Heart goes out to our American friends.

[El Presidente]

 

I am sure that my sentiments are shared by all members who are outside of the US. 

We feel for you. 

Not just today in Chicago or last week in Allen or next week wherever. 

We don't understand it. We can't rationalise it. We don't need to. 

What we know is the immense pain and frustration that you must be going through on so many levels. 

Our thoughts are with you.

 

______________________________________________________________________________

Tread carefully before responding or enjoy the break. 

• this is not a gun thread. 
• this is not a political thread. 
• This is an thread simply intended to express empathy. 

[Hammer Smokin']

44 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

... or next week wherever. 

🤕

 

 

[NicPac]

I gotta be honest. Living here, it’s unfortunately become so ‘normal’ that hardly affects me anymore. I’ve become numb to it. It makes me extremely sad to type those word. It’s so sad on so many levels. I also don’t understand it. Between school shootings and these public shootings my wife and I have discussed taking our kids and moving somewhere else. And it’s a conversation we will continue to have I’m sure. 😢😢😢

[Islandboy]

I too have become pretty numb to this, and other distasteful behaviors that seem to be defining us lately. Still, I firmly believe the Country is mostly good people. I just thank my lucky stars I was born and raised in the Aloha State, and still reside here. I shudder to think of the cynical person I would be otherwise.

[Dozerhead]

This is no longer our 'new normal', just our normal. While I share the sentimental of previous posters, I have become numb, too, but not to the school shootings. I can't comprehend the evil it takes to look a child in the eye and do that, and I hope I never do. The shooting in Uvalde, TX 6 weeks ago still makes me physically ill. 

[BrightonCorgi]

Social media pushes people to the extremes.  It's an awful trigger to make those who are fragile or on the brink lose control.  Families need to be more involved or held accountable when they know a family member is not right. 

 

[RedLantern]

Huh, must have a different social media here than elsewhere. 

[La_Tigre]

Sensationalist idiots getting their two minutes of horror fame… thanks social media. 

[SCgarman]

2 hours ago, BrightonCorgi said:

Social media pushes people to the extremes.  It's an awful trigger to make those who are fragile or on the brink lose control.  Families need to be more involved or held accountable when they know a family member is not right. 

 

Unfortunately the family itself is more often the case broken. Kids being raised by one parent who works full time and no father. They are glued to a computer screen with sites that fill their heads with garbage and their hearts with hate. Society is heading down a dark path with these disaffected young men. 

[BrightonCorgi]

Social media is the darkest force of the 21st century so far.

[anacostiakat]

Yep.  It is a Bizarro World we live in now.  

[cnov]

3 minutes ago, BrightonCorgi said:

Social media is the darkest force of the 21st century so far.

Nail on the head.

The age of mis-information. You can hardly blame people, I can see how it would be easy to be fooled. We're utterly bombarded with so much information that it's hard to understand what's genuine and what is not, that coupled with our minds ability to remember information from yesteryear and forget that we knew it was an utter crock of sh**!

There are some very smart and powerful people that are certainly one step ahead.

Social media makes the papers  of old look like amateurs at swaying public opinion for the highest bidder.

[gormag38]

13 hours ago, NicPac said:

I gotta be honest. Living here, it’s unfortunately become so ‘normal’ that hardly affects me anymore. I’ve become numb to it. It makes me extremely sad to type those word. It’s so sad on so many levels. I also don’t understand it. Between school shootings and these public shootings my wife and I have discussed taking our kids and moving somewhere else. And it’s a conversation we will continue to have I’m sure. 😢😢😢

I think that the statement above pretty perfectly matches my sentiment on the situation. Just this morning my wife and I had a very real discussion about whether or not we want our soon to be born daughter to grow up here in the USA. The disinformation out there, the garbage that is MOST social media, and the political divisiveness just seem to be harboring hate. It's a sad sad state of affairs. 😢

[BrightonCorgi]

1 hour ago, gormag38 said:

I think that the statement above pretty perfectly matches my sentiment on the situation. Just this morning my wife and I had a very real discussion about whether or not we want our soon to be born daughter to grow up here in the USA. The disinformation out there, the garbage that is MOST social media, and the political divisiveness just seem to be harboring hate. It's a sad sad state of affairs. 😢

Those are not exclusive to the States.  Social media heightens any harboring thoughts one has; well beyond politics.

