Regarding college stress

Ahhhh, the "c" word again.

Yeah, I think it was little to soon as well. Something of that nature is hard on someone and sometimes they need to vent. I didn't hear about the Virginia Tech incident until I got to work. Anyone else notice it's always the loners who snap?

and this is why i stay out of topics like this. Im not into debating, i do care about bad things that happen but i dont know enough of the facts to even come close to talking about it. it simply doesnt interest me enough to want to learn...

From the Remember Outdoors heading:

Culture, hobbies, events, and casual discussion.
To discuss religion, partisan opinions, or personal issues, please use IRC.
Off-topic threads will be locked or removed.

Follow up with Applefritter's AUP and we're at two strikes against the thread. I think it was quite fair to lock it before strike three. In fact, it was generous by the very rules above to let such a heated topic continue past the first post.

As has been pointed out before, there are plenty of other dedicated venues to discuss these issues.

There was no point in any more discussion. The issue will never be resolved and name calling was just a little too much.

Anyway, my sympathies go out for the families of those directly affected by this sad moment in history.

And kudos for the fearless leaders here who did what needed to be done.

MacTrash is right. He began it with his "have a clue" comment. That was the first insult. I think thats where things went south. He's just so right. Or hasn't everyone noticed? He's always right. He's got it all figured out.

And eeun? What happened to you? You've changed, man, you really have.

Thanks, HC, appreciate the sentiment. There are no words.

c'mon, Bdub, you've got some work to do...

Most of the violence I've ever witnessed was always between 2 or more completely sane and gregarious, normal social people, usually hormone driven guys. Singling out "loners" is really the gun right misdirecting where the problem is.

I'm afraid I need to apologize to the forum. Like a lot of others, I have that "I'm a jerk on a forum" problem. I'm not at all confrontational in real life. I'll try to temper this here, the best forum I've known.

If all apologies have been made, then I expect to see this thread wither on it's own.

Catmistake, though I sympathize with your situation, perhaps talking to a trained counselor would be a better way to vent. Discussions on the internet tend toward extreme opinions and aren't the best for resolving emotionally charged events.

-BDub

i dont think that talking on the internet about a topic such as this is necessarily a bad thing. Especially with a group as tight as this. And I would tend to agree with catmistake, eeun, why are you soo uptight, quoting the rules like that. We've all read the AUP. I'm not trying to step on anybody's feet here, but come on. Why can't we have a discussion like that here? Sure, maybe this one got a little too extreme, but everytime a sensitive subject comes up, it gets locked or deleted. Why?

MacTrash is right. He began it with his "have a clue" comment. That was the first insult. I think thats where things went south. He's just so right. Or hasn't everyone noticed? He's always right. He's got it all figured out.

Get over it !

...but everytime a sensitive subject comes up, it gets locked or deleted. Why?

We don't lock "sensitive subjects" unless their nature violates the AUP, or the discussion becomes hostile, a flamewar, insulting to users, or otherwise against the AUP. In the case of the "college stress" thread, it was the latter. Had the discussion stayed respectful, the thread would never have been locked. Unfortunately, names were called, and I have no tolerance for that.

I also need to remind you that if you feel the need to question an admin or mod's judgment, it must be done through PM or e-mail. I stand by eeun's actions, and he is completely in the right for quoting rules that members are violating. Just because you've been a member of AF for x number of years doesn't mean we're going to give you a free pass, or look the other way when you break the rules. If anything, older members should hold themselves to a higher standard so they can be role models for the younger ones.

Singling out "loners" is really the gun right misdirecting where the problem is.

