If only there was something we could do...

[The AD]

Next up: "why do we spend so much energy discussing these shooting sprees when hundreds of gang members get shot in Chicago every year?"

[mcski]

You're just catching on to that?

https://giphy.com/gifs/xT9IgHCTfp8CRshfQk

[cat in january]

It was a youth bowling league night. Must have been horrible for them and their parents. Schools all over the state were closed today. Nephew has a HS football playoff game nearby tomorrow night. Sure it will be canceled if he’s not caught by then.

[waveshello]

^Terrible... [emoji24]


Personal reflection and thoughts...

I grew up in a pretty conservative home, big 2A believers even though we didn't own any firearms. I bought my own when I was 18, relinquished them when I was 24.

I understand the 2A principle. I do think it is important to be able to defend yourself.

But isn't this one of those things like communism... Where in theory, it works great, in practice not so much? I'm sure most 2A people would gladly conceed that regarding communism. This topic isn't much different. People are the common denominator.

"This doesn't happen in any other country"

Sure. Why? Lefties say guns, righties say it's the people. The answer is yes?

The guns have changed, and so have the people. What was once unthinkable or even impossible has become routine.

As a culture/society have we become more sick, and the weapons have become more powerful.

Who TF cares about defending ourselves from threats foreign and domestic if our kids are getting blown away in school or at a bowling alley. You would die protecting your kid, could you live without your AR to do the same?

IMO, this is a lose/lose situation--there is a cost to laying down those arms. Personally and collectively.

But the cost of keeping them has become extraordinarily high.

[GiBo]

Very well said, waveshello.

[SumJongGuy]

^Terrible... [emoji24]


Personal reflection and thoughts...

I grew up in a pretty conservative home, big 2A believers even though we didn't own any firearms. I bought my own when I was 18, relinquished them when I was 24.

I understand the 2A principle. I do think it is important to be able to defend yourself.

But isn't this one of those things like communism... Where in theory, it works great, in practice not so much? I'm sure most 2A people would gladly conceed that regarding communism. This topic isn't much different. People are the common denominator.

"This doesn't happen in any other country"

Sure. Why? Lefties say guns, righties say it's the people. The answer is yes?

The guns have changed, and so have the people. What was once unthinkable or even impossible has become routine.

As a culture/society have we become more sick, and the weapons have become more powerful.

Who TF cares about defending ourselves from threats foreign and domestic if our kids are getting blown away in school or at a bowling alley. You would die protecting your kid, could you live without your AR to do the same?

IMO, this is a lose/lose situation--there is a cost to laying down those arms. Personally and collectively.

But the cost of keeping them has become extraordinarily high.

I'd argue that for quite a few of the folks owning weapons of mayhem.. It's just as much about the notion that they can go nuts IF they decide to as it is about simple home or personal defense. A small handgun and maybe a pump shotgun make sense for home/personal defense. This high capacity high velocity shit's for people who think that one day they might want to commit mayhem.. just feel better knowing they could if they wanted to..

[Cisco Kid]

Yeah but there is no reason for anyone who is not in a well regulated militia to be allowed to freely own, transport or use what is essentially a WMD.

Or let's be honest and embrace what we've become as a society. Create a "Medal of 2A Freedom" to be given to every victim's family posthumously for giving their lives so we can have 2A as it is.

[Meadow Skipper]

It’s a shame - a national shame - that politicians are the ones entrusted with making laws.
Maine Democrat calls his earlier opposition to an assault weapons ban a mistake after Lewiston shootings

Golden was one of five Democrats who voted against an assault weapons ban bill passed by the House last year. The Democratic-led Senate has not taken up the measure, in part to avoid putting vulnerable Democrats in a tough spot ahead of the 2024 election when Republicans are hoping to win control of the chamber.

First elected to Congress in 2018, Golden represents a congressional District that former President Donald Trump carried in 2016 and 2020. Golden won re-election last year with 53% of the vote.

Thursday's news conference included remarks from Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who called it a “dark day” and said that the deadly shootings at a bar and bowling alley in Lewiston were the “worst mass shooting that the state of Maine has ever experienced — and could ever imagine.”

Asked whether she would support an assault weapons ban, Collins told reporters: "I think it is more important that we ban very high capacity magazines."

[mcphee]

Whole bunch of people still on lockdown in Maine because the only part of the constitution keeping us from tyranny is the 2A.

Doesn’t sound like freedom to me.

[anotherVTskibum]

Whole bunch of people still on lockdown in Maine because the only part of the constitution keeping us from tyranny is the 2A.

Doesn’t sound like freedom to me.

There's a thread on a local Facebook group ("Team Bethel") in which someone asked about hearing 70+ gunshots and expressed the idea that "I understand target shooting is a thing, but maybe this isn't the best time to be doing it within earshot of a bunch of residences?"

More than a few of the responses were in the vein of "now is the ideal time, this proves that we should all be armed and ready to shoot."

