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    GeorgeGeoffersonLivesHamilton Nolan
    12/04/15 9:13am

    Isn’t this pronouncement basically the working talking point of every conservative politician, ever? People don’t ever really die in “mass shootings.” Of course I’m being facetious, but in a movement that counts amongst its adherents folks who believe that Sandy Hook was a false flag and no one really died, well, maybe I’m not...Anyway, people only ever die in “terrorists attacks” which is what you’re supposed to be terrified of. “Terrorist attacks,” dude. That’s the ticket.

    If this is ‘just’ a mass shooting. Tough tittie, ‘cause there’s nothing we can do to prevent it. It’s the price of ‘freedom.’ Or as Jeb(!) Bush would say “Stuff happens.” Send out the form letter for “thoughts and prayers,” folks.

    If it’s a ‘terrorist attack,’ well, kill it fire and nuke it from orbit, because that’s the only way to be sure.

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      ThisismyBurnerGeorgeGeoffersonLives
      12/04/15 9:16am

      No their talk point is “You can be killed at any moment by those damn dirty brown people! Buy Guns! Support us! Support the NSA! Give me power and money!”

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      RenRenGeorgeGeoffersonLives
      12/04/15 9:18am

      It’s also the mental gymnastics of other people. “You don’t die from polio anymore, so why get vaccinated? We all got through chickenpox as kids. I rode the back of a pickup truck all the time.”

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    zingHamilton Nolan
    12/04/15 9:27am

    So, because its statistically unlikely to happen to me, I shouldn’t care about wanting to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else? I mean, it’s definitely happening to someone, right?

    If you want to talk about unfounded fears, maybe start with the ones that cause people to stockpile guns and ammo for the day when the gubbermint comes to take them away.

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      Lobstertailzing
      12/04/15 9:50am

      But you really can’t make sure it doesn’t happen to someone else, unless you poof away all guns magically. It will definitely happen to someone, and this will continue to be the case.

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      zingLobstertail
      12/04/15 9:58am

      “We’ve tried nothing, and we’re all out of ideas.”

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    ww1383Hamilton Nolan
    12/04/15 9:19am

    It still sucks to think you or loved ones will die doing mundane life stuff because someone else is pissed off and you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

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      amgarreww1383
      12/04/15 9:27am

      This. You can almost accept the car accident, the stroke, even a fucking lightning strike. But the randomness with which these shooters pick their targets is just so heartbreaking. If only someone had not gone there at one certain time, if only the shooter had turned left instead of right. There’s a million what ifs for the families, and it’s just harder to accept that someone else could be choosing the date and time of your death, and you have nothing to say about it. It’s almost like your life was part of someone else’s story and not your own.

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      kamla deviww1383
      12/04/15 9:48am

      During my last semester at grad school, they changed the fire alarm to be the “incident alarm.” So you didn’t know whether or not to lock yourself in a closet (which would be really dumb if there was a fire!) or to evacuate the building. We live in very anxious times.

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    IAMBlastedBiggsLostBurnerHamilton Nolan
    12/04/15 9:16am

    “Yeah, but all those diseases are boring. And they’re connected to personal life choices, and who the hell wants to think about that? I’d rather fear the random events that I have no control over, which also have a statistically tiny chance of actually happening. It helps keep the fear going, you see! Which is exactly what those who are driven to such unspeakable acts actually want, but eh, what are ya gonna do?"

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      nocturnalkittyIAMBlastedBiggsLostBurner
      12/04/15 9:35am

      Good thing that isn’t true.

      • Heart disease, I’m pretty sure this probably includes genetic oopses that you can be born with.
      • Cancer: Yeah, there is a hell of a lot of cancer that people have no control over if they get it or not. Lots of cancers have nothing to do with personal lifestyle choice.
      • Chronic lower respiratory diseases: Again, having really horrible asthma might be related to what neighborhood you grew up in. It’s not always something that you’ve done to yourself.
      • Accidents: Playing with guns causes a lot of accidents. Still, some people are just clumsy and meet an end this way.
      • Stroke: Usually bad health, but there are other factors that can lead to this.

      In closing, you have no real control over if you end up with some tragic horrible disease. There are things you can do that will lower your odds, but lots of people end up with lung cancer and they never smoked a day in their lives. You’re welcome.

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      IAMBlastedBiggsLostBurnernocturnalkitty
      12/04/15 10:12am

      Ok.

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    GregoireHamilton Nolan
    12/04/15 9:14am

    But let’s be very clear — you will die sometime.

    Okay I’ll be over in the corner now, listening to old Depeche Mode albums.

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      PlumPuddingGregoire
      12/04/15 9:18am

      Now I have People Are People in my head. Thanks.

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      TequilaMondayTuesdayGregoire
      12/04/15 9:18am

      I think that God has a sick sense of humor and when I die I expect to find him laughing.

