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

a reply to: nugget1

If everyone was armed these people wouldn't want to find out how many they could kill before they got shot and killed. They are cowards deep down when they are picking on the helpless.

a reply to: network dude

But they have to see it and know it's real before the realize they desire to have it.

There was this song written in 1919 about American soldiers who had gone and fought in the war in Europe and visited Paris before returning home and made famous by Judy Garland years later.



Here, in this movie song, this question is treated more as a joking put down on ''backward'' folk having been treated to the ''joys'' of fun and folic.

However I have almost always taken it more as a deeper question on human nature, one you touched upon in that sentence quoted.

If a woman never saw another woman attract men because of wearing make up, would that first woman ever use make up herself? Now that is a grossly simplistic example but it holds true.

What we have now, brought to us by, used as a simplistic generalization, Hollywood, are examples of people who have these lavish lives of fun and frolic that most of us will never have to the degree portrayed. While some of us will just go ''meh'', others will want it for themselves. While we see huge amounts of violence in these movies and tv shows, most of us cheer when the bad buys are vanquished. But there are those who wonder, maybe they could get away with it if they tried.

And I will also include in this list of examples, violent video games. I know that this idea often is pushed back upon but I think it fits the over all supposition. Some people who like to engage their natural flow of ''juices'' by playing some of these games will want to take it even further, into the physical world.

And the question of ''Pariee'' from the song, is really the basic question of entertainment. We are being entertained to death. Big screen with surround sound in our living rooms and small screen entertainment in our hands. 24/7 availability to almost every bit of recorded entertainment over the last hundred years.

On a side note here, I just read this morning that Justin Timberlake just sold his entire written portfolio of music to some big entertainment corporation. We have been seeing this now for a bit, huge corporations buying up and securing the rights to vast swaths of entertainment. They have a vision of how the future will unfold and they want to control the flow.

The cat is out of the bag. Pandora's Box was opened and hardly any one noticed because it was so much fun to see what was inside.

We've seen it and now we want it.

a reply to: TerryMcGuire

Agreed with ya til this

And I will also include in this list of examples, violent video games.

If video games were the answer, we'd see people in other countries doing the same.

It's a mental health thing, and non-stop prescriptions of drugs for children are the problem.

a reply to: jerich0

I love Russell Brand! This video was inspiring and profound.

a reply to: Justoneman

If everyone was armed these people wouldn't want to find out how many they could kill before they got shot and killed. They are cowards deep down when they are picking on the helpless.

These days, there's a flip side to every solution because you never know when someone who's severely mental is doing it for the purpose of suicide by cop (or anyone else) to begin with. They want to die, they know they're going to die, and they either want to take others down with them out of a sense of revenge or they want some sense of sick notoriety.

originally posted by: Vector99
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.

Wow, ok. So how do you feel about handing 18 year olds a m4 with a 20mm grenade launcher slung underneath to go out and kill people you don’t like? That part ok with you? What a lame thing for you to say.

I’ve said this before, you can’t have things both ways. If an 18 year old is not an adult why is it ok for us as a society to arm what you call a child, to fight, kill, and die for our interests.

For Gods sake we can’t allow them 18 year olds to have a beer.

originally posted by: Vector99
a reply to: TerryMcGuire

Agreed with ya til this

And I will also include in this list of examples, violent video games.

If video games were the answer, we'd see people in other countries doing the same.

It's a mental health thing, and non-stop prescriptions of drugs for children are the problem.

Are you 100% sure video games have no impact in all this? I have asked before and been piled on for asking. It's something you learn not to mention for fear of being canceled.

I doubt there is any 1 thing we can point to as the reason, but at this stage, I'm not sure we should rule anything out. We have a serious problem, I do realize it's politicized, and blown out of proportion at times, but almost 20 little kids dead is something we don't need to see again.

If first person shooter games aren't the cause, then there should be no harm in asking about them.

a reply to: TerryMcGuire

well Terry, I'm not old enough to have been a Judy Garland fan, but I do get your point.

It almost seems like everything is so superficial and meaningless, that we don't have a frame of reference for how precious life really is. As a new daddy watching your child being born will fill you with a love that cannot be explained. But without the ability to explain it, how do you get a kid to understand it? A true conundrum.

a reply to: nugget1

Authorities are now reporting that the shooter lingered for 12 minutes, firing shots, BEFORE entering the school and beginning his killing spree.

This is how they handle things in Tex-a$$?!

a reply to: TerryMcGuire

"...Ninety-nine jet planes
Everyone was a great warrior
Thought they were Captain Kirk...."


