Why can America stop terrorism but not mass shootings?

nigel_wilson

Nearly every single plot after 9/11 in the States has been foiled bar The Boston Bombings. People even say that an attack by terrorists wouldn't last long because people are now more willing to intervene like they did on Flight 93. If someone even threatens terrorism, they could get beaten up

Mass shootings on the other hand seem to be accepeted. There are plenty of 'Stephen Paddocks', and 'Adam Lanzas' who will be the next shooters that are showing obvious signs of being extremely abnormal and everyone around them knows it but when it happens America will go.."Oh well, it's another one".

Why such a difference in attitude?

Vlad Kelly

They can't stop terrorism either, but one of the reasons why they can foil plots is because there is a lot more communication and organisation behind terror attacks which can be monitored. If somebody decides out of the blue to shoot up a concert there's no paper trail and limited organisation.

bazz26

Because selling guns is big business there and in turn money dictates political power in the corridors of both Congress and the White House. The likes of the NRA have both the financial and political clout to influence policy.

It's also a vicious circle where these mass shootings drive up gun sales even more as fear fuels people into trying to better protect themselves. Imo there is no way back for them from this and it's just a race to the bottom now around who has more weapons.

BTW, they haven't stopped terrorism, they may have slowed it down to some degree but there really is no way to prevent it entirely.

RandomName2

nigel_wilson wrote: »

Nearly every single plot after 9/11 in the States has been foiled bar The Boston Bombings. People even say that an attack by terrorists wouldn't last long because people are now more willing to intervene like they did on Flight 93. If someone even threatens terrorism, they could get beaten up

Mass shootings on the other hand seem to be accepeted. There are plenty of 'Stephen Paddocks', and 'Adam Lanzas' who will be the next shooters that are showing obvious signs of being extremely abnormal and everyone around them knows it but when it happens America will go.."Oh well, it's another one".

Answer

Number of guns in America: 88 for every 100 people
Percent of population of USA that are Muslim: 0.9

I'll see myself out.

Brian?

Define terrorism?

The mass shootings at San Bernardino, Las Vegas, Orlando etc. we’re acts of terrorism IMO.

RandomName2

Brian? wrote: »

Define terrorism?

The mass shootings at San Bernardino, Las Vegas, Orlando etc. we’re acts of terrorism IMO.

Terminology becomes difficult. Generally people define mass murder as terrorism only if it's part of a larger 'cause'.

ballsymchugh

RandomName2 wrote: »

Terminology becomes difficult. Generally people define mass murder as terrorism only if it's part of a larger 'cause'.

depends on the shade guide!

Victor

nigel_wilson wrote: »

Nearly every single plot after 9/11 in the States has been foiled bar The Boston Bombings.

Eh... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism_in_the_United_States

Parachutes

Brian? wrote: »

Define terrorism?

The mass shootings at San Bernardino, Las Vegas, Orlando etc. we’re acts of terrorism IMO.

What cause or ideology were they trying to further?

Cee-Jay-Cee

Because Americans are probably one of the dumbest races on the planet.

Victor

Parachutes wrote: »

What cause or ideology were they trying to further?

Terrorism doesn't necessarily need a cause or ideology. Terrorism is about causing fear in those beyond the individual incident.

Billy86

There's been Dylann Roof, the San Bernadino shooting, Orlando, Charlottesville, the Charleston church shooting, the NY truck a few weeks ago... and that's just off the top of my head from the last 2 years or so, the US is certainly not lacking of terrorism. Can't catch them all, especially when you're so happy to arm the lunatics on all sides.

The likes of Oregon, Sandy Hook and Las Vegas (at least as of now) would go more down as mass murders as opposed to terrorist attacks.

Tenigate

nigel_wilson wrote: »

Why such a difference in attitude?

Citizens have rights (free speech, bearing arms). It's hard to identify would-be criminals. Therefore it's hard to pass laws that deprive citizens of their rights prior to them committing a crime.

Similarly it's hard to identify would-be terrorists. Yet by giving them citizenship they'll have considerably more rights than they previously had. For this reason it makes sense to prevent non-u.s terrorists from gaining u.s citizenship.

Harry Palmr

Victor wrote: »

Eh... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism_in_the_United_States

I suspect the Orlando attack is just lumped in with domestic "mass shooting" incident rather than Islamic based.

Hoboo

Has America stopped terrorism? Id say no more than it has stopped terrorising.

Wanderer78

'america, f*ck yeah'!

Billy86

Harry Palmr wrote: »

I suspect the Orlando attack is just lumped in with domestic "mass shooting" incident rather than Islamic based.

Why would you think that?

Harry Palmr

Billy86 wrote: »

Why would you think that?

It felt too like an number of similar shootings. Man with gun enters enclosed space and empties everything. Clearly nigel_wilson above had already forgotten the detail of it.

The_Kew_Tour

When did USA stop Terrorism? last few hours?

Manic Moran

Vlad Kelly wrote: »

They can't stop terrorism either, but one of the reasons why they can foil plots is because there is a lot more communication and organisation behind terror attacks which can be monitored. If somebody decides out of the blue to shoot up a concert there's no paper trail and limited organisation.

This. Plots to commit terroristic mass shooting, such as the Ft Dix attempt are not stopped because of gun laws, but because of an alert citizen and good police work in detecting the plot. Plus, granted, the attempted terrorists were idiots. They already had the guns, they were nailed in the planning/practicing stage. Of course, the fewer actors there are, the harder it is to detect any signature. One guy going off the rails doesn’t usually tell anyone they are about to do it.

Manic Moran

Vlad Kelly wrote: »

They can't stop terrorism either, but one of the reasons why they can foil plots is because there is a lot more communication and organisation behind terror attacks which can be monitored. If somebody decides out of the blue to shoot up a concert there's no paper trail and limited organisation.

This. Plots to commit terroristic mass shooting, such as the Ft Dix attempt are not stopped because of gun laws, but because of an alert citizen and good police work in detecting the plot. Plus, granted, the attempted terrorists were idiots. They already had the guns, they were nailed in the planning/practicing stage. Of course, the fewer actors there are, the harder it is to detect any signature. One guy going off the rails doesn’t usually tell anyone they are about to do it.

weisses

RandomName2 wrote: »

Terminology becomes difficult. Generally people define mass murder as terrorism only if it's part of a larger 'cause'.They are Muslim

Fixed that for you (from an american trump perspective )

B.A._Baracus

It's sad but there's no way for anyone to predict someone who just snaps and goes on a shooting spree.

I know it's only a movie but think Michael Douglas in Falling Down.

tedpan

nigel_wilson wrote:

Why such a difference in attitude?

Why do you ask so many questions OP? You start so many threads, but don't get involved in the conversation. Why?