homepage
  roll on christmas  
click here to find out more about ship of fools click here to sign up for the ship of fools newsletter click here to support ship of fools
community the mystery worshipper gadgets for god caption competition foolishness features ship stuff
discussion boards live chat cafe avatars frequently-asked questions the ten commandments gallery private boards register for the boards
 
Ship of Fools


Post new thread  Post a reply
My profile login | | Directory | Search | FAQs | Board home
   - Printer-friendly view Next oldest thread   Next newest thread
» Ship of Fools   » Community discussion   » Purgatory   » Evan (Page 1)

 - Email this page to a friend or enemy.  
Pages in this thread: 1  2 
 
Source: (consider it) Thread: Evan
Gramps49
Shipmate
# 16378

 - Posted      Profile for Gramps49   Email Gramps49   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
This video has gone viral. It looks like a cute love story, but watch again.

This is mostly for American audiences. I would hope it generates a good discussion among youth and parents and other adults.

Reactions are welcomed.

Posts: 2193 | From: Pullman WA | Registered: Apr 2011  |  IP: Logged
anoesis
Shipmate
# 14189

 - Posted      Profile for anoesis   Email anoesis   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
[disclaimer] I'm not American.

I didn't notice anything strange, either.

I'm conflicted over the message. I can see what they're getting at, but on the other hand, I suspect a lot of weird teenagers do and say weird stuff without it ever going anywhere. If everyone is 'looking out for the signs', these weird kids may end up getting even more persecuted than they already are (and they are). Just because everyone in set A engages in X behaviour, doesn't mean everyone who engages in X behaviour is in set A. (this last bit of bobbery here is an attempt to avoid spoilers).

--------------------
The history of humanity give one little hope that strength left to its own devices won't be abused. Indeed, it gives one little ground to think that strength would continue to exist if it were not abused. -- Dafyd --

Posts: 993 | From: New Zealand | Registered: Oct 2008  |  IP: Logged
Eutychus
From the edge
# 3081

 - Posted      Profile for Eutychus   Author's homepage     Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
quote:
Originally posted by anoesis:
Just because everyone in set A engages in X behaviour, doesn't mean everyone who engages in X behaviour is in set A.

So much this (see also: "radicalisation").

--------------------
Let's remember that we are to build the Kingdom of God, not drive people away - pastor Frank Pomeroy

Posts: 17944 | From: 528491 | Registered: Jul 2002  |  IP: Logged
Boogie

Boogie on down!
# 13538

 - Posted      Profile for Boogie     Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
Yep. The loner in the background, never interacting, making shooting signs etc.

But many kids are loners, especially those with ASD. They find social interactions somewhat overwhelming and use earphones and smartphones/tablets etc as a coping strategy. It's not weird, plenty of us are 'differently wired'.

There was little to spot about the kid (except the 'shooting' signs with his fingers)

The fact that the dangerous kids have access to guns is the real issue. Remove the guns and you could still have a psychopath on the rampage, but the damage they can do is far, far less.

[ 05. December 2016, 06:49: Message edited by: Boogie ]

--------------------
Garden. Room. Walk

Posts: 13030 | From: Boogie Wonderland | Registered: Mar 2008  |  IP: Logged
North East Quine

Curious beastie
# 13049

 - Posted      Profile for North East Quine   Email North East Quine   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
At 0.49, the loner is being bullied - someone knocks his headphones to the floor and looks as though they are speaking aggressively to him. Is there a suggestion that people should be more aware of bullying, too?

And what Boogie said; if the bullied loner didn't have access to guns, he could not take a gun to school.

Posts: 6414 | From: North East Scotland | Registered: Oct 2007  |  IP: Logged
Tobias
Shipmate
# 18613

 - Posted      Profile for Tobias     Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
I thought that the mystery person adding to the inscriptions on the desk would turn out to be Tom Riddle.

--------------------
Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit.

Posts: 269 | From: Terra Australis Incognita | Registered: Jul 2016  |  IP: Logged
mr cheesy
Shipmate
# 3330

 - Posted      Profile for mr cheesy   Email mr cheesy   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
I saw the odd pic as he was scrolling through his facebook feed (or whatever) on his tablet, but didn't see any of the others.

But then I'm thinking that I'm probably unlikely to notice a bunch of people writing on the desk either unless it was right in front of me. If the focus had been on the other kid rather than the one writing on the desk, I doubt we'd have noticed much about him.

To me this is a much deeper problem even than just the availability of guns - if someone really wants to commit mass murder, they're going to plan to do that in any way that they can. If they can't do it with guns, they'll do it with knives and if not knives something else.

Whilst gun control is important, the more important thing is to be focussing a bit more on why it is that in our societies these things happen so often.

