Hm. I see that we had our first school mass shooting of the year today. This marks the 5th mass shooting this year and the 124th gun associated act of violence for the year. More than half of the 405 deaths were suicides (264):
Sin and the Internet
- Thread starter blueskies
- Start date
The "bad guys" target people on three fronts: (1) ignorance, (2) desperation, and/or (3) greed. My sister almost got caught in one of these scams, but she was smart enough to call me first.
Someone very close to me got scammed out of ten grand. It happened very fast.
If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
i think in her case it was desperate no matter how hard any one talked to her. she refused to see or hear . his beginning con was he retired out of teh oil fields ..but he couldn't get into his checking account . promised trips to calif paris Germany.
Yes. Despite human intellect, we can be manipulated rather easily. I recall one case in which a widow started an account with one of those on-line "dating" services (match.om). She "met" someone (a male, according to the profile). After a couple of weeks, he was able to convince her to let him borrow $250,000 to allow him to finish some work in South Africa. She lent him the money. Shortly after that, he claimed he had run into issues with the local government and needed an additional $250,000 to get out of the country and return to the US. Don't fully remember his reason, but it was something to do with having to pay taxes before he would be allowed to leave. She lent him another $250,000.
He asked that she meet him in San Juan, PR, where he would pay her back. She went to PR, but he never showed up and she never got the money back.
We were unable to identify the other party, as the name, e-mail, and phone number provided to match.com were all a dead end, and she never got the money back. She refused to tell her family, as the $500,000 she lost was from her late husband's insurance (he was a trucker and died in a work-related traffic accident). She also refused to notify the local authorities, as she lived in a small town, and she do not want her friends and neighbors to learn of what she had done.
I suspect the guy was able to learn all this about her through social engineering.
Rtm
I was reading updated information on the school shooting in Iowa.
Looks like the shooter was posting on his social media just prior to or during the shooting. Our school district starts back up on Monday, so waiting to see if they put anything out addressing possible "copycat" awareness.
Looks like the shooter was posting on his social media just prior to or during the shooting. Our school district starts back up on Monday, so waiting to see if they put anything out addressing possible "copycat" awareness.
This really looks like a problem with no obvious solution. The kid had a shotgun and unknown "small caliber" handgun. He also had at least one IED, but no word on what that was. I suspect some type of a "Molotov cocktail."
So, this one does not come with an "Assault Rifle" argument. I see an argument addressing mental health issues, but the truth is that schools now have a huge staff to handle this. All of our schools now have incident teams that will address any issue in which a student's mental health is an issue. Also, all school employees are considered "mandatory reporters," to they have to report any instance in which a threat is made, or unusual behavior is detected.
In our district, schools already look like prisons with fences all around the perimeters. Each school has a "School Resource Officer (SRO)," who are state certified law enforcement officers. In the few cases where an SRO is not available, the school contracts with local law enforcement.
Almost all schools have extensive surveillance cameras, but this only allows you to preserve an incident, and there is no way of feeding into this live.
The only other discussion point would be metal detectors, but the resources needed would be significant. Aside from the fact that we have over 600 schools, it would require an SRO to be totally dedicated to monitor the detector entry point and that would take them away from performing other school related duties.
There does continue to be some discussion about arming teachers but that is such a bad bad idea.
This really might be a problem with no solution.
I wouldnt want to send my children to school today even in the uk, and we don't have guns. We have lots of knife crime instead. But then I also think how that would affect their social lives, as kids need other kids to learn from socially. Maybe it will come to kids being home schooled if one parent is housebound like in the last lockdown.
We have citizens who come to school and 'talk' about the dangers of knife crime, I don't know the stats about it making a difference on the kids minds, but the world is surely a scary place for them today.
perhaps its time to ban weapons?
We have citizens who come to school and 'talk' about the dangers of knife crime, I don't know the stats about it making a difference on the kids minds, but the world is surely a scary place for them today.
perhaps its time to ban weapons?
It's been proven in many countries and some locations in the USA, that if weapons are banned, then ONLY criminals will have weapons. Criminals don't care one bit about laws and they WILL get weapons in any way that they can. Banning weapons leaves the general population defenseless against criminals and crime statistics against the defenseless skyrockets.
