9 Dead in Dayton....

posted by O-Trap

But my point is that women have had that same exact ease of access, and to the same kinds and number of firearms.  AR-15s are just as available to women as they are to men.  High-capacity mags are just as available.  Armor-piercing rounds are just as available.  Body armor is just as available.  There's no extra legal or institutional barrier that makes the access for women any more difficult.

And yet, women have only been involved in mass shootings about once every 9 years and 3 months during the last 37 years.  For a population of over 117 million women (roughly the female population at the beginning of this span of time), that's pretty remarkable.

Why is it that women, who have had this same ease of access, who have had the same options available, who have lived in the same cities, who are governed by the same laws (and absence of laws), and who exist in about the same number, have been involved in so few mass shootings?

This needs answered, I think.  During the time in which we've been saying the males who have committed so many heinous acts have had too easy access, the women in our country have had the same access, but the result has been starkly different.

I think the actual answer exists there.  What is it about our cultural values, societal norms, or pressures causes our males to respond so differently from our females with the exact same access to firearms.

Women's brains are different.  That is all.  Don't overanalyze it

posted by Spock

Women's brains are different.  That is all.  Don't overanalyze it

But the contrast doesn't happen elsewhere.

Also, there's zero evidence that a female brain is biologically different.

posted by O-Trap

But the contrast doesn't happen elsewhere.

Also, there's zero evidence that a female brain is biologically different.

The development and hormonal profiles of the females brain are different.  Women process things differently .  They are different.  

posted by Spock

The development and hormonal profiles of the females brain are different.  Women process things differently .  They are different.  

Hormones, yes.

Actual brains themselves, no.  Brains are unisex, biologically.

posted by O-Trap

Hormones, yes.

Actual brains themselves, no.  Brains are unisex, biologically.

You are arguing semantics.  There is nothing even close to how the female brains "work" compared to males.  Millions of years of evolution made that happen.

Back to the topic at hand.....I saw a pic of where this guy was in Ned Peppers an hour before the shooting likely getting an idea of what he was going to do.  

posted by Spock

Back to the topic at hand.....I saw a pic of where this guy was in Ned Peppers an hour before the shooting likely getting an idea of what he was going to do.  

From the sound of it, he supported politicians who either affirmed much stronger gun control laws or out-and-out bans.  Makes it almost feel like a Life of David Gale situation.

posted by Spock

You are arguing semantics.  There is nothing even close to how the female brains "work" compared to males.  Millions of years of evolution made that happen.

I don't think so.  The fact that we don't see this kind of discrepancy elsewhere makes me think this is more a "nurture" problem than a "nature" one.

I'm not saying it couldn't be influenced by some weirdly recessive trait, a mutated gene, or some random stray shot of sperm somewhere, but the distinction is notable between the US and other countries, both with more AND fewer gun laws.

This is courtesy of my nephew, who is from Dayton and currently resides in Yellow Springs--he is not only a talented painter and sculptor, but the lead singer/songwriter for a band called Gin Soaked Angels (they're a damn good Indie band that already has a CD out, with another on the way--check them out on YouTube)..pretty powerful stuff...

Anthony Powers

August 4 at 12:29 PM

This is not what I wanted to paint today. I wanted to paint more trees. Or flowers. But this is all I had room for. I knocked a lot of things over this morning just in the process of painting this, including the painting and the easel.

This is not a request for comfort. I am one of the lucky ones; I am able to paint until I can cry, and then I am able to cry until I can stop.

This is not political activism. I do not feel a sense of direction that I can call people to; I do not feel that guns are our problem. I just feel buried beneath the news of disaster and violence.

This is all I have to give. I have never hated something I created this much.

This painting is not for sale. I am considering burning it. I love you all, please check on your friends and family from the Oregon district, and in El Paso.

Awesome. 

A press conference is to be held at 2:00 today (Mon. 8/12) to announce charges against a friend of Connor Betts for lying on federal firearms forms (straw purchase?).

posted by queencitybuckeye

A press conference is to be held at 2:00 today (Mon. 8/12) to announce charges against a friend of Connor Betts for lying on federal firearms forms (straw purchase?).

You mean someone found a way around the gun laws in place to obtain a particular firearm, because they had the intent to use it?

Color me shocked.

posted by O-Trap

You mean someone found a way around the gun laws in place to obtain a particular firearm, because they had the intent to use it?

Color me shocked.

Very shocking.  In the entire history of the US, I can't of many times people found their way around laws to obtain particular items.  

So his friend bought his body armour and other things.  Clips were bought illegally and gun purchased legally.

posted by Spock

Clips

posted by Spock

I am not an educator

Well that's the truth.

posted by O-Trap

But the contrast doesn't happen elsewhere.

Also, there's zero evidence that a female brain is biologically different.

Actual psychology and biology disagrees with this statement.  Everything from here on out is to be assumed "on average" and doesn't mean all men or all women.

There are biological/psychological reasons men are better at focusing/finishing/staying on one task at a time while women are much better multitaskers.

I could keep going but here's a good link. Neither men nor women are "better" or "smarter" but they most certainly are different and are "better" at certain tasks...again "on average".

https://stanmed.stanford.edu/2017spring/how-mens-and-womens-brains-are-different.html

I'm surprised there's not more regulation around body armor.  There's no good reason for most people to own body armor.

Although this should make for some interesting debate when Schumer tries to propose stricter laws.  I imagine you'll have some soccer moms who demand they be able to purchase a vest for themself and little Johnny.

posted by gut

I'm surprised there's not more regulation around body armor.  There's no good reason for most people to own body armor.

Although this should make for some interesting debate when Schumer tries to propose stricter laws.  I imagine you'll have some soccer moms who demand they be able to purchase a vest for themself and little Johnny.

We dont need alcohol and cigs either but those arent going anywhere anytime soon

posted by jmog

Actual psychology and biology disagrees with this statement.  Everything from here on out is to be assumed "on average" and doesn't mean all men or all women.

There are biological/psychological reasons men are better at focusing/finishing/staying on one task at a time while women are much better multitaskers.

I could keep going but here's a good link. Neither men nor women are "better" or "smarter" but they most certainly are different and are "better" at certain tasks...again "on average".

https://stanmed.stanford.edu/2017spring/how-mens-and-womens-brains-are-different.html

I wasn't arguing the psychological element, as psychology can be heavily influenced by nurture.

As for the physiology, that can also be influenced by how it's used, which can be influenced by nurture as well, though I admit that hormones obviously affect it also (namely steroidal hormones, like testosterone or estrogen).

Worthy of note, none of the differences listed are used to account for this difference, while psychology has, for decades, been under the impression that social psychological factors largely account for male aggression in comparison to female aggression.

Even still, the ratio of mass shootings overwhelms the ratios used in any of the studies I could find (the closest I saw was 85% of violent crimes being committed by men in the US in 2004).

 

posted by gut

I'm surprised there's not more regulation around body armor.  There's no good reason for most people to own body armor.

Although this should make for some interesting debate when Schumer tries to propose stricter laws.  I imagine you'll have some soccer moms who demand they be able to purchase a vest for themself and little Johnny.

Shoot, why not?  Realistically, the reason to carry a gun doesn't seem that different from the reason to wear a ballistic vest.