We now have the first Child shot by armed school gaurd.

[doggie]

Said it before, saying it again. As an Aussie I do not understand the US gun culture. At all.

are there any humans that understand Americans and their guns?

[clicker dies]

Also unsurprised that this happened.

Also unsurprised that it happened in Colorado. Place has a weird gun vibe.

Same here.

Also, it was in Aurora, CO. Where the movie theater shooting happened, if I recall.

[Arete]

Colorado may have a "weird gun vibe" but the Aurora shooter was a grad student who grew up in California, so maybe Aurora does not have quite the "cosmic" significance people think it does.

If a fundie had linked a shot child to the evils of liberal NY, we would all be rolling our eyes. :roll:

[MyNameIsJonas]

I read the title of this thread and thought I was going to throw up :( Not accounting for the physical and psychological trauma of being shot by a trusted authority figure, I am so glad this boy wasn't killed.

[Peppercorn]

Said it before, saying it again. As an Aussie I do not understand the US gun culture. At all.

I'm an American and I do not understand the US gun culture. At all.

[Blahblah]

I'm an American and I do not understand the US gun culture. At all.

I wasn't sniping at all Americans, just the ones like my redneck transplanted from the UK to Atlanta uncle who regularly sends me pro-gun and NRA emails so that I will see the light.

I know that you don't all have guns hidden in every room of the house. No offense meant.

[docmom]

I wasn't sniping at all Americans, just the ones like my redneck transplanted from the UK to Atlanta uncle who regularly sends me pro-gun and NRA emails so that I will see the light.

I know that you don't all have guns hidden in every room of the house. No offense meant.

I live in the US and take no offense at all. I do not understand US gun culture either. I believe it's linked to some idea of being able to stand against a tyrannical government (historical basis of 2nd amendment). However, if the US military decides to go after you, it's pretty unlikely you'd win the fight even with a whole arsenal of guns. Just saying...

[Alice_Fraggle]

Aside from the whole gun thing, this leaped out at me. My husband is a teacher. He's a wonderful, caring, decent man, who would do anything for anyone, but there is no way in hell or out that he would offer a student, male or female, a ride home from school. No. Way.

I noticed that too, and it weirded me out too!

Count me among those not surprised. And my first thought was also along the lines of "well, if the kid had a gun then this wouldn't have happened". The NRA won't be happy until we're all armed whether we WANT IT OR NOT!

ETA: To the poster who sometimes drives her student home (I can't remember your name) - I think that's admirable, and (IMO) you've taken all the steps to ensure that your student is safe, and that Mom, and your boss know what's going on. I don't think any reasonable person would hold that against you.

Also - add me to the Americans that don't understand the gun culture. I'd rather not have a firearm anywhere near me. I don't have anything against those with rifles, pistols and shot guns, but I DO NOT understand the need for assault weapons. It makes me nervous.

[Loveday]

One of my students, who has a non-verbal Autism and heightened anxiety, sometimes has a very hard time with the bus ride home, and we don't know what causes this stress. His only way to let us know is by screaming - for a 45 minute ride. If I'm able to see him becoming elevated towards the end of the day, I phone his mom and ask if I can drive him home. I sit him in the back seat of my car, I put on his playlist that Mom made for me on my iPod (never on shuffle, as that can bother him!), and I drive him straight home. He seems to appreciate it, and Mom says he probably enjoys riding home with me. I live about 5 blocks from his house. I've done it about 5 times this school year. My principal supports me in this decision. Other than that, no, I'm not driving a student home.

And no guns in the glove compartment. I think I will quit the profession if armed guards show up at my school. Very thankful to live in Canada!

Edited because I know to add my piece at the end, not the middle of what I'm quoting.

This would be one very rare exception to the no rides home rule. You did everything right in the way you arranged this. And I'm sure his mom is eternally grateful to you. I know I would be. :)

[PokaDot]

Same here.

Also, it was in Aurora, CO. Where the movie theater shooting happened, if I recall.

