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 Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2012 9:58 pm
Camwen Sammirah Exxos Whimsical Compass Did you all hear bout the school shooting in Connecticut? The f***er killed 26 people 20 of which were little kids between 5 and 10 years old! What kind of monster does this. Unbelievable. The type of monster that should have got mental help and that this country will keep pumping out because we don't do anything to fix it. Just put feel good band-aids on the problems so people are hurt more next time. I read a really great article yesterday that talked about the issue from a similar angle. I can't find it, so I'll have to sum it up. It talked about the different knee-jerk reactions that always come about after these types of tragedies. You'll see people calling for tighter gun control, and people defending the right to bear arms. Then when more information on the shooter will surface and it will be revealed that he was really into heavy metal, or violent video games, or some such and that will get blamed. And so on and so forth. But you're right Exxos, about the mental health aspect of the issue. Not all people who are mentally ill are violent, and not all violent people are mentally ill. But there are so many people who aren't able to get the help they need, either in a timely fashion, or good quality help, or at all. Ugg - it's just so hard to even wrap your head around this kind of thing. And yeah I think there are so many knee-jerk reactions because it's the only way people can process it. How could it have been prevented.. is there a way to prevent it from happening again... We need to feel like we can actually do something constructive. I completely agree that mental health treatment should have more of a priority. It seems like it's one of the first things that gets cut from budgets when money gets tight. Even with that though I wonder how easily it is to sort out who is actually dangerous to others from those who are only a danger to themselves? Both should be treated obviously but how do we know the difference? What about those who seem fine and keep to themselves, never seeking or identified for treatment? I really hate when it turns into a witch hunt for things that really have no real causal relationship - violent movies? video games? not enough religion (or the incorrect religion)? come on! I read a quote from Roger Ebert responding to the question of whether violent movies cause people to be more violent. While I believe there is more to the issue, he seemed to have a really good point regarding the media being just as responsible (or not) as anything else. Quote: Let me tell you a story. The day after Columbine, I was interviewed for the Tom Brokaw news program. The reporter had been assigned a theory and was seeking sound bites to support it. “Wouldn’t you say,” she asked, “that killings like this are influenced by violent movies?” No, I said, I wouldn’t say that. “But what about Basketball Diaries?” she asked. “Doesn’t that have a scene of a boy walking into a school with a machine gun?” The obscure 1995 Leonardo Di Caprio movie did indeed have a brief fantasy scene of that nature, I said, but the movie failed at the box office (it grossed only $2.5 million), and it’s unlikely the Columbine killers saw it. The reporter looked disappointed, so I offered her my theory. “Events like this,” I said, “if they are influenced by anything, are influenced by news programs like your own. When an unbalanced kid walks into a school and starts shooting, it becomes a major media event. Cable news drops ordinary programming and goes around the clock with it. The story is assigned a logo and a theme song; these two kids were packaged as the Trench Coat Mafia. The message is clear to other disturbed kids around the country: If I shoot up my school, I can be famous. The TV will talk about nothing else but me. Experts will try to figure out what I was thinking. The kids and teachers at school will see they shouldn’t have messed with me. I’ll go out in a blaze of glory.” In short, I said, events like Columbine are influenced far less by violent movies than by CNN, the NBC Nightly News and all the other news media, who glorify the killers in the guise of “explaining” them. I commended the policy at the Sun-Times, where our editor said the paper would no longer feature school killings on Page 1. The reporter thanked me and turned off the camera. Of course the interview was never used. They found plenty of talking heads to condemn violent movies, and everybody was happy. Roger Ebert's kind of awesome, but I already knew that. I agree with him on that point. Stigmas against mental illness play a huge part in how people go undiagnosed and untreated. But of course, we don't yet know to what degree mental illness may have played a part in this tragedy (unless we do, but I just got home and haven't watched the news today).
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Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2012 9:59 pm
Also, I love the new MCs!