On some level I think that must be related to the nihilistic nature of large parts of our culture; in the past kids took drugs to get away from the nonsense, today some seem to be wanting to get infamy by blowing themselves away in the most digusting way possible.

--------------------
arse

Posts: 10697 | Registered: Sep 2002  |  IP: Logged
mr cheesy
Shipmate
# 3330

 - Posted      Profile for mr cheesy   Email mr cheesy   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
quote:
Originally posted by Tobias:
I thought that the mystery person adding to the inscriptions on the desk would turn out to be Tom Riddle.

I also had that feeling of foreboding and was wondering whether this was going to be some kind of law enforcement effort to find the Zodiac killer.

--------------------
arse

Posts: 10697 | Registered: Sep 2002  |  IP: Logged
Eutychus
From the edge
# 3081

 - Posted      Profile for Eutychus   Author's homepage     Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
As posted above echoing anoesis, I think the thing that should be causing the most concern here is the idea that all potential mass murderers/terrorists/criminals can be accurately identified by extrapolating the characteristics of a given mass murderer/terrorist/criminal to everyone who resembles them - and potentially, locking all those people up as a precaution.

I find this far scarier than any individual mass murderer/terrorist/criminal.

--------------------
Let's remember that we are to build the Kingdom of God, not drive people away - pastor Frank Pomeroy

Posts: 17944 | From: 528491 | Registered: Jul 2002  |  IP: Logged
North East Quine

Curious beastie
# 13049

 - Posted      Profile for North East Quine   Email North East Quine   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
Yes, especially as one of the characteristics appears to be "victim of bullies."
Posts: 6414 | From: North East Scotland | Registered: Oct 2007  |  IP: Logged
Karl: Liberal Backslider
Shipmate
# 76

 - Posted      Profile for Karl: Liberal Backslider   Author's homepage   Email Karl: Liberal Backslider   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
Indeed. Just what those who find social integration that little bit harder than others need - to be labelled as potential multiple murderer.

Way to go.

--------------------
Might as well ask the bloody cat.

Posts: 17938 | From: Chesterfield | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
Golden Key
Shipmate
# 1468

 - Posted      Profile for Golden Key   Author's homepage     Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
Interesting story, from a couple of days ago: Utah parents showed up at school, just in time to take guns away from their son, who had just shot a hole in the classroom ceiling. It's not clear what, if anything, he'd planned. But the father had an odd conversation with the kid that morning, and the mother's intuition was firing up, and their guns were missing--so they played it safe and went to school to find their kid.

No one was injured.

--------------------
Blessed Gator, pray for us!
--"Oh bat bladders, do you have to bring common sense into this?" (Dragon, "Jane & the Dragon")
--"Oh, Peace Train, save this country!" (Yusuf/Cat Stevens, "Peace Train")

Posts: 18601 | From: Chilling out in an undisclosed, sincere pumpkin patch. | Registered: Oct 2001  |  IP: Logged
mr cheesy
Shipmate
# 3330

 - Posted      Profile for mr cheesy   Email mr cheesy   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
I was also just contemplating something of a mismatch between the apparent reality of many of the school shootings (which appear to be mostly white boys) and the political language of our times - which seems to suggest that those to fear are people of colour.

We seem to have shooting incidents much less in Europe than in North America, but the pattern seems similar: I don't remember reading about an incident that wasn't involving a white boy.

I fear that these kinds of campaigns only stoke the fear of "the other", which almost always seems to end up being (perversely) fear of black and minority ethnic people.

--------------------
arse

Posts: 10697 | Registered: Sep 2002  |  IP: Logged
North East Quine

Curious beastie
# 13049

 - Posted      Profile for North East Quine   Email North East Quine   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
Originally posted by mr cheesy:

quote:
We seem to have shooting incidents much less in Europe than in North America
We don't just "seem to" have less, we do have less. The last school shooting in the UK was in 1996. I'm not aware of any school shootings in which children were killed in Europe since then.

[ 05. December 2016, 09:46: Message edited by: North East Quine ]

Posts: 6414 | From: North East Scotland | Registered: Oct 2007  |  IP: Logged
Jack the Lass

Ship's airhead
# 3415

 - Posted      Profile for Jack the Lass   Author's homepage   Email Jack the Lass   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
The last school shooting in the UK was in 1996. I'm not aware of any school shootings in which children were killed in Europe since then.

There have been a few, but they are very few and far between - wikipedia

--------------------
"My body is a temple - it's big and doesn't move." (Jo Brand)
wiblog blipfoto blog

Posts: 5767 | From: the land of the deep-fried Mars Bar | Registered: Oct 2002  |  IP: Logged
North East Quine

Curious beastie
# 13049

 - Posted      Profile for North East Quine   Email North East Quine   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
Correction - 1996 was the last primary school shooting in Europe. There have been seven secondary school shootings in Europe since then.

