Nashville School Shooting

[Stavros]

Some great points here. Social media and the ability to give instant retorts, and get into an echo chamber platforms and enables those who feel there are no other options to act outside of the internet.
I've been coming to the US since I was 18 - yet I've never seen any people turn so ugly like the American people seem to be to each other in the last 24 months. From car parks, to shopping, to just getting into other people's business, racism, bigotry, anti-any other country, driving, each time I come back, it gets worse. These are broadstrokes - and it seems to be between strangers but at the same time costs are spiralling (in a normal supermarket in California a dozen eggs are $8 ($4-5 in UK), a loaf of bread $4-5 ($2 in UK) and rent has increased 15% each year. Add to this the media (right and left) adding fuel to the fire, then there is a powder keg about to explode.

I've been saying for years that I'd see US split or a state cede in my lifetime, and never has that seems more necessary and likely than now.

There have been highs and lows in American history, and in time those committed to the ideals of 1776 have regained control of the political system, and preserved the US as an Open, Liberal Democracy.

So the question now is, can the US heal its self-inflicted wounds? It has the capacity to do so, though the landscape looks bleak right now. In 2020 Republicans in charge of elections maintained the integrity of the process, we cannot be sure that newly elected officials will do so in 2024.

The most depressing aspect of the trends since the 1990s, has been the extent to which truth and facts have become merely opinions, which for science is an insult. If your washing machine breaks down, you don't call the Dentist. So on what basis do people with zero knowledge insist that vaccinations don't work, or even are harmful; or that Climate Change is a hoax? The denial of the real events that took place on January 6th takes this rejection of reality to a new low.

The ignorance is stunning. The US has achieved phenomenal things of global value in Medicine, Science, Engineering, Architecture, Philosophy, Music, Literature, Art, Cinema and much more, yet those in the penumbra of Trump talk as if American history is merely a history of betrayal. As Mark Antony might have put it, in the throes of the death of the US -'the evil men do lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones'.

The rule of law shaped by reason, is now to be shaped by religion -contrary to what the Revolution demanded. The denial of the role played by Race in the evolution of the US culminates in book bans, and a refusal to discuss the facts, and punishment for those who do, as if Florida had become a satellite of the USSR.

But, the Supreme Court was clearly out of touch with majority opinion on Roe vs Wade. Americans do care about the environment, they do care about standards in public life, and want better services. so all is not lost.

But how long will it take before people realize what a failure autocrats are, and re-affirm their belief in Liberal Democracy- Or is America doomed?

[auratus]

How long before you realise the right to bear arms is so antiquated in todays society that you actually need to take long hard deep look at your constitution and actually have the balls and guts to change it so one day its not your son, daughter, niece, nephew, grand child or great grand child that is killed in one of these school shootings it took 1 in the UK to change the law and not one since the laws were changed any responsible gun owner should not fear change but should acknowledge it or is having the right to bear arms worth more than a childs life

[filghy2]

Yet another school shooting:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...hief-rcna76876

Apparently the perpetrator was trans. This will really stir up the transphobia.

The usual suspects are at it
https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/3/...ans-statements

[filghy2]

How long before you realise the right to bear arms is so antiquated in todays society that you actually need to take long hard deep look at your constitution and actually have the balls and guts to change it so one day its not your son, daughter, niece, nephew, grand child or great grand child that is killed in one of these school shootings it took 1 in the UK to change the law and not one since the laws were changed any responsible gun owner should not fear change but should acknowledge it or is having the right to bear arms worth more than a childs life

The problem is that one side of politics has made a fetish of guns - witness the number of Republicans with family photos of them holding guns. It's beyond rationality. None of these people can provide a logical argument for why people need military assault weapons or why it's unreasonable to have proper background checks on gun buyers.

Also, the US political system is pretty much designed to thwart the will of the majority so that its very hard to change things. In other countries when the majority supports tighter gun controls it happens.

[Fitzcarraldo]

Also, the US political system is pretty much designed to thwart the will of the majority so that its very hard to change things.

The majority didn't support racial integration or gay marriage rights.

[Stavros]

The majority didn't support racial integration or gay marriage rights.

a) according to whom?
b) integration meaning what -general, in schools? It is a difficult one. That said, these links suggest you might want to re-assess your comment.

