less of a religious, gun-control issue and more of a mental health and social issue?

Disregarding the most recent incident in Orlando, which is (preemptively) confirmed as religion driven, I think there's a more deep-rooted issue causing the poor mental health of Americans.

America is a large country, with most states the size of a small European country, which is easy to forget when the media reports worldwide the mass shootings and violence in a state. However, collectively we have one of the highest rates of obesity, and the highest of depression, both indicating (again) poor mental health.

Couple that to little or no mental evaluation of prospective buyers of firearms and nothing good can come of it. From personal experience, working at a firearms dealer, I've witnessed firsthand the short temper of some people when I ask them something as simple to take a message, because the gun counter is busy.

What factors are causing people to become so disassociated with life that they think it's ok to go out and hurt people with firearms, simply for disagreeing with a certain lifestyle or because someone "hurt their feelings".

Does it begin with poor parenting? Is it the stress and low quality of the American education system, both elementary and higher education? Is it because our healthcare system makes it hard for the mentally troubled to seek the help they need?

With that last point, I've noticed that some of the biggest assholes I've ever met seem to want to become counselors. Maybe on a subconcious level, these people want to become the help they never got, but it's kind of ass-backwards.

This may not fix anything, but what can be done to stop violent, random crime in America, because our politicians clearly aren't figuring it out.

At 6/13/16 01:36 PM, WahyaRanger2 wrote: less of a religious, gun-control issue and more of a mental health and social issue?

Yes, most people agree on this.

I thought of shooting up my school like columbine, but then I got sick and didn't, so for me my mental illness saved me. I can't believe I was like that in highschool.

At 6/13/16 01:55 PM, Rocket88 wrote:

At 6/13/16 01:36 PM, WahyaRanger2 wrote: less of a religious, gun-control issue and more of a mental health and social issue?

Yes, most people agree on this.

Depends if you ask a Trump supporter or not.

Haha just kidding let's stay on topic.

At 6/13/16 01:59 PM, PanzerKorpse wrote: I thought of shooting up my school like columbine, but then I got sick and didn't, so for me my mental illness saved me. I can't believe I was like that in highschool.

That's scary to think about, but if it's not too much to ask, what factors of your childhood and school life prompted you to nearly do this.

At 6/13/16 02:43 PM, SithCorduroy wrote:

Video games, obviously.

Yeah, just like horror and crime comics caused juvenile delinquency in the 50s.

/sarcasm

Part of the problem is the "throw it at the wall and see what sticks" way of prescribing medication. Not every drug works for every person, and as someone who has taken these kinds of drugs, I can tell you that when you take something that doesn't work with your brain chemistry it can be a hellish experience. I can understand how some of these people become homicidal/suicidal. Even with that, there is a certain amount of mental resilience that you need to expect out of yourself and others when in those situations.
Of course I think there's also a quickness to diagnose mental illness when all the person really needs is some psychotherapy. We are a drug obsessed nation.

At 6/13/16 01:36 PM, WahyaRanger2 wrote: What factors are causing people to become so disassociated with life that they think it's ok to go out and hurt people with firearms, simply for disagreeing with a certain lifestyle or because someone "hurt their feelings".

You spoke on a very broad and multifaceted problem our country faces in your last couple of points, and I think those should be addressed separately because you can have a long discussion about those things on their own. I find this point, however, to be the most relevant in terms of the perceived relationship between gun violence and mental health, so I'll just respond to this.

For one, and I think this is the most important thing to say above all else; mass shootings are both complex and uncommon (yes even in America), qualities that make translating information into statistical models very difficult. There is usually never one singular cause to point to when it comes to a violent gun crime. Each case must be judged based on the context and circumstance surrounding the incident, and the results tend to show that multiple variables are at play. Our criminal code reflects this (first degree, second, third, involuntary…).

That being said, there is hardly any evidence supporting a correlation between a propensity for violent gun crime and mental illness in the individual. In fact, people with mental illnesses are more likely to be victims rather than aggressors. Even if there was a link, we would have to undergo the laborious task of defining what "mental illness" actually is. This is may not sound that bad, but you have to understand that the field of psychology redefines mental conditions all the time. Conditions like schizophrenia were once thought to be benign while homosexuality was considered a mental disorder. Of course, once a definition is changed that dramatically, the older statistical data is now faulty.

