American Tragedy

[Mac (imported)]

I disagree.

The BIGGEST problem that we have is people who think that they are always right and that everyone else is always wrong. They constantly will hang a label on a group of people that is unlike them. You know the type. They make fun of the very intelligent, the educated, the transgendered, the Gay, the Eunuch, the (...fill in the blank...)

These folks are so insanely IGNORANT, (...and nuttier than a Squirrel TURD...) that they imagine themselves a patriotic Americans while they condone the insanely rich running for President, while hiding MILLIONS from their income in off shore accounts in the Cayman Islands, Swiss Bank accounts, and in foreign countries.

They sit up nights watching propaganda that agitates them with innuendos, half truths and outright lies while picturing themselves as loyal Americans. They claim to want to limit immigration but they hire migrants without green cards to do their hardest, dirtiest labor that Americans used to humane working conditions will not touch.

They picture themselves as human individuals but then they find a passive-aggressive way to tell people that they hate them and everything they stand for because they are just intolerant bastards, worse than any NAZI that God ever gave breath.

They INSIST on the legislation FORCING their morality in the name of GOD when they will burn in hell just the same as those who are too blind to concede charity, tolerance and forgiveness to their fellow human beings. They hide behind laws while exhibiting a total lack of ethics, exhibiting injustice, immorality, and evilness that would make Satan himself sick with shame. Or they will simply die and their dust will mingle with the dust of those whom they choose to hate because they think that they are better than them.

They deny basic medical care to their fellow human beings in the name of making a buck and then condone the CEO's and the CFO's of large medical corporations and medical insurance companies making tens of millions of dollars in salaries from literally sucking the life's blood in money from dying individuals and their relatives that are not ready to see them die.

No, this insane person will get some measure of justice. However, like the ones that I have mentioned in the paragraphs above, his justice will NEVER equal the injustice that he has perpetrated upon the world and that he continues to perpetrate upon the world. Yes, they will all die and nobody will be able to reason why they had to live to do so much evil in the first place.

Ok - I see - like the mean and evil republicans and the good and angelic democrats.

[Riverwind (imported)]

Mac, I think you have finally got it.

River

[Slammr (imported)]

Ok - I see - like the mean and evil republicans and the good and angelic democrats.

Mac: For once I agree with your description of the two parties. Right on!

[butterflyjack (imported)]

A-1...Excellent description of these idiots...Karl Rove is the epitome of this...and Chaney...(not Lon)...Hey..let's espouse radical right wing ideals and say they are Jeeezuz-like.. These idiots will believe anything if Jeezuz sez it's okay...Meanwhile, they squeeze every last nickel out of these suckers...Raise minimum wage? Hell no! That might mean a few grand less in the pockets of the execs and stockholders in profits...smooches Jackie

[lust4nutlessboiz (imported)]

I am most decidedly liberal and I have never owned, nor will I, a gun. But having said that, gun bans are not the way to go. Americans are some violent people, it's what makes us who we are. You never know who is either going to pull a gun or go home and get a gun and pull it on you. This makes people act differently than in passive societies. Gun bans only hurt gun enthusiasts and rarely keep criminals from obtaining them. This guy was squeaky clean, he could have bought a tank if had the money. No gun ban in the world would have stopped this guy. He was on a mission. Plus, it's who we are as a people. I like that the world knows Americans are some violent people. That we kill 30,000 of our fellow citizens a year just for the sake of killing. That every man knows there is a limit to what he can say and do before it crosses a line that could get one killed. And our prisons are full of people willing to pay the price to keep this the violent place that it is.

NO, you are not safe out there and you never will be. Living free is a risk. And if you disagree, someone may just hunt you down and point an automatic weapon at you with a large capacity clip, ensuring that you and your family die. Let everyone live in fear.

I am sure the gun lobby will use this to show why citizens need to be armed. Even though he wore full body armor and a helmet with a throat and groin protector, it makes it clear he had considered that someone may be armed in the audience. A good headshot could have saved a lot of lives. That is what the gun lobby will say. Yes, let's remain a violent society.

