Russel Brand's thoughts on the recent shooting. Spot on.

He says it all, and I fully agree with him on every point. Crazy how this guy turned out from his jovial younger self.

a reply to: jerich0

I find it really funny, listening to RB and reading your signature
It epitomises the issue

“Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam but I am rather the fallen angel whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed. Everywhere I see bliss from which I alone am irrevocably excluded. I was benevolent and good – misery made me a fiend. Make me happy and I shall again be virtuous.”

Make me happy and I will be good, satisfy me and then I will respond. Alternatively, what is being said, when I am unhappy I will make others unhappy. If I am not pleased others will suffer. The simple, succinct, everyone suffers because I want more
Isn’t this the whole issue
We only care when we receive what we want
Self first, the consequences are clear

a reply to: Raggedyman

Heh, mary shelley's frankenstein never fails

That's it though, why the dopamine hits on social media make people do absurd things for likes.. People need to be placated. Long gone are the days of climbing trees and getting high, now we need the approval of others just to live. Otherwise, we feel abandoned. God help us all, people these days are already cyborgs, remove them from their device, and they wander aimlessly...

Said that to a chick I studied with once, who broke her phone.. rather than wait for it to be repaired, she instantly bought a new one. crazy...

a reply to: jerich0

It does seem we do create these monsters through neglect and judgement
If only we cared about each other, there is a reward in caring

Mary Shelley, better go read that book #

a reply to: jerich0

Don't be brainwash that it is a time for healing. Senseless statment for those affected
Iike forgive Sorry no forgive her, just dont let it distroy your life . The wind of change is better to make one stronger. A shaddol of hate can follow you. Let the wind touch your heart at these timrs.

a reply to: jerich0

It's a shame we don't have voices like this in leadership. That was quite deep and more than I expected from him. I enjoy his commentary, but didn't expect him to be that spiritual. Thanks for sharing this.

a reply to: jerich0

Honestly, after listening to that, I'm convinced more than ever that there is no solution. The people who need to reflect on becoming more compassionate, caring, and serving other people, never will. Their brains aren't wired like that.

The reason there's so much "fear" and the desire to have guns is because our government and the madmen of the world have proven that they are needed to protect ourselves. Our government made a grave mistake when it tried to tell us that we had to take the Covid vaccine or lose our livelihoods. No one will EVER trust them again. Crazy people commit heinous acts of violence without even knowing why they do in many instances. Being loving and compassionate towards them isn't going to change their mental health status.

What we are witnessing is exactly what the Bible told us. The only cure for evil is God and even then, it won't be eradicated on this earth. We can only look forward to escaping this fallen planet with God.

a reply to: Deetermined
Yes...and if it is permissible in this religio-phobic culture, let us proclaim the good news to as many as we personally can and have them join us in that great final day of triumph!

a reply to: Deetermined

I don't know. People tend to want what they can't have. But they have to see it and know it's real before the realize they desire to have it. whatever "it" is. In this case, it's love, caring, humanity, humility, kindness. I know it exists, I see it all over, but you have to look for it or at least recognize it when it shows up. If it was more visible, more common, I believe it would catch on. But there needs to be a paradigm shift. Not just a small movement. That's a monumental task, but I don't think it's impossible.

originally posted by: Raggedyman
a reply to: jerich0

It does seem we do create these monsters through neglect and judgement
If only we cared about each other, there is a reward in caring

Mary Shelley, better go read that book #

Or ... we could stop caring so much about what total strangers think of us. Why give them so much power that they can drive us to stuff like this?

Keep doing what you're doing and you'll keep getting what you're getting.

a reply to: network dude

I don't know. People tend to want what they can't have. But they have to see it and know it's real before the realize they desire to have it. whatever "it" is. In this case, it's love, caring, humanity, humility, kindness. I know it exists, I see it all over, but you have to look for it or at least recognize it when it shows up. If it was more visible, more common, I believe it would catch on. But there needs to be a paradigm shift. Not just a small movement. That's a monumental task, but I don't think it's impossible.

