Texas Massacre and 214 other mass shootings in 2022

Carlos.Martinez3 wrote: 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.

One of the advantages of the internet is that people can seek out their "tribe" online (this place is an example of such a phenomenon). The downsides, however, is that by seeking out our tribe online, it can make it much more comfortable to become disconnected from the "tribe" we would usually build by virtue of proximity, our neighborhood. So we are paradoxically more connected, and more disconnected, at the same time.

The other downside, is that if I happen to be a depressed, neglected teenage boy with a nihilistic worldview and simply require a gentle "nudge" to go buy a gun and kill everyone, finding "my tribe" online is probably a BAD thing. We do tend to seek out people who validate our own views, rather than challenge them.

I quoted Carlos because I feel he has a very valid point. Our first responsibilities is to our own children (and if we have none, to our closest family). It would be interesting to see if we can go back to being more involved in our neighbors' lives as well, a strong support group to help you out with chores, tough times, and general emotional support is priceless in keeping us from giving up on society and turning against it.

Ally: This is simply a human problem. When violence runs rampant around the world when “strong father figures” exist, then trying to pin the issue on males abandoning their children or women for not being enough for their children is nothing more than a way to cope with a problem you have no solutions for.


This, right here, is such an important statement. So much is blamed on "broken homes", whether the finger is pointed at men who aren't there enough or single mothers who have to pick up all the slack. But a parent cannot simply be there; like parenting is simply a role that anyone can fill as long as they're a warm body. You can have 2 parents and one or both of them could be abusive. Better then if one leaves so that their child doesn't have to witness that abuse or possibly normalize it. One parent can also be a narcissist, an alcoholic, suffering from depression, or just a career-minded individual that never has enough time. Also, as a parent, children have a lot of other influences such as friends and social media. It would be unwise to conclude that a parent is the one and only person the child chooses to go to or confide in. And on top of that, there are hormones and teenage crushes and rejections. You have to treat every child on an individual basis with no guarantee they will even open up to you because you're an adult. And children rebel. I have yet to see a perfect parent or a perfect child.

Manu: The other downside, is that if I happen to be a depressed, neglected teenage boy with a nihilistic worldview and simply require a gentle "nudge" to go buy a gun and kill everyone, finding "my tribe" online is probably a BAD thing. We do tend to seek out people who validate our own views, rather than challenge them.

Another great point. I think just like there are apps for everything there are also groups of people for everything. Perhaps, if the incel didn't have a group... with a label... a group with their own box... perhaps they might simply feel like a loser but not identify with a group that, instead of thinking of themselves as losers, blame women for not wanting them. Being a loser is preferable because a loser can get tired of losing and a loser can learn what it takes to win just like a level in a videogame. But once they say "I am an incel" that's when they are psychologically adopting a position that it's not their fault and there's not really anything they can do to change. This is like being handed a trophy for being the 302,031 ranked player. They stroke each other's ...egos and vent their sometimes violent frustrations out on other people. Again, incel is just one example of a type of person who maybe believes that life owes them things.

Carlos: What can a Jedi do?



https://www.foxnews.com/us/texas-school-shooter-what-we-know

Salvador Ramos, the alleged gunman accused of shooting his grandmother and then targeting dozens of victims – ultimately killing 19 children and two adults – at a Texas elementary school was known to be a loner who had quit his job just weeks before unleashing his attack, Fox News has learned.

Ramos, an 18-year-old Uvalde, Texas, resident, legally purchased two AR-platform rifles on May 17 and May 20, and bought 375 rounds of ammunition on May 18, Texas Sen. John Whitmire told Fox affiliate KCPQ-TV, citing a briefing from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

...

Officials said that approximately 30 minutes before the events unfolded, Ramos wrote in a series of Facebook messages, "I’m going to shoot my grandmother," "I’ve shot my grandmother," and then: "I’m going to shoot an elementary school."

...

An Instagram account allegedly connected to Ramos featured disturbing photos, including one showing a high-capacity magazine. The Instagram account has since been taken down.

The same account allegedly sent alarming messages to a woman before the deadly attack. The first message, sent on May 12, asked, "You gonna repost my gun pics?" The woman was tagged in photos showing guns.

(he wasn't being bullied in school because he wasn't even in school at the time. This is something else)


At some point we have to understand that there is a gun culture in America that isn't the same in other countries with stricter regulations. These guns are literally the power to end the lives of many people. It is or should be well known that a lot of people respond to having their power taken away, by seeking power. Therefore, it shouldn't surprise people that many police officers were bullied. Powerlessness seeks power. But without balance... then the power seeker becomes the bully... becomes the monster.

