the coward punch

[Mike DC]

There is something very wrong with this kind of thinking.

People have a potential to do things like this but it is not natural to do these things.  

There those out there that think people are the most disgusting / greedy/ exploitative /etc creature on the earth. And that this place would be a paradise if we all passed away.

We as creatures are virtually unchanged for the passed 40 thousand years. What causes this stuff is faulty learning, poor or no roll models, peer pressure from others of their like, etc.

Looking at human history in the last 40,000 years I would say IT IS pretty natural for people to war, rape, murder, and steal.  They have always done a lot of it.  In fact some researchers have argued that the picture of human history coming from anthropology/archaeology is still downplaying how much war & violence there really was.  

I'm not saying we should be okay with it.  (As if murder should be taken lightly?)

But I think part of what drives this Knockout Game thing is the outrage/shock factor.  I think that's part of what drives a lot of really bad cruel teenage stuff.  I'm saying we should stop being so surprised/shocked that it goes on.  This stuff needs severe punishment but we are indirectly rewarding it when the public gives it a severe emotional reaction.  




Some teenagers play the KG.  
Do those same kids smash up their own personal electronics for fun?  No.  

Okay, so what's the difference?    

The difference is that the electronics have no emotions about it.  It provokes no outrage from the public to do something like that.  It does not feel as off-limits thrilling.  It just comes with a big punishment (lose your stuff) and that's all. 

Reduce the KG to nothing but a severe punishment and no big reaction from most people, and it won't happen so much. 

[ACUDANUT]

America is fighting back. More and more Facebook posts are covering people carrying weapons and shooting these idiots.
Concealed carry permits have gone through the roof. More in the last year than signed up for obamacare.

It would be hard to fight back if you got sucker punched and knocked out. 

[ACUDANUT]

I know ya'll have heard that the majority of these crimes are committed by young, black , wannabe thugs on white elderly people.  A white dude recently knocked out an old black man and the media and FBI considered it a hate crime. Funny how when a white guy does it (still no excuse and he should be killed) is justified a hate crime all of a sudden.  I wish the states that are experiencing these crimes would let their citizens carry weapons. An armed society is a polite society.

So very true

[Lord Warlock]

Sometimes I think we need to reinstate punishments of the past, thinking 40 whacks with a switch or a cane on the backside would teach these young punks there is a price to be paid for idiocy.  Society telling us we aren't allowed to spank or beat our own children when they misbehave or are disrespectful has made the youth much worse than we were when young.  I know for a fact the fear of getting smacked across the chops taught me to hold my tongue till i was out of extended hearing range my mom had.  But we were spanked by belts, wooden spoons, razor straps etc and we had a healthy respect for adults.  

I found it very humorous when the last report i heard of a young black man who attempted to play this game didn't knock the target out and the old guy pulled out a pistol and shot the shithead to teach him a lesson.  The punk later acknowledged he was stupid to participate in the activity.  It does make me consider getting a concealed/carry permit for my handgun, I've always felt it was better NOT to carry a weapon because I'd be quick to respond with deadly force where it wasn't needed. But things are pushing me in that direction.  At least my state allows us to shoot people now if we feel threatened.  We aren't allowed to shoot warning shots, but we are allowed to shoot to maim or even kill if we want.  

[Cooter]

America is fighting back. More and more Facebook posts are covering people carrying weapons and shooting these idiots.
Concealed carry permits have gone through the roof. More in the last year than signed up for obamacare.

It would be hard to fight back if you got sucker punched and knocked out. 

There was at least three instances where the thug git his ass kicked or shot. One female got hit by another female, she got up and wore her ass out.

[JB400]

Why do people think up this crap anyway?  There are much better ways to spend your time that would actually benefit society, instead of being a  nuisance.

[Mike DC]

 

You're coming at it from a rational point of view.  That's just not how these people are operating when they do these things.

[Troy]

Why do people think up this crap anyway?  There are much better ways to spend your time that would actually benefit society, instead of being a  nuisance.

How many kids do you know (good or bad) who primarily think about how to benefit society. For that matter, how many adults? It's all about "me" these days.

Troy

[cavemanno1]

At least my state allows us to shoot people now if we feel threatened.  We aren't allowed to shoot warning shots, but we are allowed to shoot to maim or even kill if we want.  

