[Archived] News comment

[jim mk2]

The US reaps what it sows when it comes to guns (and race). The country never learns and continues to justify guns ownership and use so why should anyone be shocked at events in Charleston?

[T J Hooker]

Bit harsh of you, but you're kind of right.

[thenodrog]

My heart goes out to the people of Charleston it really does, but on all the news bulletins can we please stop saying "African-American". For f*^'s sake none of the people purporting to be the above have never been anywhere near Africa. They're about as African as my Dad, and he was born in Darwen.

Is he Darwen Darwen or Italian Darwen Nick?

[K-Hod]

The USA is way too far gone to cease fire. This obsession with guns is odd and people need to change attitudes. As police need better training, as there appears to be too many issues relating to firearms...

[Mike E]

The USA is way too far gone to cease fire. This obsession with guns is odd and people need to change attitudes. As police need better training, as there appears to be too many issues relating to firearms...

One thing I do agree with is having police officers allowed to be shown to wear a gun (if properly trained). Certainly they do in Spain when I visit on hols and you do NOT @#/? about.

That's how the police should be. Approachable and friendly but you NEVER take the @#/?.

[adopted scouser]

Is he Darwen Darwen or Italian Darwen Nick?

No Mazzafiore here pal

[K-Hod]

One thing I do agree with is having police officers allowed to be shown to wear a gun (if properly trained). Certainly they do in Spain when I visit on hols and you do NOT @#/? about.

That's how the police should be. Approachable and friendly but you NEVER take the @#/?.

That's the thing though Mike, given what has happened recently with a lot of the shootings, I'm certain officers should get much more training and clear directives before they are allocated firearms.

[Dreyski]

Donald Trump as president? I cant even...

In other news, Ramadan started today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrpPkrLGr2U

[yoda]

Donald Trump as president? I cant even...

In other news, Ramadan started today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrpPkrLGr2U

Well that cleared that up!

[Audax]

Also, drug use a part of this,

All of these shooters, almost all, have been between the ages of 16-25 years old and most have been on medications. Sounds like Roof was taking the medicine illegally vs. prescription but I may be wrong.

http://www.infowars.com/charleston-shooter-was-on-drug-linked-to-violent-outbursts/

Charleston shooter Dylann Storm Roof was reportedly taking a drug that has been linked with sudden outbursts of violence, fitting the pattern of innumerable other mass shooters who were on or had recently come off pharmaceutical drugs linked to aggression.

All of these guys practically, have been young guys, you don't have a 45 year old doing these crazy things. Others have said if one of those in the Church had had a gun, this could have been limited as to the damage.

One or more of the past shooters liked violent video games.

The problem I see, is how young people get guns, I once drove in a neighbourhood where I think it had just happened, a youth went to another's house and shot and killed him. And that bothered me. But the problem is a bit more complex than just controlling guns. As if a farmer in Kansas is a threat to others with his guns.

But automatic weapons and so on, needs to be looked at.

[yoda]

Donald Trump as president? I cant even...

In other news, Ramadan started today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrpPkrLGr2U

Would he be worse than Regan ? it is the USA

[Tom]

Of course the killer was white so in the American media he'll be a good, quiet kid that has mental issues rather than a gang banger if he was black or a terrorist if he was brown.

[T J Hooker]

couldn't be truer.

[Audax]

Hardly,

I'm also not going to post pictures of all of the victims of black on white crimes. It's obvious, some people just use all of these circumstances for political reasons. Just check for example, the Mansion Murders:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/housekeeper-haunted-mansion-quadruple-murder-article-1.2256228

The first poster can't be correct, Lanza was too young to register I thought but I think the connections to liberalism are there.

[Audax]

Drink Driving Statistics

• On average 3,000 people are killed or seriously injured each year in drink drive collisions.

- See more at: http://www.drinkdrivingfacts.com/drinkdriving/drink_driving_facts.aspx#sthash.u2NGlQsM.dpuf

http://www.drinkdrivingfacts.com/drinkdriving/drink_driving_facts.aspx

That's for the UK, 3,000 people are killed or seriously injured in drink drive collisions.

Let’s take that figure for the number of people killed in the last 30 years during a mass shooting of 560 and add another nine to it. That makes 569.

Now compare that number to 10,076. According to MADD, that’s the number of people killed during drunk driving crashes in 2013 alone. In fact, every day in America, another 28 people die in drunk driving crashes. Every. Single. Day.

