41 Comments

I work in a trauma center in a smaller city in NC. Overnights. And yet I have seen a fair amount of gun violence victims.

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Most of the shootings are done by your family

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author

What do you mean?

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I mean Blacks

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author

Well, I assume you're looking to get blocked. Your wish is my command.

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Number of mass shootings in the EU and Canada in the last 4 weeks:

Zero.

You probably already knew that.

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Sadly we did have a mass murder in the uk this week: 3 women murdered by cross-bow by the ex boyfriend of one of them (the other victims were her mother and sister). But the fact that this has received so much attention is indicative of the fact how rare such events are.

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dear michael,

thank you for providing this sad and meaningful service.

much love to you and yours and all,

myq

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Don't worry-even if they shot Trump dead, these pro gun people would make up some excuse to not do anything about this sick gun culture. Too many of the victims were innocent stand-byers and children. Biden was just angrily remarking the other day at the NATO press conference about guns being the number one cause of death in children and that needs to change, how the gun violence is impeding on our freedom. It is truly frustrating.

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founding

Too bad there’s not a “like miserably “ button.

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💔 would be an option, Jim.

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GOP Congressmen proudly wear AK-47 pins on their ties and lapels, as they go about our nation's business. Enough said.

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I thought they wore AR-15 pins, or are they wearing AK pins to show support for Putin?

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As my granddaughter would say, “whatever.” Let us not quibble over the details. 😂

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No quibbling but that was an actual question. No problems. I was just wondering if folks were wearing ak pins to show support for Russia vs Ukraine.

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Just learned from The Washington Post, it is indeed AR-15 pins.

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I think it's simply all about the guns - muh rights - the Second Amendment!

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Sorry for the diversionary question but in light of non-support for Ukraine, the ak pin possibility entered my mind.

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Thank you for this. And thanking for counting all the mass shootings, not only the ones where white people were killed.

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Next up - a newsletter on the political violence over your way from around 2016 onwards.

Yeah, I know, Americans have really short memories. 🤦‍♀️

I read of lots of GOP pollies saying in the last day that violence has no place in American politics (keep it in schools?). True. They really said it, and I gather, without blushing.

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I wonder how many of those same pols were laughing about Paul Pelosi.

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Given the prompt rumour that circulated, claiming that PP was secretly gay and was attacked by his lover or a sex worker, I'd say that they were definitely laughing.

Now America is in the perverse situation of democrats being blamed for inciting violence against Trump. Truly bizarre.

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Just a thought but if there were fewer guns maybe there would be fewer shootings?

Sounds preposterous I know.

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Thoughts and prayers to the shooter, whose aim was misguided.

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This is the dialog that should be avoided, just as the flood of Twitter posts proclaiming this to be a campaign stunt that flourished yesterday until news the shooter was dead was released by the local DA.

This:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/07/13/trump-shooting-condemn-political-violence/

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Not sure what you mean… the misguided always deserve thoughts and prayers.

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I pray for you. Sir. Except in time of war, your notion to pray for the shooter who tried to kill Trump for missing is a large part of the toxic uncivil political discourse we suffer from. A friend describes it like this. You have a circle. At the top of circle on right are your regular republicans. Same on the top left with Dems. As you go further towards the bottom of the circle on either side, that’s where the extremists inhabit, until the absolute nut case Dems and repubs meet at the bottom of the circle.

We can change this dynamic. But if we don’t suit up and take the field, no touchdown.

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Clearly, nuance is not your strong suit.

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Jul 14·edited Jul 14

Never claimed I was,sir. Have a great day.

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A quote from link:

In this moment, we have to recognize that we have all been touched by toxic politics — regardless of our beliefs or where we fall on an ideological spectrum.

Can this, then, be a moment to pause and rediscover our better selves? To hear our inner voices, as clearly as we heard those shots? Americans, what do we want to be?

It’s not up to politicians, or editorial pages.

The responsibility is ours, as neighbors and citizens.

In fact, this republic is ours, as Benjamin Franklin said, “if we can keep it.”

Let us begin today.

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You missed these somehow.

One hundred and nine people were shot, 19 fatally, in gun violence across Chicago from midnight Wednesday to midnight Monday during the extended Fourth of July holiday weekend

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author

I suspect none of those were mass shootings, just run-of-the-mill murders

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I think the criteria for that term is 4 or more dead is when it is used

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Michael, both those terms end up in the same place. A dead body/bodies, and those left behind to grieve, to wonder why, to question their faith and for many survivors, their life is over as well. I just take issue with the “run of the mill” classification of murders. Imho, there are no such things. I realize you were focusing on mass shootings but what’s the difference in the end, with one victim or many? No difference for those left behind.

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It’s a sad day, as is every day after a mass shooting. Those Chicago numbers do, however, show how far the problem goes beyond mass shootings. It’s been since 1981 and the Reagan attempt, and since 1963 since President Kennedy was killed with a long gun. I would catagorize yesterday as an assassination attempt that was also, through the foreseeable injuries and death to non-targets from pass through bullets and misses, a mass shooting. But the target was clear.

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The Onion headline “nothing could have prevented this shooting, says the only country where this happens” can be run daily

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Jul 14·edited Jul 14

Long ago, unfortunately, much of the Onion’s satire became reality and real news. And yes, particularly the article you referenced that anyone who has read The Onion readily recalls, because it’s been run so often.

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Thoughts and prayers.

Mean nothing.

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If thoughts and prayers worked, someone would have had better aim.

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That’s dark, but hahaha.

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Wow! 😮

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