Mass shooting in Copenhagen

[The Old Hack 2,489]

We just had a mass shooting in Copenhagen in a large shopping centre called Fields. I am posting here in case anyone here has already heard of it to let you all know that I am at home, safe and was nowhere near the shooting. I hope you are all safe, too.

[mlooney 3,594]

Stay safe. It's too bad that this aspect of American culture seems to be something that got exported.

[ProfessorTomoe 1,336]

19 minutes ago, mlooney said:

Stay safe. It's too bad that this aspect of American culture seems to be something that got exported.

Seconded.

[Darth Fluffy 338]

Glad you're safe.

Not much news available.

I asked a German friend today if he was in the US for the comedy relief. He said, "It's not funny any more", which we had to agree with.

 

[Darth Fluffy 338]

Speaking of 'not funny any more', we've had several shootings since yours, but yours is more newsworthy, because here it is not nearly as unusual.

There is a saying in Proverbs "As dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off an evil odor, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor". Whatever else you think about the Bible, I'm pretty sure that will ring true. I find it illuminating how often religious extremism and/or bigoted PoV supported by religious beliefs are at the center of violence, even though the majority of folks deplore the violence.

We live in strange, sad times.

[Don Edwards 561]

40 minutes ago, Darth Fluffy said:

There is a saying in Proverbs "As dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off an evil odor, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor".

"As soon as men decide that all means are permitted to fight an evil, then their good becomes indistinguishable from the evil that they set out to destroy." - Christopher Dawson

“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

(and I know of a fictional character who was described as having won that staring contest...)

[Darth Fluffy 338]

7 hours ago, Don Edwards said:

"As soon as men decide that all means are permitted to fight an evil, then their good becomes indistinguishable from the evil that they set out to destroy." - Christopher Dawson

I agree with the intent of this quote, but not the detail. It seems from events around me during my lifetime men decide to fight what they perceive to be evil, but would admit it is of limited scope (oh, but of burning significance!), then their alleged 'good' becomes a much greater, wider scope, oppressive evil. Look no further that 'pro-life' activists who murder abortionists. I'm sure that in some twisted way, it makes sense to them.

 

7 hours ago, Don Edwards said:

“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

I think that is more spot on.

 

7 hours ago, Don Edwards said:

"... And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

(and I know of a fictional character who was described as having won that staring contest...)

That seems to actually speak to a level of enlightenment, awareness that you are becoming a like monster. I doubt if many achieve that, evidence seems to say, 'No'.

To speak further on people embracing their abyss, we'd best move to the political thread.

[Pharaoh RutinTutin 1,619]

The shootings in Copenhagen and Highland Park inspired me to review security training videos regarding active shooter situations.

The first dramatization began with the shooter casually shooting the security guard.

Most shooters make no plans or provisions for retreat, escape, or anything else after the shooting.

Whatever the shooter's motivations might have been are irrelevant.  Reporters, politicians, & pundents will tell the world why the shooting fits their narrative.

If the shooter tries sending messages to the media or law enforcement like the zodiac killer or the unibomber, they will still not let the shooter control the narrative.

If you are between the shooter and police, you have a few options that are all bad.  You, or someone near you, will likely be hurt or killed.

When police first arrive, they are not there to help you.  Just to deal with the shooter.  And if they have bad information, they will very likely make some wrong moves to start.

If you survive, you will be accused of lying about the situation, exaggerating about how bad it was, or actually aiding the shooters. 

[The Old Hack 2,489]

I have been informed that it didn't count as a mass shooting at all because only three people died. I call bull. The shooter went into a crowded place and started shooting. I feel the number of actual deaths pales before the intent, which is of course to spread terror.

[mlooney 3,594]

That does strike me as weird.  Also it's not really a defined term.  Some places say "4 killed or injured".  The FBI doesn't even have a definition, they just have "mass murder" which doesn't care how the victim were killed.  So, if you use the "4 or more killed or injured" definition this attack counts.
 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/06/05/mass-shooting-defined-meaning/7481731001/

[ijuin 594]

That brings us to the problem of the heap: there are quantities of objects which clearly do amount to a heap, and quantities which clearly do not, but there is no clear dividing line between “a heap” and “not a heap” such that adding or removing a single piece will take it from one to the other. Likewise, there isn’t really a number of victims for a “mass murder” in which just one victim fewer makes it not “mass”—most of us would require that it be more than two victims to be “mass”, but beyond that it is extremely vague.

[mlooney 3,594]

I've always been partial to "multiple" instead of mass.  

[ijuin 594]

I’m also partial to killers of multiple victims getting a full sentence for each victim—e.g. six murders that would each get thirty years amounts to a hundred and fifty years, or six that would each on its own be worth a life sentence would result in serving six life sentences sequentially—i.e. the convicted person would need to get all six life sentences overturned or paroled before being allowed to go free.

[Darth Fluffy 338]

12 minutes ago, ijuin said:

I’m also partial to killers of multiple victims getting a full sentence for each victim—e.g. six murders that would each get thirty years amounts to a hundred and fifty years, or six that would each on its own be worth a life sentence would result in serving six life sentences sequentially—i.e. the convicted person would need to get all six life sentences overturned or paroled before being allowed to go free.

Comes with five free resurrections so you can serve out your sentence.

[mlooney 3,594]

3 hours ago, ijuin said:

I’m also partial to killers of multiple victims getting a full sentence for each victim—e.g. six murders that would each get thirty years amounts to a hundred and fifty years, or six that would each on its own be worth a life sentence would result in serving six life sentences sequentially—i.e. the convicted person would need to get all six life sentences overturned or paroled before being allowed to go free.

Some times they just add on massive number of years without parole.   Sayeth Wikipedia in their life sentence article:

Quote

In the United States, James Holmes, perpetrator of the 2012 Aurora, Colorado shooting, received 12 consecutive life sentences plus 3,318 years without the possibility of parole

 

[ijuin 594]

Yeah, making the sentence go centuries past his possible lifespan means that any later sentence reductions, such as time credit for good behavior, etc. will still be unable to ever let his sentence be completed while he still lives.

[mlooney 3,594]

The primary state prison in Oklahoma has a grave yard.  If you were serving a life sentence, or had a death sentence, you were buried inside the prison walls.  You never get to leave.  I think they have stop doing that, but in a way I like it.