We are heading towards an Idiocracy!

[Krylo]

And for the record, I've been actively trying to avoid thinking about the attack.

So no, I didn't immediately connect Snake's comment to it. Which was stupid of me, but I've been in a bad state of mind lately and can't really process it without, well suffice to say I wasn't considering it at the time.

[rpgdemon]

To steal your words to use to describe myself:

I've been in a bad state of mind lately and can't really process it without

...being a big angry jerk.

So, sorry if I upset you.

[Krylo]

I'm pretty thick skinned, RPG. It's cool.

[Overcast]

You all make me feel a little better. You and some Yoko Kanno.

[Solid Snake]

All I'll say I do think it's entirely possible to A) agree with everything Krylo said regarding the complexities of the issue of preventing mentally unstable individuals from inflicting harm on themselves or others without an adequate safety net and B) be fuckin' enraged at the NRA because the NRA are the worst.

(As an aside, the only reason why I didn't type a more nuanced response to the Orlando shootings is because I'm presently on vacation and only have access to my phone and occasional internet access at nights with my tablet, so I just sort of simplified things into snark about gun control. That doesn't mean that rage over gun control was my only or even predominant response to the news, it just happened to also dovetail with me changing my mind on voting for Hillary, which was relevant here in this thread.)

Anyway I agree with the notion that there are responsible gun owners and hobbyists out there who may be unfairly maligned as some byproduct of the gun control debate, but those responsible gun owners and hobbyists should also despise the NRA with a fiery passion.

As for showing respect for human life, I think I'll side with the Democrats in Congress on that issue. Victims of gun violence are repeatedly given thoughts and prayers and condolences. If I had the time and the energy, I could type Walls upon Walls regarding the emotional solidarity with the victims that I honestly and authentically do feel and how the LGBT community and the parents and friends of the victims have suffered a terrifying loss I can barely even begin to fathom. But we do that after every tragedy, and it changes absolutely nothing. The next victims of mass shootings or homophobic attacks receive no benefit from knowing that I or any of the rest of us will feel just plain awful about the next round of tragic loss that is inevitable with our silence over those 'side issues.'

...I dunno, I just don't think it's a sign of immaturity for me to think about gun control in the wake of such violence. It would strike me as more immature and more irresponsible if my response was just to speak nonsense about my own feelings about such tragedies or expressing mere empathy for the victims while refusing to take any action. That's the Republican solution to the conundrum: Let's just offer thoughts and prayers and endless moments of silence and hope that mere expressions of empathy and solidarity are sufficient to deter any meaningful change.

Both the pervasiveness of lethal killing tools in America, as well as the fact that this was a hate crime specifically targeted at a minority group in our society, are components of this tragedy that absolutely should be dissected and thoroughly discussed. And I sure as hell probably ain't the expert to do that, so maybe I shouldn't even try. But I don't think that anger (as opposed to sadness) as a dominant emotion in my response necessarily entails immaturity when these are two very important 'side issues' of this tragedy that are going to continue to pop up on an annual basis unless our government leads the way in instituting major and systemic social changes.

[Tricknology 120]

I'm going to say something really crazy.

I believe Donald Trump sincerely cares a lot about the people who were killed in Orlando, and that he wants to do something about the Muslim extremists he sees as responsible because he cares about the people who were killed, and wants to do something about the people he sees as responsible.

I've said the crazy thing I came here to say.

I'm going to add one additional fact.

Donald Trump spent 9-11 in his Manhattan apartment, with a view of the World Trade Center, watching from his window as person after person leaped to their deaths, to avoid an even worse death being burned alive. And then he watched the second plane hit.

I've added that fact.

[Overcast]

Is this what the botnet was working so hard to do? What a waste.

[shiney]

Right?

[phil_]

Originally Posted by Tricknology 120

Donald Trump spent 9-11 in his Manhattan apartment, with a view of the World Trade Center, watching from his window as person after person leaped to their deaths, to avoid an even worse death being burned alive. And then he watched the second plane hit.

I find this argument from comic book villain backstory unconvincing as to whether it is in any way ok to call for action against all Muslims when Islam hardly has a monopoly in this country on wanting gay people dead. Probably all I can add here, but that's so obviously wrong even I can see it.

[Marc v4.0]

I'm sure the man who has gone on record in multiple places talking about the possibility of repealing equal marriage protections really cares a lot about the lives of LGBTQ people in the long run. It just makes sense.