Yet Another Mass Shooting

[normiss 891]

20 minutes ago, JoeWeber said:

And that is why I don't browse real estate listings in bumfuck N. Georgia.

I'll add it to yet another reason to avoid church.

I have zero desire to be in a combat environment in my civilian life.

This isn't how life should be lived.

[JoeWeber 2,932]

5 hours ago, nigel99 said:

So did God not like the two people who were killed, was God asleep and not watching his flock, or did God send the gunman to kill them?

The preacher should be sacked as obviously prayer doesn’t work.
 

Stop making it so complicated. God loves all of his children equally. But that certainly doesn't mean he likes them all equally. Maybe they were assholes who shorted the bake sale one too many times. You never know, it's just mysterious.

[DJL 235]

17 minutes ago, JoeWeber said:

Stop making it so complicated. God loves all of his children equally. But that certainly doesn't mean he likes them all equally. Maybe they were assholes who shorted the bake sale one too many times. You never know, it's just mysterious.

Let's stop this train of commentary.

[normiss 891]

One of the men killed in the Texas church was a black man, married to a white woman.

There are comments on Twitter blaming his relationship for his death.

God seems to have it in for a lot of his believers.

[nigel99 612]

10 minutes ago, DJL said:

Let's stop this train of commentary.

I realise my comment was in poor taste, but I it never ceases to amaze me the hypocrisy that you are worshiping ‘almighty god’ and yet need an armed security team, because god is too impotent to protect his flock. Do people never stop to question?

I genuinely feel sorry for the victims. 

[DJL 235]

1 minute ago, nigel99 said:

I realise my comment was in poor taste, but I it never ceases to amaze me the hypocrisy that you are worshiping ‘almighty god’ and yet need an armed security team, because god is too impotent to protect his flock. Do people never stop to question?

I genuinely feel sorry for the victims. 

I hear you.   This whole thing is nothing short of fucking mind boggling and the crossroads of guns and Jesus makes you just throw your hands up in despair. I get your train of thought.

As for the event itself I've seen people celebrating it as a win for lessening gun control.  There's no win here.  Two victims dead and there's still nothing stopping two more from getting killed tomorrow.

[ryoder 1,590]

And the White Settlement shooting won't even be categorized as a "mass shooting", because the federal govt definition is "four or more killed".  But does anyone have any doubt what would have happened if there had been no armed parishioners?

BTW In the late 1980's, I lived in White Settlement TX, just 2 miles from that church. I was quite surprised that TX allowed no concealed carry at that time. The law was changed some time after I left.

[gowlerk 2,272]

1 minute ago, ryoder said:

BTW In the late 1980's, I lived in White Settlement TX,

Maybe you know where the name comes from. Was it settled by the White family or was it named for a race?

[DJL 235]

11 minutes ago, nigel99 said:

I realise my comment was in poor taste, but I it never ceases to amaze me the hypocrisy that you are worshiping ‘almighty god’ and yet need an armed security team, because god is too impotent to protect his flock. Do people never stop to question?

I genuinely feel sorry for the victims. 

And by the way, I'd share the same comments with you if we were talking one on one about Jesus not taking the wheel but I thought this could go downhill fast.

[ryoder 1,590]

1 minute ago, gowlerk said:

Maybe you know where the name comes from. Was it settled by the White family or was it named for a race?

It was race. There were a number of settlements of Native Americans in the area, but this one was distinguished by being populated by white people.

[brenthutch 444]

Have you ever considered that God was protecting his flock with an armed security team?  It reminds me of the joke where a man, trapped by a flooding river, turns down help from a firetruck, saying "god will save me", then turns down help from a boat, again saying "god will save me".  Finally the man, trapped on the roof of his quickly flooding house, turns away a rescue helicopter, saying "god will save me".  The man ultimately drowns.  He is before God at the pearly gates and asks. "God why didn't you save me?"  to which God replies "I sent a firetruck, a boat and a helicopter, what more did you want?"

[DJL 235]

10 minutes ago, brenthutch said:

Have you ever considered that God was protecting his flock with an armed security team?  It reminds me of the joke where a man, trapped by a flooding river, turns down help from a firetruck, saying "god will save me", then turns down help from a boat, again saying "god will save me".  Finally the man, trapped on the roof of his quickly flooding house, turns away a rescue helicopter, saying "god will save me".  The man ultimately drowns.  He is before God at the pearly gates and asks. "God why didn't you save me?"  to which God replies "I sent a firetruck, a boat and a helicopter, what more did you want?"

I think we're more interested in these things not happening to begin with but considering how many guns are readily available we know that's not going to happen in our lifetimes.   Anyway, always liked that modern parable.

[brenthutch 444]

The man used a shotgun, a shotgun.  A ban on AR15s and high capacity magazines would have had no impact on the outcome.  However a law banning the carrying of a firearm in a place of worship would have made things much worse. 