Fu$k me you guys are not kidding around!"Funny"(not in a good way)but in England not even policemen allowed to carry any firearm and you guys are armed up to the neck over there.Nobody knows who is carrying any firearm yet these punks "play"this game!

Don't you ever feel threatened by the guy next to you who is armed,maybe he has a bad day and flips?I know i would,but this is an entirely different topic!

[Troy]

At least my state allows us to shoot people now if we feel threatened.  We aren't allowed to shoot warning shots, but we are allowed to shoot to maim or even kill if we want. 

Fu$k me you guys are not kidding around!"Funny"(not in a good way)but in England not even policemen aloud to carry any firearm and you guys are armed up to the neck over there.Nobody knows who is carrying any firearm yet these punks "play"this game!

Don't you ever feel threatened by the guy next to you who is armed,maybe he has a bad day and flips?I know i would,but this is an entirely different topic!

Just curious, why would you feel threatened? Couldn't someone just beat you with a tree branch if they were having a bad day?

I say this because it is legal to carry a gun here in my state. However, I don't carry one and I, apparently, seem to be a fairly normal guy to nearly everyone I meet. Certain people though, if I mention even owning a gun (any type - apparently everything is an "assault weapon" these days), will freak out and say stuff like "you better never have it near me!". Why? Have I become a completely different person in the last five seconds? If I've never shown any inclination to physically harm another person then I fail to see why holding a gun in my hand would suddenly turn me into a raging lunatic hell bent on death and destruction.

Now, if I ever found myself walking in certain neighborhoods (highly unlikely in the first place), would I be more on edge than normal? Yes! Would I be that way armed or not? Yes! It's hard to imagine what I would do as a victim of one of these attacks. The best anyone can do is train for it (just like cold weather survival, emergency airplane landings, fire/tornado drills, etc.). You *HOPE* to never need to use the training but know your odds of survival are better because of it. Most of the people I know who are very concerned about their security/safety have guns - but they also know you need multiple "tools" in your tool belt.

Troy

[dyslexic teddybear]

At least my state allows us to shoot people now if we feel threatened.  We aren't allowed to shoot warning shots, but we are allowed to shoot to maim or even kill if we want.  

Fu$k me you guys are not kidding around!"Funny"(not in a good way)but in England not even policemen aloud to carry any firearm and you guys are armed up to the neck over there.Nobody knows who is carrying any firearm yet these punks "play"this game!

Don't you ever feel threatened by the guy next to you who is armed,maybe he has a bad day and flips?I know i would,but this is an entirely different topic!

Keep in mind......there are many places in the US where guns are heavily restricted. That's where these thugs are doing it. Where legal gun ownership is easier......not so much of a problem.

As to your question......I do not at all feel threatened by a armed, legal gun owner. Operative word is legal. Criminals, armed with a gun or not.......worry me.

I too.....wonder why you might feel threatened by the presence of a gun......and not by the intent of the individual?

Not wanting to offend.....I am really curious why you feel this way?

[JB400]

Why do people think up this crap anyway?  There are much better ways to spend your time that would actually benefit society, instead of being a  nuisance.

How many kids do you know (good or bad) who primarily think about how to benefit society. For that matter, how many adults? It's all about "me" these days.

Troy

Maybe society was the wrong wording.  Perhaps, I should have used themselves.  I mean, regardless of their situations, the time that they're spending to coming up with ideas to amuse themselves at the expense of others, they could have used that same time to come up with ways to improve their own situations, some in which, could have given them the same pleasure that they'd get from beating someone senseless.  Instead, they spend the time to come up with idiotic ideas like this and carry them out with no sole purpose other than them wanting to for personal amusement.  There are plenty of ways to get that same adrenaline rush legally if they'd give it some thought.

[myk]

At least my state allows us to shoot people now if we feel threatened.  We aren't allowed to shoot warning shots, but we are allowed to shoot to maim or even kill if we want.  

Fu$k me you guys are not kidding around!"Funny"(not in a good way)but in England not even policemen aloud to carry any firearm and you guys are armed up to the neck over there.Nobody knows who is carrying any firearm yet these punks "play"this game!

Don't you ever feel threatened by the guy next to you who is armed,maybe he has a bad day and flips?I know i would,but this is an entirely different topic!

