There's a difference between...

[Michchamp]

... today's mass stabbing in Houston and any of the recent mass shootings we've endured (including the one yesterday in Serbia).

Can anyone spot the difference?

 

[schles192]

This psycho is deaf?

 

[Michchamp]

This psycho is deaf?

no, try again.

 

[Thumb]

Nobody died.

 

[schles192]

Um, greased up deaf guy doesn't have a history of mental illness?

 

[Michchamp]

Nobody died.

yeah. Dumb people are saying "oh liberals are going to call to ban knives now" with no awareness of how stupid they sound, or how they fail to understand the issue.

 

[Thumb]

yeah. Dumb people are saying "oh liberals are going to call to ban knives now" with no awareness of how stupid they sound, or how they fail to understand the issue.

Well the argument people resisting stricter gun control measures have been using was that guns are not the problem, but clearly they make a huge difference.

If this guy had used an assault weapon, lots of those injured and more would be in the morgue rather than the ER.

 

[schles192]

Well the argument people resisting stricter gun control measures have been using was that guns are not the problem, but clearly they make a huge difference.

If this guy had used an assault weapon, lots of those injured and more would be in the morgue rather than the ER.

If this guy knew how to use a knife more people would be in the morgue than the ER.

 

[turok]

"At least 14 people have been injured in a mass stabbing at Lone Star College in Texas. The incident began shortly before noon on Tuesday, when a student armed with a weapon, possibly a scalpel or exacto knife, stabbed multiple people in a random attack. The suspect was subdued by a fellow student before police arrested him. Local police officials confirm at least 14 people were injured, though throughout the day there were numerous conflicting reports on the number of injured. At least four were airlifted to a local hospital, and according to Sheriff Adrian Garcia, two victims remain in critical condition."


"Earlier reports of two attackers were refuted by police, who believe there was merely confusion because the same attacker was in multiple buildings."

How did this psycho manage to stab/slash that many, unless some of his victims became wounded b/c they were attempting to stop him. Pretty surprising that he was able to use an exacto knife that isn't very long in handle or blade, although it is quite sharp. Maybe a scalpel would be more effective as a weapon, but it also has its limitations in size, unless it was longer than average.

He looks kinda geeky with that tuft of a goatee and unkempt bedhead-wavy hair:

 

[zyxt9]

As important ad it is to look for differences, it is important to look for similarities.

The mental instability of so many of these attackers made me think about how society changed its view in recent time. Used to be people suffering from various forms of psychotic breaks would be sent to a psych ward. Now I fully grasp those environments were terrible, some making gitmo look like a playground, but these individuals were in secured facilities instead of committing these types of crimes. And yes, crimes were still raking place and mental patients still killed, but someone walking around talking to a sock puppet used to get taken in for evaluation at a minimum.

It is unfortunate the people running those facilities back then took liberties that were beyond acceptable. Maybe the concept of institutionalizing people like this would still be accepted today and the killings and attempted killings would be far less.

I know, I'm just making an assumption.

Some will feel it is far better to keep those mentally challenged free and amongst society while having zero ability to make sure they are taking meds or under responsible supervision and care. It isn't that they should be locked up, but the alternative continues to result in these events.

 

[Michchamp]

... Used to be people suffering from various forms of psychotic breaks would be sent to a psych ward. ...

we closed all those in the 90's so that we could give the Mitt Romneys of the country a tax break. you probably supported it at the time.

 

[byco42]

yeah. Dumb people are saying "oh liberals are going to call to ban knives now" with no awareness of how stupid they sound, or how they fail to understand the issue.

Liberals are no closer to solving this than is Tommy Lasorda. Banning so-called assault weapons will not prevent a similar scenario. This is our era, and these are our maladies. As we struggle to fix them, there is no reason to create more in the process.

"The fault, Dear Brutus ..."

 

[Michchamp]

Liberals are no closer to solving this than is Tommy Lasorda. Banning so-called assault weapons will not prevent a similar scenario. This is our era, and these are our maladies. As we struggle to fix them, there is no reason to create more in the process.

"The fault, Dear Brutus ..."

no. but I'd rather take my chances going out in public if the typical lunatic can only get his hands on a grocery store box cutter instead of an AR-15 with 600 rounds available in 100 round magazines.

