Random Stuff IV

[Kobold King he/him]

My mother has taken to doing yoga every morning with the help of videos she found on the Internet.

 

The lady who teaches yoga in them talks in a soft, flowing voice about "exercising the spirit along with the body" and "imagining a trapdoor in your head, and through it pouring all of your stress and worry out of your body and into the air."

 

No, I'm not making either of those up. So my mother and I generally have the same reaction to the more "spiritual" parts of her videos.

 

[DanTheSeamonster he/him]

That awkward moment when you aren't sure if your coworker is flirting with you or not, so you just say "Umm," and walk away.

[Allomancy she/her]

Mmmmm... true lies.

[Kobold King he/him]

[Young Bard he/him]

The swingset thing that Kobold brought up reminded me of a conversation I once had with one of my teachers. He is extremely right-wing, while I am right at the opposite end of the spectrum. Many of the students enjoy trying to have nerdy, political debates with him (it's that kind of school).

 

One time, there were about 4 or 5 of us in a heated argument discussion with him about gun control laws in America. All of us were in support of the idea, trying to convince Mr (x). One point we cited was how there had already been multiple massacres in schools in America that year, while in Australia, which has gun control laws (and is where we live), there hadn't been any. In response, Mr (x) attempted to find a way to 'protect' students without initiating gun control laws.

 

This is what he came up with.

 

All schools should have six foot solid walls. There should be no trees near the walls, to prevent people being able to use that to climb over. There should only be one entrance/exit to the school. This entrance/exit will also have a metal detector installed. There should be 2 guards next to the entrance/exit at all times.

 

When I mentioned that he'd basically copy/pasted the design for most prisons into a school, and asked him how he thought that would affect the student's mental health, he responded (direct quote, as near as I can remember it):

 

"Well, couldn't they paint some nice pictures on the wall?"

 

Please, please tell me none of you are against gun control laws.

[Mashadar Mistborn he/him]

http://xkcd.com/889/

This made me think of the shard.

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

The swingset thing that Kobold brought up reminded me of a conversation I once had with one of my teachers. He is extremely right-wing, while I am right at the opposite end of the spectrum. Many of the students enjoy trying to have nerdy, political debates with him (it's that kind of school).

One time, there were about 4 or 5 of us in a heated argument discussion with him about gun control laws in America. All of us were in support of the idea, trying to convince Mr (x). One point we cited was how there had already been multiple massacres in schools in America that year, while in Australia, which has gun control laws (and is where we live), there hadn't been any. In response, Mr (x) attempted to find a way to 'protect' students without initiating gun control laws.

This is what he came up with.

All schools should have six foot solid walls. There should be no trees near the walls, to prevent people being able to use that to climb over. There should only be one entrance/exit to the school. This entrance/exit will also have a metal detector installed. There should be 2 guards next to the entrance/exit at all times.

When I mentioned that he'd basically copy/pasted the design for most prisons into a school, and asked him how he thought that would affect the student's mental health, he responded (direct quote, as near as I can remember it):

"Well, couldn't they paint some nice pictures on the wall?"

Please, please tell me none of you are against gun control laws.

I am, actually. Though I think Mr. X's suggestion is ridiculous at best, I don't think America is in a good position geographically to implement the same sort of gun control laws as Australia; and in addition, I don't trust the government--whether it's a Republican or a Democrat in office--enough to relinquish the sole right to gun ownership to them.

So far as schools go, I think a better solution would be to train all teachers in firearms safety and arm a quarter of them on a daily basis. Rotate who is armed weekly. And if there are teachers you wouldn't trust with a firearm, let me ask this: If you don't trust them with a firearm, why would you trust them with a child?

[Mistrunner]

I am, actually. Though I think Mr. X's suggestion is ridiculous at best, I don't think America is in a good position geographically to implement the same sort of gun control laws as Australia; and in addition, I don't trust the government--whether it's a Republican or a Democrat in office--enough to relinquish the sole right to gun ownership to them.

So far as schools go, I think a better solution would be to train all teachers in firearms safety and arm a quarter of them on a daily basis. Rotate who is armed weekly. And if there are teachers you wouldn't trust with a firearm, let me ask this: If you don't trust them with a firearm, why would you trust them with a child?

My thoughts exactly. If the bad guys have guns- which they always will find a way to have- then we should probably let the good guys have them too.

[Young Bard he/him]

Note: I know I'm debating a highly controversial issue here. If you find anything I say offensive, then please PM/ask in this thread, and I'll rephrase the particular thing you have a problem with.

