I know. Guns don't kill people.... (chapter infinity minus a few)

It was a school bombing, actually. Three of them, by a disgruntled school board member, in 1927 in Bath, Mich.

Still the worst school-related mass murder in U.S. history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath_School_disaster

 

I hate to say evolution, or in this case devolution, but I think human nature is that when we conceive an act of rage, passion, humanity or greed at an extreme level, the desire to "raise the bar" often comes into play.
It is odd though that 10 years ago it was high school shootings and now its college shootings.
But again, I really think whether it is a drive to increase yearly profits over last year or a desire to get media attention for a despicable act, people will do whatever they have to do to reach their goal.

 

I don't know Bubbs. I think if there were school shootings with 5-10 people killed in the 1950s, they would be cited along with Columbine, Jonesboro, Va Tech and the rest when this topic comes up.

 

No, they won't. People forget history very quickly. Especially history they want to forget.

That said, a quick list of U.S. school shootings (in various forms) from Wiki:

• University of Texas at Austin massacre Austin, Texas, United States August 1, 1966
• Orangeburg Massacre Orangeburg, South Carolina, United States February 8, 1968
• Kent State shootings Kent, Ohio, United States May 4, 1970
• Jackson State killings Jackson, Mississippi, United States May 14-15, 1970
• California State University, Fullerton Library Massacre Fullerton, California, United States July 12, 1976
• Cleveland Elementary School shooting San Diego, California, United States January 29, 1979
• Parkway South Junior High School shooting Saint Louis, Missouri, United States January 20, 1983
• Stockton massacre Stockton, California, United States January 17, 1989
• University of Iowa shooting Iowa City, Iowa, United States November 1, 1991
• Simon's Rock College of Bard shooting Great Barrington, Massachusetts, United States December 14, 1992
• Lindhurst High School shooting Marysville, California, United States May 1, 1992
• East Carter High School shooting Grayson, Kentucky, United States January 18, 1993
• Richland High School shooting Lynnville, Tennessee, United States November 15, 1995
• Frontier Junior High shooting Moses Lake, Washington, United States February 2, 1996
• Bethel High School shooting Bethel, Alaska, United States February 19, 1997
• Pearl High School shooting Pearl, Mississippi, United States October 1, 1997
• Heath High School shooting West Paducah, Kentucky United States December 1, 1997
• Jonesboro massacre Jonesboro, Arkansas, United States March 24, 1998
• Parker Middle School Shooting Edinboro, Pennsylvania April 24, 1998
• Thurston High School shooting Springfield, Oregon, United States May 21, 1998
• Columbine High School massacre Littleton, Colorado, United States April 20, 1999
• Heritage High School shooting Conyers, Georgia, United States May 20, 1999
• Buell Elementary School shooting Mount Morris Township, Michigan, United States February 29, 2000
• Santana High School shooting Santee, California, United States March 5, 2001
• Granite Hills High School shooting El Cajon, California March 22, 2001
• Appalachian School of Law shooting Grundy, Virginia, United States January 16, 2002
• John McDonogh High School Shooting New Orleans, LA, United States April 14, 2003
• Red Lion Area Junior High School shootings Red Lion, Pennsylvania, United States April 24, 2003
• Rocori High School shootings Cold Spring, Minnesota, United States September 24, 2003
• Red Lake High School massacre Red Lake, Minnesota, United States March 21, 2005
• Campbell County High School shooting Jacksboro, Tennessee November 8, 2005
• Pine Middle School shooting Reno, Nevada, United States March 14, 2006
• Platte Canyon High School shooting Bailey, Colorado, United States September 27, 2006
• Weston High School shooting Cazenovia, Wisconsin September 29, 2006
• Amish school shooting Nickel Mines, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States October 2, 2006
• Virginia Tech massacre Blacksburg, Virginia, United States April 16, 2007
• Delaware State University shooting Dover, Delaware, United States September 21, 2007
• SuccessTech Academy shooting Cleveland, Ohio, United States October 10, 2007
• Notre Dame Elementary shooting Portsmouth, Ohio, United States February 7, 2008
• Louisiana Technical College shooting Baton Rouge, LA, United States February 8, 2008
• Mitchell High School shooting Memphis, TN, United States February 11, 2008
• E.O. Green Junior High School shooting Oxnard, CA, United States February 12, 2008
• McNair High School shooting Atlanta, GA, United States February 12, 2008
• Northern Illinois University shooting DeKalb, Illinois, United States February 14, 2008

 

I hear you. I understand what you're saying.

It's sad to say, but I guess violence is relative and of its times. Even though school shootings seem to be a "trend", you also don't hear much anymore about lynchings or union strikers mowed down by management machine guns. Thank goodness for that, but violence has always manifested itself somehow.

And don't underestimate the copycat factor too. Unfortunately, one Virginia Tech-like massacre and all of the attention it gets probably breeds another nut willing to do the same, starting a cycle that only ends with our being desensitized to it to the point where the nuts doing the killing aren't getting the attention they crave in their insanity.

It's depressing.

 

We need a running gun violence thread. Sadly.

 

I just don't understand why we live in a society where it's ok for citizens to own non-hunting weapons.

I hate guns. Hate, hate, hate guns. They make me feel icky.

Yep, it's a sick, crazy, messed-up world ... and I still have no intention of owning a gun.

 

i'm a fairly liberal guy, but i've never understood the "let's do away with guns" ideology.

i don't blame deaths on guns, and i don't blame child pornography on the interwebs.

it seems to me that the more options we have, the better lifestyles for everyone involved.

 

Video games with exploding skulls, watermelon-like, have desensitized people....fed delusions.

 

Back in the 50s, angry kids didn't tote guns to school. They got their buddies together and danced and sang and fought with chains and knives while snapping their fingers.

It was in all the movies.

 

When you're a Jet,
You're a Jet all the way
From your first cigarette
To your last dyin' day.

I loved that musical when the movie came out (I was about 12). Probably went to see it 1/2 dozen times.

My father was worried.

 

More or less.