Record-High 70% in U.S. Support Same-Sex Marriage (gallup.com)

"Broadly speaking, people like the idea of diverse and integrated schools. When asked, “How important is it to you that the public schools in your community have a mix of students from different racial/ethnic backgrounds?” 84 percent of respondents said it was somewhat, very, or extremely important to them, while only 16 percent indicated that it was not so important or not important at all."
School Integration Is Popular. We Can Make It More So. (tcf.org)

[anonymous123]

The problem is that one side of politics has made a fetish of guns - witness the number of Republicans with family photos of them holding guns. It's beyond rationality. None of these people can provide a logical argument for why people need military assault weapons or why it's unreasonable to have proper background checks on gun buyers.

Also, the US political system is pretty much designed to thwart the will of the majority so that its very hard to change things. In other countries when the majority supports tighter gun controls it happens.

First it's not Republicans or 2a loving people causing these problem. It the way the Democratic party has caused violence to grow and actually promotes it. How they cheer people destroying cities, looting and causing police harm. DA in cities are so soft on crime and don't really prosecute them for the crime that they did. Also, what makes you think the Democrats who allow cities to continuously be riddled with crime. Actually care about fixing students getting shot.

Secondly, the Democratic party is dividing this country against each other. How if you go against abortion, LGBTQ community, black people to name a few. They call you racist, fascist, bigot, white supremacist and many other names. Because if you don't go along with what they are pushing. You're the most disgusting human being and nobody goes against Democrats

Third, everything with the Democrats is not actual fixes or plans to make things better. It's basically push our agenda or take your rights away. Then if it doesn't work we take more of your rights away or we blame other people for why it didn't work.

Finally, Republicans are at fault for many issues we have in this country. A lot of their decisions have also caused this country issues and problems. Yet the Democrats in the past 3 years have had more control than the Republican party. Have made more decisions and changes in this country. Have led this country in a certain direction and look at the state of it now. I'm not for either party and don't support either

[Fitzcarraldo]

a) according to whom?
b) integration meaning what -general, in schools? It is a difficult one. That said, these links suggest you might want to re-assess your comment.

Record-High 70% in U.S. Support Same-Sex Marriage (gallup.com)

"Broadly speaking, people like the idea of diverse and integrated schools. When asked, “How important is it to you that the public schools in your community have a mix of students from different racial/ethnic backgrounds?” 84 percent of respondents said it was somewhat, very, or extremely important to them, while only 16 percent indicated that it was not so important or not important at all."
School Integration Is Popular. We Can Make It More So. (tcf.org)

I said "didn't," not "don't." Both your links are from after the fact. Attitudes have changed, thanks in large part due to the Supreme Court requiring school integration (even though it took well over a decade to be implemented fully) and legalizing gay marriage.

[Fitzcarraldo]

First it's not Republicans or 2a loving people causing these problem. It the way the Democratic party has caused violence to grow and actually promotes it. How they cheer people destroying cities, looting and causing police harm. DA in cities are so soft on crime and don't really prosecute them for the crime that they did. Also, what makes you think the Democrats who allow cities to continuously be riddled with crime. Actually care about fixing students getting shot.

Secondly, the Democratic party is dividing this country against each other. How if you go against abortion, LGBTQ community, black people to name a few. They call you racist, fascist, bigot, white supremacist and many other names. Because if you don't go along with what they are pushing. You're the most disgusting human being and nobody goes against Democrats

Third, everything with the Democrats is not actual fixes or plans to make things better. It's basically push our agenda or take your rights away. Then if it doesn't work we take more of your rights away or we blame other people for why it didn't work.

Finally, Republicans are at fault for many issues we have in this country. A lot of their decisions have also caused this country issues and problems. Yet the Democrats in the past 3 years have had more control than the Republican party. Have made more decisions and changes in this country. Have led this country in a certain direction and look at the state of it now. I'm not for either party and don't support either

Pretty much everything you said there is the opposite of reality.

[Stavros]

I said "didn't," not "don't." Both your links are from after the fact. Attitudes have changed, thanks in large part due to the Supreme Court requiring school integration (even though it took well over a decade to be implemented fully) and legalizing gay marriage.

I understand your correction, but not why, having said 'didn't not don't' you did not update the data yourself, as you could have done. I suspect it was because you wanted to imply a lack of popular judgment on segregation and same-sex marriage. I have endorsed previous posts of yours, so I am reluctant to be 'hyper'-critical, but I do feel you could have done better here.