 

Except... the bad guys in Australia don't have guns. I mean, it is a lot easier to monitor since Australia is sea-locked, but there has been a grand total of 1 massacre that I can remember in the past 5 years or so (ever since I've started watching the news) that was done with a gun, and in it, only 2 civilians were killed, one by an accidental ricochet from a police gun. There were probably other massacres as well. But that's the only one I can name. (For reference I'm referring to the Martin Place Siege).

 

@Twi: What do you do if a teacher has a religious/ moral objection to carrying a gun? Also I don't really trust a teacher or child carrying a gun. That's kind of the point.

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

Note: I know I'm debating a highly controversial issue here. If you find anything I say offensive, then please PM/ask in this thread, and I'll rephrase the particular thing you have a problem with.

Except... the bad guys in Australia don't have guns. I mean, it is a lot easier to monitor since Australia is sea-locked, but there has been a grand total of 1 massacre that I can remember in the past 5 years or so (ever since I've started watching the news) that was done with a gun, and in it, only 2 civilians were killed, one by an accidental ricochet from a police gun. There were probably other massacres as well. But that's the only one I can name. (For reference I'm referring to the Martin Place Siege).

@Twi: What do you do if a teacher has a religious/ moral objection to carrying a gun? Also I don't really trust a teacher or child carrying a gun. That's kind of the point.

That's exactly my point. America isn't sealocked. Even if the government manages to get ahold of every gun within its borders, legal or illegal (highly unlikely, since the only people who will give up their guns voluntarily will most likely own them legally) people who want them can simply smuggle illegal guns in from Mexico or Central America. Australia's gun laws work for them because of their geographic location, but they wouldn't work here.

If a teacher has an objection to carrying a gun, they should be exempt. I think America should allow for more moral exemptions, not fewer. My thinking is that if a child gets a gun, there should be someone armed and able to oppose them. I am not advocating shooting a child who comes to school with a gun. That should be a last resort. What I am advocating is having the teacher keep the child (or adult, as it may be) from shooting others until police arrive.

[Kobold King he/him]

Please, please tell me none of you are against gun control laws.

 

 

Anarchist, remember? I believe all world governments should be dissolved and human society should go back to peaceable hunter-gathering, preferably with no technology more advanced than bronze smithing. I'm not just opposed to gun control, I'm operating on an utterly different plane of philosophy as gun control.

[Young Bard he/him]

Note: I know I'm debating a highly controversial issue here. If you find anything I say offensive, then please PM/ask in this thread, and I'll rephrase the particular thing you have a problem with.

 

I think there is one major flaw with that argument.

 

 I have a grudge against the argument "I don't think it will work, so I won't bother trying to find a way." That seems to be a fairly common argument I come up against whenever I debate against a right wing person. They don't say the world they want would be better, they just say it would be easier.

 

Except, simply not attempting something because it looks difficult is just defeatist. I mean, a lot of people said the same thing about woman/black/homosexual rights. And, while we have a long way to go on all of these issues, we are a lot further on then we started out, because someone had the sense to say. "There is a problem here. Let's do our best to fix it." I think the same applies to gun control laws. You can either give up in frustration, call it a lost cause and move on, ignoring the massacres, maybe putting a few inadequate measures, if you're lucky. Or, you can try to fix it, regardless of opposition, and, perhaps, at times, fighting what seems a lost cause. But eventually, if enough people try and help, instead of closing their eyes and blocking their ears, then some headway can be made. And eventually, one day, we might be able to say "We had an issue with guns once... What a relief that that's no longer an issue."

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

Yep. There's a lot of smuggling from Mexico and Central America that's really, really hard to stop. Having lived in a place with a big problem with that for a good five years, I can say that it's pretty bad.

I think in America it can't really be a question of "can we stop people from getting guns", because it's nigh unto impossible. The question is "what can we do to make sure they can't hurt anyone."

Edit: Kobold- you're advocating a society without the Shard! How could you!

Right. Guns aren't going away, not from America at least, so we need to find a way to even the playing field. The most effective way I see is to ensure law abiding citizens have access to the same weapons as people who would use guns to harm others--and the training to use them safely and properly. Educate them about the potential dangers of guns. Make sure everyone, but children especially, respect guns for the damage they can do, and teach them ways to use them safely. Don't toss them into the fray unprepared.

Edit: Bard, gun control opponents are trying to fix the situation. We simply have different solutions to the same problem.

