Gunman kills at least 20, injures 42 in Florida gay club shooting.

[Elok]

The sheer number of variables responsible, or potentially responsible, for making someone snap is so huge that trying to control them all is futile. This particular incident involved homosexuals and Islam in some proportion. Some previous incidents also involved Islam to some extent, but not the majority or even a very large minority. Of the rest, there is no discernible pattern beyond youngish, very angry men. Mostly white, but not exclusively (Seung Hui Cho, the Fort Hood guy). And one more thing, which is obviously crucial: they all had access to firearms, in spite of (generally) giving copious warning signs of emotional disturbance. That last variable seems the pertinent one; that this particular lunatic happened to dislike homosexuals more than black churchgoers or college students or kindergartners is a trivial distraction.

Of course, the majority of gun violence does not take the form of mass shootings anyhow; a quick Wiki suggests that about thirty were shot by others every single day of 2013, for a total of about eleven thousand dead. If you include suicides, it jumps to nearly a hundred per day. This shooting, like all the others, represents little more than a slight twitch in the statistics.

[Proteus_MST]

That's so sad because of course not all turkey is like that.

There is cumhurriyet a great and brave newspaper.

Unfortunately now closed, taken over and its journalists in jail.

Aye ...
there is a good reason why Erdogan is so totally opposed to changing his terrorism laws ...
they are his best weapon for silencing critical media corporations and opposing representatives

[Lorizael]

Of course, the majority of gun violence does not take the form of mass shootings anyhow; a quick Wiki suggests that about thirty were shot by others every single day of 2013, for a total of about eleven thousand dead. If you include suicides, it jumps to nearly a hundred per day. This shooting, like all the others, represents little more than a slight twitch in the statistics.

Yup. Mass shootings are scary and big, but not where we need to be putting the majority of our attention.

[Dauphin]

You want to let the terrorists NRA win?

[Dauphin]

Oh, and it's a small world. Someone I know knew one of the victims. Facebook scarily had them as "someone you may know".

[Bereta_Eder]

Terrorist attacks are ****.

[Guynemer]

That last variable seems the pertinent one; that this particular lunatic happened to dislike homosexuals more than black churchgoers or college students or kindergartners is a trivial distraction.

To be fair, kindergartners are complete ****ing *******s.

[Ben Kenobi]

Hostages taken in Amarillo but the SWAT took him out.

[Elok]

To be fair, kindergartners are complete ****ing *******s.

More so the boys, in my experience. Our sex are basically smashy, punchy, screamy little goblins until we're nearly adults. Girls are more like little people. But you of course have far broader experience with that age group.

P.S. How many times a day do you take the time to feel grateful that few (hopefully not any) of your patients bug you to write them scripts for narcotics? There's a bright side for you.

[Dinner]

There was a terrorist attack yesterday in France as well. It is going to be a long Ramadan.

[Ben Kenobi]

Hunter ... what does this entail?

In BC, I got my carry license when I was 15. I had to take a course over the summer.

(In germany for example you have to get a hunting license first, which includes practical exams in shooting, aniumal dissection, but also theoretical exams in animal anatomy (in order to know where to hit them in order to immediately die instead of slowly bleed to death) and animal behavior, weapons expertise and many more ... with other words, in germany you cannot just grab a weapon, shoot animals and then call yourself "hunter")

We have similar rules in Canada. To keep your license you renew it just like your driving license.

[Ben Kenobi]

That you have no ****ing clue about operating in a close combat situation where you're under fire and some ******* stitches you from your ******* to your cranium (in your case, a single round would do the trick) while you play out "this is my rifle, this is my gun" in your attempt to be the hero that would save the day. I know you like to play word games and be a disingenous little ****, but this is all in reference to your bull**** about how if everyone was packing everywhere, all the time, life would be ****ing kum-ba-ya.

I've been assaulted, what, 3 times now. And had a break-in with a guy with a crowbar. Would have been nice to have a gun for that break-in, and I've generally kept one since then. Thankfully I haven't had to pull it out to shoot it and I hope I never do.

That you mock "defenseless birds" tells me pretty much everything I needed to know about you being a city slicker. I'm not sure on what planet using the words "defenseless animals" has anything to do with "mocking" defenseless birds, but if you think duck blasting ducks with a shotgun gives you the slightest clue about handling a shooter in a MOUT setting, then you're even more stupid than you sound. Maybe you wouldn't be the sniveling ***** under the table. Maybe you'd be Cowboy Bob and hose a couple of bystanders before the real shooter put you out of your misery. The fact remains, you're an ignorant ****up with an ignorantly over-inflated sense of capability, and people like you in any type of real shooting situation would be a colossal ****up.

Again, yer a city slicker. Try it sometime. I know city slickers are all contemptuous about hunting because it's not a fair fight. Hey if it were easy city slickers would be doing it rather than banning people from doing it. I do live not far from a range, MtG. The biggest thing you can do to prepare for that situation is to be familiar with what you're firing, actually go out and practice from time to time and keep your weapon in good condition.

If I can hit clay pigeons at 100 yards, pretty damn sure I can hit someone at 30.

How many of your targets ever had the theoretical ability to shoot back? or shot first? I'm sure you have some great stories about how you finally got Daffy Duck. Maybe we can call you Elmer Fudd now, although I hesitate to insult a cartoon character.

I'd be better off carrying a knife to a gun fight? I can see *that* one working well. Thankfully, none so far, and I've not had to fire to protect myself though I've had a few close shaves.

[Newflash]

[QUOTE=Ben Kenobi;

If I can hit clay pigeons at 100 yards, pretty damn sure I can hit someone at 30.


[/QUOTE]

I had to re-register from the forum ****ups just to call you out on this bull****.

[SlowwHand]

That's was less than time well-spent.

[Ben Kenobi]

I had to re-register from the forum ****ups just to call you out on this bull****.