(cross posted with Jack the Lass)

[ 05. December 2016, 09:59: Message edited by: North East Quine ]

Posts: 6414 | From: North East Scotland | Registered: Oct 2007  |  IP: Logged
mr cheesy
Shipmate
# 3330

 - Posted      Profile for mr cheesy   Email mr cheesy   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
quote:
Originally posted by North East Quine:
We don't just "seem to" have less, we do have less. The last school shooting in the UK was in 1996. I'm not aware of any school shootings in which children were killed in Europe since then.

There have been several recent school stabbings, including one in Aberdeen if I recall correctly. And the horrendous 2011 Brevik attacks seem to have a lot of similarities to various North American school shootings (albeit, of course, not actually in a school).

--------------------
arse

Posts: 10697 | Registered: Sep 2002  |  IP: Logged
Marvin the Martian

Interplanetary
# 4360

 - Posted      Profile for Marvin the Martian     Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
quote:
Originally posted by mr cheesy:
To me this is a much deeper problem even than just the availability of guns - if someone really wants to commit mass murder, they're going to plan to do that in any way that they can. If they can't do it with guns, they'll do it with knives and if not knives something else.

That's rubbish. Not that they'll try, but the implication that they'll have a reasonably similar chance of success.

It is surprisingly hard to kill someone with a knife. Using a knife means you have to get within arm's reach of the victim, so if they're running away you have to have to be fast enough to catch up. You have to stab them hard enough to get through their ribcage/skull, but not so hard that you break your blade (because if you do then you can't use it any more) - and that's assuming you brought a blade that's long enough to hit a vital organ in the first place. Furthermore, knife wounds are generally much cleaner and therefore much more survivable than gunshot wounds, so multiple stabs are needed to confirm the kill.

And that's just for one kill. The odds that everyone else will be standing meekly around waiting for you to finish so that you can attack them next are pretty slim.

Contrast to a gun, with which you can mow down a dozen people in one burst of automatic fire without having to get anywhere near them or expend any effort other than a tightening of your index finger.

I agree with you that guns aren't the reason why so many people try to commit mass murder. But they are the reason why so many succeed.

--------------------
Hail Gallaxhar

Posts: 30100 | From: Adrift on a sea of surreality | Registered: Apr 2003  |  IP: Logged
North East Quine

Curious beastie
# 13049

 - Posted      Profile for North East Quine   Email North East Quine   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
Yes, there was a fatal school stabbing in Aberdeen last year.

The video featured refers specifically to shootings, although I suppose it could apply to any school violence. One difference is that there are more potential victims if someone is armed with a gun.

Posts: 6414 | From: North East Scotland | Registered: Oct 2007  |  IP: Logged
mr cheesy
Shipmate
# 3330

 - Posted      Profile for mr cheesy   Email mr cheesy   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
quote:
Originally posted by Marvin the Martian:

I agree with you that guns aren't the reason why so many people try to commit mass murder. But they are the reason why so many succeed.

There are at least two possible explanations for the number of massacres in the USA; you seem to be putting most weight on the availability of guns, my inclination is to believe that it is something more than that.

I would concede that the availability is likely a strong contributing factor but I'd also suggest that it is possible to cause a massacre with things other than guns. These are obviously not all from North America or Europe, but massacres have happened in schools with knives (one murderer in Japan killed 8), with bombs or explosives (Kenya, Bath School USA etc), flamethrower (Germany) and so on.

There would appear to be various ways to cause mass casualties in schools (and elsewhere) in Europe even without the gun availability of the USA. So why hasn't it happened as often (apparently) as in the USA? Is it simply about guns?

--------------------
arse

Posts: 10697 | Registered: Sep 2002  |  IP: Logged
Karl: Liberal Backslider
Shipmate
# 76

 - Posted      Profile for Karl: Liberal Backslider   Author's homepage   Email Karl: Liberal Backslider   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
Think how many US films have as a central theme solving problems with a gun. It seems to be woven deep into the psyche. I think it's what they call the Myth of Redemptive Violence.

--------------------
Might as well ask the bloody cat.

Posts: 17938 | From: Chesterfield | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
Marvin the Martian

Interplanetary
# 4360

 - Posted      Profile for Marvin the Martian     Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
quote:
Originally posted by mr cheesy:
There would appear to be various ways to cause mass casualties in schools (and elsewhere) in Europe even without the gun availability of the USA. So why hasn't it happened as often (apparently) as in the USA? Is it simply about guns?

I agree with what Karl said. But also, you're still looking at the numbers of people who have succeeded rather than those who have tried. And we don't know how many potential mass murderers in Europe have decided it's just too difficult and given up.