Edited November 14, 2015 by TwiLyghtSansSparkles

[Kobold King he/him]

Edit: Kobold- you're advocating a society without the Shard!   How could you!

 

You misunderstand. I'm starting the Tribe of the Shard. We'll scribe our roleplays on cave walls and distribute random memes via carrier pigeons. I am confident that the 17th Shard can survive the dissolution of society.

[Mashadar Mistborn he/him]

Personally, I'm a pacifist which means that I am definitely against weaponry. I do have a different take on pacifism than, to use an example fitting for this site, Tinkers, but I do not believe in the possession of guns. However, I do agree that trying to take guns away is futile, and I admit that I cannot come up with a perfect solution. The best thing that I can think of is taking ammunition off of the market, which would have gradual, but possibly effective consequences. And likely some effect that I have completely overlooked.

On a less serious note, I think I accidentally got a prom date for next year… oops.

[Kobold King he/him]

Personally, I'm a pacifist which means that I am definitely against weaponry. I do have a different take on pacifism than, to use an example fitting for this site, Tinkers, but I do not believe in the possession of guns. However, I do agree that trying to take guns away is futile, and I admit that I cannot come up with a perfect solution. The best thing that I can think of is taking ammunition off of the market, which would have gradual, but possibly effective consequences. And likely some effect that I have completely overlooked.

On a less serious note, I think I accidentally got a prom date for next year… oops.

 

 

The problem with pacifism-driven gun control is that literally not a single law can be enforced without the use of violence. You can't stop people from selling ammunition without threatening them with jail time and legions of heavily armed law enforcement personnel. Government, alas, cannot exist without violence or the looming threat of violence.

 

I've never been to prom. Is there punch? I've heard there was punch.

 

 

Right. Guns aren't going away, not from America at least, so we need to find a way to even the playing field. The most effective way I see is to ensure law abiding citizens have access to the same weapons as people who would use guns to harm others--and the training to use them safely and properly. Educate them about the potential dangers of guns. Make sure everyone, but children especially, respect guns for the damage they can do, and teach them ways to use them safely. Don't toss them into the fray unprepared.

 

I agree with Mistrunner. This was perfectly said. I don't even have to wade into the debate since Twi's saying everything I'd say with far better phrasing than I could ever muster.

Edited November 14, 2015 by Kobold King

[Mashadar Mistborn he/him]

Alas, idealists are not suited for politics.

As for prom, I have no idea, I just accidentally got a date. But punch sounds good.

[Kobold King he/him]

Alas, idealists are not suited for politics.

As for prom, I have no idea, I just accidentally got a date. But punch sounds good.

 

 

I feel your pain. I don't believe for an instant that my dreams of a glorious anarchist utopia will ever come to fruition--I'm just pleased to have an alternative to offer people when I sit on my high stool and mock Democrat and Republican politicians with equal mirth.

 

How do you accidentally get a date, if I might ask? I'm asking for a friend, because I am of course not a sad, dateless fool who's looked upon with disdain by all members of the fairer sex who espy him.

[Mashadar Mistborn he/him]

I'm using the word date because I don't have anything more suitable of the top of my head. What happened was one of my friends asked me if I would take her to prom my senior year so she gets to go, and I just shrugged and agreed.

Voila, one accidental date.

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her]

We could always have a 17th Shard Prom.

[Mashadar Mistborn he/him]

We could always have a 17th Shard Prom.

One vote for yes.

[Kobold King he/him]

We could always have a 17th Shard Prom.

 

 

...but will there be punch?

[Mistrunner]

We could always have a 17th Shard Prom.

Where we photoshop each others' avatars atop nice-looking tuxes and dresses. And play music we like, rather than the stuff they'd play at a  real life prom. And bake brownies and eat them- by ourselves.

 

This is starting to sound like my ideal Friday night.

[MrMistborn he/him]

Where we photoshop each others' avatars atop nice-looking tuxes and dresses. And play music we like, rather than the stuff they'd play at a  real life prom. And bake brownies and eat them- by ourselves.

 

This is starting to sound like my ideal Friday night.

I'm in!

[The Honor Spren she/her]

Where we photoshop each others' avatars atop nice-looking tuxes and dresses. And play music we like, rather than the stuff they'd play at a real life prom. And bake brownies and eat them- by ourselves.

This is starting to sound like my ideal Friday night.

There could be dancing!

(And by that I mean that there would be a dance floor. No one would be on it because we'd all be in our individual corners, avoiding eye contact. )