More school shootings (but now's not the time to talk about it)

[MU82]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kentucky-shooting/kentucky-school-shooting-kills-2-wounds-13-teen-arrested-idUSKBN1FC209

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/us/kentucky-school-shooting.html

Thoughts and prayers (BANG!), thoughts and prayers (BANG!), thoughts and prayers (BANG!).

[GooooMarquette]

In before the lock...but it's appalling that the US is the only developed country in the world that supposedly "can't" do anything about gun violence....

[Vander Blue Man Group]

No acknowledgement from Trump on Twitter. I'll assume the perpetrator is white.

Stunning.

[mu_hilltopper]

In all seriousness, didn't most people go "Meh, it's only two deaths, 13 wounded.  No biggie.  Hey, beef and cheddars for lunch."

[Galway Eagle]

In all seriousness, didn't most people go "Meh, it's only two deaths, 13 wounded.  No biggie.  Hey, beef and cheddars for lunch."

As terrible as this is, if I'm being honest that's what my first reaction was. That's messed up.

[tower912]

The new normal.   

[MU82]

In all seriousness, didn't most people go "Meh, it's only two deaths, 13 wounded.  No biggie.  Hey, beef and cheddars for lunch."

Yessir. Although if the perpetrator had been named Muhammad, I'm guessing it would be getting more attention from many. Especially one.

[Benny B]

The new normal.   

Not exactly new... it's been going on for at least 20 years now.  But yes, this is the world we live in.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Not exactly new... it's been going on for at least 20 years now.  But yes, this is the worldcountry we live in.

FIFY

As Gooo said, we are the only developed country who has this problem at this level.

[Benny B]

FIFY

As Gooo said, we are the only developed country who has this problem at this level.

Indeed.  But we're also the only developed country who has detonated a nuclear weapon against a foreign power; I believe we're also the only developed country that has a two-party power struggle.  We're probably the only developed country who spends more money on elections than we do on post-secondary training & education.  We are the only developed country who has four major sports championships that are broadcast around the world.  We're the only developed country where a lot of things happen.

You know what we aren't... the only developed country that has crooked leadership and rogue actors seeking to undermine each other for their own personal/political gain elected by people who would rather stick their head in the sand of corruption and self-dealing than demand more from their candidates for leadership.

What we should be is the second developed country to have compulsory voting.  But instead, we're the only developed country where most everyone is too stupid or ignorant to see how compulsory voting would solve a lot of our problems, including gun violence.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

What we should be is the second developed country to have compulsory voting.  But instead, we're the only developed country where most everyone is too stupid or ignorant to see how compulsory voting would solve a lot of our problems, including gun violence.

#BillofRightsnomatta ?

[Benny B]

#BillofRightsnomatta ?

Don't get me wrong, the Bill of Rights absolutely matters... I don't want to speak for James Madison (never had a son and he fought the war of 1812) but I think the whole point of it was to put the government back into the hands of the people and let the people control the government instead of the other way around, or worse, a government steered by special interests and philosophical extremists.

[GGGG]

Don't get me wrong, the Bill of Rights absolutely matters... I don't want to speak for James Madison (never had a son and he fought the war of 1812) but I think the whole point of it was to put the government back into the hands of the people and let the people control the government instead of the other way around, or worse, a government steered by special interests and philosophical extremists.

Furthermore, none of the rights detailed in the Bill of Rights is completely unfettered. 

[MU82]

Don't get me wrong, the Bill of Rights absolutely matters... I don't want to speak for James Madison (never had a son and he fought the war of 1812) but I think the whole point of it was to put the government back into the hands of the people and let the people control the government instead of the other way around, or worse, a government steered by special interests and philosophical extremists.

Here in NC (and in a lot of other states) excessive gerrymandering - worse than it's ever been - has made it so the legislators choose the voters rather than the other way around. SCOTUS now has several states' cases, including ours, and has the power to put an end to something that was the opposite of what the Founding Fathers would have wanted.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

You know what we aren't... the only developed country that has crooked leadership and rogue actors seeking to undermine each other for their own personal/political gain elected by people who would rather stick their head in the sand of corruption and self-dealing than demand more from their candidates for leadership.

Is this supposed to be teal?

[Golden Avalanche]

In all seriousness, didn't most people go "Meh, it's only two deaths, 13 wounded.  No biggie.  Hey, beef and cheddars for lunch."

Yes.

Standard reaction to each of these over the last five years. Sandy Hook laid the groundwork for complete inaction.

[GB Warrior]

Yes.

Standard reaction to each of these over the last five years. Sandy Hook laid the groundwork for complete inaction.

Completely agree. This is when I knew nothing would ever get done. Now you have the NRA essentially declaring war on the rest of America that thinks sensible gun control is, well, sensible, and we're past the point of no return.

[real chili 83]

In before the lock.

[Pakuni]

Don't get me wrong, the Bill of Rights absolutely matters... I don't want to speak for James Madison (never had a son and he fought the war of 1812) but I think the whole point of it was to put the government back into the hands of the people and let the people control the government instead of the other way around, or worse, a government steered by special interests and philosophical extremists.

I wouldn't say they wanted a government in the hands of the "people," given that only about 20 percent of the people (kids excluded) were permitted to vote when the Constitution was written. White, male landowners were a special interest group unto themselves.

All that said, wouldn't compulsory voting violate one's right to free speech?

[GooooMarquette]

I wouldn't say they wanted a government in the hands of the "people," given that only about 20 percent of the people (kids excluded) were permitted to vote when the Constitution was written. White, male landowners were a special interest group unto themselves.

All that said, wouldn't compulsory voting violate one's right to free speech?

Possibly, but you could probably get around that by putting "nobody" as an option on the ballot. I'm sure a few people would choose that, but once they're in the booth, the vast majority of people would select an actual candidate.

[GGGG]

Why do we want people who really don't care, and who are there only because they have to be, to vote?  That's not going to make them care.

[GooooMarquette]

Why do we want people who really don't care, and who are there only because they have to be, to vote?  That's not going to make them care.

I think the vast majority of people have a preference for one candidate or the other, but don't vote because they don't feel that their vote really matters.

[Pakuni]

Possibly, but you could probably get around that by putting "nobody" as an option on the ballot. I'm sure a few people would choose that, but once they're in the booth, the vast majority of people would select an actual candidate.

1. How does requiring votes from people who don't care (and likely aren't knowledgeable) improve the political process?
2. One could credibly argue that refusing to go to the polls is a protected form or political speech.

[Pakuni]

I think the vast majority of people have a preference for one candidate or the other, but don't vote because they don't feel that their vote really matters.

Naw. People who skip voting do it because a) they don't care and/or b) are too lazy to get to the polling place. Let people vote online from home and you'd see participation skyrocket, even though the chances of one vote making a difference would remain identical.

[GooooMarquette]

2. One could credibly argue that refusing to go to the polls is a protected form or political speech.

Agreed.  And one could credibly argue otherwise.