this post was submitted on 11 Jan 2024
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Because -- and this might be a hot take -- I don't think it should be socially acceptable to bring up a recent national tragedy as a fucking punchline
We've been voting. We're trying to get the rules changed and we're getting stonewalled by people who only listen to media that makes up reasons for them to hate things that would be good for the masses because it would be bad for a few people at the top and I'm sick to fucking death of people making fun of us for it and treating actual dying children as some sort of own. For Christ's sake, have some fucking empathy. None of us, not even the furthest-right conservatives, think this is okay, and we're trying to do something about it, and it doesn't help when you're like "haha look at all the dead children, isn't it funny how stupid Americans are"
Aguably, conservatives may not think it's ok but they're so scared of losing their guns (because their politicians say dems will take them so they can get elected) that conservatives consider dead kids an acceptable loss. If they didn't, more of them would vote for the party that wants to control who can obtain them.
Or, arguably even more importantly, conservatives argue that this is actually about 'mental health issues' but then subsequently refuse to do anything to improve mental health. So they don't even bother trying their own proposed solution.
You would think at this point that the US would have the most robust mental-healthcare system on the planet!
I wish I could say people were trying to stop school shootings in my area. I live in PERRY FUCKING IOWA, about a mile from the very school that was shot up, and all I fucking see from anyone around here is thoughts and prayers, wear a blue shirt, Perry Strong!!
It's embarrassing.
I do agree that we need more empathy. But that empathy can and should be used to have a better humour.
Because i can't stress enough how humour is important in dealing with tragedy. It's one of the greatest tool to overcome it.
That's why you also see American joking about it. Only their jokes might be funnier than European's because they know and emphasize better with the tragedy.
On the other hand, one thing we do share is trying to change without any or not enough results. That's something most countries know about in this day and age. Media and corrupt system is something European's deals with too.
So i get your anger, it's also good, it's a driving force for us to continue trying to change, however helpless we feel.
that's a nice strawman you've got there
"I have a Wikipedia article about people who do this. I therefore conclude that all Americans do this."
No American I've ever met, online or off, believes this. Hope this helps.
"Some Americans believe this, therefore the Americans who don't and are actually trying to fix this Godforsaken country, and get upset when people accuse them of believing it, are hypocrites and crybabies who can't take criticism."
Thank you for that. But I'm having a hard time believing that one comment from me reflects the feelings of "everyone"
Like I don't know if you've seen the rest of this thread but...