[Hammer Smokin']

While not exclusive to the States, the actions apparently resulting from the social media disinformation appears to be quite exclusive to the States. 

Enough information has been released about this shooter for people to make their own informed decisions. Lots of videos showing the shooters political affiliations and past history. 

[Cello]

17 hours ago, NicPac said:

Between school shootings and these public shootings my wife and I have discussed taking our kids and moving somewhere else. And it’s a conversation we will continue to have I’m sure. 😢😢😢

Today marks a year since my family and I moved internationally. Left on the 4th and landed on the 5th. What a wonderful year it's been. I taught for the past 5 years in the states and I sure don't miss that uneasiness every time an unannounced fire alarm would happen. Practicing lockdown drills and everything thing else. I don't miss it and I feel for those still in it. 

[BrightonCorgi]

27 minutes ago, Hammer Smokin' said:

While not exclusive to the States, the actions apparently resulting from the social media disinformation appears to be quite exclusive to the States.

For this particular tragedy, he was probably heavily engaged in US-centric social media posts and outlets.   Without having his whole social media browsing history, it's not possible to say what other impetus or stimuli he had.  Even American posts meant spark fury may not have an American genesis.

[jakebarnes]

We had a long and draining discussion about pausing our adoption search last night. It's not safe in this country and is only getting worse. It's now normalized--and mainly considered an inconvenience rather than a real issue by gun manufacturers and lobbies--that kids are just gonna have to die to keep the machine rolling. Hamilton once said the ballot was stronger than the bullet. If that phrase was made for the modern times it would say that the gun in America  is more important than the lives of its citizens. 

[Hammer Smokin']

America certainly is a country divided.

[Hollywood Ninja]

America certainly is a country divided.

And likely only to become more so in the coming years.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bates40]

If America was going to change it would have after Sandy Hook. 

[SMELTZ]

16 hours ago, SCgarman said:

Unfortunately the family itself is more often the case broken. Kids being raised by one parent who works full time and no father. They are glued to a computer screen with sites that fill their heads with garbage and their hearts with hate. Society is heading down a dark path with these disaffected young men. 

Fatherlessness Is A Worldwide Issue With Statistics From The US Department Of Health Showing

63% of youth suicides
90% of all homeless and runaway children
85% of all children who show behavioral disorders
80% of rapists with anger problems
71% of all high school dropouts
75% of adolescent patients in chemical abuse centres
85% of youths in prison
71% of pregnant teenagers

[MrBirdman]

I’ve learned over the past few years that this country can always get worse and almost certainly will. A growing portion of the country doesn’t even believe in democracy anymore.

The future will spend decades debating the Decline and Fall of the American Empire. 

[NicPac]

7 hours ago, Cello said:

Today marks a year since my family and I moved internationally. Left on the 4th and landed on the 5th. What a wonderful year it's been. I taught for the past 5 years in the states and I sure don't miss that uneasiness every time an unannounced fire alarm would happen. Practicing lockdown drills and everything thing else. I don't miss it and I feel for those still in it. 

Where did you move to?

[El Presidente]

Jesus people......you are depressing the hell out of me!   

On the flipside. 

 

My recent US travels (34th visit to the US since 1996) has reinforced that No country in the world has the bottom up energy and drive that the US has. No country. 

You have a shiteload of issues to deal with. Right now, probably more than any other western country but FFS don't throw in the towel. 

Fight the good fight. Give a flying fig. There is remarkable DNA in the place.

 

Globally I think it may be time to stop the Zuckerburg/Google and co elite from manipulating the news & information feed environment. It is no magic fix but cuts back on the direct heroin fix to those incapable of handling it. I honestly don't think the world needs algorithms in this space that constantly present/inflame your own bias.  

Maybe force them to present the opposite bias