Elizabeth

I've chatted with two guys who were shot while wearing body armor. Both told me that their armor saved their lives but the bullet impact definitely ruined their day. If a single armed person had been there to contest Holmes's activity the scene might have been much different. A high capacity mag, and a laser sight and several shots to his torso might have scared him away. Or the shooter might, then, have focused on one person rather than spraying the crowd.

And forget gun control...he could have set off a bomb, wiping out the whole theatre complex. He didn't do that because he wanted to see the horror he was wreaking.

[Dave (imported)]

I've chatted with two guys who were shot while wearing body armor. Both told me that their armor saved their lives but the bullet impact definitely ruined their day. If a single armed person had been there to contest Holmes's activity the scene might have been much different. A high capacity mag, and a laser sight and several shots to his torso might have scared him away. Or the shooter might, then, have focused on one person rather than spraying the crowd.

And forget gun control...he could have set off a bomb, wiping out the whole theatre complex. He didn't do that because he wanted to see the horror he was wreaking.

Call Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn --

Raise the dead and get Gianni Versace zombified to give us

THE NEW FASHION -

Guns with laser sights on everyone.

Mockery and snide remarks finished...

That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

The victims died because they weren't armed when a crazy person with an Assault Rifle and a magazine of 100 bullets and body armor walked into what was supposed to be a fun night of movie premier. Just on the off chance it might happen...

What sort of fun night requires the forethought of "I must carry a gun with a laser sight so I can defend myself?"

Please answer that.

Who is that paranoid. Who is that fearful?

I'll answer that. No one in my world.

[kristoff]

Who is that paranoid. Who is that fearful?

I'll answer that. No one in my world.

My nephew ALWAYS carries one of his over 300 guns EVERYwhere he goes all the time

[Dave (imported)]

I've never felt threatened like that when I'm out of the house.

I do know people with concealed carry permits who do carry, however.

I guess my question was more rhetorical.

[Cainanite (imported)]

Generals have a problem with soldiers. In war time, when the bullets start flying, the majority of soldiers run for cover. Most of the soldiers never fire back. Their instinct is self preservation, which means, "Holy Sh**, someone is shooting at me! I'm outta here."

When we naked apes get into a truly life threatening situation (especially an unexpected one), our instinct is to run, not to confront. When we were just monkeys on the savanna, and we saw a tiger coming for a quick meal, we ran, and headed for the high branches. It is a behavior that is in our DNA. It is a survival imperative.

To make effective soldiers, you have to train them, break them, and build them back up, until they are molded into killing machines. You have to instill a kind of muscle memory, to make them react the way you want them to react, when the pressure is on. Even so, when the bullets start to fly, the most heavily trained soldier, with nerves of steel, will still head for safety over shooting back. Only once the situation has been analyzed, does the training finally kick in.

Now. Here is my point. If professional soldiers have a hard time shooting to protect themselves, what hope does your average movie goer have? Armed or not, you are going to think, self preservation first and foremost. You'll freeze up. You'll hide. You won't even be able to think of the gun strapped under your jacket. This isn't pretend, this is real life and death.

The gunman that walked into the theater was prepared for what he was going to do. The people in attendance were prepared to eat popcorn and text through the previews. When gunshots started to ring out, and people started to drop, they were too busy wetting their pants to do anything other than try and survive.

Wasn't there a gunman who shot up an army compound back in 2009? Those were trained soldiers he was shooting at, many of them armed. How did that turn out?

Don't make the mistake of thinking just because you have a gun on your hip, you'd be prepared for this kind of thing happening. You won't be. If that gun gives you the confidence to leave your house in the morning, fine. But it isn't going to stop this kind of thing from happening. You'll run. You'll hide. Just like everyone else.

[moi621 (imported)]

I still favor a voluntarily, open or concealed, armed public. Really. I have for a while.

Some hopefully being properly trained for such emergency responding.

One of the failures of the medical response was a lack of triage on site.

Emergency medical personnel were taking some wounded person to the hospital they came across outside the theater, failing to first manage the more seriously wounded still inside the theater.

Of course how do Emergency responders know when to set up an onsite triage?

Some of the wounded were taken by police car to the hospital.

If a triage system were to be instituted on site they should also have instant "MASH" tents to do more then first aid to those left waiting or requiring instantaneous intervention.

Moi