School shootings in America (and a wee bit help with homework!)

[Cucumber]

I have been assigned by my dear English teacher to scribble down an essay about (You guessed it...) School shootings in America.

We've been assaulted with numerous movies and articles about how America is the violent shizzle. But I'd personally like it if I head the opinions from the average, yet quite intelligent, schmoes from The Escapist.

Basically, my assignment goes like this:
"Write a report in which you describe and discuss school shootings in America. Why are American schools especially in the danger zone when it comes to being attacked with guns by crazy or angry students?"

What do you think?
Discuss, and give me some opinions. =)

 

[Legion]

My short answer would be:

America is a large country and because of that it naturally has a lot of people; if you also think about how it is also the largest country in the world that legalizes fire-arms to the average citizen, then it isn't all that surprising that gun-crimes are more common than any other non-third world country.

In relation specifically to schools: guns are an efficient weapon. You are much less likely to stand up to somebody who can kill you from across a room than a knife wielding person who has to be fast and close to you. As a result, a person who wants to hurt other students and such is much more likely to do so if they have access to a fire-arm than a a tool/weapon that requires being in close proximity, it's more dangerous for others and safer for them.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

here's my take on the short answer

america is a country with very little gun control, the vast majority have guns, both legal and illegal. other countries, such as canada, britain and japan, have strict gun control hardly any gun violence. the gun violence at school comes from the lack of control over the guns and their proper storage as parents can and do leave their guns in places that make access to the gun easy for their children who think shooting people is the way to solve the problems

 

[Legion]

here's my take on the short answer

america is a country with very little gun control, the vast majority have guns, both legal and illegal. other countries, such as canada, britain and japan, have strict gun control hardly any gun violence. the gun violence at school comes from the lack of control over the guns and their proper storage as parents can and do leave their guns in places that make access to the gun easy for their children who think shooting people is the way to solve the problems

Agreed.

 

[Cucumber]

Hmm... If any of you guys watched "Bowling for Columbine",

Do you agree with him? Or do you find him a bit exaggerated?

 

[cleverlymadeup]

Hmm... If any of you guys watched "Bowling for Columbine",

Do you agree with him? Or do you find him a bit exaggerated?

yup and no he didn't really exaggerate much

 

[Cucumber]

Hmm... If any of you guys watched "Bowling for Columbine",

Do you agree with him? Or do you find him a bit exaggerated?

yup and no he didn't really exaggerate much

That was my immediate reaction too, but one thing I've learned is that criticism is the way to go.

Example; when I watched that movie with Al Gore about global warming, I later learned that some of those statements were severely exaggerated.

So I've been a little skeptical about Michal Moore's movie, but it seems that my skepticism is unnecessary?

 

[Avatar Roku]

Just please do me a favor and don't paint all Americans as the they're-gonna-take-our-guns hick. We're not, in fact, I only know one guy like that and everyone hates him.

 

[Pseudonym2]

I blame our demented take on masculinity and gun culture in general. See Tough Guise, you can find it by using a Google video search.

 

[Berethond]

It's because of idiots who keep their bullets in the same place as their guns. (except for the one in the nightstand, under the kitchen table, and by the front door.)

 

[Shivari]

I'd say most shootings have something to do with kids not doing their homework and asking for help on the internet, leading to an enraged kid who actually did their homework themselves getting pissed.

Just a guess.

 

[Avatar Roku]

I'd say most shootings have something to do with kids not doing their homework and asking for help on the internet, leading to an enraged kid who actually did their homework themselves getting pissed.

Just a guess.

You always seem to react this way to people getting help for homework on the Escapist. Mind if I ask why?

 

[Rath709]

Pac-Man was where society started to go downhill. I mean look at the objectionable content;

Ghosts? That's the presence of The Occult.
Power pills? DRUGS.
And that crazy electronic music that drives kids into an insane frenzy?

No sir, no good can come of it.

 

[Irridium]

well, according to the U.S. constitution, it is every citizens right to bear arms.

I think that when the founders of the U.S. (Jefferson, Washington, Franklin, ect.) made the Bill of Rights and that ammendment, they didn't think that it would be a problem. Mainly because most people had a gun back then.

They probably did this because they wanted citizens to be able to defend themselves in case of an emergency, like in a war, citizens can defend themselves if the military can't, or another form of self defence.

Some people just take it to far and buy a gun to shoot someone. Its strange that there are more crazy and violent people in this era than there were in the past.


And most shootings happen in or near cities, which from personal experience are the main centers of violence. That is why America has lots of school shootings, because virtually everyone is allowed to own a firearm and most who do live near centers of violence

I don't really know, but from what I have reaserched for past papers on this subject, most reasons for shootings are because the child is unhappy at school and/or has to live with horrid/abusive conditions at home.

 

[Shivari]

I'd say most shootings have something to do with kids not doing their homework and asking for help on the internet, leading to an enraged kid who actually did their homework themselves getting pissed.

Just a guess.

You always seem to react this way to people getting help for homework on the Escapist. Mind if I ask why?

We're not a homework center, people should be doing it themselves. I'd have no problem if they had said "Can someone edit/look over this essay?", but he's basically saying "Here's the assignment, start it off for me." No. It's your work, your essay, and your opinion, not someone else's opinion that you copied off the internet and than expanded on a bit. And no, it's not research or anything of the sort, people are just too lazy to come up with something by themselves, so they ask for someone else's ideas.

Seriously, it's not even that hard of an essay. Just take a stance behind something and work on it until it's nice and shiny. Why does the US have so many shootings? Because we have so many guns. Look! A whole 3 seconds there, and I could write a whole essay on that in no time. It's laziness, and when it's something so incredibly easy, there's absolutely no excuse for coming around and asking for people to give them a thesis.

 

[Trivun]

Pac-Man was where society started to go downhill. I mean look at the objectionable content;

Ghosts? That's the presence of The Occult.
Power pills? DRUGS.
And that crazy electronic music that drives kids into an insane frenzy?

No sir, no good can come of it.

Actually, I would have said Tetris was the catalyst. It was Russian, so it was promoting Communism (this was the 80's/early 90's, after all), and the music was even more insane. At least Pacman promoted the fun things...

 

[videonerd250]

Hmm... If any of you guys watched "Bowling for Columbine",

Do you agree with him? Or do you find him a bit exaggerated?

I don't know about exaggerated, but I'd take what he says with a big grain of salt. He is to me what wikipedia is to the schools.

 

[Helnurath]

I have been assigned by my dear English teacher to scribble down an essay about (You guessed it...) School shootings in America.

We've been assaulted with numerous movies and articles about how America is the violent shizzle. But I'd personally like it if I head the opinions from the average, yet quite intelligent, schmoes from The Escapist.

Basically, my assignment goes like this:
"Write a report in which you describe and discuss school shootings in America. Why are American schools especially in the danger zone when it comes to being attacked with guns by crazy or angry students?"

What do you think?
Discuss, and give me some opinions. =)

We need a lot more school shootings. Only after thousands of children have died in schools will we learn to stop bullying, peer-pressure, and parents not actually caring for their kids. It sounds harsh, but most Americans only learn from their own mistakes and will second guess anyone trying to give them advice or help in raising their children.

 

[Helnurath]

I blame our demented take on masculinity and gun culture in general. See Tough Guise, you can find it by using a Google video search.

I agree.