So it is about guns but it's not about guns. The guns are just an avatar of the power that many people are seeking. Jedi should be advocates for balance (imho). The fact that a person can run out and buy 2 ASSAULT RIFLES... when we all know they're not about to go shoot up a forest and call that sport... these are weapons of war that are designed to kill other human beings. Period. And if we cannot be honest about that then I don't know where that leaves us.

Now it is my understanding that army personnel are not able to open or conceal carry on base unless they are law enforcement. Military bases also have lists of guns that you're not allowed to have which include assault weapons and short barrel shotguns, rifles, and silencers. For normal gun owners, I get it. There's nothing wrong as long as you are responsible. Me and Obama are not trying to take your guns. However... there is a dark side of the gun industry that simply doesn't care how these guns are being viewed, worshipped, and how they are ending up in the hands of terrorists. And when the fictional weapons of Tony Stark ended up in the wrong hands he went 'iron man' and got them back. But the gun industry is more Obadiah than Tony. They could raise the price if they wanted to so that maybe an 18-year-old who isn't even old enough to buy alcohol wouldn't be able to afford not 1 but 2 guns. Maybe they need to be taxed based on the type, necessity, and number of guns you already own.

As a community, we could release a public statement that calls for stricter gun regulations. As individuals, we can start conversations, internally and externally, about access to these kinds of weapons and the mindset that seeks this kind of power. I know everyone doesn't want to confront these issues, especially when it's easier to sweep things under the rug, but there are always things that we can do. It's just a question of will we?

ZealotX wrote: Powerlessness seeks power. But without balance... then the power seeker becomes the bully... becomes the monster.

https://lindagraham-mft.net/triangle-victim-rescuer-persecutor-get/

ZealotX wrote: Carlos: What can a Jedi do?



https://www.foxnews.com/us/texas-school-shooter-what-we-know

Salvador Ramos, the alleged gunman accused of shooting his grandmother and then targeting dozens of victims – ultimately killing 19 children and two adults – at a Texas elementary school was known to be a loner who had quit his job just weeks before unleashing his attack, Fox News has learned.

Ramos, an 18-year-old Uvalde, Texas, resident, legally purchased two AR-platform rifles on May 17 and May 20, and bought 375 rounds of ammunition on May 18, Texas Sen. John Whitmire told Fox affiliate KCPQ-TV, citing a briefing from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

...

Officials said that approximately 30 minutes before the events unfolded, Ramos wrote in a series of Facebook messages, "I’m going to shoot my grandmother," "I’ve shot my grandmother," and then: "I’m going to shoot an elementary school."

...

An Instagram account allegedly connected to Ramos featured disturbing photos, including one showing a high-capacity magazine. The Instagram account has since been taken down.

The same account allegedly sent alarming messages to a woman before the deadly attack. The first message, sent on May 12, asked, "You gonna repost my gun pics?" The woman was tagged in photos showing guns.

(he wasn't being bullied in school because he wasn't even in school at the time. This is something else)


At some point we have to understand that there is a gun culture in America that isn't the same in other countries with stricter regulations. These guns are literally the power to end the lives of many people. It is or should be well known that a lot of people respond to having their power taken away, by seeking power. Therefore, it shouldn't surprise people that many police officers were bullied. Powerlessness seeks power. But without balance... then the power seeker becomes the bully... becomes the monster.

So it is about guns but it's not about guns. The guns are just an avatar of the power that many people are seeking. Jedi should be advocates for balance (imho). The fact that a person can run out and buy 2 ASSAULT RIFLES... when we all know they're not about to go shoot up a forest and call that sport... these are weapons of war that are designed to kill other human beings. Period. And if we cannot be honest about that then I don't know where that leaves us.

Now it is my understanding that army personnel are not able to open or conceal carry on base unless they are law enforcement. Military bases also have lists of guns that you're not allowed to have which include assault weapons and short barrel shotguns, rifles, and silencers. For normal gun owners, I get it. There's nothing wrong as long as you are responsible. Me and Obama are not trying to take your guns. However... there is a dark side of the gun industry that simply doesn't care how these guns are being viewed, worshipped, and how they are ending up in the hands of terrorists. And when the fictional weapons of Tony Stark ended up in the wrong hands he went 'iron man' and got them back. But the gun industry is more Obadiah than Tony. They could raise the price if they wanted to so that maybe an 18-year-old who isn't even old enough to buy alcohol wouldn't be able to afford not 1 but 2 guns. Maybe they need to be taxed based on the type, necessity, and number of guns you already own.

As a community, we could release a public statement that calls for stricter gun regulations. As individuals, we can start conversations, internally and externally, about access to these kinds of weapons and the mindset that seeks this kind of power. I know everyone doesn't want to confront these issues, especially when it's easier to sweep things under the rug, but there are always things that we can do. It's just a question of will we?