That isn't to say that mental illness has no role in gun violence. As I recall, half of the CDC's reported gun violence deaths in 2013 were from suicide. Medical background checks alone, however, will not curb mass shootings. I believe universal background checks, understanding and eliminating the cultural fear between certain groups, and a vetting process that demonstrates responsible gun ownership will be the most effective in stemming mass shootings.

At 6/13/16 01:36 PM, WahyaRanger2 wrote: mental health issue

Only if the shooter is a white male.

At 6/13/16 02:53 PM, WahyaRanger2 wrote:

At 6/13/16 01:59 PM, PanzerKorpse wrote: I thought of shooting up my school like columbine, but then I got sick and didn't, so for me my mental illness saved me. I can't believe I was like that in highschool.

That's scary to think about, but if it's not too much to ask, what factors of your childhood and school life prompted you to nearly do this.

I was an outcast and a goth, we all thought columbine was cool. We had a way to get guns, my friend had connections to the Mexican mafia. We were just tired of all the superficial bullshit. I had no fear of death or its destination, I wanted to make a statement to the people we dehumanized in our minds. When you build up hate at such a young age it's easy to go overboard if you have a way of meeting those goals.

At 6/13/16 06:27 PM, Kayleeee wrote:

At 6/13/16 01:36 PM, WahyaRanger2 wrote: mental health issue

Only if the shooter is a white male.

This isn't really a place for jokes. I'll paraphrase what I told someone else elsewhere earlier;

If you think all people blame it and condone it on one thing die to FOX News, go somewhere else.

When the shooting in West Virginia occured, it was a mix of religious terrorism and mental health. But having an issue is not saying "it's ok that you just slaughteted a dozen innocents". We need to fix the issue before it ever happens, not try to defend the reason after the fact.

At 6/13/16 04:12 PM, Sekhem wrote: a big problem is just online (sometimes offline like radical mosques) echo chambers like subreddits, 4chan boards, forums like stormfront or whatever

I like this point. Gratification drives people.

That's why it's lame when people say "oh, the internet lost its edge".

Maybe it's because we don't want killing sprees.

At 6/13/16 07:21 PM, WahyaRanger2 wrote: This isn't really a place for jokes

Is this the internet

At 6/13/16 08:01 PM, Kayleeee wrote:

At 6/13/16 07:21 PM, WahyaRanger2 wrote: This isn't really a place for jokes

Is this the internet

No, this is Patrick.

Wait fUCK

At 6/13/16 08:03 PM, WahyaRanger2 wrote: No, this is Patrick.

Wait fUCK

I appreciate you 2% more now

Here's the difference between an actual shooting and one staged by our very own government.

At 6/13/16 09:00 PM, NewgroundsNation wrote: Here's the difference between an actual shooting and one staged by our very own government.

Which are you implying is which

At 6/13/16 08:54 PM, Kayleeee wrote:

At 6/13/16 08:03 PM, WahyaRanger2 wrote: No, this is Patrick.

Wait fUCK

I appreciate you 2% more now

get a room lmao

in capitalism, the "clan" unit is destroyed. we don't belong to a tribe anymore. if you don't define yourself by being part of a tribe (nationality ain't real fam) then why cherish the life of another human? he is nothing to you? mass consumption has permanently fucked us up. individuality is an scam.

At 6/13/16 01:59 PM, PanzerKorpse wrote: I thought of shooting up my school like columbine, but then I got sick and didn't, so for me my mental illness saved me. I can't believe I was like that in highschool.

That's not mental illness, that's physical illness.

And yes I know you're joking but still, at least get it right.

At 6/13/16 09:59 PM, ThePulp wrote:

At 6/13/16 08:54 PM, Kayleeee wrote:

At 6/13/16 08:03 PM, WahyaRanger2 wrote: No, this is Patrick.

Wait fUCK

I appreciate you 2% more now

get a room lmao

Sure you want to join...

Rhetorical question thanks for your input

At 6/14/16 01:19 AM, WahyaRanger2 wrote: Rhetorical question thanks for your input

welcome, alt.

At 6/14/16 05:33 AM, ThePulp wrote:

At 6/14/16 01:19 AM, WahyaRanger2 wrote: Rhetorical question thanks for your input

welcome, alt.

Don't gimme that shit.

At 6/14/16 07:21 AM, WahyaRanger2 wrote: Don't gimme that shit.

Don't gimme that shit.

