Teens kill Australian baseball player for fun

[Teelie]

I've seen that claim made but unsubstantiated. I also saw one was white but then it was countered he was "mixed" and I quit reading the comments once it becamse obvious it was turning into racism.

 

[terry78]

Unbiased discussions about race and politics is nigh impossible in these parts. Somebody always got an axe to grind.

 

[Destructus86]

Where did you hear they were black?

Saw pictures. Three black kids. Mid teens.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/th...-lane-identified/story-fni0fiyv-1226700172461

 

[Teelie]

It was on CNN's news report so naturally a lot of biased comments were being made because for some reason people enjoy reading news sites they hate to bash them.

 

[Spider-X]

Gun control...

Once upon a time, in 1996, there was a mass shooting in Australia...so the Prime Minister decided to ban all semiautomatic and automatic rifles and shotguns. He also instituted a mandatory buy-back program for newly banned weapons. (Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/08/02/did-gun-control-work-in-australia/, and also: http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-april-25-2013/australia---gun-control-s-aftermath)

To this day there hasn't been a mass shooting in Australia and gun violence has plummeted. How sad it is that someone could come from there to the grand US of A and get meaninglessly gunned down when we've had so many mass shootings within the past several years...and our government has been unable to pass any meaningfully legislation to control them to a satisfactory degree given all the bloodshed.

It makes me sick to my stomach.

 

[NickNitro]

Saw pictures. Three black kids. Mid teens.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/th...-lane-identified/story-fni0fiyv-1226700172461

 

[Spider-X]

please god no

 

[terry78]

Condolences for the deceased obviously, but they will have a field day with this of course.

 

[Ultimatehero]

As said, is there any evidence at all saying most sociopaths want to kill because you're the only one I have ever heard this from. Not having empathy and wanting to kill are two completely different things. Its excusing their actions and society as a whole by going "oh, they're just mental let's move on now." Things can not get better with that kind of very limited view.

 

[Spider-X]

Condolences for the deceased obviously, but they will have a field day with this of course.

Imagine what it would be like to live in a country where the most responsible news organization wasn't on a TV station whose primary focus was comedy.

That would be pretty cool.

 

[Teelie]

Gun control...

Once upon a time, in 1996, there was a mass shooting in Australia...so the Prime Minister decided to ban all semiautomatic and automatic rifles and shotguns. He also instituted a mandatory buy-back program for newly banned weapons. (Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/08/02/did-gun-control-work-in-australia/, and also: http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-april-25-2013/australia---gun-control-s-aftermath)

To this day there hasn't been a mass shooting in Australia and gun violence has plummeted. How sad it is that someone could come from there to the grand US of A and get meaninglessly gunned down when we've had so many mass shootings within the past several years...and our government has been unable to pass any meaningfully legislation to control them to a satisfactory degree given all the bloodshed.

It makes me sick to my stomach.

And the United States and Australia are essentially the same place, right? There's absolutely no difference in the culture, the government, the society at all so we can easily translate one country's laws into another's.

Right.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Imagine what it would be like to live in a country where the most responsible news organization wasn't on a TV station whose primary focus was comedy.

That would be pretty cool.

Well, you could live in a country where the most responsible new organization is a TV station focussed on an occasionally entertaining show about a time travelling phone booth.

 

[Marvolo]

As said, is there any evidence at all saying most sociopaths want to kill because you're the only one I have ever heard this from. Not having empathy and wanting to kill are two completely different things. Its excusing their actions and society as a whole by going "oh, they're just mental let's move on now." Things can not get better with that kind of very limited view.

Sociopath doesn't mean you are going to become a killer. But many killers are sociopaths. Empathy is a powerful inhibitor. Someone lacking in it are usually going to turn their fantasies into reality. While their may and probably are other factors this case shows an extreme lack of empathy from the killers. This is just tragic regardless.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

And the United States and Australia are essentially the same place, right? There's absolutely no difference in the culture, the government, the society at all so we can easily translate one country's laws into another's.

Right.

I think you both have a point. Yeah, guns are a part of American culture. But Australia afaik only banned semi-automatic and automatic weapons. You don't need those to deer hunt. They can be banned and the second amendment can stay intact.

(although I didn't see any indication of what gun they used)

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

As said, is there any evidence at all saying most sociopaths want to kill because you're the only one I have ever heard this from. Not having empathy and wanting to kill are two completely different things. Its excusing their actions and society as a whole by going "oh, they're just mental let's move on now." Things can not get better with that kind of very limited view.

I'm convinced you don't read what others post. You just keep harping on the same point even when I basically say "yes I know most sociopaths don't kill."