Time is an odd thing. In reflection, I'm headed to Texas. The 'old west' was a gun-slingers path. It seems to my eyes that what I see is Texas and many other states coming back around to the 'old west' in some ways; with open carry now and the accessibility to have more arms at the ready. We went back in time. Knowing this, let's not make the same mistakes, ya? You ever wonder why we EAT UP old westerns?
Hmmm food for thought, some of us are in one....
*Some of the new sagas are just that, old westerns. LOL!!!! New ways to tell the old stories.
One question may be, what of Billy the kid? or even better what of the children? and our future? Where is the focus? There are countries who still have bigger, more organized Gangs than we and some have been doing it for hundreds of years. They grow up in it as an every-day life. Guns are so silly when you have ideas like a Hatchet gang or the Flying Shadows. These were not stories but crime on the street by children who had no home. Ya, that's what happens. If you want to be honest, America is way behind in organized crime and we may actually learn from the past.

To be honest if you want to make a difference .... a real difference, ...become a mentor! Thats what the "world" needs. People who can mentor others. See if that don't start waves you can't stop. See if that don't change the school rooms with hearts that care.
I dare ya no ... I double dog dare you to become a mentor and change the way children come out. Or not. Someone did for me and they happen to be Jedi. Good things come from mentors.

In my own opinion, there is no higher calling than that of being called to be a mentor. That's all we really do here too.

We used to rumble in the parking lot back in my day at my school. Funny thing, they still do in the same spot today, but they post it on the internet. When we begin to develop "US", our surroundings and even our loved ones, DO NOT. Nothing else changes but us, inside. We can outgrow our own circles in life. We can outgrow old ideas and new ones too. We can change the way we see and even act and think. Its humanly possible. To see another kid down that road, I feel for him. I feel for the families. That ain't right. LOTS of my family needs therapy. I have gotten therapy for many things that have happened to me growing up on the street. Do you think the street obeys the laws? Thats very silly to think that if you pass a law- THUGS and kids are not going to be able to get guns. Thats dumb. I owned a gun the day I joined the gang. It was given to me as a passage and as a rite of trust. There were no background checks. Crime and such will find its own means to aid in its decay.
Not that laws don't matter friend, I am all for the law and for organization and legality.

If you want to help directly - there are a few ways you can still donate to that area and such.

https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2022/05/25/how-to-donate-to-the-official-funds-that-help-uvalde-school-shooting-victims/#:~:text=How%20to%20help%20the%20victims%E2%80%99%20families%20in%20Uvalde,6%20United%20Way.%20...%207%20University%20Health.%20

Chat and discuss away and now- you have a few more resources.

Pastor Carlos

Damn Pastor Carlos

See a need, fill a need.

Manu wrote:

ZealotX wrote: Powerlessness seeks power. But without balance... then the power seeker becomes the bully... becomes the monster.

https://lindagraham-mft.net/triangle-victim-rescuer-persecutor-get/

In your view, how do you see this fitting?

ZealotX wrote:

Manu wrote:

ZealotX wrote: Powerlessness seeks power. But without balance... then the power seeker becomes the bully... becomes the monster.

https://lindagraham-mft.net/triangle-victim-rescuer-persecutor-get/

In your view, how do you see this fitting?

Your response made me think of the Drama Triangle (aka as Victim Triangle).

As long as people are playing into group identity, and these groups happen to be centered in the Victim Triangle, there adherents will always be shifting between victim and victimizer. As you said, Powerlessness seeks power.

You can see this in factions of modern feminist, BLM, LGTB activists, Christian groups who claim society is "under attack" by some group, etc. Same goes for Incels. If they feel they are being cheated by the system (victim hood) they will seek to retaliate to feel power over their supposed oppressors.

We need to stop framing our inner stories as a struggle between victim and bully, and instead realize most (but not all) of us are simply flawed but well-meaning human beings. I bet if school shooters were able to actually relate to other classmates as "damaged" and "flawed" and as "lonely" as they feel, they would be more likely to connect to them on the human level, rather than seeing them as part of a society they don't fit in.

Whyte Horse wrote: It's way beyond what I as a single Jedi can accomplish. It's probably way beyond what the entire temple is capable of but this is the only place I can come and it's a start.

I would argue that the very existence of the Jedi is making a difference. I know it made a difference in my life when I was a teenager. The key is giving these young men a place that they feel they belong. It doesn't necessarily have anything to do with being a Jedi, but having something they can be initiated into. That's why gangs are often so attractive to young men, because they feel like they're a part of something.

The trick is getting them initiated into something positive before they are lost.