When something like this happens it seems inevitable that people will want to assign blame as widely as possible, and if at all possible against those with whom they dislike, disagree with, fear, etc. It's the root of every good conspiracy theory. A fair chunk of the populace seem to find some comfort in believing that no one person (or small group of people) can be the cause of a large-scale tragedy. Perhaps it's just too frightening to think that just one individual, who could be the living right next to you right now, could personally carry the seeds of a great evil inside their head and worse yet be capable of carrying it out single-handedly. If you can somehow take the responsibility for these acts and spread it out into a wide-scale conspiracy of powerful, faceless organizations then perhaps you can think of the tragedy as being akin to a natural disaster like a storm or an earthquake, or a war, with an identifiable enemy that you can call out and fight against. Anything is more satisfying then being able to do *nothing*, which is basically all you can do to either prepare yourself for or pick up the pieces from a random, personal act of violence.

Guns can be and are used as tools by bad people as outlets for their random acts of horror. If the shooter in this particular case hadn't been able to purchase one so easily then perhaps the sickness inside his head would of stayed locked up inside forever. But maybe it wouldn't of. Most serial killers over the years have favored *knives*, after all. And we all found out a few years ago that it was possible to kill 3,000 people by buying an airline ticket. But in the context of *this* thread that's neither here nor there. I guess all I'd have to say at this point is if blaming some amorphous and evil "Gun Right" for this tragedy makes you feel better or less helpless then I guess by all means do so. But airing that view in a forum like this is going to invite debate by those who don't agree with you, and if you're not emotionally prepared to deal with it then perhaps it might be best to *not* go there.

I'm sure we all feel terrible for the victims of the Virginia Tech tragedy. Gun owners and non gun-owners alike. (For the record, I haven't *fired* anything more powerful then a BB gun since I was about 9 years old, but do have a small collection of inherited historically interesting firearms. So I could probably be described as "neutral" on the gun spectrum.) In the future, after heads have cooled and we can all think rationally about real solutions we can possibly start treating this as a political call to action, but for the moment perhaps simple condolences are in order.

--Peace

[A fair chunk of the populace seem to find some comfort in believing that no one person (or small group of people) can be the cause of a large-scale tragedy. Perhaps it's just too frightening to think that just one individual, who could be the living right next to you right now, could personally carry the seeds of a great evil inside their head and worse yet be capable of carrying it out single-handedly.
--Peace

Most people would be shocked to know how many "loose cannons" are really out there on the streets of every state. People get scared when a prison opens up in their town and fight to keep it out. But they don't realize It's not the one's that are locked up you need to worry about, it's the one's running loose.

I personally know of at least a two people who have the ability to do something like this presently. One has guns and one does not, but both have the potential to be equally destructive. We have probably all crossed paths with people like this whether you realize it or not.

Blaming the tools someone uses to do a horrible act is foolish. It is just a tool whatever it is, and cannot make decisions. People need to be held accountable for their decisions and actions regardless of how or why.

But the "why" is the key to avoiding it in the future and that's where the attention needs to be and appropriate changes made.

BTW: The term "cannon" is in no way a reference to the 2nd amendment.

Two Secret Service officers injured at White House

I think this just speaks for itself afa guns being safe. If you think you are safe with your gun, you have nothing on these guys. And even they aren't immune.

Two Secret Service officers injured at White House

I think this just speaks for itself afa guns being safe. If you think you are safe with your gun, you have nothing on these guys. And even they aren't immune.

You've made your point that you don't like guns. You may drop the subject now.

I don't need to be belittled. That I don't like guns is incidental. The point is actually this:
some people like guns, and incorrectly point to the 2nd A. as the source for their right to carry, when, the undeniable FACT is that the 2nd has NOTHING to do with self-defense, but protecting "the people" from a corrupt government oppressing freedoms possibly with a standing army. The source for a right to carry for self-defense comes from an entirely different charter.

Can't we at least be accurate? I don't know what that charter is... if someone knows it, plz post. (could it be from common law?)

and... crud, I did it again.
I also hate Windows because it is inferior. Hey... isn't this whole site partisan in that regard?

Your tolerance is appreciated.

I think it might be appropriate to start a thread about how we can deal with events like this. I don't think arguing about motivations, or video games or gun control are going to help Catmistake enough to be worth risking a flamewar and the ensuing tension.