Personally, I think it's impossible and not everyone is going to respond to kindness and love in the way we hope. If anything, certain personality types only take advantage of it and use good people to keep doing bad things because good people are really making it easier (enabling) for them to keep doing what they're doing in the name of compassion and love without possibly realizing it. That's why we have the old saying that "good deeds never go unpunished", because it's very real and probably happens more than we want to admit.

a reply to: jerich0

There is no singular answer

I wouldn't be opposed to restricting the age to 21 for all firearms.

18 year old kids are not adults.

Can't have a beer? Can't have a gun.

originally posted by: network dude
a reply to: jerich0

It's a shame we don't have voices like this in leadership. That was quite deep and more than I expected from him. I enjoy his commentary, but didn't expect him to be that spiritual. Thanks for sharing this.

Russell has a flair of Robin Williams that interferes with a pretty solid application of logic on his part. I am also surprised with him. He certainly was a flaming liberal a few years back. Now, I see someone who is goofy but has excellent common sense reasoning skills that cut to the core of this issue.

originally posted by: jerich0
He says it all, and I fully agree with him on every point. Crazy how this guy turned out from his jovial younger self.

I have begun agreeing with a lot Brand has been saying, and no I didn't expect him to have some of the views he has. He is very rational and well thought out though and he doesn't dismiss any viewpoint.

Plus he points out there isn't just one solution, and it gonna take layers of changes.

#1 lock the damn doors to the school, sure it's a hassle but lock the doors. No way should anybody be able to walk off the street into a school, anymore period. I know it sucks and is inconvenient. But a locked door might have kept him outside long enough for an officer to get to him.

#2 get video cameras in as many locations and in as many schools as possible, and let the police in that jurisdiction have access there is no excuse for setting and waiting as long as they did if we have a fairly easy, quick, and inexpensive solution. Hell If Nest was smart it would sponsor and donate some cameras, we have to have quick intel on the situation so they know to hold their position or they need to negotiate or storm the building. But it has to be accessible to the police so they can monitor the situation and make decisions on that intelligence.

a reply to: Deetermined

Honestly, after listening to that, I'm convinced more than ever that there is no solution.

Remember there was a time in US history that we did not have these shooting.
Remember there was a time in US history where kids brought guns to school, it wasn't that long ago because I remember it!

a reply to: Vector99
well, enlist in the armed forces at 18 and you can shoot and be shot at quite legally.

originally posted by: Zrtst
a reply to: Vector99
well, enlist in the armed forces at 18 and you can shoot and be shot at quite legally.

I'd be ok with enlisting at 18, however no deployment until 21.

a reply to: putnam6

#1 lock the damn doors to the school, sure it's a hassle but lock the doors. No way should anybody be able to walk off the street into a school, anymore period. I know it sucks and is inconvenient. But a locked door might have kept him outside long enough for an officer to get to him.

All the schools in our little town have double doors that are kept locked. ID is required before getting permission to enter. This policy should be enacted at all public schools across the nation.

The grandmother of the shooter managed to get to a neighbor, where 911 was called, and the theft of her truck was reported. All school anywhere near her address should have been instantly notified by LE to go into immediate lockdown.
It took the shooter 15 minutes to arrive at the school! Simple policy such as these would have saved many, if not all, lives!

Retired military veterans want to lend their expertise to protect schools, yet are being blocked from doing so.

There ARE solutions that don't require a bunch of new laws and continual infighting among politicians, but nobody seems to want any life-saving, common sense solutions.

I saw the blood of these children are on the hands of self-serving politicians who get far more milage from children dying than enacting some immediate, simple, common sense solutions.

originally posted by: SecretKnowledge

Keep doing what you're doing and you'll keep getting what you're getting.

If you keep expecting what you get you get what you expected.
I think that is because you get what you expect and you strive to make it happen. We need to set our expectations high as a 1st step. Expect the best from people but prepare for the worst.