Gang violence in the US

[CapnAwesome]

Let me just start out by saying that I think mass shootings get a far disproportional amount of media coverage and a far disproportional amount of threads here on Atheist forums. Before the emotional argument comes out (which is will anyway) yes, it's a tragedy. Every life is precious and I am not dismissing the tragedy felt by the victims of mass shootings. However the people who make those arguments never seem to have proportional sadness. It's also not necessarily a gun control thread, but more about the media. Although I am certain it will go in that direction. I'm not really trying to make any point about guns, but more about the media and these forums and who gets people's grief and sadness.

Maybe it's because the victims of mass shootings tend to be middle class and white and therefore get more media coverage. I'm sure that people will say 'I care about both. However not enough to bring it up, apparently. In 2015, which was labeled 'the year of the mass shooting' there were ~180 homicide victims of mass shootings when you use the FBI definition of 4 or more people killed not including the shooter. If you go by the more liberal definition that was popularized on reddit recently of it being 4 or more shooting victims rather then homicides, then the number rises to a little over 200. Amazingly these statistics are not easily available and I literally had to count it myself off of the gun violence archive. http://www.gunviolencearchive.org/report...15?page=12

That same year, by the most conservative of FBI estimates there were 2,363 gang related homicides, well over 10 times the number of mass shootings victims, around 20% of total homicides in the US (sometimes you see a 80% stat, but as far as I can tell, that isn't backed up by anything.) Also I didn't separate the mass shootings that were gang related, so it's possible that there is cross over that is unaccounted for. Where as mass shootings in the worst year of mass shootings is around 1% of total homicides. Where is the media outrage, where are the threads on here? Are people desensitized, don't empathized because they can't relate, or are they just unaware?
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/201...9-2013.xls

[abaris]

Since we haven't got that kind of violence in most parts of Europe, apart from certain regions, it's hard to take note. Homicides in the US, quite naturally, don't get any media coverage. Well, unless it's a juicy one. Such as toddler shooting mom or toddler shooting other toddler. Not even serial killers get any coverage.

[vorlon13]

Bringing up gang violence is definitely categorized as a micro-aggresion, if not worse.

Be ashamed.

[vorlon13]

Jesus fucking christ, I'm dripping with sarcasm today.

My goodness gracious.

[rexbeccarox]

A few years ago, I was living in the "worst part" of town, which no one actually thought of as bad, but some elements moved in temporarily and brought gang violence with them. One afternoon, I wasn't able to get to my front door because there had been a fatal stabbing right outside my house, then, a couple of weeks later, three kids were shot down in an initiation, and then a guy, in another initiation, was stabbed outside of a pretty decent local bar. Then, a good friend and neighbor was attacked by a couple of thugs, one of whom, with a skateboard, smashed the windshield of the car of my at-the-time boyfriend during the scuffle.

I remember scouring the local news, looking for any extra information outside of rumors and gossip around the neighborhood, to no avail, and then all of a sudden, as quickly as it began, the violence stopped. Apparently, the scary gang members had been kicked out of the house they were renting- but I only learned that information from the rumor mill; not the press. So strange.

[CapnAwesome]

A few years ago, I was living in the "worst part" of town, which no one actually thought of as bad, but some elements moved in temporarily and brought gang violence with them. One afternoon, I wasn't able to get to my front door because there had been a fatal stabbing right outside my house, then, a couple of weeks later, three kids were shot down in an initiation, and then a guy, in another initiation, was stabbed outside of a pretty decent local bar. Then, a good friend and neighbor was attacked by a couple of thugs, one of whom, with a skateboard, smashed the windshield of the car of my at-the-time boyfriend during the scuffle.

I remember scouring the local news, looking for any extra information outside of rumors and gossip around the neighborhood, to no avail, and then all of a sudden, as quickly as it began, the violence stopped. Apparently, the scary gang members had been kicked out of the house they were renting- but I only learned that information from the rumor mill; not the press. So strange.

I've also lived in neighborhoods with gangs, I've seen things that if they happened in middle class white neighborhoods would be all over the local news. Are people desensitized or is it a subtle form of racism/classism?

[The Grand Nudger]

It might help that one is a wedge issue, whereas the other is uniformly hammered by every candidate on both sides.  They're all "tough on crime" and don't give a shit about a gangster.

[CapnAwesome]

It might help that one is a wedge issue, whereas the other is uniformly hammered by every candidate on both sides.  They're all "tough on crime" and don't give a shit about a gangster.

Well sure, but why do you never hear about it on Atheist forums? Every mass shooting has a thread it seems like.

[abaris]

Well sure, but why do you never hear about it on Atheist forums? Every mass shooting has a thread it seems like.

Quite frankly, probably because the general public isn't concerned. Gangster shooting gangster usually leaves them out of the equation. They don't target the public. It happens that they got involved, but that's not by design, but for lack of a better word, by accident.

[The Grand Nudger]

I was offering that up as -part- of the reason.  Most of us here probably don't live in the ghetto.  Our news coverage went through its gangland voyeurism addiction years ago, so we are desensitized and it won;t pull in the ratings, and gun control pro/con is harped upon by candidates who essentially hand marching orders to increasingly partisan media outlets...with mass shootings of a relatable and therefor exploitable group of victims the focus.

"Look, they're killing us now!"
R-We all need guns!
D-Ban Guns!
R-See, that D over there hates america, vote for me.
D-See, that R over there hates children, vote for me.

They get their votes, networks get their ratings, we get our infotainment...everyones happy. Why interrupt that with some shit about the drug war?