I don't bloody understand mass shootings

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > I don't bloody understand mass shootings

it is: Aug 19, 2011; by Smythe

Liquid Communism posted:

Just a note, there aren't 29k firearm homicides in the US a year. There are about 12k. Most of the rest of that 30k number is suicides, which are tragic, but aren't going to be stopped by making it harder for criminals to get guns unless we criminalize mental illness.

Actually, making suicide more inconvenient is a great way to prevent suicide. Suicide isn't like murder; people aren't so determined to kill themselves that they'll use whatever method they have available. They'll psych themselves up to it and if that doesn't pan out and they're forced to reconsider they almost universally regret it. An example: putting nets and fences next to bridges actually reduces the overall suicide rate of the surrounding area.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_barrier

# ¿ Dec 9, 2015 22:51

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# ¿ May 16, 2024 12:54

it is: Aug 19, 2011; by Smythe

ashgromnies posted:

But cases like Elliot Rodger are vanishingly rare compared to the whole of gun violence, which is primarily economically driven.

If the argument is about "how to stop gun violence", "reducing wealth inequality" seems like a reasonable mitigation with many other positive benefits. Plus it avoids annoying and intractable second amendment debates.

It would get us 90% of the way there. We can think about the remainder down the line.

This is a good point, I'll reduce wealth inequality over lunch and see how that goes.

# ¿ Dec 10, 2015 17:04

it is: Aug 19, 2011; by Smythe

it is posted:

This is a good point, I'll reduce wealth inequality over lunch and see how that goes.

Yeah as soon as I reduced wealth inequality there were like 3 mass shootings so I don't know what to think anymore

# ¿ Dec 10, 2015 20:48

it is: Aug 19, 2011; by Smythe

ashgromnies posted:

It seems easier and more socially beneficial than getting guns off the streets and passing/enforcing more gun control laws, so please do.

It's like you have no historical perspective of the widening wealth gap and the actually effective things politicians have been able to do in the past that have unfortunately fallen by the wayside, thanks in no small part to people like you.

I was making fun of you for treating "reduce wealth inequality" like an easy problem with a one-step solution.

# ¿ Dec 11, 2015 16:39

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > I don't bloody understand mass shootings