Classic case of a "good guy with a gun"

Edited December 30, 2019 by brenthutch

[normiss 891]

3 minutes ago, brenthutch said:

The man used a shotgun, a shotgun.  A ban on AR15s and high capacity magazines would have no impact on the outcome.  However a law banning the carrying of a firearm in a place of worship would have made things much worse. 

I'm thankful for the rest of the humans on the planet, that only America has this problem.

[brenthutch 444]

New Zealand is part of America?

Or Sri Lanka?

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/21/world/asia/sri-lanka-explosion.html

Edited December 30, 2019 by brenthutch

[ryoder 1,590]

9 minutes ago, brenthutch said:

New Zealand is part of America?

Also:

Quebec City, Canada

Oslo, Norway

Bayonne, France

[DJL 235]

35 minutes ago, brenthutch said:

However a law banning the carrying of a firearm in a place of worship would have made things much worse. 

I don't think any law should ban qualified personnel from carrying a firearm.  The establishment should be able to immediately identify those people so that they can take action towards someone carrying a firearm who isn't allowed to.  This church appears to have had a good system in place.  What I would like to see is more stringent checks on the people who have access to firearms and I think things like military or police service would be defacto qualifications.  Further requirements shouldn't take any more than a safety course at a local range. We put much greater effort into ensuring the safe use of much less lethal things.

There had to be people immediately in front of the shooter to keep this to two deaths.  That's still not acceptable.  But again, it'll take 100 years before the number of guns on the street goes down so in the meantime I'm good with qualified people being there.  I don't think teachers should carry, there's simply too much going on with a teacher to add the task of keeping a weapon holstered on every work day.  But I also don't think they should be barred if a school system finds a way to do it.

Edited December 30, 2019 by DJL

[JoeWeber 2,932]

1 hour ago, brenthutch said:

Have you ever considered that God was protecting his flock with an armed security team?  It reminds me of the joke where a man, trapped by a flooding river, turns down help from a firetruck, saying "god will save me", then turns down help from a boat, again saying "god will save me".  Finally the man, trapped on the roof of his quickly flooding house, turns away a rescue helicopter, saying "god will save me".  The man ultimately drowns.  He is before God at the pearly gates and asks. "God why didn't you save me?"  to which God replies "I sent a firetruck, a boat and a helicopter, what more did you want?"

No, I hadn't, and nothing about it reminds me of a joke. That's not to say it isn't all a total joke, in particular your comment that your Almighty, Omniscient, all seeing God needed to farm out church security to an armed team like the one Ron is on at his Church. 

Sorry to offend you DJL, I very much respect you and your views, but it's these sorts of inane defenses and comments that make the whole thing so risible. 

[brenthutch 444]

24 minutes ago, ryoder said:

Also:

Quebec City, Canada

Oslo, Norway

Bayonne, France

Not to mention the entire Muslim world 

[DJL 235]

15 minutes ago, JoeWeber said:

Sorry to offend you DJL, I very much respect you and your views, but it's these sorts of inane defenses and comments that make the whole thing so risible. 

You're not offending me.  Again, I want to backhand people when they defer to wanting to just leave it to Jesus or say that something was God's will.

[DJL 235]

17 minutes ago, JoeWeber said:

No, I hadn't, and nothing about it reminds me of a joke. That's not to say it isn't all a total joke, in particular your comment that your Almighty, Omniscient, all seeing God needed to farm out church security to an armed team like the one Ron is on at his Church. 

Let there be glocks!

[kallend 2,146]

I wonder how many people were killed in church shootings last week in Canada, UK, Australia, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Italy and Spain COMBINED?  They all have one thing in common that Texas doesn't have.

[Channman 2]

1 hour ago, kallend said:

I wonder how many people were killed in church shootings last week in Canada, UK, Australia, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Italy and Spain COMBINED?  They all have one thing in common that Texas doesn't have.

Well I find your list a little disappointing.  A man of your education couldn't or wouldn't bring up Nigeria where 11 Christian's were killed by ISIS.  Or maybe they don't count because they all had their heads removed Vs being shot which is a common practice in that country of ending lives.  Or maybe you have no empathy for the deaths of Christians.  Wondering.  

[Coreece 190]

2 hours ago, JoeWeber said:

it's these sorts of inane defenses and comments that make the whole thing so risible. 

Do you find it risible when I say the name Biggus, Dickus?

[kallend 2,146]

23 minutes ago, Channman said:

Well I find your list a little disappointing.  A man of your education couldn't or wouldn't bring up Nigeria where 11 Christian's were killed by ISIS.  Or maybe they don't count because they all had their heads removed Vs being shot which is a common practice in that country of ending lives.  Or maybe you have no empathy for the deaths of Christians.  Wondering.  

I find it disappointing that you find a third world country a more appropriate comparison for the USA than other western democracies.