun control laws, innocent blood will continue to flow. How many times must we see this?"
Unless 'Irresponsible Gun Owners' is now a political party, I see no politicizing except by those that recognize themselves in the mirror. I also see no 'name calling or childish insults' here. It was a statement of opinion, and deeply felt sorrow for those who suffer.
Feeling 'sorry for' people is peachy, but stops meaning a whole lot without action.
I would echo skimom's comments. Further, he did not say that ALL people have that attitude but whether you want to accept it or not, there ARE too many proudly closed minds on gun control which is one of the major stumbling blocks to doing anything about it. Continuing to merely blame the mentally ill or those with societal issues is not doing anything about stopping them from repeating these acts of violence as long as access to guns is as cavalier a process as it is in this country.Could be. I'm hoping his twitter messages were more 'spur of the moment' frustration more than anything else. I get that. I also get that respect should run both ways. I reject the notion, however, that being treated with disrespect somehow makes it okay for us to do likewise.
Gun control is a political issue, usually breaking down party lines. King favors gun control and used this incident to voice his own political opinions while making sweeping generalization of his opponents.
More than anything, I took exception to this, "There are “too many closed minds on gun control. Worse, far too many PROUDLY closed minds”, “meanwhile, the American shooting gallery remains open”.
Whether he meant to or not, it gives the impression that he is misplacing blame for the shooting.
And perhaps one can also see a response to solutions of, "Just mourn. Don't make it political," can be incredibly frustrating to those who want to reduce the carnage and not just wring hands and clean up afterwards, time and again.
I would echo skimom's comments. Further, he did not say that ALL people have that attitude but whether you want to accept it or not, there ARE too many proudly closed minds on gun control which is one of the major stumbling blocks to doing anything about it. Continuing to merely blame the mentally ill or those with societal issues is not doing anything about stopping them from repeating these acts of violence as long as access to guns is as cavalier a process as it is in this country.
Tweets are pretty much by their nature expressions of what is on the person sending the tweet's mind at any given moment and this came across to me as an expression of frustration. Only my opinion as I have not discussed his tweet with him, but I think he realizes it probably doesn't make much difference one way or the other as their minds are made up so I doubt very much that he was attempting to reach out to that base. And quite frankly, given the responses he's received in the past no matter what the level of "respect," it's been past experience that offense is going to be taken no matter what because those who are "offended" have their own reasons for not wanting to be reminded that they could be doing something but choose not to.Please don't misunderstand what I'm trying to say. I don't disagree that something must be done. What that is, I don't know. I don't object to logical gun control measures. I don't own a gun and am vehemently opposed to owning one. It's not like I have a cavalier attitude towards these issues. My biggest complaint I guess, is in King's tactics. Calling out his opponents as 'irrisponsible' and 'proudly close minded' may not be the best way to broach such a sensitive topic.
I agree for the most part. But I guess what I'm trying to figure out is what King was hoping to gain by sharing these messages other than to solidify his own personal beliefs. Did he think that calling the ones who stand in the way of gun laws irresponsible and close minded would somehow make them more receptive to his point of view?
Tweets are pretty much by their nature expressions of what is on the person sending the tweet's mind at any given moment and this came across to me as an expression of frustration. Only my opinion as I have not discussed his tweet with him, but I think he realizes it probably doesn't make much difference one way or the other as their minds are made up so I doubt very much that he was attempting to reach out to that base. And quite frankly, given the responses he's received in the past no matter what the level of "respect," it's been past experience that offense is going to be taken no matter what because those who are "offended" have their own reasons for not wanting to be reminded that they could be doing something but choose not to.