Texas Massacre and 214 other mass shootings in 2022

Alethea Thompson wrote: Also while I’m here- Teaching the basic fundamentals of marksmanship isn’t difficult. Just because your wife didn’t decide to take up learning how to do that stuff doesn’t mean the rest of us are unskilled.

I know plenty of NON-MILITARY women that are fantastic hunters. I know PLENTY of men who are inept at using a any weapons simply because they didn’t invest time into it. They had other things they were interested in.

It’s all a matter of what floats someone’s boat.

OK well pick up my Win 300 mag. Or maybe a Mosin Nagant. If you're a 100lb woman and don't get knocked on your ass then good on you. Sure, get a 22 and learn marksmanship like I did when I was a little teenager in boy scouts but know your limits. I got a full grown teenage boy that struggles with the weight of a serious hunting rifle. It takes the strength of a man, not the determination of a woman.

Not one of us can carry and fire a vulcan minigun the way California governors do, so maybe it comes down to possessing the strength and determination of a cybernetic organism from the future?

Some kind of inferiority complex may have something to do with all of this. There's nothing quite like getting a high from power.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcNAXpiPICI

People love that “false dichotomy” argument. It’s not.

We want that to be the truth, but it’s not. America is no more civilized than the places that breed a good chunk of terrorist organizations. Not all of them are Muslim either.

The Tutsi and the Hutus were peaceful until suddenly the Hutus weren’t. In South Africa right now otherwise peaceful people have turned towards exacting their own justice against any foreigner that may be an illegal miner after 8 women were HORRIFICALLY raped by several men (130 were arrested) in an abandoned mine.

People turn on each other all the time. It’s not about war, it’s about emotion run rampant. America is no exception. We have all kinds of violence exacted upon people everyday, things we don’t see because it’s kept out of our sights. As a whole, this country isn’t nearly as civilized as we want the rest of the world to believe.

Gang Violence, Domestic Violence, Sexual Violence, Slavery (aka Human Trafficking), Terrorism, etc, they are all present here- and far more present than the media will have you know. We’re just better at ignoring it here and seeing it elsewhere.

Many shooters are subject to what they perceive as their own war. It’s not about what you think they are going through, it’s about what they believe they are going through. To you Bullying is handled fairly well by others so it shouldn’t breed a future shooter. But you’re not them, you cannot experience their emotions. You can’t know the full story of how it’s attacking their psyche or what other factors are present in their lives that add to their stress and final outburst. So to say “but they aren’t in a war” is a cop out of someone who has the privilege of not being that individual.

Should they bare the consequences of their actions? Absolutely. That’s how we protect each other from people who present a danger to the public. If they live through the experience, the remainder of their life is an opportunity to repent and seek growth.

So no, it’s not a false dichotomy. We just want it to be the truth. Darkness is something that is possible at every turn in our life. It has nothing to do with war or peace, because even in war we find amazing voices which rise up and try something new. It’s about freedom of choice. And no laws will ever take that away, it can only determine positive or negative consequences based on the values of said society.

Again, you assume men are superior on this.

Woman
https://youtu.be/ky16oxXVMeU

Woman
https://youtube.com/shorts/k4VFURW15f4?feature=share

8 year old Girl
https://youtu.be/5d_wwTYuWaI

You really just need to quit while you’re ahead.

What in the name of Leave It To Beaver is going on in this thread....?

I'm seeing ideas here that even my grandmother, who was born in 1921 in Alabama and raised in exactly the sort of Southern belle stereotype you might imagine, would challenge.

I don't even know what to say except to remind us all that sometimes it's worth setting down your ideas and doing a thorough examination of what exactly they are, where they came from, and what they mean for the future, before deciding if you want to pick them up again.

River wrote: I've been thinking about this thread.
I had trouble sleeping sleeping last night because of this thread. Some of that was just because I was contemplating what my beliefs are and what's informing them and if I feel like there are some I'd like to change or at least challenge. But if I'm completely honest, some of my sleeplessness was because some of the posts scared me. I wasn't afraid of the ideas in the posts, or the violent incidents that sparked this thread (or at least, not any more afraid than I was before this thread existed). I was feeling afraid of the people who were writing the posts, and that's a pretty disturbing feeling to have in a faith community. Some of the ideas expressed, and how they were expressed, honestly felt a little like watching early Elliot Rodgers videos to me. I don't think that specifically accusing huge swaths of humanity for the failings of a few, no matter how horrific those failings were, serves any purpose other than alienating people, possibly frightening them, and making it pretty unlikely that they will be willing to listen to your message.