Drink Driving Statistics

• On average 3,000 people are killed or seriously injured each year in drink drive collisions.

- See more at: http://www.drinkdrivingfacts.com/drinkdriving/drink_driving_facts.aspx#sthash.u2NGlQsM.dpuf

http://allenbwest.com/2015/06/heres-what-the-mainstream-media-wont-tell-you-about-mass-shootings/

So really, alcohol is a bigger problem in ways.

[ultrablue]

One thing I do agree with is having police officers allowed to be shown to wear a gun (if properly trained). Certainly they do in Spain when I visit on hols and you do NOT @#/? about.

That's how the police should be. Approachable and friendly but you NEVER take the @#/?.

Are you talking about routinely arming all British police officers with a gun? I wouldn't agree with that. Give every officer a gun and more criminals will seek to arm themselves. The UK does not have a widespread gun violence problem. I would agree that some police in some areas might need to carry them due to the nature of the threats they face. But routinely arming every police officer? That would do more harm than good in my opinion.

[ultrablue]

There are several commentators in the States today saying all the usual things after a mass shooting: this was a lone wolf attack, he was simply a sick, mentally ill individual, it is not indicative of any wider issue, evil like this will always exist, the best thing individuals can do is be vigilant and good guys with guns will prevail. Basically they are saying there is nothing America can do to stop the frequency of these kinds of atrocities. Individual Americans should live with the threat and the Feds should leave them to it.

However, these are the same commentators who fully back the 'War on Terror', who believe that the government needs to be given the power to profile, to monitor, and in some cases detain people if they as much as suspect they may be somehow connected to terrorism in the name of Islam. These commentators believe that Islamic terrorism can and must be stopped, and that the best way to go about it is to give the government the ability to trample the rights of the individual.

The hypocrisy of these people is blatant and intolerable. The actions of this bloke in Charleston were the very definition of terrorism. He chose that church because he knew the message it would send. He targeted black people exclusively, not only out of hatred, but because he knew the wider effects his actions would have. He is a terrorist. Now what is government surveillance for if it is not to root out violent extremists intent on killing innocent people as part of a wider political goal?

Now personally I am against the kind of catch all surveillance programmes that were exposed by Edward Snowden and others. I am glad to see sections of the Patriot Act were left to expire last month. But those on the right in the US who are for the government having these powers, as part of a War on Radical Extremists do have a huge blind spot when it comes to White Power Extremists. They should be putting as much emphasis on domestic, racist terrorism as they do on Islamic terrorism.

Simply put, if you believe we must try everything we can to stop Islamic terrorism, then you must believe we should do the same to stop all terrorism.

[Paul]

Will America listen to her President? No but he's right.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-33192128

The U.S. "will have to reckon with the fact that this type of mass violence does not happen in other advanced countries".

Spot on. He knows the answer. Will America recognise the answer? No. I hoped he might have included another word, "civilised."

[Paul]

Of course the killer was white so in the American media he'll be a good, quiet kid that has mental issues rather than a gang banger if he was black or a terrorist if he was brown.

BBC R4 reported last night this was a straightforward racist act arising out of historically deep seated views.

Tom this is a general observation on your words. This is a criticism others made of how the UK Muslim community responds when events of this nature, very, very broadly speaking, occur here. Communities close ranks in the face of terrible events and few speak out.

[thenodrog]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33192306

At last! This after Islamic issues and atrocities have dominated 4 out of 5 news headlines this week alone! Pity so many chose to 'pull the bedclothes over their heads' and ignore powells wisdom almost 50 years ago. One of Cameron's predecessors ted heath effectively ended Powells political career for having the temerity for speaking out being the main culprit.

BBC R4 reported last night this was a straightforward racist act arising out of historically deep seated views.
Tom this is a general observation on your words. This is a criticism others made of how the UK Muslim community responds when events of this nature, very, very broadly speaking, occur here. Communities close ranks in the face of terrible events and few speak out.

Illustrating that some communities clearly do not consider themselves a part of the wider one.
Paul this is indeed a shocking case of racism but does it not also illustrate a skew or bias in news reporting? This will dominate headlines for some time but type this into google "christians murdered by islamists".
Is racial killing worse than killing on the grounds of religion? For example how long is it since all christians discovered on those boats of illegal immigrants were thrown overboard by the Muslims? I don't recall as much furore over that AND these are not acts of a lone deranged individual are they?