It shouldn't take a genius level IQ to understand the difference, but from reading your post and a lot of the user comments on this article generally, it seems like it does.

Harry Reid and the "liberals" seem just as beholden to the industry as the GOP does... but since the latter's solution to gun violence is more guns and less regulations and barriers to getting your hands on them, I guess we have to side with the liberals at least in terms of the lip service they'll pay to the Brady Lobby and others like them - who seem to be the only ones with any common sense.

 

[zyxt9]

we closed all those in the 90's so that we could give the Mitt Romneys of the country a tax break. you probably supported it at the time.

Guess again. I never supported those closings. In actuality you may learn there was support on both sides, one for the tax breaks, the other because it was considered inhumane due to the way "residents" were being treated.

Both sides fucked it up, IMO.

 

[turok]

Guess again. I never supported those closings. In actuality you may learn there was support on both sides, one for the tax breaks, the other because it was considered inhumane due to the way "residents" were being treated.

Both sides fucked it up, IMO.

Thought that the nation-wide mental institution closings began during Reagan's two terms of office. At least those that were federally supported, staffed, and funded? That got the ball rolling for eventual state closures, IIRC.

 

[Michchamp]

I'm sure there were some pretty bad conditions at mental hospitals. but "reform" is possible; the conditions were just an excuse to cut social spending and taxes.

IIRC Engler closed Michigan's in the 90's

 

[zyxt9]

Point being, it was the result of both parties agreeing to the closings instead of figuring out a way to improve the situation and provide a location for mentally ill patients to receive perpetual care.

Now there are very few options and the mentally ill have far more say on whether they are willing to get treatment. Consequently there are more mentally ill out in the general public. In the cities they are often homeless and destitute, a damn shame and irresponsible of society to allow to continue. Yes there are shelters, but the mentally ill especially refuse to go there themselves, often being coerced or sometimes forced to visit a shelter even on the coldest of nights.

 

[turok]

Note the similarities in appearance, (especially hair) between yesterday's slasher and "Billy Bibbit" (Brad Dourif) Wonder if he has the same or similar (severe stuttering) speech impediment? One of my former co-workers had also suffered from more moderate stuttering. But if he drank enough booze after our shift ended,and when some of us would occasionally meet up at a nearby bar, it quite surprisingly would completely vanish.

 

[byco42]

no. but I'd rather take my chances going out in public if the typical lunatic can only get his hands on a grocery store box cutter instead of an AR-15 with 600 rounds available in 100 round magazines.

It shouldn't take a genius level IQ to understand the difference, but from reading your post and a lot of the user comments on this article generally, it seems like it does.

Harry Reid and the "liberals" seem just as beholden to the industry as the GOP does... but since the latter's solution to gun violence is more guns and less regulations and barriers to getting your hands on them, I guess we have to side with the liberals at least in terms of the lip service they'll pay to the Brady Lobby and others like them - who seem to be the only ones with any common sense.

,

The assault rifles are out there already. The previous ban made no discernable impact in reducing crimes committed with assault weapons. This is not speculation. It's supported by the government's own data. So we apply the same approach this time and hope for different results. And I don't recall applying the "let's ban knives (and knive sharpeners too)" analogy at any time, so please don't assume it's my opinion.

Approximately 3 to 4 per 100,000 people are killed (read: homicides) in the U.S. with guns every year since 1998. The overwhelming majority are handgun related. It's not the amount of guns; there's 270,000,000 of them in the U.S.!

 

[Michchamp]

,

The assault rifles are out there already. The previous ban made no discernable impact in reducing crimes committed with assault weapons. ...

I don't think that's true. I've at least read some studies that showed it did. and law enforcement has been against it too, since suspects armed with assault rifles are a lot more dangerous than those not.

it may be a moot point though, since it doesn't look like a renewed ban will pass... even Harry Reid opposed it (he's far from a "liberal" in practice though), but either way, I think your claim that "liberals" don't have answers either is remiss since closing background check loopholes is the biggest issue, and the Senate appears to be moving forward on that, despite the opposition of the NRA, gun manufacturers, and the bulk of the GOP.

not disputing that most gun violence is perpetrated with handguns; it's just that there really is no reason to permit widespread ownership of assault rifles & high capacity magazines; they represent a particular risk to law enforcement and the public in general that justifies banning them in my oh so humble opinion