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Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 4:34 am
Sammirah Also, I love the new MCs! gaia_nitemareleft Let's start with more lighter subject: You are so pretty Sam! emotion_kirakira About the more sorrowful topic, not so long ago we had a trial here where they sentenced a bloke to prison & mental treatment because he had stabbed a young girl randomly killing her. The reason for stabbing? Because he saw that he couldn't get treatment any other way. Early prevention and detection would be the key, but the funds are so strict that it's a struggle to get treatment. But it's the silent ones I'm more worried about. The ones who aren't strong enough or don't have anyone close one to fight for them to get the treatment they need. I'd suspect that the kid in Connecticut had some mental issues, but it's the popularity and immortality that's driving kids to this I think. What is the most common "job" kids and teenagers these days want? To be famous and this is a one way doing it. And it's just not the news that are feeding this want. It's all of those skill contests, reality shows, beauty contests and "who can eat the most" -contest etc. Only way to get people to notice you is to do something special. Then people will love you and you'll be famous. And in some peoples minds, if you are not famous (even in small scale) then you are not worth anything. Violent games and movies might make you more duller to the violence, but it doesn't make you kill people. Guns don't kill people, it's the person pulling the trigger. But it's always easier to blame inanimate objects than actually accept that we are the spectators of these modern day "hunger games" and we like our entertainment too much to do something about it. gaia_angelright
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Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 9:01 am
Sammirah Also, I love the new MCs! I usually buy two...one for me...and one to invest in...what say you on that method?
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Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 9:19 am
Lilygwen Sammirah Also, I love the new MCs! Let's start with more lighter subject: You are so pretty Sam! emotion_kirakira Oh, why thank you! I'm basically obsessed with these colours on Gaia, and I love just about anything snowy. I was wanting a more realistic snowy background the other day, and this will certainly suffice. I think it would look a little better if my own avatar were a little darker, though. Lilgwen About the more sorrowful topic, not so long ago we had a trial here where they sentenced a bloke to prison & mental treatment because he had stabbed a young girl randomly killing her. The reason for stabbing? Because he saw that he couldn't get treatment any other way. Early prevention and detection would be the key, but the funds are so strict that it's a struggle to get treatment. But it's the silent ones I'm more worried about. The ones who aren't strong enough or don't have anyone close one to fight for them to get the treatment they need. I'd suspect that the kid in Connecticut had some mental issues, but it's the popularity and immortality that's driving kids to this I think. What is the most common "job" kids and teenagers these days want? To be famous and this is a one way doing it. And it's just not the news that are feeding this want. It's all of those skill contests, reality shows, beauty contests and "who can eat the most" -contest etc. Only way to get people to notice you is to do something special. Then people will love you and you'll be famous. And in some peoples minds, if you are not famous (even in small scale) then you are not worth anything. Violent games and movies might make you more duller to the violence, but it doesn't make you kill people. Guns don't kill people, it's the person pulling the trigger. But it's always easier to blame inanimate objects than actually accept that we are the spectators of these modern day "hunger games" and we like our entertainment too much to do something about it. gaia_angelright To paraphrase Eddie Izzard, "Guns don't kill people, people do... but the gun helps, doesn't it? You can't just point at someone and yell BANG and they drop dead." The US has a ridiculous amount of guns, and they're just too easy to obtain. I think that the coexistance of these two social problems (stigma and difficult to get treatment for mental health issues, and easy gun laws) makes for a bit of a perfect storm for these kinds of atrocities. It's all incredibly, very sad, and I honestly don't really know what to say at all. But I agree with you, Lily. I think people blaming whatever violent media for things like this is just crap and nonsense.
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Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 2:23 pm
Sammirah Lilygwen Sammirah Also, I love the new MCs! Let's start with more lighter subject: You are so pretty Sam! emotion_kirakira Oh, why thank you! I'm basically obsessed with these colours on Gaia, and I love just about anything snowy. I was wanting a more realistic snowy background the other day, and this will certainly suffice. I think it would look a little better if my own avatar were a little darker, though. Lilgwen About the more sorrowful topic, not so long ago we had a trial here where they sentenced a bloke to prison & mental treatment because he had stabbed a young girl randomly killing her. The reason for stabbing? Because he saw that he couldn't get treatment any other way. Early prevention and detection would be the key, but the funds are so strict that it's a struggle to get treatment. But it's the silent ones I'm more worried about. The ones who aren't strong enough or don't have anyone close one to fight for them to get the treatment they need. I'd suspect that the kid in Connecticut had some mental issues, but it's the popularity and immortality that's driving kids to this I think. What is the most common "job" kids and teenagers these days want? To be famous and this is a one way doing it. And it's just not the news that are feeding this want. It's all of those skill contests, reality shows, beauty contests and "who can eat the most" -contest etc. Only way to get people to notice you is to do something special. Then people will love you and you'll be famous. And in some peoples minds, if you are not famous (even in small scale) then you are not worth anything. Violent games and movies might make you more duller to the violence, but it doesn't make you kill people. Guns don't kill people, it's the person pulling the trigger. But it's always easier to blame inanimate objects than actually accept that we are the spectators of these modern day "hunger games" and we like our entertainment too much to do something about it. gaia_angelright To paraphrase Eddie Izzard, "Guns don't kill people, people do... but the gun helps, doesn't it? You can't just point at someone and yell BANG and they drop dead." The US has a ridiculous amount of guns, and they're just too easy to obtain. I think that the coexistance of these two social problems (stigma and difficult to get treatment for mental health issues, and easy gun laws) makes for a bit of a perfect storm for these kinds of atrocities. It's all incredibly, very sad, and I honestly don't really know what to say at all. But I agree with you, Lily. I think people blaming whatever violent media for things like this is just crap and nonsense. There was a stabbing in China recently where the man went on a rampage and injured 22 children and an elderly woman with a knife. As terrible as it was, it's pretty telling that there were no fatalities. Does this mean there should be stricter gun laws for everyone? I don't know. Keeping them out of the hands of the mentally ill certainly - which brings us back to focusing on more treatment for those who are at risk.