From "99 Luftballons" - Nena


Which I think more accurately expresses the psychology (and/or, the psychosis) motivating not only the "monsters" so endemic to the US, but also, the creators of those monsters as well.

a reply to: jerich0

Strum and drang(SP?) and fury and condemnation. Nice words.

Other than that, I mostly agree. I'm weird though.

Why is that comedians like Carlin and Brand make so much more sense than our politicians? Just watched the Carlin doc so he's obviously on my mind. They aren't the only ones, of course.

a reply to: ketsuko

We can’t change other people, we can only change what we do
And figure most people are driven to extremities by friends and families who don’t care

Not sure the answer but I can try and be nice to everyone I come across

originally posted by: Vector99
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.

you must be young
22 rifle l had under the age of 18
no big deal back then

a reply to: Vector99

I don't hold that it is video games alone Vec, just that with the mixture of stimuli we have here in the US and are to a fairly large degree predominant here, video games can likely play a apart of the gestalt or recipe of causes that lead to these kind of actions. I play video games, have for decades and have no impulse to go out and slay others as I am sure you do either.

a reply to: Mantiss2021

Gotcha. Or Loki

originally posted by: Night Star
a reply to: jerich0

I love Russell Brand! This video was inspiring and profound.

I wonder if Russell Brand's kids in England are afraid to go to school and get shot , like the US kids are.

originally posted by: Topcraft

originally posted by: Vector99
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.

Wow, ok. So how do you feel about handing 18 year olds a m4 with a 20mm grenade launcher slung underneath to go out and kill people you don’t like? That part ok with you? What a lame thing for you to say.

I’ve said this before, you can’t have things both ways. If an 18 year old is not an adult why is it ok for us as a society to arm what you call a child, to fight, kill, and die for our interests.

For Gods sake we can’t allow them 18 year olds to have a beer.

Umm

originally posted by: Vector99

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.

originally posted by: network dude

originally posted by: Vector99
a reply to: TerryMcGuire

Agreed with ya til this

And I will also include in this list of examples, violent video games.

If video games were the answer, we'd see people in other countries doing the same.

It's a mental health thing, and non-stop prescriptions of drugs for children are the problem.

Are you 100% sure video games have no impact in all this? I have asked before and been piled on for asking. It's something you learn not to mention for fear of being canceled.

I doubt there is any 1 thing we can point to as the reason, but at this stage, I'm not sure we should rule anything out. We have a serious problem, I do realize it's politicized, and blown out of proportion at times, but almost 20 little kids dead is something we don't need to see again.

If first person shooter games aren't the cause, then there should be no harm in asking about them.

I don't think there's ZERO impact, however, other countries have these same games, they also have guns.

Correlation doesn't equal causation comes to mind.

If the games were the issue, you would expect to see this problem occurring everywhere globally on a regular basis.

This seems to be an American thing though, so I'm not on the violent video game excuse bandwagon.

originally posted by: Deetermined
a reply to: Justoneman

If everyone was armed these people wouldn't want to find out how many they could kill before they got shot and killed. They are cowards deep down when they are picking on the helpless.

These days, there's a flip side to every solution because you never know when someone who's severely mental is doing it for the purpose of suicide by cop (or anyone else) to begin with. They want to die, they know they're going to die, and they either want to take others down with them out of a sense of revenge or they want some sense of sick notoriety.

JFK pointed out, ironically, that you can't do anything to stop that loan nutjob from trying to kill people. This is a society issue where other human life has no value in the eyes of the people willing to hurt others. To deny these people are real and are looking for an opening is dangerous to the health of our society. We need to find a way to understand who these people are and help them or isolate them in a psyche ward as they cannot exist in the real world and need special care.

originally posted by: TerryMcGuire
a reply to: Vector99

I don't hold that it is video games alone Vec, just that with the mixture of stimuli we have here in the US and are to a fairly large degree predominant here, video games can likely play a apart of the gestalt or recipe of causes that lead to these kind of actions. I play video games, have for decades and have no impulse to go out and slay others as I am sure you do either.

Then it's a US thing, because as I have said, around the world people have access to guns and the same video games, yet it typically only happens here.

The one common factor I do see in these situations, is law enforcement were aware of these individuals almost every time. The media will come out and reveal an online history that essentially says that this guy is crazy and wants to shoot up a school.

THAT is where actions needs to be taken! Every damn shooter has an online history pointing to these things!