--------------------
Hail Gallaxhar

Posts: 30100 | From: Adrift on a sea of surreality | Registered: Apr 2003  |  IP: Logged
Penny S
Shipmate
# 14768

 - Posted      Profile for Penny S     Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
I'm wondering just what the school in the film is supposed to be doing about the odd one out. Report him to some sort of safeguarding member of staff? Or treat him with more respect, earlier, much earlier? Be excellent to each other, dudes?

My friend had a believed to be close friend who was an avid reader of 'Guns and Ammo'. He has become a 'born again' Christian of some sort which has resulted in his cutting off contact with his family and friends completely, moving to a different part of the country. No guns, though. Should he have been reported to the PTB?

[ 05. December 2016, 14:08: Message edited by: Penny S ]

Posts: 5833 | Registered: May 2009  |  IP: Logged
Boogie

Boogie on down!
# 13538

 - Posted      Profile for Boogie     Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
quote:
Originally posted by Marvin the Martian:
quote:
Originally posted by mr cheesy:
There would appear to be various ways to cause mass casualties in schools (and elsewhere) in Europe even without the gun availability of the USA. So why hasn't it happened as often (apparently) as in the USA? Is it simply about guns?

I agree with what Karl said. But also, you're still looking at the numbers of people who have succeeded rather than those who have tried. And we don't know how many potential mass murderers in Europe have decided it's just too difficult and given up.
Or not looked into other ways as they don't look 'cool'?

--------------------
Garden. Room. Walk

Posts: 13030 | From: Boogie Wonderland | Registered: Mar 2008  |  IP: Logged
Gramps49
Shipmate
# 16378

 - Posted      Profile for Gramps49   Email Gramps49   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
The first time I saw Evan going through his Instagram pictures I noticed the kid with the gun but he just went past it---like he knew the kid was just doing his thing.

Fortunately, many times when kids begin posting such pictures someone will likely report them but a few do get through.

I do wonder how youth will react when they see this video. Will they mention they know of kids like this? What do they do about such individuals?

I think it is not so much about assuming all kids who are loners are dangerous (I was a loner--still am in many ways). But I do think it does suggest the faculty and staff should pay extra attention to such people to see if they are all right.

Posts: 2193 | From: Pullman WA | Registered: Apr 2011  |  IP: Logged
North East Quine

Curious beastie
# 13049

 - Posted      Profile for North East Quine   Email North East Quine   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
quote:
I do wonder how youth will react when they see this video.
I ran it past my son, and his first thought was that it was made by the NRA, because it suggests that the loner is the problem, rather than the loner having access to a gun being the problem.
Posts: 6414 | From: North East Scotland | Registered: Oct 2007  |  IP: Logged
Gramps49
Shipmate
# 16378

 - Posted      Profile for Gramps49   Email Gramps49   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
As has been pointed out be some European posters, there have been similar instances in Europe, not necessarily with guns.

However, I would suggest that the loner is not the problem, but rather ignoring the loner is the problem.

Posts: 2193 | From: Pullman WA | Registered: Apr 2011  |  IP: Logged
Penny S
Shipmate
# 14768

 - Posted      Profile for Penny S     Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
There are some response videos from young people which do not seem all that impressed.
Posts: 5833 | Registered: May 2009  |  IP: Logged
Penny S
Shipmate
# 14768

 - Posted      Profile for Penny S     Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
Though some of the comments are from people claiming a) Sandy Hook didn't happen, and/or b) It's a conspiracy by people who want gun control.

b) is probably true in some sense, but the commentors see that as a very bad thing. It's nothing to do with guns, guys.

Posts: 5833 | Registered: May 2009  |  IP: Logged
Mili

Shipmate
# 3254

 - Posted      Profile for Mili   Email Mili   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
I didn't really get the point of the video until reading why it was made. Apparently it is supposed to help teens and make them less afraid by empowering them to look out for signs someone in their school might be at risk of killing others with a gun. Doesn't this just put the onus on possible victims rather than on adults in the school or parents or potential shooters themselves who might not realise there is help out there?

I have read of cases where school shootings were stopped by other children letting adults know that someone was planning on bringing a weapon to school or had told them about a plot they were making. But in these cases the children were friends of the plotter or at least acquaintances that the potential murderer felt comfortable talking to. It's unlikely kids from other social groups would have enough information to know if someone was plotting mass murder.

Even in Australia,where guns are not such a big part of the culture, there are children obsessed with violence and guns, but most of them never commit violent crimes. If they do, they are more likely to join a gang or bikie gang etc, rather than become a lone shooter. So it's not always easy to spot the difference between a potential violent criminal and a child who just likes guns or is going through stuff in their life that draws them to violent imagery and stories.