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Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 6:26 pm
This story is relevant to the conversation and probably will clue in our guildies farther abroad as to the state America is in.
http://thebluereview.org/i-am-adam-lanzas-mother/
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 9:11 am
Exxos This story is relevant to the conversation and probably will clue in our guildies farther abroad as to the state America is in. http://thebluereview.org/i-am-adam-lanzas-mother/ Yeah, that's a really good article. Heart-breaking. Eye-opening. I read it the other day. I'm having to really control my watching of any media coverage of Sandy Hook. Like, it's just too much for me to handle. I'm alright talking about it, but TV news... man they just have to really hammer it all home, don't they? I imagine it's even worse for those of you who are parents.
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 3:11 pm
@Sammirah: Yeah i try to watch as least of the news as possible. Maybe local. But , i just find distasteful the way the media potrays anything.
On top of them benifiting from someone elses tragedy. (whatever it maybe) The major news media have aligned themselve politically. And with subtlelty they try to influence theirviewers. ( and sometimes not so subtle ).
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 3:48 pm
It's hrdto bethe new girl, no one really knows me and all teh conversations are about people I dont know. But I'm trying.
Yesterday my parents came to visit for thier xmas supper, and we all had a good time, got almost everything done, and dinner was really good. I thank the people who did welcome me to teh guild, and I will continue to try ad figure out what teh conversations are about.
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 5:58 pm
I will try to interact with you more, qwaychou. I don't like any guildies feeling awkwardly out of the loop.
I am not much into the holiday, so... Hmmm... ! What did you make for your supper and was it pleasantly tasty?
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 7:45 pm
qwaychou It's hrdto bethe new girl, no one really knows me and all teh conversations are about people I dont know. But I'm trying. Yesterday my parents came to visit for thier xmas supper, and we all had a good time, got almost everything done, and dinner was really good. I thank the people who did welcome me to teh guild, and I will continue to try ad figure out what teh conversations are about. Mistake #1 - Assuming there is a loop in which to be. (for ethical and legal reasons, the ones in our brains no longer count). Hi. smile
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 9:27 pm
qwaychou It's hrdto bethe new girl, no one really knows me and all teh conversations are about people I dont know. But I'm trying. Yesterday my parents came to visit for thier xmas supper, and we all had a good time, got almost everything done, and dinner was really good. I thank the people who did welcome me to teh guild, and I will continue to try ad figure out what teh conversations are about. Oh, it doesn't take too long. Just jump in where ever you like. It's been quiet here lately, I'm happy to see a new face!
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 9:29 pm
Officer Hot-Pants qwaychou It's hrdto bethe new girl, no one really knows me and all teh conversations are about people I dont know. But I'm trying. Yesterday my parents came to visit for thier xmas supper, and we all had a good time, got almost everything done, and dinner was really good. I thank the people who did welcome me to teh guild, and I will continue to try ad figure out what teh conversations are about. Mistake #1 - Assuming there is a loop in which to be. (for ethical and legal reasons, the ones in our brains no longer count). Hi. smile Haha, no kidding. There's not really much of a loop is there? razz
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 9:39 pm
Sammirah Officer Hot-Pants qwaychou It's hrdto bethe new girl, no one really knows me and all teh conversations are about people I dont know. But I'm trying. Yesterday my parents came to visit for thier xmas supper, and we all had a good time, got almost everything done, and dinner was really good. I thank the people who did welcome me to teh guild, and I will continue to try ad figure out what teh conversations are about. Mistake #1 - Assuming there is a loop in which to be. (for ethical and legal reasons, the ones in our brains no longer count). Hi. smile Haha, no kidding. There's not really much of a loop is there? razz ... ... Well, most days I have this playing on a loop in my head, but again that no longer counts, so no. 3nodding
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