At least 4 people shot in Mercer Park in Jersey City

It's also about a million times more common ... and acceptable to the side of the aisle that expects absolutely nothing of some people.

 

Tell us how you really feel. It is common, unfortunately.

 

Yes. That's the point.

Shootings like the one in Charleston are extremely rare. The kinds of shootings we saw in Philadelphia, Detroit, and Jersey City/Bayonne are far more common.

But, if you listen to people, you would think Charleston type shootings are common.

 

I don't think people think they are common. Just TOO common. Any time 9 people get killed in a place they should feel safe, because of their skin color, it should get the attention it is getting. Neighborhood disputes and gangs are deeply ingrained in the inner cities, so these situations are not going away anytime soon. And I don't think that it can just be ascribed to poverty.

 

Compared to when?

Who has said otherwise. Of course it deserved the attention it is getting. It's when folks try to put it in context that I question the conclusions.

And folks are grouping all "mass shootings" together, and trying to draw conclusions.

The dumb fuck in Charleston couldn't find anyone else that was as interested in killing black people as he was. And, it pissed him off!

It's a completely isolated incident. It has nothing in common with any of the other "mass shootings" -- except for the fact that the shooter was a loser, who liked to play video games, and use drugs.

I don't know what you're hinting at in the last sentence. Yes, we will continue to see more gang/drug related shootings.

But, if we want to put "mass shootings" in context, maybe we need to report on the mass shootings that aren't as shocking as the one in Charleston. And, if we're going to argue that Black Lives Matter, maybe we should try and pretend that they matter even when they aren't killed by white cops and/or racists.

 

Scenes like Charleston are too common if they happen with any frequency at all. I would disagree that it has nothing in common with the other incidents. In most cases, it is a mentally unstable young man who has ready access to a gun. And the last point on poverty was response to o_t's shot that we don't expect anything of "some people." And FWIW, I will never understand why everything o_t says has to be an attack of the other side. While he doesn't seem to realize it, thoughts like his are a big part of the problem. No room for dissent, and I'M ALWAYS RIGHT!

 

Fear not. Tony has one of the greatest minds of the 13th century.

 

I might be a little confused here. Are people saying Charleston and something like Detroit/Philly/etc aren't the same kind of mass shooting?

 

I only ever see people talking about the number and frequency of "mass shootings". There doesn't seem to be any effort to draw any distinctions between them.

The only criteria appears to be that you kill the requisite number of people.

And, so family disputes, gang killings, and random shootings are all lumped together.

But, the stats are used to scare people that the number of random mass shootings is on the rise.

 

Strange that's what they'd be so concerned with, the algebra of mass shootings.

 

I think this story does everything YF claims the media never does:

'Oh my God! You got shot!'

It A) is actually being reported on, B) refers to them as "mass shootings," C) points out they were minority-on-minority crimes, D) still makes it a big deal even though no one died, and E) did not involve any white cops or garden-variety racist lunatics.

It also clarifies that the "outcry" has been "muted." The explanation being that this type of violence, especially at this time of year, is expected by a large segment of the population. One might say it echos the "soft bigotry of low expectations" paradigm expressed here from time to time, but to argue crimes like this don't get attention is blatantly false. There is literally an entire cottage industry in this country dedicated to making dangerous areas safer.

 

That's great.

But, until the media can figure out a way to put the Charleston shooting in the proper context when they discuss "mass shootings", it still doesn't mean much.

It's all "Summer of the Shark" tabloid journalism, designed to draw ratings, scare people, and push a political agenda.

New gun laws are not going to be enacted in the aftermath of shootings like the ones we saw in Philadelphia and Detroit. Just blacks killing blacks. As long as they keep it in their own neighborhoods, no one -- except TheSportsPredictor--cares.

Even Newtown couldn't spur new gun laws.

But, if folks can be made to think that Newtown or Charleston could happen in their town next -- THESE KINDS OF SHOOTINGS ARE HAPPENING MORE OFTEN -- well, then maybe we can pass some new laws.