Rangeview is sorta close to that movie theater, but, Aurora is a weird city. It kinda sprawls, stops, ends and restarts a lot (a lot of places, if they can get away with it, will claim they are in Centennial instead of Aurora because Aurora really does have that bad a reputation-and has for years).

Personally, I never got a gun vibe off of Colorado until lately. Arizona, OTOH, screams guns to me. CO is 1/3 Democrat, 1/3 Republican and 1/3 Independent so it tends to self balance. However, I think a lot of crazies have moved into the state lately wanting to enforce their gun view or religious view (there was a church a few years ago who thought Denver wasn't religious enough and has made it their mission to build lots of large churches there to convert the masses).

[ADoyle90815]

Rangeview is sorta close to that movie theater, but, Aurora is a weird city. It kinda sprawls, stops, ends and restarts a lot (a lot of places, if they can get away with it, will claim they are in Centennial instead of Aurora because Aurora really does have that bad a reputation-and has for years).

Personally, I never got a gun vibe off of Colorado until lately. Arizona, OTOH, screams guns to me. CO is 1/3 Democrat, 1/3 Republican and 1/3 Independent so it tends to self balance. However, I think a lot of crazies have moved into the state lately wanting to enforce their gun view or religious view (there was a church a few years ago who thought Denver wasn't religious enough and has made it their mission to build lots of large churches there to convert the masses).

Another thing about Arizona is that it's home to the Zsu and her husband, the PP who has his fundie church which seems to attract gun nuts.

[Dysfundamental]

I'm in (and from) the US and honestly I understand Canadian and Australian gun culture much better than US national gun culture, because it's more similar to what I grew up with in rural Massachusetts. People I know have guns for hunting (an important source of food for many rural lower-income people in the US), to put down injured farm and wild animals quickly and with a minimum of pain, and for recreational target shooting. We have registration and licensing. I only knew one person growing up who was injured accidentally by a gun, and it was while hunting in thick woods.

[itaintmebabe]

Maybe it's the inland west in general that has the gun vibe, after all, AZ was where the Rep. Gabby Giffords was shot. It's that crazy Old West attitude that still exists out there.

I lived in CO for 1/3 of my life. I moved there as a kid, previously having lived in the east. From that moment on, it just seemed "not right." As a kid you can't explain these things, it's just a feeling. But I felt like I wasn't welcome. I met Mr. Babe in college there, and we decided we did not want to stay in CO because back in the 80s it seemed really conservative in a bad way. Does anyone know about the Alan Berg shooting? Alan Berg was an outspoken liberal radio personality based in Denver who was gunned down in his driveway by white supremacists. The planning for his assassination took place at or was planned by members of the infamous creepy LaPorte Church of Christ, miles from where we lived.

If you live along the northern front range, you are told of the curse of Chief Niwot. Non-native Americans have taken it to mean that if you leave, you will end up returning to stay. Well, it's been nearly 24 years and we're very happy where we are, despite now living in a very politically bipolar state. I'm much more comfortable here, and am not "creeped out" when traveling in rural parts like I am when I go back to visit CO. I'd much rather deal with a Wisconsin redneck than a Colorado redneck. Maybe it's the "midwestern nice" that makes them more palatable and less aggressive. Maybe it's the calming effect of all the great waterways, the Mississippi, Lake Superior and Michigan, and all the many smaller rivers and lakes that do not exist in the inland west.

Colorado has gotten a huge influx of megachurches in the past 20 years or so. Travel the suburbs along the front range, and it seems like there's one every square mile. Colorado Springs is megachurch central. There's a couple FLDS areas in the southwestern region, and when we visit that area we always see fundies in shopping plazas and around town.

Aurora has got to be one of the ugliest suburbs I've ever driven through. It's flat, run down, abandoned buildings, and it goes on forever! It feels like it doesn't end until you're halfway to Kansas.

I know Colorado holds a certain appeal for many who do not live there. I have no idea what the culture is on the ski slopes, but I would guess it is quite different than in the non-tourist towns and suburbs. Seeing it as a visitor is different than living there. I still like to visit as a tourist, but I never want to live there again.