In regard to that message, another thing that made my gut tighten in fear is what read to me as unchecked sexism. Just because one woman has chosen not to handle weapons, doesn't mean no women can. Just because one man is an excellent marksman, doesn't mean all men are. What does being able to handle any given weapon have to do with how good a person you are, anyway? What about trans people in this scenario? Is a transwoman gonna wind up raising a child who knows how to use a gun but is afraid to? Does a transman's child enjoy some weapons but only blades under 6 inches and handguns that will fit into a cute clutch? What about the kids of nonbinary parents? Do they just spin in circles with a doll in one hand and a water gun in the other? Of course not. It's a ridiculous notion that the biological sex or the gender identity of parents has that much influence over whether a child grows up respecting the sanctity of life or not. It's not about who does the teaching, it's about what's taught.

What's between your legs has nothing to do with how well you can handle a weapon, or how well you can pass on values to the next generation. It doesn't even have anything to do with which values you pass down. There are some amazing men who were raised by single mothers. There are some amazing women who were raised by single fathers. Phenomenal people have been raised in every possible mix of family scenarios, including single parents, both parents, two parents of the same gender, more than two parents, grandparents, foster parents, aunts, uncles, aunts and uncles, older siblings... From what I can see, the key is attentiveness, not who is giving the attention. If a child is cared for and knows it, if they are guided and appropriately corrected when it's necessary, if professional help is sought as needed... those are the things that I understand as being determining factors in incidents like the murders in Uvalde. Kids who are neglected amd isolated wind up making up their own value systems, and when you add early trauma to the mix (another common trait in many mass shooters) sometimes those systems are really screwed up.


Sources to check out:
"Two Professors Found What Creates a Mass Shooter. Will Politicians Pay Attention?"
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/05/27/stopping-mass-shooters-q-a-00035762

"A Radical New Look at Mass Shooters. Why They Do It and How to Stop Them"
https://med.virginia.edu/ciag/a-radical-new-look-at-mass-shooters-why-they-do-it-and-how-to-stop-them/

"Op-Ed: We have studied every mass shooting since 1966. Here’s what we’ve learned about the shooters"
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2019-08-04/el-paso-dayton-gilroy-mass-shooters-data

I was a "latch-key" kid. I was left to raise myself or left to the streets. When this happens, people are left alone.
" For centuries we have been spoon-fed by our teachers, by our authorities, by our books, our saints." Jiddu Krishnamurti
When I began my own reflective journey, I found much. One of the things I found was anger. Lots of it. I had many questions when I began to reflect, but the most common was "why?- why didn't other people teach me better? and why did they take advantage of others the way they did?"

My parents were never present. There were those who would invite me to church and those who would invite me to fights and "parties. "

In the search for knowledge and in the search for human development, we are all in the same seat. Regardless of gender- human development is a level we all are on, OURS.
There are those you will find that argue sides, practices, and even results. It is scary, for me, to think that - every day there is another "rooster" or "Gallo" in the mix of life. Another me, trying to figure out their own place. This was an old nick name for me when I ran the streets. But the truth is unless we start change, it may never come.

It is sad when innocence is lost. In Texas, there are countless moments when what "should be" never is. I can give you real life examples of those who did not make it past their 18th birthday.

I can also give you a very short but understandable list of those who made it. This is why it is such an important and large idea -- to be careful which Myths you keep and which you pass. Some Myths are from the past and some are for heed while others are meant to sell. Be wise in your choices.

What our decisions make, can be a focus too.
When dealing with kids...
As a parent and as a former bully and thug and not so nice person, I have taken the time and effort to understand more of my own circles and society and ME. I cannot stress how important and how healthy it is to reflect on our OWN path.

I was raised by women. My culture raises children under the guidance and "spirituality " of the den mom. The street did the same thing. Understanding this, that our young are being fed and spoon-fed ideas and ways that are not from US but from what is left to NOT taking responsibility. WILD. Things grow wild. This is a direct result of letting children run feral.

"A feral (from Latin fera 'a wild beast') animal or plant is one that lives in the wild but is descended from domesticated individuals. As with an introduced species, the introduction of feral animals or plants to non-native regions may disrupt ecosystems and has, in some cases, contributed to extinction of indigenous species."

In my own reflections, I did notice how I was very much a text-book definition of a few certain things. By this SEEK - one can make better offspring and pass better character and Myth. One can even change Oneself.

I grew up on the south side of San Antonio- this happens to someone, somewhere, every day in every major and minor city. If there's people, there's some kid messing around. If someone is watched, someone is NOT. If someone is taught, someone is forgotten.

It is up to the parents to raise their children. I will tell you what, MY CHILDREN will not be thugs. Nope. And they won't get beat. For the most part, it works. The things I do now or don't do, makes all the difference NOW. What and how I act, matter not only to me but to many now. That's ok too.

In the defense of one's home and property and loved ones, I would encourage EVERYONE to know the law that pertains to you and your geographical area and respective States and providences. Know your limits and what you CAN and Can NOT do.