Keep in mind......there are many places in the US where guns are heavily restricted. That's where these thugs are doing it. Where legal gun ownership is easier......not so much of a problem.

As to your question......I do not at all feel threatened by a armed, legal gun owner. Operative word is legal. Criminals, armed with a gun or not.......worry me.

I too.....wonder why you might feel threatened by the presence of a gun......and not by the intent of the individual?

Not wanting to offend.....I am really curious why you feel this way?

The armed society is the polite one.  Gun control only works to keep a fresh lineup of helpless victims heading to the hospitals...

[Lord Warlock]

I've never felt threatened just because someone next to me might be armed. Most of my neighbors have concealed carry permits, even though we live in a fairly nice neighborhood with very little risk of crime.  You just learn to be careful not to threaten other people, give people their space and don't encroach.  

I'm not armed to the neck, and i don't carry it often, only if I'm concerned about family safety.  Am fairly certain anyone entering the property uninvited wouldn't leave without an EMT team carrying them out.  I'm always amused watching cop shows where they shoot and miss often, i'm not an expert but I also don't miss often.   

[cavemanno1]

I didn't mean i feel threatened but i have never seen a gun(part from my military training and on police officers)on the street!

Don't want to cause any arguments but beating someone to death with a branch would be harder then just pulling the trigger!
I guess i live in a different world where people are not used to guns and it's a strange thing if you see one!Just the same with black people,if people see one here they would stare at him just because they are not used to seeing one.I only saw a black person when i went to England when i was 20 years old!Different countries have different cultures!

I like guns and would love to own a few!I'm not against carrying firearms with you but have to admit it if someone looses their mind and want to go an a rampage having a gun easier to cause harm than not having one,just like in Breakdown with Michael Douglas in it.I know it's only a  movie but I'm sure it could happen.

However i do understand that you guys have the need to carry them on you in order to protect your family and yourself!Don't wanna turn this thread into a "against guns"thread i just wondered how you guys see it.






   

[Old Moparz]

It's simple, you can protect your skull & deter thugs with the Helmet Gun.

[dyslexic teddybear]

I didn't mean i feel threatened but i have never seen a gun(part from my military training and on police officers)on the street!

Don't want to cause any arguments but beating someone to death with a branch would be harder then just pulling the trigger!
I guess i live in a different world where people are not used to guns and it's a strange thing if you see one!Just the same with black people,if people see one here they would stare at him just because they are not used to seeing one.I only saw a black person when i went to England when i was 20 years old!Different countries have different cultures!

I like guns and would love to own a few!I'm not against carrying firearms with you but have to admit it if someone looses their mind and want to go an a rampage having a gun easier to cause harm than not having one,just like in Breakdown with Michael Douglas in it.I know it's only a  movie but I'm sure it could happen.

However i do understand that you guys have the need to carry them on you in order to protect your family and yourself!Don't wanna turn this thread into a "against guns"thread i just wondered how you guys see it.






 

Interesting to get another viewpoint.

My issue is there is so much misinformation put out there......it's hard to get the real facts. Listening/reading from what is know as the "mainstream" media, you might be surprised to learn.....gun crime has been dropping steadily for 20 years. "Mass" shootings have remained flat for the last 30 years. Legal gun ownership has gone up. Interesting, isn't it? Legal gun ownership goes up.....crime drops?

There's no reason a respectful conversation regarding guns can't be had.....here or any place else if one has an open mind.

If you have the time....do a bit of internet searching.....try this one.....

http://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2014/01/02/study-concealed-carry-means-fewer-murders/

If you would rather not do it here.....PM me and I will send you some more links. I'll be offline until next weekend, be happy to then. I'm sure there is many more here that could help too.

Have a good day.

[chargerman69]

http://club937.com/60-year-old-woman-shoots-two-kids-playing-the-knockout-game/

You guys hear about the one wear the lady shots back

[Troy]

http://club937.com/60-year-old-woman-shoots-two-kids-playing-the-knockout-game/

You guys hear about the one wear the lady shots back

If I remember right, she had been mugged before.

I have the choice to live where I want - but not everyone can just pack up and move. Unfortunately that means some people get stuck in the neighborhoods where these idiots live. It is always best to avoid putting yourself in a situation where something bad can happen - just ask any insurance salesman! That applies to much more than violence of course. Sometimes things just can't be avoided though and that's where you have to be prepared.

