Choosing a Gun

[mantra]

Well I'm missing half the conversation but mantra has a Greenie anti-American outlook, you'll never convince her otherwise. She still brings up that video games and movies create violence... there was a report on a big study out recently that finally stated what crap that was. That the effects were much different than what were originally anticipated.

If I get time I'll find it.

As for Australian culture, well we now have multiculture... it was in fact the Filipinos who were the first group that brought in the American street culture late 70 early 80s. Baseball caps, baggy pants that rode well down exposing underwear and with crotches at almost knee level, and of course the music etc. They formed an enclave outside Blacktown where the name had to be changed from Plumpton to Dean Park because they couldn't pronounce it properly. Lots of Filipinos in the Labor Party or supporting it due to older members of the branch marrying Filipino women. Ah yes, ya gotta love multiculti. Of course it spread to other minority groups wanting to look "special".

We also have the Lebanese that Fraser let in mostly criminals and n'er do wells. And no I don't mean the Christians even though some of them have also formed criminal gangs.

Then we have other minority groups joining in and idiots like that Aboriginal Muslim idiot Mundine aping American culture. I still remember the day he showed up on TV dressed like a "Black" pimp, right out of the movies.

Thanks RS for supporting my argument (I'm sure it wasn't intentional) aside from a couple of minor points. Can you provide a link for that big study that says violent video games and movies aren't to blame for exacerbating youth violence?

There is a lot of information saying otherwise and that our youth are becoming desensitised as a result of spending hours acting out deadly scenarios on their computer screens. Where did the Filipinos learn their American street culture?

[Grendel]

"Where did the Filipinos learn their American street culture?"

I shall return, and I also like to watch.

[boxy]

That was quite some video, boxy, there in the OP. Good find and thanks for posting it, wish I had seen it back in Feb.

It actually fits in quite well with this latest sidetrack, actually, upon rewatching it.

Democracy, monopoly on violence, increased safety... it's all there.

Watch it...






... bitches

[Rorschach]

Thanks RS for supporting my argument (I'm sure it wasn't intentional) aside from a couple of minor points. Can you provide a link for that big study that says violent video games and movies aren't to blame for exacerbating youth violence?

There is a lot of information saying otherwise and that our youth are becoming desensitised as a result of spending hours acting out deadly scenarios on their computer screens. Where did the Filipinos learn their American street culture?

I'll let the RS go.
But I am always amazed when people ask me about that... it is not exactly a secret and wasn't at the time we had the Filipino intake.

I will see if I can find that study.
There was someone on 2GB talking to Jones about it a couple of weeks ago, he was rabbiting on about video games and violent movies and the Dr or Professor put him right about it. Mind you it is always difficult to shut Jones up so the guest gets a fair say.

There is also a scene in Wire in the Blood where the lead character gives an opinion on it too based on current thoughts on the subject.

BTW we don't always disagree... mostly just when you are wrong.

Oh almost forgot mostly Clark Air(force) base. It had a big impact over there.
Clark Air Base was arguably the most urbanized military facility in history, and was the largest American base overseas. At its peak around 1990, it had a permanent population of 15,000. It had a base exchange, a large commissary, a small shopping arcade, a branch department store, cafeterias, teen centers, a hotel, miniature golf, riding stables, and other concessions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clark_Air_Base" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
After the MT Pinataubo eruption the American departure did force a culling of the businesses in the local economy. Gone was more than $1 million-a-day the base poured into Angeles City. So today there are fewer businesses. Now only the best survive. The nightlife Angeles City was famous for in the past is a bit more subdued, but not gone.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ ... /clark.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mellie]

No, not violent video games, or even a psychopath.

Adam Lanza had a form of Autism, Aspergers syndrome and his mother was believed to have worked at the school.
This explains much of his antisocial behaviours,(external to this incident) though doesn't explain why he gunned-down 20 children and 6 adults in cold blood.

Having first-hand experience in this area, I am wondering if they had recently introduced a new drug, this or even abruptly taken him off a drug he had been taking.


The neighbours say the family were unusually quiet, ie, didn't socialise with their neighbours much this or get to know them.