My wife loves me and often tells me during our reflection, "You do know THAT wasn't right?" when we come to things that were spoon fed to me like "only the strongest survives" or some other selfish idea that takes note.
Kids die in Texas often. It's a big State. More children die from abuse in Texas than any other state. Maybe if we identified the proper problem, we as people and parents could help the other people and the other parents in similar situations. When someone told me "hey, you ok?" things changed.

I ask others if they are ok, that's ok too.

On the subject of gender roles in the family. I have none. We have none. What we did to our family was understand that there are these things called Active Daily Living skills. These skill sets are for PEOPLE, not genders. In our family, cleaning your room is NOT an act or term of endearment or gender, it's a chore that needs to be done, with consequence and rewards. This takes study and time so I recommend you take all the time you need to figure out your own balance. Feeding animals and taking trash and making beds are a gender thing of the past. Sanitation is for humans, not genders. Organization and reflection are for humans not animals.
There's a old saying...
When we get sick of being sick, we can see what we need.

Rex: Looking at the data, I think the incel profile might be the most visible but doesn't represent the majority of perpetrators/cases. Additionally, I don't think anyone here is trying to make sense of the incel mindset, moreso defend it.

You're correct. I'm not suggesting they are a majority of cases. I'm just seeing some overlap in their psychology and I am willing to go out on a limb and suggest that there is a range of psychologies between normal and incel and other categories where some ideas resonate to different degrees. I think the incel mindset stems from the same type of maladjustment to new dynamics in power distribution. I'll give you an example. I have a female friend at work. She tells me she has a 'friend' and they go out somewhere and he pays for the meal and offers a way for her to pay him back. You can guess what that is. I have to imagine that at some point between cavemen and 2022 this was literally all it took. But because women are not as easy as "I fed you so...sex now?" all of a sudden they think there's something wrong with women... women. It's amazing!


So, not to the same degree, but this is also what I'm seeing with these pre-shooters. It's like their expectations are not in line with reality. It's like they think life, or their lives specifically, is supposed to be easier. And when it's not, they feel justified in retaliation. Huh? And then when they terrorize society we're supposed to what? Stop making progress? Stop being all woke and thinking that women can handle guns as well as men? Because all this wokeness (which may go too far at times) is a response to biases that still need to be corrected.

Ally: Again, you assume men are superior on this.

I'm sad that you have to even show this but this is why movies are showing women in strong roles WHERE THEY BELONG.

It reminds me of Sesame Street. Remember how they used to teach children pattern recognition? "One of these things is not like the other".

I feel like that same type of thing has been done in social contexts where women and minorities have been placed in these "other" boxes.

And then what I think... I think... the guys in the standard box don't realize is the effect that the box itself has on the people you put in it.

They might call it "victim mentality" or whatever but the reality is that part of the reason some men can doubt a woman's ability to handle certain weapons is because they haven't seen it and part of the reason they haven't seen it is that there are a lot of women who haven't tried and some of them haven't tried because they too haven't seen it.

The box, to some degree, begets the box.

What we can do highly depends on what we believe we can do. How smart and intelligent we are can highly depend on how smart we believe we can be. And so many people are used to being treated like they can't be all those things that they can be or do because the people who put them in that box simply can't see it... because they haven't seen it.

But the boxes are a lie. Just because a person hasn't seen something doesn't mean reality must conform to that which they have personally seen or experienced. This is simply an expression of ignorance. But some people have an air of arrogance in their ignorance which says that whatever they don't know cannot exist. But at the same time, they don't see all the choices they themselves are making in choosing what to see and what not to see. So they don't see that they're seeing what they want to see. And so if they're racist or sexist what they want to see is less likely to be represented by those groups.

A parent is someone with weighty rights and responsibilities regarding a given child. Parents usually have decision-making rights over most areas of their child’s life and rights to exclude others from making such decisions.
Standford Dictionary Definition.

Sometimes those weighty rights and responsibilities are neglected or not even made aware of. You CAN exhaust yourself with making every wrong you see right. It can even become so much of a focus that teaching can lead to your own children being ignored, our own children get neglected and the cycle begin again only a different flavor for someone else. Can we be breakers of habits and chains that once kept us? I think we can as humans. If I can get out of the hood, anyone can get out of any situation they are in now. That kinna makes me smile knowing this.

Do be a statistic, some of us make it. All those who strive - do. Take a free education. Don't let it upset you too much. Where I am from - children die by the hundreds weekly. No one bothers to cry for them. I do by name.

Just last June, someone found children in a SUV in a garage. The result of death was what the Cops said was not a accident and intentional.

How are we treating each other?
How do we change that?
Thats the million dollar question?


What can a Jedi do?