[Gav]

Why are we allowing people that have been to Syria looking to fight with terrorist groups back into this country?

Surely allowing them back in puts us at risk, they could rise up and cause untold damage in this country in the name of ISIS, it only takes 10/20 heavily armed former ISIS fighters to cause a masacre.

It's about time we put the race card/human rights to one side and started to think about protecting our own citizens that want to live here in peace.

[AllRoverAsia]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33192306

At last! This after Islamic issues and atrocities have dominated 4 out of 5 news headlines this week alone! Pity so many chose to 'pull the bedclothes over their heads' and ignore powells wisdom almost 50 years ago. Cameron's predecessor ted heath who effectively ended Powells political career for having the temerity for speaking out being the main culprit.

+++

[ultrablue]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33192306

At last! This after Islamic issues and atrocities have dominated 4 out of 5 news headlines this week alone! Pity so many chose to 'pull the bedclothes over their heads' and ignore powells wisdom almost 50 years ago. Cameron's predecessor ted heath who effectively ended Powells political career for having the temerity for speaking out being the main culprit.

Illustrating that some communities clearly do not consider themselves a part of the wider one.

Paul this is indeed a shocking case of racism but does it not also illustrate a skew or bias in news reporting? This will dominate headlines for some time but type this into google "christians murdered by islamists".

Is racial killing worse than killing on the grounds of religion? For example how long is it since all christians discovered on those boats of illegal immigrants were thrown overboard by the Muslims? I don't recall as much furore over that AND these are not acts of a lone deranged individual are they?

I often wonder what planet you are living on thenodrog. You say that "Islamic issues" have dominated the headlines in the media this week, yet in the same post you say that those same stories are being under-reported.

You deride the media for reporting on a racially motivated massacre in an American church that happened just a few days ago, by complaining that a story that happened in April is not being talked about still. The hint is in the name - News. Anyway you then post the answer to your own complaint in the same post. A quick Google search tells us that 15 people were immediately arrested and are now facing murder charges for throwing those Christians overboard.

The problem with the media and politicians and the terrorist attack in Charleston is that it will be added to the huge pile of atrocities carried out by 'lone deranged individuals', the usual debate will be had about guns and race, and the US will again brush their centuries old problems under the carpet. That is the true media bias, the real political lie. They shrug their shoulders when it comes to domestic terrorism, saying it is the price you pay for freedom. Yet they are willing to waterboard, drone, invade two countries, spend trillions of dollars send thousands of their own military to die, and do whatever it takes to pre-emptively kill foreign extremists. All so they maintain the freedom to ignore the horrific violence in their own backyard.

Anyway lastly - it turns out now Enoch Powelladamus was actually warning the UK about the rise of jihadi-extremists. What a tragedy his message of division and mistrust was never truly appreciated. I tell you who would really like to see the mono-cultural, insular, intolerant utopia Powell was speaking of - Islamic Extremists.

[K-Hod]

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/13339465.Probe_into__extremist_party__at_town_centre_pub/?ref=mr&lp=7- Not sure what's more surprising, a pub in Blackburn with people in it, or someone being so brazen about such views....

[thenodrog]

"A Blackburn resident is his 50s from the Revidge area said he felt 'disgusted and intimidated' that such gatherings were happening in the town centre." Hardly surprising they had to meet in the Adelphi cos there isn't a single pub left on Revidge Road anymore. None of the residents around there use them these days it seems. I wonder if there could be a connection because Revidge Run has gone from hero to zero in little over a decade. The Hare and Hounds and the Royal Oak would have gone the same way too but for an enterprising local chap. Not only that but on other major routes out of Blackburn there are now no pubs from the town centre on Whalley New road until Brownhill or along Preston New Road until Preston!

When kids kick off in an area and cause vandalism, form gangs and get involved in crimes and drug culture etc the hand wringers come out with "there's nothing for them to do' we need the council to provide youth clubs and sports facilities etc etc" and all sorts of support groups get involved. Well what has the council done for the kids who have grown up except subject them to cuckoo policy after cuckoo policy and help throw them out of the nest. There really is little to nothing for people to do or go around these parts is there? The speed and amount Blackburn has changed over the past few years must be a major reason for such meetings and a major reason for disaffected and disenfranchised adults. Stands to reason.