Posts: 1015 | From: Melbourne, Australia | Registered: Aug 2002  |  IP: Logged
Beeswax Altar
Shipmate
# 11644

 - Posted      Profile for Beeswax Altar   Email Beeswax Altar   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
quote:
originally posted by Mili:
Apparently it is supposed to help teens and make them less afraid by empowering them to look out for signs someone in their school might be at risk of killing others with a gun.

Make them less afraid, huh?

Do you know how many boys in my high school were loners fascinated by guns?

I'd guess about 20%.

--------------------
Losing sleep is something you want to avoid, if possible.
-Og: King of Bashan

Posts: 8411 | From: By a large lake | Registered: Jul 2006  |  IP: Logged
Enoch
Shipmate
# 14322

 - Posted      Profile for Enoch   Email Enoch   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
What I find disturbing about that video is something quite different. Underlying it is an unspoken assumption that it is somehow the decent, normal youngsters that are guilty because they haven't spotted the signs that among them is murderous psychopath. There doesn't seem to be any sense that the murderous psychopath might have any responsibility for his own actions, might be expected to control himself. He's treated as having no more agency than a dangerous hazard, something like a rabid dog, a rattlesnake or the San Andreas Fault.

--------------------
Brexit wrexit - Sir Graham Watson

Posts: 7610 | From: Bristol UK(was European Green Capital 2015, now Ljubljana) | Registered: Nov 2008  |  IP: Logged
rolyn
Shipmate
# 16840

 - Posted      Profile for rolyn         Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
quote:
Originally posted by Beeswax Altar:
Do you know how many boys in my high school were loners fascinated by guns?

I'd guess about 20%.

....and I assume there wasn't a shooting at your school.

So here is the thing, take that 20% over the whole school population of the US and then throw in the lottery ball factor an actual shooter appearing out of that number. That gives the problem with which America is burdened. A far greater probability rating than any other developed Country so that one shooter incubates another and another and so on and so on.

--------------------
Change is the only certainty of existence

Posts: 3206 | From: U.K. | Registered: Dec 2011  |  IP: Logged
Gramps49
Shipmate
# 16378

 - Posted      Profile for Gramps49   Email Gramps49   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
Going backwards in the movie. As Evan walks to the library, two bullies rough up the loner.

That happened once when I was walking down the hall and big kid--one of the tackles on our football team, actually, tried to rough up a smaller kid. I intervened and practically got beat up for it if a janitor had not also intervened.

Then there is the girl who tried to talk to the loner, but he just shut her down, by putting on his headphones. She walked away. She should have mentioned it to a staff member.

Posts: 2193 | From: Pullman WA | Registered: Apr 2011  |  IP: Logged
Gramps49
Shipmate
# 16378

 - Posted      Profile for Gramps49   Email Gramps49   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
Going backwards in the movie. As Evan walks to the library, two bullies rough up the loner.

That happened once when I was walking down the hall and big kid--one of the tackles on our football team, actually, tried to rough up a smaller kid. I intervened and practically got beat up for it if a janitor had not also intervened.

Then there is the girl who tried to talk to the loner, but he just shut her down, by putting on his headphones. She walked away. She should have mentioned it to a staff member.

Then there is the time Evan is making contact with a girl beside him while the loner is pantomiming shooting a gun at the back of a teacher. There is no indication no one saw that action.

When Evan looks through his Instagram pictures and he sees the loner pointing a gun at him through the camera. This is definitely a warning sign.

And while Evan is writing on the library desk we find the loner openly viewing a violent video on a library computer. Now, if somone had seen this, it should have been reported.

Does it empower youth? It certainly tells them to be aware of their surroundings and do something about it if something--or someone--appears a little off.

Posts: 2193 | From: Pullman WA | Registered: Apr 2011  |  IP: Logged
Gwai
Host
# 11076

 - Posted      Profile for Gwai   Email Gwai   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
I dated that guy, the loner who was obsessed with guns and somewhat angry. He grew up, got a scholarship to a bible college, and as far as I know is having a perfectly good life. He certainly didn't become a mass murderer.

Americans certainly are eager to find any solution to gun violence besides the obvious aren't we.

--------------------
A master of men was the Goodly Fere,
A mate of the wind and sea.
If they think they ha’ slain our Goodly Fere
They are fools eternally.


Posts: 11914 | From: Chicago | Registered: Feb 2006  |  IP: Logged
Leorning Cniht
Shipmate
# 17564

 - Posted      Profile for Leorning Cniht   Email Leorning Cniht   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
quote:
Originally posted by mr cheesy:

There would appear to be various ways to cause mass casualties in schools (and elsewhere) in Europe even without the gun availability of the USA. So why hasn't it happened as often (apparently) as in the USA? Is it simply about guns?

Guns are cool. Guns are powerful. Video game characters wield guns and blow away bad guys. Movie heroes wield guns and blow away bad guys. Guns are personal, without requiring skill or risk on the part of the attacker when faced with unarmed prey.

