So Messmistress and I were there last night on the Ben Franklin Parkway in Philly, when 10 minutes into the fireworks everybody started running in mass panic over a shooting. It's nuts when you watch it happen elsewhere and then find yourself in the same situation in your own city. Two officers had been shot and fortunately nobody died. But it obviously could have been worse.

Even before the incident, it was thick in the air that mass shootings were on *everyone's* mind. Everybody there had to make a conscious decision whether to still try to celebrate this country despite 1) the oppressive politics going on right now, and 2) the threat of perhaps... dying. We were all terrorized before this even happened.

The decision to soldier on despite these risks is put into serious review when you're running for your life next to a guy urgently pushing a baby carriage along with his wife and other 3 kids trying to find cover. Cop cars coming down every street and cops telling you to RUN. Fireworks still booming and echoing off buildings so nobody can even tell what's a gun shot or where it's coming from. It's not something we'll ever forget, much less all those kids who will probably be traumatized by this. But more than scared, I am angry.

Excuse my opinion that this is not about guns. Every freaking country has guns. It's not about social media. Every country has social media. Every country has people with mental health issues. But this shit really only happens here. What's the least common denominator then? Somebody please try to convince me that it's not the militant, martial language that they are using from the bully pulpit.

When you admit that there are people out there with mental issues, and then you run campaign ads holding a rifle talking about hunting Democrats, what the hell do you expect to happen? Everybody out there ain't right in the head, and when you tell your millions of watchers and followers that their very existence is threatened, you must know that a lot of people out there are believing that literally. If they take Democrats to be people of color, or mainly living in urban areas or living alternate lifestyles, guess whose backs you've just put a target on?

Of course we need sensible gun control because nobody wants a neighbor who has weapons of war in their damn basement. But the obsession with gun control completely preempts holding people in the public eye accountable for radicalizing half the country by convincing them that the other half of the country is an existential threat. You get rid of the guns and then nutcases will start blowing shit up instead.

The biggest lesson I've learned about the importance of rhetoric was right here on UMD. Years ago our forums used to be a hotbed of daily trolling. No amount of public admonishment or warnings or IP bans would help, and it was basically impossible to keep them off the site. I finally realized that the problem was us! It was the moderation itself. When your m.o. for running things is to be adversarial, you are inadvertently motivating people to act out of emotion and spite no matter how "right" anyone is. It turns into a vicious and escalating cycle that can't be stopped with any amount of logic or truth. I find America in this same position now.

That cycle was not broken here until I made a change in the moderation rules to put a big emphasis on not being adversarial. Some people are truly fucking assholes, but trust me, that's less than like 1% of offenders. Everybody else just made a mistake or misunderstood the rules or didn't think what they were doing was a big deal. They can all be reached through a stern but non-adversarial approach, or they can be radicalized by throwing weight around. Once people understand that you're not out to get them, you won't really have any more of those problems with them--even if ultimately they still don't agree with you. But if they think you're attacking them, their fight or flight emotions will activate, and you will become a target.

Politics is the business of making us think we are all out to get each other (it's literal terrorism), so the inevitable result is physical violence, coming from the most mentally vulnerable to start, and escalating as more people join a side until we end up in another civil war. And they're doing everything to make sure we are all armed for it, too. The politicians claim no responsibility, but they know damn well that they are directing a proxy war with their own citizens like puppeteers.

I wish we all would realize that it's the Vibe that matters, and not much else. Fix that, and peace will happen naturally, almost on its own.

Take care everybody

Yikes! Really glad you're both OK.

And agree with every single word you said.

***hugs*** to both of you. Stay safe indeed.

Oh no! I'm glad you're OK. I'm from the area (grew up in the suburbs) - I'm familiar with that area, so this seems more real, even though I haven't lived there in a long time. I was mostly offline for a few days (camping) and I'm sad that I wasn't surprised to hear about this.

MM, I'm so glad you and K are ok. I can't even imagine.

I want to write about this when I have more time to really gather my thoughts and reflect on it. I almost 100% agree with everything you're putting down here though.

I don't think the issue is the 2nd amendment either. Guns definitely make killing easier, as also shown in the recent Oslo shooting where 21 were killed.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61933817

But like you said, people will use whatever they can get. Cars and trucks driving into crowds was very popular in the UK and Europe in the past several years.

I do however thing there are serious issues with how many of these recent things say "the gun was legally purchased". This is what's really freaking me out. Especially when it later comes out that the shooter was "known to the FBI" or "known to law enforcement" often times years before the purchase.

I don't want to take away anyone's negative opinion on firearms, anyone who hates them, wants them banned, etc. I feel you are entitled to that especially given everything that's happened. But it never will happen. So many of the weapons being found in Philly shootings recently have been "ghost guns" where parts of them have been constructed, often 3D printed.

Then there's the fact that our own government will sell cartels in Mexico (Fast and Furious), both sides of the Syrian conflict, and it goes on and on. When the federal government itself will equip criminals then their needs to be a serious expansion on the investigations.

Meanwhile our cops sit outside an elementary school for a fucking HOUR while children are slaughtered inside. OH, AND detain, taze, and arrest parents trying to run into the school to get their kids out.

Fuck thoughts and prayers. Action IS needed. But the action needs to be well thought out and effective. Banning magazines over 10 rounds doesn't do shit (just get more magazines). There's always a simple work around to the stupid laws that are ACTUALLY proposed.

That's all I can even think to say right now. I'm so furious over the state of our country, and the state of humanity in general.

Much love,
Jason

I'm so glad you're ok, I'm so sorry that happened and you went through it. That hurts my soul and I wasn't even there so I dread to imagine how you feel.

I think you're right on the underlying causes too

Take tons of good care of yourselves and lots of love from me

I'm glad that you two are okay.

Happy to hear you're ok. This really has to stop. We need to force politicians to do something, besides radicalize the gullible.
This isn't just some stupid meme, or joke. People are dying daily in this miserable country because of this.

I can't even imagine being in that situation. Jesus Christ!

Yikes!!!

This is upsetting to hear and I'm glad you and Messmistress are all right.

I agree with you totally about rhetoric. You and the moderators here do an excellent job of de-escalating things on this forum when there's a conflict.

Some people in America could learn a lot from you.

Nessie

I am so happy for the two of you that neither were hurt.

Being from Chicagoland, I am still hurting.

You and Wildthing I'm glad your both doing ok

Was reading this thread as well
https://umd.net/forums/another-mass-shooting-in-merca

Here is a community support for survivors and gathering to what happened give it a view
https://m.youtube.com/watch?omnisendContactID=606245b11971975089caafa0&utm_campaign=campaign%3A+Copy+of%3A+Featuring+Billy+Corgan%2C+Jimmy+Chamberlin%2C+Perry+Farrell%2C+Bob+Moses...+%2862e45542c5fe2e001a59f0a4%29&utm_medium=email&utm_source=omnisend&v=d2xJ6bs0aho