YouTube and Reddit are sued for allegedly enabling the racist mass shooting in Buffalo that left 10 dead
fortune.com
YouTube and Reddit are sued for allegedly enabling the racist mass shooting in Buffalo that left 10 dead::The complementary lawsuits claim that the massacre in 2022 was made possible by tech giants, a local gun shop, and the gunman’s parents.
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It's bizarre looking at this from the outside and seeing Americans trying to blame everything but the availablity of guns for shootings happening.
Many Americans will sacrifice a lot for their guns. Including school children and the ability to live in a safe society.
Coming from a country that had a couple of school shootings and then decided it wasn't worth the risk, and everyone handed in their guns with little complaint, I find it hard to comprehend.
It's hard to comprehend from the inside. This country is full of traumatizing shit that's really hard to face.
Well, even Americans without guns are much more violent than people in other first-world countries. Our non-gun homicide rate is higher than the total homicide rate in (for example) France or Germany.
There's an interesting discussion of the statistics here.
So my interpretation is that gun control is likely to reduce the murder rate, but the change will not be nearly as dramatic as many gun-control supporters seem to expect. Guns aren't most of the problem.
Means≠motivation. Having the capacity to do something doesn't drive one to do so.
I'm not deeply researched on this case but from what I know I'd imagine that poor solication combined with being accepted into a group who'd espouse those kind of views contributed to their actions. Not to say that any of those websites did anything particularly to drive their actions.
It is a quasi-religious thing. They would rather risk their kids dying than even accept the most basic regulations.
bUt iT's mUh rIgHt tO kEeP aNd cArRy gUnS
Pity the mass shooting victims didn't have the right to live their lives without being gunned down by a psycopath.
They do have that right actually, which is why we punish those who take those rights away. Just because it's illegal doesn't mean people can't break the laws
Really? The pro-gun community doesn't seem to think so. Without fail, they demand the right for people to legally own firearms despite a long history of red flags, in direct opposition to people's right to life and liberty.
70% of mass shooters are legal gun owners, with most of the remaining being people who took a family members legally owned (and legally poorly secured) firearm.
Pro-gun groups spend millions ensuring this doesn't change. Where is their punishment? They have record profits and convenient access to a hobby at the clear expense of people's right to life.
And I know the bleated response; an immediate othering with "but those are law-abiding gun owners, you can't punish them".
But it's bullshit. Most mass shooters fit the definition of "law abiding gun owner" right up to the minute they start firing into crowds. If a group is responsible for nearly three quarters of domestic terrorists and is unwilling or unable to lower that figure, society has a duty to put a stop to it.
It's also disingenuous to claim responsibility for an act starts and ends with the murderer. We're not blind, we can see the people who continue to enable gun violence.
Where do illegal firearms come from? Legal gun owners who leave handguns in their gloveboxes. Who blocks expanded checks and red flag laws that would have prevented mass shooters from buying semi-automatic weapons on a whim? Republican politicians who take millions from the gun-lobby. Who supports Republicans and the gun-lobby for exactly that reason? The pro-gun community.
And surprise surprise, it's the same groups that routinely strips other people of their rights without a glimmer of guilt or self awareness.
Yes really, I'm part of that pro gun community, I own some myself. In the US, we have certain rights that are in our constitution, like the right to freedom of speech, freedom of the press, a trial by jury, and along with all those is the right to bear arms. It was so important to early America it's the second amendment, right behind free speech.
Just having a gun, or any item that is also a weapon really, doesn't oppose the right to live. Both exist, it's illegal to kill someone with your fists, a knife, a bat, or a gun, it doesn't matter what tool is used.
So they aren't law abiding? Glad we can agree on that. Yes it's legal to carry a gun around as long as you don't go shooting random people with it, what's the point? I carry a pocket knife everywhere I go, that's also legal also as long as I don't go stabbing people.
So about red flag laws. Should red flags prevent the ability to practice a right? I'm not mentioning any specific right because constitutionally they all have the same protections. If it's illegal to use two flags to prevent free speech, it's illegal to use it for any other right, that's how rights work.
The people wanting to single out one right are destroying the integrity of the most important document in US history. There are correct ways to do it, but they aren't being done, instead they are trying to do things unconstitutionally. Removing a right is hard, and requires agreement, and there isn't enough support to do it so the left resorts to unconstitutional methods and the right fights to stop it.
I'm also against the recent movements to remove stuff like the right to abortion, but I was honestly shocked to see how weak the argument that made abortion a "right" was. Did you know how the original Roe V Wade decision was made?
It starts with the 14th amendment, known as the amendment that gave citizenship to anyone born in the USA, and providing them equal protection under the law. There is one line in the 14th amendment that reads "nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law". The supreme court decided that one little phrase gives us the implied right of privacy. From that right to privacy, they determined that means we also have the right to abortion, but only some abortion, no late term abortion.
So not surprising it was a very controversial decision that many saw as the right result in the wrong way. I'm honestly surprised it lasted 50 years.
You can't sue "the availability of guns", but you can sue YouTube, Reddit, the manufacturer, and whoever else is involved and at least try to get some money out of them.
Man, if the only thing that's preventing a country's populace from murdering each other is restricted access to weapons, then that country is a failed society.
Man, if your country has you living in such fear that you feel the need to be armed at all times, then that country is a failed society.
Yeah, let’s not regulate guns at all, that’s a swell idea. Really worked out well so far.
Let’s make them illegal, like drugs, because that works great.
The demand for guns in the US is high; if you don’t think this would become a lucrative black market you’re foolish.
The solution is more involved than just “regulate X”. Something is deeply fucked that isn’t going to be simply solved with a law, and could make things worse despite great intentions, just like prohibition did.
If the demand isn’t addressed, the problem will still exist. Same as prostitution and drugs.
It's almost like an in-between option for both drugs and guns needs to be considered.
I’d still contend the issue is demand, and that is the root issue. Other solutions are treating the symptom, not the cause.
The demand isn't so much the problem in an in between option, fair regulation and access requirements along with tracking (in the case of guns moreso) would help tremendously.
Definitely though the underlying cause of the desire/need is a separate discussion. Recreational drugs/guns aren't a complete negative imo, some people just like to experience a different mindset/state or shoot guns, but those that are mentally ill should be able to get help instead.
I don’t disagree necessarily, I just see it this way.
There’s a drug problem: why are people turning to drugs for escapism? It indicates an underlying issue with society and/or our relationship with drugs.
Along the same lines, why are we so hostile towards one another? Reducing the number of guns would reduce the number of people shot, but it wouldn’t address the hostility.
It’s just more complicated than “regulate X” no matter how good or common sense those regulations are.
My concern is that people only pursue the regulations, don’t address the social issue (much harder), and we end up with what prohibition created - a more robust black market.
Oh yeah, definitely agree, we need accessible (or my preference, free) mental health care amongst other things. In conjunction with better gun/drug laws.
So what's the black market for hand grenades and land mines like?
Practically non-existent because it turns out controlling weapon manufacturing is much easier than controlling drug manufacturing and you can properly scrutinise people's access to them without a death cult getting outraged.
There will always be murders. Humans are irrational creatures. Banning firearms makes murder attempts less likely to succeed, and mass murders significantly harder to plan, execute, and achieve actual mortality with.
Yes much better to arm that populace and have it be a double failure. Your failed society comparison would be an improvement for the US.
I mean, I'm sure there are lots of other socioeconomic reasons, but it feels like you can solve this big one a lot quicker and easier than trying to solve all the abstract issues that covers.
That’s kinda a given, but way harder to fix than introducing weapons control.