Yes, you can build a bomb and kill a lot of people - but you can't stare them in the face while you're doing it. You can drive a truck into a crowd of people, but there's no sense of power - of deciding whether an individual lives of dies.

There is something about guns that's different from just wanting an efficient way of making dead people.

quote:
Originally posted by Gramps49:

Then there is the girl who tried to talk to the loner, but he just shut her down, by putting on his headphones. She walked away. She should have mentioned it to a staff member.

"Please, Mrs. Smith, Johnny ignored me." Maybe Johnny wants some quiet time. (Imagine that - quiet time in a library?!). Maybe Johnny just wants you to sod off and leave him alone. The last thing I want when I'm trying to concentrate on something (not, I would have thought, an uncommon activity in a library) is someone trying to strike up a conversation with me.
Posts: 5026 | From: USA | Registered: Feb 2013  |  IP: Logged
North East Quine

Curious beastie
# 13049

 - Posted      Profile for North East Quine   Email North East Quine   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
Originally posted by Gramps49:

quote:
Then there is the girl who tried to talk to the loner, but he just shut her down, by putting on his headphones. She walked away. She should have mentioned it to a staff member.

Given that most (all?) shooters are male, is it just boys who rebuff girls who should be mentioned to staff members, or are girls who rebuff approaches made by boys to be "mentioned to staff" too?
Posts: 6414 | From: North East Scotland | Registered: Oct 2007  |  IP: Logged
Twilight

Puddleglum's sister
# 2832

 - Posted      Profile for Twilight     Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
I'm so old I thought this was going to be like the Coronet Instructional Films I watched in school. This one would have been all about why we shouldn't damage school property.
Posts: 6817 | Registered: May 2002  |  IP: Logged
Penny S
Shipmate
# 14768

 - Posted      Profile for Penny S     Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
If someone is using the school's internet connection to access gun related material, that shouldn't happen, in the first place, but, if they have found a work round, it should be flagged up wherever IT maintenance is based so that a) it is stopped, and b) the log on of the user is identified and they are investigated. But I would be surprised if that isn't being done anyway. Though possibly not in Texas - one comment under a reaction posting was about a school enforcing open carry on campus. (Not sure if that meant that all students had to do it!)

[ 06. December 2016, 13:34: Message edited by: Penny S ]

Posts: 5833 | Registered: May 2009  |  IP: Logged
Beeswax Altar
Shipmate
# 11644

 - Posted      Profile for Beeswax Altar   Email Beeswax Altar   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
What's wrong with accessing information on guns from school?

--------------------
Losing sleep is something you want to avoid, if possible.
-Og: King of Bashan

Posts: 8411 | From: By a large lake | Registered: Jul 2006  |  IP: Logged
HCH
Shipmate
# 14313

 - Posted      Profile for HCH   Email HCH   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
It does not seem practical to flag or prohibit all web searches relating to guns in a high school. I can imagine the debate team researching something like "Why the south lost the Civil War" and finding material about cannon factories and homemade gunpowder and Minie balls.
Posts: 1540 | From: Illinois, USA | Registered: Nov 2008  |  IP: Logged
Kaplan Corday
Shipmate
# 16119

 - Posted      Profile for Kaplan Corday         Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
quote:
Originally posted by mr cheesy:
Whilst gun control is important, the more important thing is to be focussing a bit more on why it is that in our societies these things happen so often.

On some level I think that must be related to the nihilistic nature of large parts of our culture

Precisely.

The modern era of indiscriminate mass shootings by disaffected loners began fifty years ago this year with the murder of 18 victims at Texas University.

However, guns have always been freely available in the US.

Semi-automatics are now more prevalent than in the past, but ex-WWII Garrand semi-automatics were around for twenty years before 1966, and anyway, anyone with a bolt-action, some spare full magazines and a bit of practice could shoot an awful lot of people without needing a semi-automatic.

Even in the UK it was possible in the first half of the twentieth century to buy pistols over the counter.

Here in Australia, too, it was far easier to acquire firearms long before the notorious massacres of the late twentieth century (such as Hoddle Street, in which my brother-in-law's brother was killed).

Gun control is now necessary, but it was not availability of guns, but deeper cultural factors, which kicked off the whole phenomenon.

Posts: 3355 | Registered: Jan 2011  |  IP: Logged
Leorning Cniht
Shipmate
# 17564

 - Posted      Profile for Leorning Cniht   Email Leorning Cniht   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
quote:
Originally posted by Beeswax Altar:
What's wrong with accessing information on guns from school?