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    GeorgeGeoffersonLivesHamilton Nolan
    12/04/15 9:18am

    Where is Nihilist Arby’s when you need them..?

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      RumhamJabroniGeorgeGeoffersonLives
      12/04/15 9:23am
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      OMG!PONIES!GeorgeGeoffersonLives
      12/04/15 9:28am

      Something is bound to kill you, be it the bullet of a madman or the inexorable march of time.

      Why don’t you save yourself the anxiety of wondering whether you will meet a violent end or the suffer the humiliation of decrepit old age and try an Arby’s roast beef sandwich?

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    IRarelyCommentHamilton Nolan
    12/04/15 9:14am

    I’m still more worried about routine traffic stops these days in the realms of “How I’d get shot” scenarios

    this is why i stay home and smoke blunts on the couch

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      ThisismyBurnerIRarelyComment
      12/04/15 9:17am

      Then stop being non-white. Its as easy as that. Seriously...

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      ww1383IRarelyComment
      12/04/15 9:23am

      Preach

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    ARP2Hamilton Nolan
    12/04/15 9:24am

    ...and we are even less likely to die in a true terrorism attack (some of these mass shootings are terrorism, some really are a mentally disturbed person). Yet, how much did we/do we spend on fighting the war on terror, and likely creating more terrorists than we kill.

    That’s not to say we should not try to stop these sorts of attacks, but they need to be balanced against costs in terms of dollars, in freedoms lost, and in its actual impact, beyond our lust for revenge.

    The gun debate is interesting because I think the restrictions are worth the nominal loss in rights, especially when we consider how willing people are to give up their other rights for “safety.” So, my frustration is often with the hypocrisy of these arguments (in addition to the premise that more guns= more safe). But if someone believes they can shout fire in a crowded theatre and should be able to own a M4 with a M203 under it without any restrictions, at least I can wrap my head around the consistency.

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      qdanielsARP2
      12/04/15 9:43am

      As I was driving my car through a rural area of MS yesterday, where (it seems) far-right radio always permeates the air waves, I tuned in to one of those true-patriot call in shows where the folks who were calling in were in such a froth that the regional blowhard host appeared calm in comparison. Worst call— ancient-sounding white guy was happy that his “enhanced open carry permit” was fast-tracking its way, so that he would soon be able to bring his peacemaker to . . . church; to supplement the armed guards they already have every Sunday. I do not recognize this world. Next week: Enhanced Interrogation Permits for Civilian Patrols.

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      52ndstateARP2
      12/04/15 10:08am

      Not only this, but I can’t stand the fact that nearly every preventive measure actually being taken is at the terminal phase. I resent the ever-growing security industry and the endless proliferation of checkpoints and screenings in every imagininable facet of public life. In most places, badges, guns, magentometers and bag searches don’t make me feel safer at all as they only reinforce the perception and paranoia that every single person is potentially armed and dangerous, and we can’t trust anyone else, ever. I’m sick of living like this.

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    CapnBananaPantsHamilton Nolan
    12/04/15 9:26am

    HamNo, ever the realist.
    You aren’t wrong, of course - heart disease > mass shooting. But I have been waiting for the U.S. fear-mongering to finally come to the conclusion that mass shootings are scarier than not owning a gun. And here you are, trying to calm people down.
    Can’t we harness this fear and anger and use it to promote reasonable gun restrictions and laws? Can’t we use this opportunity to remind everyone that 1) we need more gun control, 2) guns do not make people safer, and 3) we don’t have to get rid of ALL guns to reduce these shootings?

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      PoodletimeCapnBananaPants
      12/04/15 11:09am

      All the stars here! ******************

      We gotta harness the fear and anger!

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      CapnBananaPantsPoodletime
      12/04/15 12:05pm

      Point taken.
      But, if it gets people to actually create gun laws... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
      And Ruin Tomaro III, bad things come from harnessing fear, but so do:
      Seat belts
      Vaccines
      Liquor laws
      Emissions standards
      Just saying, if we finally have enough people recognizing the harm of guns, why not use that to focus on comprehensive gun laws? I don’t think that discussion will lead to genocide, in this case.

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    snapsforsnapsHamilton Nolan
    12/04/15 9:20am

    Funny that this post is filed under “Perspective” - you obviously need some. How is it okay that mass shootings happen every day? And why am I lacking perspective for finding that statistic to be extremely troubling?

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      flamingolingosnapsforsnaps
      12/04/15 9:36am

      It’s an odd argument since a real sense of perspective would be that gun-related deaths are sky-high in the U.S. compared to most other countries and the reason for that is that our regulations are incredibly lax.

      Yes, your odds of dying in a mass shooting are small, but they would be basically non-existent if you lived elsewhere.

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      MarmaladeTeardropsflamingolingo
      12/04/15 9:42am

      test test

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