So for the third time:

I'm not saying all sociopaths kill. Most don't for legal reasons and self-preservation.

See? I don't say most sociopaths kill. In fact, I say most don't.

And it's not excusing them because of mental reasons. I think sociopaths are by their very nature terrible people. Maybe they can't help that, but calling someone a sociopath is about the worst thing you can say to someone. This isn't the same as saying someone is bipolar or depressed or even schitzophrenic. This is not a mental state, but a state of being that shapes the person's actions, usually in extremely cruel and malicious ways.

 

[Marvolo]

I think you both have a point. Yeah, guns are a part of American culture. But Australia afaik only banned semi-automatic and automatic weapons. You don't need those to deer hunt. They can be banned and the second amendment can stay intact.

(although I didn't see any indication of what gun they used)

Couple important points:

All rifles and hand guns on the civillian market in the US are semi-auto. Semi auto means one shot per trigger pull. This includes everything from a Rueger .22LR pistol up to a .50 Barret Rifle. So if Australia banned all semi-auto guns they banned everything that is on the civilian market in the US which would be a violation of our 2nd amendment.

And the second amendment has nothing to do with whether the gun allows me to hunt. Its the right to bear arms for protection. (Yes I know about the well regulated militia bit).

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

The second amendment has nothing to do with whether the gun allows me to hunt. Its the right to bear arms for protection. (Yes I know about the well regulated militia bit). And all rifles and hand guns on the civillian market are semi-auto. Semi auto means one shot per trigger pull. So if Australia banned all semi-auto guns they banned everything that is on the civilian market in the US which would be a violation of our 2nd amendment.

I was just using "deer hunting" as a modern-day example of why someone might own a gun (along with home protection and target practice), not as the legal basis for the second amendment.

Excuse my error then about semi-automatics. Whatever gun shoots hundreds of rounds per minute. That should be banned.

 

[BestGirl]

To Marvolo: So just bring nonautomatic guns back on the market.

 

[Teelie]

I'm not against gun regulation (not the same as banning guns, gun nuts enthusiasts) but I'm also not so naive to think I can just cut and paste a law, culture and customs from one country into another and it magically work.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Well... so far in this thread, we've argued about nature vs nurture, gun control and stereotyping an entire people based on the actions of a few. What's next?

 

[BestGirl]

I'm not against gun regulation but I'm also not so naive to think I can just cut and paste a law, culture and customs from one country into another and it magically work.

I fail to see what the horrible outcome would be of imitating Australia's laws. Can violence really be any worse?

 

[Marvolo]

^So just bring nonautomatic guns back on the market.

So youre talking about a gun that you have to reload after every trigger pull? Yeah that will work out great when someone breaks into your house with a weapon. Not everyone can bring down a person or even hit a person with a single shot under duress.I'm all for regulating high capacity clips that hold 30-100 rounds, but what you are suggesting not a chance in hell.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

I'm not against gun regulation (not the same as banning guns, gun nuts enthusiasts) but I'm also not so naive to think I can just cut and paste a law, culture and customs from one country into another and it magically work.

Like I said, I think a good middle-ground could be found that satisfies mostly everyone (except those on each side of the political spectrum that exploit the issue for political gain and think nothing should be legal or everything should be legal). I don't think there's anything wrong with private ownership of rifles or shotguns or pistols (although I think they should be kept on homeowner's property. I don't agree with "conceal and carry" unless you're a cop), but no one needs a machine gun.

 

[Marvolo]

Like I said, I think a good middle-ground could be found that satisfies mostly everyone (except those on each side of the political spectrum that exploit the issue for political gain and think nothing should be legal or everything should be legal). I don't think there's anything wrong with private ownership of rifles or shotguns or pistols (although I think they should be kept on homeowner's property. I don't agree with "conceal and carry" unless you're a cop), but no one needs a machine gun.

Carry is a part of the second amendment. Believe it or not in NC by law to get a conceal carry permit you have to take an 8 hour gun safety course and go through an extensive back ground check including mental. So the licensed conceal carry people are the safest owners. They don't just hand the permits out like candy. Ironically in NC you can legally open carry (unconcealed on hip) with no permit, training, or background check).

 

[BestGirl]

So youre talking about a gun that you have to reload after every trigger pull? Yeah that will work out great when someone breaks into your house with a weapon. Not everyone can bring down a person or even hit a person with a single shot under duress.

So run out the door, hide, call the cops, use another weapon (like a bat) or some combination of those things.

I don't see the point of allowing dangerous weapons be sold on the market with minimal regulation on the off chance that they might be used to protect someone.