I know a school class that built crossbows as a school project. Including blacksmithing, IIRC.
Posts: 5026 | From: USA | Registered: Feb 2013  |  IP: Logged
Penny S
Shipmate
# 14768

 - Posted      Profile for Penny S     Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
OK, but I was thinking about the Guns and Ammo types of sites, and people selling the things. And that looked like the sort of the site the boy was accessing, not historical weaponry.

There should, I feel, be controls on accessing sites such as those used by Anders Breivik, and the jihadists. That isn't what school IT is for, is it?

If it should happen that a project should be studying a topic that might need access to otherwise dubious sites, presumably that could be arranged for particular students.

Posts: 5833 | Registered: May 2009  |  IP: Logged
Golden Key
Shipmate
# 1468

 - Posted      Profile for Golden Key   Author's homepage     Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
Gramps--

quote:
Originally posted by Gramps49:
Then there is the girl who tried to talk to the loner, but he just shut her down, by putting on his headphones. She walked away. She should have mentioned it to a staff member.

Then there is the time Evan is making contact with a girl beside him while the loner is pantomiming shooting a gun at the back of a teacher. There is no indication no one saw that action.

When Evan looks through his Instagram pictures and he sees the loner pointing a gun at him through the camera. This is definitely a warning sign.

And while Evan is writing on the library desk we find the loner openly viewing a violent video on a library computer. Now, if somone had seen this, it should have been reported.

Does it empower youth? It certainly tells them to be aware of their surroundings and do something about it if something--or someone--appears a little off.

I haven't watched the film, because it would be too painful.

But, based on what you said, Gramps, I have some questions:

--The girl is supposed to report the boy for putting on headphones and not listening to her? Wow. What if he simply doesn't like her, or he's thinking about homework, or just needs some peace, or she wants to date him but he's not interested?

--Pantomiming shooting a gun at a teacher? That *could* be a sign of a problem. It could also be a kid blowing off steam in a rather stupid way.

--Pointing a gun through a camera on Instagram? Is this a real gun, or a pantomimed one? If it's real, then yes, likely a warning sign. If pantomimed, then see above.

--Violent video? I don't know what it was like, but watching one doesn't necessarily mean the viewer is thinking seriously of doing something. If it's about some guy, beaten down by life, going around to solve things with fire power, and he's watching it obsessively, that might well be a warning sign. But not *necessarily*, IMHO.

--Watching for someone who's "a little off"??? An awful lot of kids are a little off, in some way, at some time. Especially in high school. Maybe they simply don't fit, socially. Maybe they're in a disrepected school social caste. Or they're very smart/or not. Maybe they're depressed, lost, hormonal, etc. Maybe it's the other kids who are a problem. Maybe the school should find a good way to deal with bullying, and use it.

The "Dead Zone" had a good episode called "Cycle of Violence", wherein Johnny, a real psychic, sensed a kid was going to do violence at school--but he didn't know which kid, and had to figure it out. Very difficult to do, with grave consequences all around if he chose the wrong kid. Thought provoking.

I know it's important to get kids help before they resort to violence...but there's high danger of targeting a kid who isn't going to act out that way.

--------------------
Blessed Gator, pray for us!
--"Oh bat bladders, do you have to bring common sense into this?" (Dragon, "Jane & the Dragon")
--"Oh, Peace Train, save this country!" (Yusuf/Cat Stevens, "Peace Train")

Posts: 18601 | From: Chilling out in an undisclosed, sincere pumpkin patch. | Registered: Oct 2001  |  IP: Logged
North East Quine

Curious beastie
# 13049

 - Posted      Profile for North East Quine   Email North East Quine   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
quote:
Originally posted by Golden Key:
Interesting story, from a couple of days ago: Utah parents showed up at school, just in time to take guns away from their son, who had just shot a hole in the classroom ceiling. It's not clear what, if anything, he'd planned. But the father had an odd conversation with the kid that morning, and the mother's intuition was firing up, and their guns were missing--so they played it safe and went to school to find their kid.

No one was injured.

Golden Key, what happened next? Here the law states that guns have to be kept in a locked gun safe, orotherwise secured. The fact that the son could access guns would be proof here that the parents had broken the law. At a minimum they would have their licence revoked, have to forfeit their guns, and be banned from owning guns in the future. They could also end up with a criminal conviction. If either parent had a job which would be affected by a criminal conviction, the ramifications could be extensive. It would, I think, prevent either parent from getting a PVG certificate (protection of vulnerable groups).PVG certification is needed for eg church youth work, involvement in youth organisations etc. If there were younger children in the home, then there would be social services involvement.

Basically if that happened here, the parents could be facing a perfect storm of consequences involving their family, their careers and their social standing.

Not to mention that the boy himself would be at a minimum suspended from school, but more probably expelled and would end up before a children's panel.