Troy

[ACUDANUT]

 What State has this bogus :  "I felt threaten law", that allows you to kill another person ?  As a Law Man of 25 Years, you better prove it was a life or death situation. (home burglary's are the only exception).  This Ex Police Officer in Texas killed a man in a movie theater for texting during the previews.  His defense was he felt threaten because the texting guy threw popcorn at him....Guess what, he won't walk on this shooting and may never see freedom again.
  It's not the wild west here in the states anymore. 

[Lord Warlock]

I believe the ex officer who shot the guy in the theater was here in florida, not texas, could be wrong though.  You have to feel you are at risk of bodily injury as in the person doing the aggression threatens to attack you, or physically attacks you, the law is that you do not have to back down, and you do not have to run away to prove you tried to avoid the situation.  We used to only get away with shooting folks if they were in your house without permission and they usually had to have a weapon in hand,  I still remember cases of burglars who broke in, attacked the homeowners got shot, and then the homeowner got sued and lost the case.  We do not have to prove it was a life or death situation, we just have to perceive it as a high risk situation.  It doesn't mean they won't arrest you afterwards, just means you stand a chance in court if you were defending yourself.  Feel free to read up on the "stand your ground" laws here in florida. 

The story by the way has changed a few times since it first aired, they don't mention the fact that the ex cop politely asked them to desist several times, and after being ignored, the ex cop went to the management of the theater to report the situation, and the guy that was shot confronted him when he returned after telling the management.  Some reports say popcorn was thrown, I read that the situation escalated with the dead guy getting into the cops face, I do not know if he physically touched him or not, a simple push, grab or poke combined with threatening language could give the ex cop a reason to defend, but I don't believe the stories in the media currently, like the George Zimmerman case, the media blows things way out of proportion against the guy doing the shooting, it isn't until weeks or months later that we get the actual details of what went on and caused someone to pull a gun and shoot.  I can't imagine any situation at a theater that would cause me to get that upset, i'd just leave and get a refund and watch it elsewhere.  I've experienced loud obnoxious talkers and phone addicts in the theaters before and was able to ignore them, or move to another seat where it wouldn't bother me.  Sure as hell wouldn't carry a gun to the theater unless i was in a much more dangerous neighborhood.

[Mike DC]

        
Many non-Americans seem to get a distorted perception of how common guns really are in the USA.  


There are many, many gun owners with guns in their homes.  I don't know the statistics but there is nothing too surprising about it, particularly in rural or urban areas.  Suburbia probably has the least number of guns compared to rural or urban homes.  But even in Suburbs, if you break into a randomly chosen home at night, you are taking some risk of getting shot. 



But very few people walking down the street on a typical day are carrying guns.  Even when the state allows it, it takes a certain amount of background checking & stuff.  (If you have a very violent history or any history committing crimes with a gun, you can forget about ever getting a gun legally anymore.)  

And many, many businesses & many public places in the USA individually have a "no guns / no concealed weapons" sign at the entrance even though the whole state isn't banning them.  So even when you legally can carry a gun, it may still prove to be too much of a nuisance to carry it most of the time.  Although some gun owners do keep one in their vehicle.  



As for street thugs carrying illegal pistols, that depends on what area and situation you are in.  There are some unsafe places and there are many other safe ones.  

       

[ACUDANUT]

Any violent history, will keep you from getting a concealed carry permit and perhaps keep you from owning a gun period. 

[Indygenerallee]

idiotic cowards with no respect! all deserve a good ass whipping short of death.....

[Old Moparz]

Just a side note so there is no wrong impression, I am no way an anti-gun person. I've gone shooting with friends in the past & don't have a problem with gun ownership.

My opinion is the shooter in this case is 100% wrong. Even comparing it to that whackoloon Zimmerman, this is a movie theater, not a neighborhood patrol where there may be a much stronger chance of encountering a criminal. What the f**k ever happened to moving away from an obnoxious a-hole in a public space? It's not an assigned seat like when you're on a plane or at a concert or show.

As far as the "I feel threatened" defense, the shooter left the area to talk to the manager, then returns to confront him a second time? Sounds like a total BS defense to me, the guy just snapped.