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TechPriest90 Servant of the Omnissiah from Collegia Titanica, Mars, Sol System Since: Sep, 2015 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Servant of the Omnissiah
#265076: Dec 26th 2018 at 4:24:26 PM

[up][up] It would seem the spirit of capitalism is still alive and well.

Still, be it for awareness or not, that's probably one of the most depressing things I've seen today. The (hopefully flawed) knowledge that America has, to some extent, become desensitised to school shootings to the point that most people already have a scripted reaction to it.

Edited by TechPriest90 on Dec 26th 2018 at 7:24:41 AM

I hold the secrets of the machine.
Steven (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
#265077: Dec 26th 2018 at 4:32:48 PM

That's what thoughts and prayers are for.

Remember, these idiots drive, fuck, and vote. Not always in that order.
Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#265078: Dec 26th 2018 at 4:35:18 PM

I simply can't see those cards being actually useful in comforting someone affected by a shooting. I guess them just being on the shelf itself is supposed to be for awareness?

@Tech Priest 90: I would say that Americans have a scripted response to it. Sadly, the response is largely just to argue aimlessly about gun control. These arguments seldom actually change anyone's opinions or accomplish a lot.

Related question: Are mass shootings a relatively new phenomena in the US? I'm sure the presence of a lot of easily-accessible firearms is a major contributor, but I can't help but wonder if there's something else at work too. Semi-automatic weapons aren't new, after all.

Edited by Protagonist506 on Dec 26th 2018 at 4:38:46 AM

Leviticus 19:34
nombretomado (Season 1) Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
#265079: Dec 26th 2018 at 4:40:32 PM

Probably one of the earliest modern ones was in 1966, which is at the University of Texas. No semi-automatics, but due to positioning (up in a quite high tower, overlooking an open area) it was still very deadly.

3of4 Just a harmless giant from a foreign land. from Five Seconds in the Future. Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: GAR for Archer
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
#265080: Dec 26th 2018 at 4:42:22 PM

While the frequency has increased they have been a thing for a long time

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_shootings_in_the_United_States

"You can reply to this Message!"
Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#265081: Dec 26th 2018 at 4:45:42 PM

I have a hypothesis that another major component might actually be the degree of media attention shootings often get (both from social media and from the news), which might be something which creates more motivation to do them. Essentially, school shootings are a viral, hostile meme of sorts.

Leviticus 19:34
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#265082: Dec 26th 2018 at 4:45:55 PM

There's some studies that mass shootings are by people who used to be serial killers but have chosen to express their condition differently because of media coverage and the difficulty of doing murders one at a time in secrecy nowadays.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
nombretomado (Season 1) Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
#265083: Dec 26th 2018 at 4:48:18 PM

Do you have a source for any of those studies? I've never heard that theory before.[up]

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#265084: Dec 26th 2018 at 4:53:47 PM

Here's one article that talks about it. There's been a few others, some by actual scholars but its' just a theory now.

https://www.salon.com/2018/02/20/swapping-one-evil-for-another-have-mass-shooters-replaced-serial-killers/

A more likely explanation, though, is the "Mass shooters are impotent white male rage made manifest."

https://www.salon.com/2018/03/07/mass-shooters-part-of-a-larger-epidemic-of-white-male-rage/

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Dec 26th 2018 at 4:55:21 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
SciFiSlasher from Absolutely none of your business. Since: Dec, 2011 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
#265085: Dec 26th 2018 at 5:51:18 PM

Dems worry: Top three candidates in polls are all white men.

"Somehow the hated have to walk a tightrope, while those who hate do not."
archonspeaks Since: Jun, 2013
#265086: Dec 26th 2018 at 5:54:53 PM

@Hypersonic weapons on the previous page: Russia (and the media) love to make all kinds of noise about Russia’s supposed edge, but the US has been quietly working away on these same programs since the 80s and most analysts believe we’ve had working hypersonic weapons for quite some time now.

If there’s one thing Russia is good at it’s playing the media.

They should have sent a poet.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#265087: Dec 26th 2018 at 5:55:32 PM

[up][up]

It showed that 32 percent of those polled in Iowa favored Biden, while 19 percent preferred Sanders and 11 percent liked O'Rourke.

Considering Iowa's a swing state, that's not an encouraging sign.

I wish I could say I was surprised by this, but I'm not.

Edited by M84 on Dec 26th 2018 at 9:57:32 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#265088: Dec 26th 2018 at 5:58:00 PM

This seems more like a voter problem then a Dems problem.

i'm tired, my friend
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#265089: Dec 26th 2018 at 6:00:06 PM

This is all pretty early so I'm not going to give it much thought. That being said, like [up] said, if those are the three people voters are most interested in (now) what exactly do you expect any party apparatus to do about it?

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#265090: Dec 26th 2018 at 6:07:01 PM

[up][up]It's definitely a voter problem and not a Democratic Party problem. It'd only be a Democratic Party problem if the Democratic Party decided to take this early poll as a sign that they should give up on diversity — and that's not going to happen.

Disgusted, but not surprised
wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#265091: Dec 26th 2018 at 6:11:27 PM

And for Christ’s sake, it’s Iowa. Not Florida or Wisconsin or Michigan.

fruitpork Since: Oct, 2010
#265092: Dec 26th 2018 at 6:12:45 PM

I really, really don’t want joe Biden to run. Bernie running is already out of the question, but Biden running is a pr disaster waiting to happen and that’s the last thing we need.

MrAHR Ahr river from ಠ_ಠ Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: A cockroach, nothing can kill it.
Ahr river
#265093: Dec 26th 2018 at 6:17:02 PM

Yeah none of these people fill me with much hope.

Read my stories!
fruitpork Since: Oct, 2010
#265094: Dec 26th 2018 at 6:19:03 PM

I’m still hoping kamala Harris gives it a shot.

LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#265095: Dec 26th 2018 at 6:21:45 PM

Also, still annoyed that we're already talking about this.

Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#265096: Dec 26th 2018 at 6:29:12 PM

> I really, really don’t want joe Biden to run. Bernie running is already out of the question, but Biden running is a pr disaster waiting to happen and that’s the last thing we need.

Joe does have some political experience of serving as vice President under Obama so I don't think he's a complete walking disaster like everyone is making him out to be,although it's a huge gamble and I wouldn't want the roll the dice

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#265097: Dec 26th 2018 at 6:31:19 PM

All this tells us is that the most popular candidates at the moment are the most well known ones. Are we really expecting your average Iowan on the street who doesn't follow politics to be familiar with Harris, Booker, or Castro?

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#265098: Dec 26th 2018 at 6:35:43 PM

I think if nothing else, brand recognition is certainly something to be considered for President.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#265099: Dec 26th 2018 at 7:27:29 PM

But brand recognition can be created. Beto went from obscure Texas congressman to national sensation. Banking on existing brand recognition isn’t the point; whoever runs has to make the best sales pitch/platform for 2020, not coast on prior name recognition.

thok That's Dr. Title, thank you! (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Non-Canon
That's Dr. Title, thank you!
#265100: Dec 26th 2018 at 8:40:33 PM

I'm just going to link this Gallup poll of top Democratic Presidential candidates in 2006 and point out that it's probably too early to assume the current front runners will actually win the Democratic nomination.


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