Posts: 6414 | From: North East Scotland | Registered: Oct 2007  |  IP: Logged
Golden Key
Shipmate
# 1468

 - Posted      Profile for Golden Key   Author's homepage     Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
NEQ--

Haven't had a chance to follow up on the story. But you could do a search on something like "Utah school gun parents ceiling"--and let us know.

I suspect most of the other things you mentioned wouldn't apply. But I know nothing of Utah's gun laws.

--------------------
Blessed Gator, pray for us!
--"Oh bat bladders, do you have to bring common sense into this?" (Dragon, "Jane & the Dragon")
--"Oh, Peace Train, save this country!" (Yusuf/Cat Stevens, "Peace Train")

Posts: 18601 | From: Chilling out in an undisclosed, sincere pumpkin patch. | Registered: Oct 2001  |  IP: Logged
Gee D
Shipmate
# 13815

 - Posted      Profile for Gee D     Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
NEQ, much the same here except that you have to go through a pretty rigorous process in the first instance to obtain a licence to have a gun of any sort.

--------------------
Not every Anglican in Sydney is Sydney Anglican

Posts: 7028 | From: Warrawee NSW Australia | Registered: Jun 2008  |  IP: Logged
mr cheesy
Shipmate
# 3330

 - Posted      Profile for mr cheesy   Email mr cheesy   Send new private message       Edit/delete post   Reply with quote 
quote:
Originally posted by Golden Key:
I haven't watched the film, because it would be too painful.

I understand, but it is a bit difficult to engage with what you are saying if you haven't seen the thing we're discussing.

quote:
But, based on what you said, Gramps, I have some questions:

--The girl is supposed to report the boy for putting on headphones and not listening to her? Wow. What if he simply doesn't like her, or he's thinking about homework, or just needs some peace, or she wants to date him but he's not interested?

--Pantomiming shooting a gun at a teacher? That *could* be a sign of a problem. It could also be a kid blowing off steam in a rather stupid way.

--Pointing a gun through a camera on Instagram? Is this a real gun, or a pantomimed one? If it's real, then yes, likely a warning sign. If pantomimed, then see above.

I don't know, I think the video isn't saying so much "if you see any of these things maybe there is a problem you need to do something about" as much as "there was a massacre, there were signs but nobody noticed". Personally, I didn't think anything was totally beyond the pail and probably wouldn't have reported any of these things in isolation. Sure the boy was doing some pretty daft things, but I've seen worse standing on the bus stop.

I suppose it becomes more of a tangible threat taken together, but even then I wonder whether anyone was really in a position to notice all of these things (and, let's be honest, this video isn't intended to be analysed deeply, it is simply making a point).

quote:
--Violent video? I don't know what it was like, but watching one doesn't necessarily mean the viewer is thinking seriously of doing something. If it's about some guy, beaten down by life, going around to solve things with fire power, and he's watching it obsessively, that might well be a warning sign. But not *necessarily*, IMHO.
It's a split second, we can't really tell what the video is that he was watching, it was just something on his youtube. Is it really more violent than Bourne or more explosive than Mythbusters? Who knows.

quote:
--Watching for someone who's "a little off"??? An awful lot of kids are a little off, in some way, at some time. Especially in high school. Maybe they simply don't fit, socially. Maybe they're in a disrepected school social caste. Or they're very smart/or not. Maybe they're depressed, lost, hormonal, etc. Maybe it's the other kids who are a problem. Maybe the school should find a good way to deal with bullying, and use it.

The "Dead Zone" had a good episode called "Cycle of Violence", wherein Johnny, a real psychic, sensed a kid was going to do violence at school--but he didn't know which kid, and had to figure it out. Very difficult to do, with grave consequences all around if he chose the wrong kid. Thought provoking.

I know it's important to get kids help before they resort to violence...but there's high danger of targeting a kid who isn't going to act out that way.

I suppose it depends what the upshod is of "someone noticing". I don't know what is supposed to happen, but I assume that there is some kind of escalator of action - so the kid doesn't suddenly find himself facing a crash squad of armed police because he's been watching mythbusters and jokingly pointed his finger at a teacher.

I agree that on the one hand there is a danger of kids being snitches on each other and causing totally unnecessary over-reaction. On the other hand, I suppose a general maybe we should be noticing a bit more what is going on around us isn't a totally unwelcome reminder.

--------------------
arse

Posts: 10697 | Registered: Sep 2002  |  IP: Logged



Pages in this thread: 1  2 
 
Post new thread  Post a reply Close thread   Feature thread   Move thread   Delete thread Next oldest thread   Next newest thread
 - Printer-friendly view
Go to:

Contact us | Ship of Fools | Privacy statement

© Ship of Fools 2016

Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM 6.5.0

 
follow ship of fools on twitter
buy your ship of fools postcards
sip of fools mugs from your favourite nautical website
 
 
  ship of fools