Here in the USA, criminals think twice about attacking persons, or doing home invasions because they don't know who is LEGALLY carrying a weapon in the general public, and they don't want to end up dead. It is also statistically proven that in areas where limitations are placed on the general public on carrying LEGAL defensive weapons, that crime in THOSE (mostly liberal) areas against the general public goes way up.
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Here in the USA, criminals think twice about attacking persons, or doing home invasions because they don't know who is LEGALLY carrying a weapon in the general public, and they don't want to end up dead. It is also statistically proven that in areas where limitations are placed on the general public on carrying LEGAL defensive weapons, that crime in THOSE (mostly liberal) areas against the general public goes way up.
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well, a ban on weapons will only guarantee that people who respect the law will comply.I wouldnt want to send my children to school today even in the uk, and we don't have guns. We have lots of knife crime instead. But then I also think how that would affect their social lives, as kids need other kids to learn from socially. Maybe it will come to kids being home schooled if one parent is housebound like in the last lockdown.
We have citizens who come to school and 'talk' about the dangers of knife crime, I don't know the stats about it making a difference on the kids minds, but the world is surely a scary place for them today.
Well, let’s look at it this way: In 2021 (latest data available), here were 35 school shootings, during which 70 people were either injured or killed. Of this 70, 15 were killed, 12 of which were students. In 2021, there were 72,812,063 people under the age of 18. During the same year, there were 42,939 fatal traffic accidents, with 1,184 being children. In 2021, the US population included 40,899,034 between the ages of 5 and 18.
Odds of injured/killed at a school: 0.0001711531866498363
Odds of being killed at a school: 0.000029340546282829072
Odds of being killed in a traffic accident: 0.0028949338999058024
PS: in 2021, we had 1,630 people die from knife related injuries.
So, perhaps it's time to also ban automobiles and debate if we can cut our steaks with a spoon??
Well, if it was up to me, if I was prez, we would have singing swords and water pistols.well, a ban on weapons will only guarantee that people who respect the law will comply.
Well, let’s look at it this way: In 2021 (latest data available), here were 35 school shootings, during which 70 people were either injured or killed. Of this 70, 15 were killed, 12 of which were students. In 2021, there were 72,812,063 people under the age of 18. During the same year, there were 42,939 fatal traffic accidents, with 1,184 being children. In 2021, the US population included 40,899,034 between the ages of 5 and 18.
Odds of injured/killed at a school: 0.0001711531866498363
Odds of being killed at a school: 0.000029340546282829072
Odds of being killed in a traffic accident: 0.0028949338999058024
PS: in 2021, we had 1,630 people die from knife related injuries.
So, perhaps it's time to also ban automobiles and debate if we can cut our steaks with a spoon??
But like you say, it's not the items that are the problem.
Come back quick Lord
Well, I tend to agree with you. However, if I knew how, I would rather live in a world where the only need for a gun is to go hunting (which I do not do). Not sure I like the idea of associating weapons with political ideology, as you never really know. While I do not consider myself a liberal, I suspect that almost every "conservative" know would disagree. If I am to be considered a liberal, welcome to this liberal's ammo/hand gun closet:
PS. You don't even want to know what's behind the other door
Rtm
Ok, I can deal with that too. The think weighs about 10 pounds, but I can still swing it pretty good.Well, if it was up to me, if I was prez, we would have singing swords and water pistols.
But like you say, it's not the items that are the problem.
Come back quick Lord
rtm3039
I said singing not swinging..lol
I know the lawless people would not comply if we all had to ban weapons. And I know now that having nuclear weapons keep the peace. I thought the hippies were right at first that they believed we should ban the bomb. But My dad used to lecture me about how banning the bomb was a stupid idea. I actually see this now.
I said singing not swinging..lol
I know the lawless people would not comply if we all had to ban weapons. And I know now that having nuclear weapons keep the peace. I thought the hippies were right at first that they believed we should ban the bomb. But My dad used to lecture me about how banning the bomb was a stupid idea. I actually see this now.
Oh, I thought that was a type-o.
My background is mostly military and law enforcement. So, I believe that you fight to win. It is hard, especially to the young, that dropping those two bombs actually saved lives. Granted, way too many innocent lives were destroyed in the process, but it is practically impossible to avoid collateral damage in situations like that. It is an ugly chapter in humanity's history, but the next chapter was better.
