*sighs, turns over "DAYS SINCE LAST MASS SHOOTING IN AMERICA" sign to 0*

14 year old shooter.
The reality of what he did crashing down on this stupid ass kid right now. until we know more about this kid I both hate him and feel bad for him from the viewpoint of a parent.
Based on his age, we can bet that the gun was legally purchased. Either owned by a family member or gifted to the kid.
 
His dad sounds likes he’s about to be another fantastic example of how the problem begins at home. A year after his kid is investigated for making threats to shoot up the school and he buys him an assault rifle as a gift.
 

Dave

Staff member
Depending on where you live, a decent firearm can cost anywhere from 100x-300x the cost of a gallon of gasoline, or about 5 months' worth of phone bills.

--Patrick
 
You just can't put a price on feeling more like a manly-man though.
I frequently reset my YouTube app so its algorithmic recommendations also get reset. I did that this morning. Freshly reset, I watched about half a video that was "randomly selected" (no doubt due to my geographic location) about HK releasing an MP5 in 22LR. The next thing I did was search "Sky News Australia" to show my wife what a bunch of Right-leaning MAGA suckups they are. I only brought up the channel, I didn't actually play any of the videos. After those two events, YouTube immediately presented me with this ad: "Click here to learn how to boost your testosterone production by up to 20%!"

--Patrick
 
The manosphere and similar echo chamber "groupings" are very real and observable effects of the algorithms, and whether they're deliberate or not, they're constantly being manipulated and abused.
A recent study found that 100 newly-created male profiles on... Either tiktok or Instagram, sorry, I don't remember, all ended up in Tate/Peterson/etc video loops within 400 "suggested" videos, the vast majority in less than 100,without any interaction except clicking "view next".
Profiles set to female or other never ended up there.
 
I frequently reset my YouTube app so its algorithmic recommendations also get reset. I did that this morning. Freshly reset, I watched about half a video that was "randomly selected" (no doubt due to my geographic location) about HK releasing an MP5 in 22LR. The next thing I did was search "Sky News Australia" to show my wife what a bunch of Right-leaning MAGA suckups they are. I only brought up the channel, I didn't actually play any of the videos. After those two events, YouTube immediately presented me with this ad: "Click here to learn how to boost your testosterone production by up to 20%!"

--Patrick
I have to do a lot of "Do not recommend this channel" because while I do find the mechanics and design of firearms interesting (especially in a historic perspective), I'm not interested in... anything else in that sphere. Anytime I watch a gun video, it immediately wants to show me right wing shit and I have to block it every time.
 

figmentPez

Staff member
I think Americans are too focused on the freedom to own any gun they want that they forgot all about how wonderful freedom from fear is.
Like many things these days, most Americans hold a different view on the subject than the politics that special interest groups are forcing on the country. Like abortion rights, labor rights, universal healthcare, etc. most Americans want something far more reasonable than what generates money and power for billionaires.
 
I am curious… would you support a total ban on ALL gun ownership?
I'm an anti-gun non-American and even I'm not in favor of a total gun ownership ban for everyone.
Aside from the well-regulated militia stuff, there are still plenty of sensible reasons to own a gun. If you're living in an area where you can expect regular visits of bears in your backyard or whatever, I absolutely understand having a rifle/gun in the house for protection/to scare them off. Nothing wrong with hunting for sport as long as it's done in a sensible way (with clear hunting seasons, permits, maximum amounts per day/month, what have you). Gun collecting isn't any worse of a hobby than collecting coins or stamps.
There's also history to consider - the fact is the USA is home to some hundreds of millions of guns. Even if every law abiding citizen were to suddenly turn them all in, that wouldn't magically transform the US into a country like Belgium where the vast majority of the police doesn't carry a gun and even in things like bank robberies or abductions there's very rarely a gun involved. It should never have gotten to where it's at, but it's where you are - and that's something to acknowledge.
 
I am curious… would you support a total ban on ALL gun ownership?
Nope, but I am definitely in favor of serious reform. One thing I noticed after I taught in South Korea was many of my American coworkers stayed around. Most are still in Korea or they moved to Taiwan. The only Americans who returned Stateside did so for higher education. One of the reasons they don’t want to move back to the US is because of the gun violence. You just don’t have much of that in Korea and they’re better off. After living there and visiting Canada, the UK, and New Zealand, I have concluded the Second Amendment is overrated and oversold.

France, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, etc. all have robust sportsmen’s cultures and better-enforced controls on gun ownership. They are more free than the US too. In the US, we’ve seen armed mobs shut down library events and rallies in recent years. Widespread gun ownership as practiced in the US and combined with a vicious, violent, “try that in a small town” subculture is a liability instead of an asset.
 
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