At 6/13/16 09:06 PM, WahyaRanger2 wrote:

At 6/13/16 09:00 PM, NewgroundsNation wrote: Here's the difference between an actual shooting and one staged by our very own government.

Which are you implying is which

Chronologically, left to right.

Just think about it, shooter on the left has a realistic motive and a realistic amount of people shot. Shooter on the right is just another random brown guy who allegedly shot 100 people without being stopped or people escaping in time. Not to mention numerous witness inconsistencies.

Omar mateen doesn't even exist.

At 6/14/16 01:19 AM, WahyaRanger2 wrote:

At 6/13/16 09:59 PM, ThePulp wrote:

At 6/13/16 08:54 PM, Kayleeee wrote:

At 6/13/16 08:03 PM, WahyaRanger2 wrote: No, this is Patrick.

Wait fUCK

I appreciate you 2% more now

get a room lmao

Sure you want to join...

Rhetorical question thanks for your input

Let him join if he wants to. I've got 8 holes.

At 6/13/16 10:57 PM, Idiot-Finder wrote:

At 6/13/16 01:59 PM, PanzerKorpse wrote: I thought of shooting up my school like columbine, but then I got sick and didn't, so for me my mental illness saved me. I can't believe I was like that in highschool.

That's not mental illness, that's physical illness.

And yes I know you're joking but still, at least get it right.

No, I got mentally ill, that's not physical, do you believe everyone on NG is sarcastic? Im not joking, I felt fire melt my brain and I was fucking clueless for a couple of days.

At 6/14/16 11:37 AM, NewgroundsNation wrote: Omar mateen doesn't even exist.

Ah yes, a classic case of "the government hates and kills the gays"

Question, when whitey shot up a black church, did we know his motive right away or did it take time?

If you've been paying attention, they're finding Omar was a regular of Pulse despite having a wife and kids. He was probably struggling with a few things; facing the fact he was gay when he had a kid, facing the fact he was gay in spite if his religious beliefs. Maybe someone at the club insultes him, did him wrong.

Something in his mind told him this was ok. Did the murder of Grimmie the night before break that voice in his head that said "let it go"?

In his mental unwellness, he, on the phone with police "pledged" himself to two warring terrorist factions.

Are they more, what's the word, prompt to label it a terror attack due to the circumstances? A Muslim man attacking a gay community? Yes.

But make no mistake, whenever anybody targets a group with hateful intent, it's terrorism.

You believe what you want to believe, but think long and hard.

At 6/14/16 02:51 PM, WahyaRanger2 wrote:

At 6/14/16 11:37 AM, NewgroundsNation wrote: Omar mateen doesn't even exist.

Ah yes, a classic case of "the government hates and kills the gays"

Question, when whitey shot up a black church, did we know his motive right away or did it take time?

If you've been paying attention, they're finding Omar was a regular of Pulse despite having a wife and kids. He was probably struggling with a few things; facing the fact he was gay when he had a kid, facing the fact he was gay in spite if his religious beliefs. Maybe someone at the club insultes him, did him wrong.

Something in his mind told him this was ok. Did the murder of Grimmie the night before break that voice in his head that said "let it go"?

In his mental unwellness, he, on the phone with police "pledged" himself to two warring terrorist factions.

Are they more, what's the word, prompt to label it a terror attack due to the circumstances? A Muslim man attacking a gay community? Yes.

But make no mistake, whenever anybody targets a group with hateful intent, it's terrorism.

You believe what you want to believe, but think long and hard.

Some of this is new info to me, call me presumptuous, but it doesn't take a genius to know there's some fishy business going on here.

Now I'm no conspiracy nut by any means - I hardly even keep up with current events, but it has nothing to do with 'government hating gays.' The goal of these types of events is to brew hatred, and divide social groups so we are weaker and therefore easier to conquer way down the line when the eventual 'NWO' kicks in.

The agenda of the 'NWO' is to likely to save the earth from future environmental turmoil. Hopefully they put the planet before themselves (the elite), but either way, drastic measures will have to be taken. Oh, I digress.

At 6/14/16 04:40 PM, NewgroundsNation wrote: The agenda of the 'NWO' is to likely to save the earth from future environmental turmoil. Hopefully they put the planet before themselves (the elite), but either way, drastic measures will have to be taken. Oh, I digress.

This just in, the gays are polluting to the environment and the fact that big oil has POTUS in a cock ring is irrelevant.

No, I digress.