another school shooting in U.S. of A. :(

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nigelred5

Have you seen the USPS ONLY benefits their employees get? It repulses me every time I look at my benefit costs and see Postal/non-postal rates for health benefits. I have to contribute $230 a month more than a postal worker for the same exact health benefit plan. Why is that?

---

This is the mentality that makes countries like Greece go bankrupt--pension and benefits policies that do not make fiscal sense.

We have a few situations here that
The same could be said for the United Auto Workers--each car that's driven off the lot must charge $5K just to cover pensions. I heard that stat 15 years ago--it's perhaps significantly more now. Oh yeah, and three years ago the US taxpayers had to bail them out of their mess.
I heard this one a while back: a lifeguard in California can get a $105K pension--another state that where labor makes the rules.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jag_Warrior

And just as I have to accept and deal with the reality of things like unions when I seek to restructure a manufacturing process in order to improve productivity and profitability (because that is my goal... the goal is not to bust the union or ban anything), then many of you also have to swallow hard and accept and deal with the reality of the gun culture here... if, if, if your goal in discussing this is to find realistic and practical ways to meaningfully lessen (as you'll never totally eliminate) firearms related violence.

---

The thing is that, as has been demonstrated, there actually are no practical solutions. You can't ban anything, you can't forcibly take firearms off the populace and any incentivised scheme like a gun buyback would be like trying to remove the ocean by using a single bucket.
There are no realistic and practical ways to meaningfully lessen firearms related violence in the United States other than natural variation.

Then there's the wee problem of getting 50 states to agree to anything, which is a herculean task at the best of times.

So basically, we(USA) are screwed.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by race aficionado

So basically, we(USA) are screwed.

---

But me being the eternal optimist will disqualify my previous statement by firmly believing that we will eventually move ahead with some changes that will get us closer to respecting the law abiding gun owners and also respecting the sanity of a sane society where the "us" will take precedent over the "I" and we will not be forced to all carry a hand gun (or a machete in my case) - oh but wait . . . . we still have to go over this "cliff" of ours and the debt ceiling and the fact that banks are not lending any money to us normal citizens . . . . but sorry, I digress . . .

And to continue my rant, the fact that this thread continues and some (in my always honest opinion) forum members are contributing to it with an intelligent and even a caring manner, it shows that this is a very important topic that not only affects the citizens of the USA but also the citizens of our planet.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by race aficionado

So basically, we(USA) are screwed.

---

It can be looked at as an opportunity:

1) Sales of firearms goes up, plus increased demand causes prices to increase, making that industry financially healthier.
2) More training classes for firearms owners, which makes gun owners more knowledgable . . . and the gun industry has another source of income.
3) Registration of firearms is another source of revenue . . . for the states.
4) Applications for conceal-carry permits go up=more revenue for the states.
5) Mental healthcare fields have a higher demand for qualified graduates (along with de-stigamtizing mental health issues) to get ill people the help / support they need
6) Security companies may have to hire more personnel to keep up with the demand.
7) The police forces may need to recruit more due to higher demand.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by keysersoze

It can be looked at as an opportunity:

1) Sales of firearms goes up, plus increased demand causes prices to increase, making that industry financially healthier.
2) More training classes for firearms owners, which makes gun owners more knowledgable . . . and the gun industry has another source of income.
3) Registration of firearms is another source of revenue . . . for the states.
4) Applications for conceal-carry permits go up=more revenue for the states.
5) Mental healthcare fields have a higher demand for qualified graduates (along with de-stigamtizing mental health issues) to get ill people the help / support they need
6) Security companies may have to hire more personnel to keep up with the demand.
7) The police forces may need to recruit more due to higher demand.

---

I'm reminded of a satire about a BBC newsreader's desire for the broadcasting of more 'good news':

'It's boom time for glaziers, as the IRA bombs the Baltic Exchange.'

'Good news for funeral directors, as 12 people are murdered by dangerous mental patients released under the government's Care in the Community scheme.'

You may as well argue that numbers of road deaths be increased in order to justify expansion of the emergency services, or encourage al-Qaida repeatedly to attack the USA in order to boost employment in the anti-terrorism sector.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BDunnell

I'm reminded of a satire about a BBC newsreader's desire for the broadcasting of more 'good news':

'It's boom time for glaziers, as the IRA bombs the Baltic Exchange.'

'Good news for funeral directors, as 12 people are murdered by dangerous mental patients released under the government's Care in the Community scheme.'

You may as well argue that numbers of road deaths be increased in order to justify expansion of the emergency services, or encourage al-Qaida repeatedly to attack the USA in order to boost employment in the anti-terrorism sector.

---

Yes, I love me some satire (in fact, I have designed and taught courses on that genre) and it became painfully obvious to me as I was typing that the inevitable "coffin industry spike" comment would be leveled. But I'm being sincere.

The only reason al-Qaida is a threat is because we willy nilly allow anyone to come to our country (we don't even deport many, and give them heathcare and free public education--all without any federal tax liability). But I digress.

It's too bad we didn't have security measures in place the day they hijacked 4 of our commercial planes and flew them either into a building or into the ground. What did we do afterward? Put an armed, undercover agent on board all flight and (so far) there has been no such terrorist threat.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by keysersoze

Yes, I love me some satire (in fact, I have designed and taught courses on that genre) and it became painfully obvious to me as I was typing that the inevitable "coffin industry spike" comment would be leveled. But I'm being sincere.

---

In that case, I find your comments extremely depressing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by keysersoze

The only reason al-Qaida is a threat is because we willy nilly allow anyone to come to our country (we don't even deport many, and give them heathcare and free public education--all without any federal tax liability). But I digress.

---

The only reason? Really?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by keysersoze

It's too bad we didn't have security measures in place the day they hijacked 4 of our commercial planes and flew them either into a building or into the ground. What did we do afterward? Put an armed, undercover agent on board all flight and (so far) there has been no such terrorist threat.

---

There may be other reasons, you know.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BDunnell

In that case, I find your comments extremely depressing.

---

I'm calling for gun registration and gun education. That's depressing?
College graduates have suffered because they have been unable to find work, and I noted the increase in demand for healthcare professionals to deal with mentally ill people. That's depressing?
I noted the increase in demand for security and law enforcement professionals--in an economy that just recently dipped under 8% unemployment and is recovering from the biggest recession since the 70s. That's depressing?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by keysersoze

I'm calling for gun registration and gun education. That's depressing?
College graduates have suffered because they have been unable to find work, and I noted the increase in demand for healthcare professionals to deal with mentally ill people. That's depressing?
I noted the increase in demand for security and law enforcement professionals--in an economy that just recently dipped under 8% unemployment and is recovering from the biggest recession since the 70s. That's depressing?

---

I find it depressing because all of your ideas for job generation are based on what I consider to be almost wholly negative phenomena, namely gun ownership and feelings of insecurity.