To make things more interesting, (deer) rifle season opens Saturday in Maine. Assuming the suspect is still at large, that could be interesting if the theory that he's taken to the woods is correct--one wanted guy, a bunch of law enforcement, and a whole bunch of deer hunters wandering the woods with rifles.

[californiagrown]

There's a thread on a local Facebook group ("Team Bethel") in which someone asked about hearing 70+ gunshots and expressed the idea that "I understand target shooting is a thing, but maybe this isn't the best time to be doing it within earshot of a bunch of residences?"

More than a few of the responses were in the vein of "now is the ideal time, this proves that we should all be armed and ready to shoot."

To make things more interesting, (deer) rifle season opens Saturday in Maine. Assuming the suspect is still at large, that could be interesting if the theory that he's taken to the woods is correct--one wanted guy, a bunch of law enforcement, and a whole bunch of deer hunters wandering the woods with rifles.

IF they have to shut down a portion of hunting season to search for this asshat that could be real bad for folks. Maine is the only place ive personally known people (their families actually) to rely on hunting for food because of money issues... Im sure Biden will get blamed.

I hope the guy gets captured peacefully, and then in court absolutely rips the system to shreds saying "of course im insane, its well documented that was hearing voices and i threatened to shoot a place up a month or two prior... all the warning signs were there and were aknowledged, why the fuck didnt anyone stop me? If i had threatened to kill myself, my guns would have been taken away, but because i threatened to kill others i was allowed to keep an AR and fuckload of ammunition. How, and why?"

[teletech]

There is talk of delaying opening day (rifle deer). No school again for my kids. Probably wouldn’t send them anyway. Not out of fear of gunman, just don’t want them to have to think or worry about this shit. It a weird conversation to explain to a 7 and 9 yr old why there is no school.
Fuck assault weapons. But this incident is more about mental health then anything. How could someone that threatened to shoot up the national guard and hear voices still have access to weapons. Jared golden is fighting for his career now, that’s why he did the quick about face on the assault ban. He’s fucked now, he barely won last time

[cat in january]

Just to clarify on hunting season in Maine. Rifle season for deer for adults begins this Saturday. This past week has been youth deer hunting season. Bear, Turkey and other birds have been in season for a while and continue to be.

The bar was hosting a corn hole which was attended by a number of deaf people. Somehow killing them seems worse. So far I don’t know any of the names released, but Maine being such a small state friends of friends were murdered. Football game has been postponed.

I wish the press gave zero attention to the murderer. My theory is these acts are often committed to draw attention to the person who felt no one was paying attention. The press sensationalizes the event and everyone knows the person and what they were about.

[bennymac]

Although I agree that notoriety sometimes plays a role it seems like in this instance (based off what little we know so it’s still conjecture) that this guy was being “told” to do this not by a desire for fame but by hallucinations.

Yes it could be both - but often these people are simply driven by desires that are not based in reality.

The loner incels that do shit like this yes they can be driven by a desire (which could arguably be considered reality based) to achieve fame and recognition.

[ex-powderbroker]

Fuck assault weapons. But this incident is more about mental health then anything. How could someone that threatened to shoot up the national guard and hear voices still have access to weapons.

yup, there are no mental health issues in other countries.

[garyfromterrace]

Up here in Canada we have a ban on automatic mentals and more strict mental control laws. That seems to help.

[teletech]

This guy was in the army, how hard would it be to steal an automatic weapon if he really wanted to. There were lots of signs of his mental health deteriorating. There is a lot more to this then ban assault weapons (which I’m in favor of). This killer needed help and never got enough of it. So many factors and assault weapons were one of them.

[::: :::]

yup, there are no mental health issues in other countries.

Only the US has the mental issues affiliated with guns, to wit:

More than a few of the responses were in the vein of "now is the ideal time, this proves that we should all be armed and ready to shoot."

[not anotherVTskibum, but his cited quote]

[bennymac]

I would hope it’s very hard to steal weapons from military sites

[::: :::]

I would hope it’s very hard to steal weapons from military sites

i wondered that at first too, but I don't think that's what he was referring to

[XXX-er]

when you think about it not only are there 400million guns, there are a whole bunch of ex-military

the radio announcer called it "this weeks mass shooting" which sounded like there is one every week

with 400million guns i don't think it would be that hard to find one

[cat in january]

I think I heard it was our (US) 500th mass shooting which puts us way above one of the week at almost two a day.

[XXX-er]

I think it has to be 4 or more people killed to qualify as a " mass shooting "

[The AD]

500 total shootings of four or more people just this year? Jesus...

edit: seems like that's wrong. "The shooting was the country’s 36th mass killing this year, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. " See: https://apnews.com/article/mass-kill...7e052b3c66c691
Maybe 500 is the total number ever in the U.S.?

[teletech]

36 mass shootings thus far this year. Maine had 29 murders last year, which makes this 18 dead Hit really hard here. Deadliest one of the year too