I'm a pacifist but see Pacific islanders had to flee their home islands because of the nuclear testing and bombs poisoning their fish. Was it collateral damage? Not to them.
I'm also a christian who knows our weapons of warfare are NOT carnal.
I really don't like this conversation, because it's upsetting to me that people don't value each other and fight each other to win.(win what?) It will be the bigger nation with the most advanced weaponry and we had too many wars already in the past century and now still being affected.
I was born into this terrible world where it sometimes not safe even to be in your own home - because of domestic violence. You could marry a murderer. How do you know anyone, even your own family members is not plotting to kill you?
Every ANZAC day our entire nation mourns something senseless where nz men were sent over to battle for a country that didn't have enough soldiers so called up their colonies, and then ditched us the moment it was over (and took a toll on all the women and children left behind) . We've had civil wars where people fought over land which is now actually polluted and poisoning us.
In the Bible, land that was a battle ground where blood was shed needs to be cleansed and healed. But it hasn't.
I'm also a christian who knows our weapons of warfare are NOT carnal.
I really don't like this conversation, because it's upsetting to me that people don't value each other and fight each other to win.(win what?) It will be the bigger nation with the most advanced weaponry and we had too many wars already in the past century and now still being affected.
I was born into this terrible world where it sometimes not safe even to be in your own home - because of domestic violence. You could marry a murderer. How do you know anyone, even your own family members is not plotting to kill you?
Every ANZAC day our entire nation mourns something senseless where nz men were sent over to battle for a country that didn't have enough soldiers so called up their colonies, and then ditched us the moment it was over (and took a toll on all the women and children left behind) . We've had civil wars where people fought over land which is now actually polluted and poisoning us.
In the Bible, land that was a battle ground where blood was shed needs to be cleansed and healed. But it hasn't.
I have compassion on the victims of wars. Thats were we as Christians are also of service too and not just making bombs to defend our way of life.
We have Iraqi men coming on boats by the hundreds fleeing their countries to land here in the UK, sometimes illegally. (as migrants, or immigrants or refugees) and I am all for it when they work. And they do. They work delivery service or car washes. They are cheap labour. It's just the same as when the eastern europeans came but had to go back after Brexit. Now our prime minister is stringent now on not allowing the new immigrants from muslim countries to bring over all their families, because we cant afford it, and our people are angry they are coming over in the first place... but we don't have anyone who will want to work for pittance, because we cannot afford to, but we still want clean cars and pizza deliveries, maybe we should all just go back to doing everything ourselves?
Via: lost in the economic crisis.
We have Iraqi men coming on boats by the hundreds fleeing their countries to land here in the UK, sometimes illegally. (as migrants, or immigrants or refugees) and I am all for it when they work. And they do. They work delivery service or car washes. They are cheap labour. It's just the same as when the eastern europeans came but had to go back after Brexit. Now our prime minister is stringent now on not allowing the new immigrants from muslim countries to bring over all their families, because we cant afford it, and our people are angry they are coming over in the first place... but we don't have anyone who will want to work for pittance, because we cannot afford to, but we still want clean cars and pizza deliveries, maybe we should all just go back to doing everything ourselves?
Via: lost in the economic crisis.
I get it. These types of issues are upsetting, but they are part of who we are. I am not really sure 2 Corinthians is applicable here, but not sure.
Winning is not always defined by size but more about resolve. Look at the Revolutionary War. On paper we should still be drinking tea and eating crumpets, but we drink Coca Cola and eat hotdogs.
In 1778, the Royal Army had almost three times more troops than George Washington, yet we know how that one ended.
I believe that when it is all said and done, we (humanity) are a mess. Not only do we not know the answer, but I'm also not all that sure we even know the question.
The irony is that there really are way more "good guys" than "bad guys."
Life is funny.
When I was in elementary school, I was constantly bullied by another student (same age but he was the size of a full-grown man). Day in and day out. No matter what I said or how many ways I found to get home without running into him, it did not help.
What changed? Well, one day my dad caught be running from him. He dragged me back and would not let me leave until I meet Eddie to size. I did (resolve) and that ended that forever.