Mass Shooting Allen, TX Outlet Mall - May 6, 2023

Great questions that we need answers to

 

Russian propaganda is a big part of this country's rising fascist movement.

 

If mass shootings are a mental health issue rather than a gun issue as Governor Abbot has suggested why did cut $200 million in funding for mental health services last year? Just asking.
Abbott blamed Texas school shooting on lack of mental health resources. But he reportedly cut more than $200 million from the department that handles them.
Abbott blames 'mental health' for Uvalde shooting after cutting $211 million from mental health agency

 

I'm so tired of this as well. Those of us with mental health disorders are constantly labeled as "dangerous" or more likely to engage in this madness. I've had family that I go hunting and target shoot with tell me that certain disorders should automatically disqualify a person from gun ownership, while ignoring this is a form of gun control, amusingly. I'm bipolar, well-treated, and only a threat to an occasional four-legged mammal or target paper.

The overwhelming number of the mentaly ill who resort to firearms do it to themselves, not murder-suicides. There are good proposals on how to approach this, but they're inevitably thrown out. Hell, I'd be fine with a shrink writing off that I'm not suicidal or a danger to those around me, assuming the process isn't gatekept with substantial cost or stupid paperwork.

Constantly hearing from Republicans how we cannot do anything about America's gun problem with a simultaneous push to cut programs intended to help those with mental health issues all mixed in with "we have to do something about the mentally ill" makes me want to punch a wall. I don't know how else to put it. It's literally "let's do nothing." I guess when your financiers in the gun industry are making millions off of the body counts, all's well? Fear is profitable, and Lord know we have plenty of that.

 

Well he did but he didn't

But it's not accurate to call the move a "budget cut." Texas immediately replenished the Health and Human Services Commission's (HHSC) budget by shifting federal coronavirus aid to the agency's coffers.

Congress allocated that money to Texas through the CARES Act to help the state recover from the pandemic.

The money swap is a common budget technique lawmakers use to maximize state tax revenue when federal dollars become available.

"This transfer will not affect any agency or program function," Abbott wrote in a letter to other state leaders after the move.


Did Texas Gov. Abbott cut millions from mental health care? | wfaa.com

 

Oh well, he used federal money intended for other uses to cover his budget cuts in order to send that money elsewhere, much better

 

Look at our national debt. $31.5T and poised to hit $40T by 2030, maybe sooner. A good probability that our debt-to-GDP by then will surpass 150%, almost 50% more than at the height of WWII. No money and it's going to get far worse. I fully expect SS and Medicare to be cut in by half by 2033. You have afib today? Better get your ablation now before you go on Medicare because you won't be getting it soon. Cuts are already happening and the sheeple don't see it. It's there, ablations are covered, but what you don't see is the 40% cut in reimbursements to EPs and that is setting in motion a mass exodus from the cardiology field to more lucrative medical fields. That's just one of scores of changes already being made to Medicare.

Also take a look at Title 42, which is set to expire. Troops are being mobilized to help with the entry of more than 150,000 people about to cross into the US on the 1st day. Where does the money come from to house, clothe, feed, give medical care? From you and I. Cut SS and Medicare and move the money over to immigrants. Another 5 million set to enter the US by year's end. That's the population of Dallas. I am for feeding the poor but it's going to get difficult for all of us over the next decade or 3 and I'm not sure this country is ready to become a more 3rd world/less 1st world country.

 

Not sure it matters. All of these shooters over the years have been very sick, demented individuals. The neo-Nazism is just another manifestation of the sickness. Most of the active shooters don't have such affiliations.

The truth is there are always going to be the ones who "slip through the cracks", in almost every area of life. That is why it's not wise to strip 350,000,000 of their rights over a few dozen bad actors over the past 30 years. You're never going to be able to draw a magic red line when it comes to mental health evaluation and gun rights, unless you err really hard to the cautious side, which will inevitably impact millions of people who would have otherwise been able to purchase a firearm and who would have used them responsibly. And even then, you're still going to miss on a few.

Acting as if we can nail every potential problem when it comes to these background checks is foolish and we shouldn't be so naive. You're never going to have a perfect system when it comes to this stuff. We're not going to start shutting down bars at 8pm because of a handful of drunk drivers kill people each day. There's always going to be the exceptions. It's part of living in a free society.

 

Funding is a legitimate concern, but there are two sides to every coin. Any analysis must factor in all the benefits of improved mental health as well as the reduction of various costs and externalities associated with poor mental health.

 

What’s the solution, or is there none?

 

Let’s say you live in NYC or Dallas, or hell even Gainesville FL. How do you “use” an AR-15 responsibly? It’s a thing there is literally no use case for, certainly not in cities or suburbia. You can either take it to the the gun range, or just have it sit there. But there is no non-criminal or non-war “use case”.

In rural areas semi-auto rifles might make for easier hunting. But I’d wonder what % are actively used in that way compared to more typical hunting rifles, which also don’t have a “use case” in population dense environments.

 

I'm convinced the only way things will change is when a critical mass of voters have been directly or indirectly impacted by a mass shooting event. At the rate we're going it shouldn't take too long.

How many people were at the strip mall or had been there within hours? Maybe a few hundred? How many people between family, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances will they share their experience with? Maybe 100 each? That would make 30,000 people that were at arms length from this event. The tide will turn slowly but things are going to change.

 

You hit on some ominous and important issues.

I'm sure your aware that I am a progressive / liberal.
However I do try to keep up on events.

So many post on this forumn as if the "current" model of American Gov't and society can "DEAL" with current or upcoming problems.

I myself, do not.

To comment on some of your concerns: Health Care. I simply look at the demographics. IMO the US is on the verge of an existential crises. BabyBoomers like me are on the way out and burden the society with overwhelming numbers. I see no way that the current system, both in Gov't and in the Medical profession can possibly deal with what is coming without sharp, dramatic and in many respects draconian measures.

I really think State Govt's should allow citizens to end their life prematurely and easily with medical assistance for those that choose the option.

I have seen studies that suggest up to 33-40% of current health care costs are associated with the last 30 days of life for those that choose to fight death with all the medical bells and whistles right up to the time of expiration.

The border?
I abhor Trump and everything he stands for. It's unfortunate that he choose to be such an insensitive moron about "The Wall".

But the GOP is right. The United States should not be the dumping ground for every citizen of every failed state on the planet, including S and C America.

While recognizing that almost all of us are "Immigrants" excepting indiginous Americans, the fact is, we are the third most populous nation on earth at 330 million.

Quality of life is decreasing here and wealth concentration continues to go up.

I believe the time is coming, and quite soon, when draconian immigrations polices will have to be adopted, driven by self preservation.

 

WE could increase revenue! Taxes, you know

 

This is us now. The new Stop, drop, and roll for the 21st century.

 

Targeting Asians, supposedly

 

On this board you already have an affected member in iboy. But I’m not sure it matters to those like Okee that believe collateral damage will happen and it’s acceptable.

 

I disagree on the immigration front. It is one thing keeping us from having Japanese, Korean, and German population issues resulting from low birth rates l. You mention baby boomers being an issue but and then want to reduce the number of people that can help support that burden? Frankly it’s nonsensical.

 

Seems like there is already a pretty large constituency of people affected by gun violence in some way. I've lost a friend to suicide and a relative to a road rage shooting. People think public opinion or anger means something in a system which is very much designed to not respond to public opinion or passions.

 

So your falling for the Elon Musk demographics B.S.?
Okay. Well the population is at 8 Billion and still climbing.