Some might interpret this as the family being a bit "odd" or "anti-social" ... though when you have a child with Autism, you may be inclined to avoid certain social situations like neighbourly get-togethers due to the worry of others not understanding when your child behaves a certain way, this or acts-out due to too much stimulation. These kids become pretty overwhelmed sometimes and once they do, there's often no going back,,,you have to wait it out for the episode to pass.
See, anything that deviates from their usual routine, however harmless a street BBQ may seem, may serve as a trigger for outbursts, so the parents often socially withdraw themselves, not wanting to burden others with their child's behaviours.


BIG MISTAKE!!

My daughter is autistic, and I have made it a point to get her involved in any social situation on offer... I would explain to our neighbours her condition, and in every instance they were tolerant and understanding. We were lucky, have always had top neighbours. In fact, one of our neighbours has a son (a couple of years younger than my daughter) who is autistic also. They are the best of friends. Well, on most days. Anyway...
I always made it a point to throw street BBQ's, get to know my neighbours well, this and be completely up-front with them re-my child's uniqueness.
There were nights when she'd carry on a treat, but at least they understood. This made me feel better knowing they knew there was a reason, not that she was some horrid brat.

One of the biggest mistakes parents with Autistic kids make is they start withdrawing from society themselves due to fear of others not understanding their child's differences, shame/embarrassment etc.

This in turn makes their child even more anti-social and maladjusted.

This family had lived in the street for years, at least a decade, yet noone knew who they were and or even knew they had a troubled son.

This begs the question.... was he being locked away like a dirty secret, were his family ashamed of him, this or simply weren't coping?

Something went terribly wrong, that's for sure.

Absolutely tragic, it really is.

[boxy]

Something went terribly wrong, that's for sure.

Absolutely tragic, it really is.

A narcissistic society, more enamoured with individualism, than worrying about building a healthy society, that supports those who can't cope on their own? Because, seriously, it's not a one off issue, that you can blame on a bad parent. This. keeps. happening.

No one wants to send a 13-year old genius who loves Harry Potter and his snuggle animal collection to jail. But our society, with its stigma on mental illness and its broken healthcare system, does not provide us with other options. Then another tortured soul shoots up a fast food restaurant. A mall. A kindergarten classroom. And we wring our hands and say, “Something must be done.”

[Grendel]

What happened to the Cuckoo's Nest?

[mellie]

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree....
Adam Lanza's mother Nancy was a nut-case, she collected guns, held philosophical survivalist beliefs, this and was a member of some dooms-day cult/clan.

It's believed the young gunman had deteriorated in the months leading up to this tragedy.

Sources close to the investigation also revealed last night that Nancy had recently stopped hosting monthly get-togethers for neighbours in order to look after her increasingly troubled son.
The 50-year-old is thought to have worked as a supply teacher at the elementary school where the shootings took place.
Dan Holmes, owner of a landscaping firm who worked on the family’s home, said she was an avid gun collector: ‘She told me she would go target shooting with her kids.’
Last night it also emerged Nancy was a member of the Doomsday Preppers movement, which believes people should prepare for end of the world.

Read more:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z2FD7HfhRz

So, here we have an autistic young man (I'm thinking he had something else going on there also, ie a duel-diagnosis) who may have taken his mother literally, this and wholeheartedly believed that the end of the world was nigh.

The father must have known his ex-wife was a lunatic, what was he doing while his autistic son was being subjected to all this end-of-world rubbish, and did it not worry him that there were firearms in the family home within arms-reach of his troubled autistic son?

A ticking time-bomb, a tragedy waiting to happen.
Here we have a neurotic unstable mother, a wealthy busy father who lives 40 miles away (his parents divorced 3 years ago) , and an autistic kid left to his own devices with mummies dooms-day firearm collection.

It's a good job she's dead, because if it were me, and I were his mother, I'd be wishing I was.

[Grendel]

A nutter with a nutter for a Mother.

Testify!

[mellie]

A nutter with a nutter for a Mother.

Testify!

Yep, and I think there was a bit more going on than Aspergers syndrome.

Just so tragic, I would hate to be in the fathers shoes right now.



The way 'unwell' people dissolve into the system, and effectively become non-persons until something tragic like this strikes is perhaps something society can learn from.

Not just American society, but all societies around the world.

Preventions better than cure.