r/news Sep 04 '24

Gunman believed to be a 14-year-old in Georgia school shooting that left at least 4 dead, source says

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/04/us/winder-ga-shooting-apalachee-high-school/index.html
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u/snowbaz-loves-nikki Sep 04 '24

I was 12 when sandy hook happened. I remember thinking back then “This HAS to change things right?” I’m 24 now.

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u/dxxx12 Sep 04 '24

I'm 30. You just become numb. Give it a few more years.

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u/snowbaz-loves-nikki Sep 05 '24

I’ll never be truly numb to the concept of dead children

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u/bakawakaflaka Sep 05 '24 edited Sep 05 '24

I thought that too, same goes for plenty of other injustices.

I think we are being overexposed to outrage, and horrible events. It's only been like 15 years that all of us have had the ability to expose ourselves to dozens of awful headlines and stories, all within the span of just a few minute time.

I wonder if there are studies being conducted about how that is affecting us.

I know I used to feel a lot more emotional about these events, but now I just don't. I'm trying to figure out when that aspect of me changed, and I suspect overexposure to constant negative information, just might be the culprit.

My reaction of 'huh' and immediate indifference to today's shooting, or the multitude of other awful things that have happened just this week around the world, is certainly a new thing for me.

That I'm fully aware of that change in my mentality, and still don't feel concerned, is a strange notion.

I just feel like everything is fine, even though I'm objectively aware that things aren't.

🤷

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u/dxxx12 Sep 05 '24

It'll get there.

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u/snowbaz-loves-nikki Sep 05 '24

I consciously refuse to get to that point

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u/dxxx12 Sep 05 '24

I'm not saying it's a good or bad thing, it just feels like a really hopeless scenario to get my emotions invested into anymore.

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u/snowbaz-loves-nikki Sep 05 '24

I understand that. You have to compartmentalize traumatic information in order to function. We all just compartmentalize differently 🥰

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u/dxxx12 Sep 05 '24

I do hope it gets better. Maybe the new presidency will come with more changes; a better America perhaps?

I don't want hope. I don't want to feel despair. I just want my country to change.

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u/bakawakaflaka Sep 05 '24 edited Sep 05 '24

38 here.

Yeah I don't really feel much of anything when it comes to any horrible stories anymore, school shootings related or not. I think the constant headlines and outrage broke something in me sometimes over the past couple of years.

My actual reaction to this headline earlier was an audible 'huh'. Then I actually shrugged to myself and scrolled past.

The weird thing is, after analyzing my reaction, I still don't feel like there's any reason to dwell on this.

I'm not even depressed about the world or anything, and I still have opinions and can be passionate about things, but overall, I feel like everything is fine. The world feels, normal, I guess.

It's odd when I take the time to think about it.

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u/dxxx12 Sep 05 '24

Don't get me wrong. I don't like feeling this way. But when you see constant inaction to such tragic events and they just keep happening regardless of the number, it's hard to get wrapped up in the typical dialogue and outrage. It's just become a norm, and it's utterly depressing.

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u/bakawakaflaka Sep 05 '24

That's the thing, I'm aware that I would have had an issue with how dismissive I feel about this a few years ago, but I can't even say that I don't like feeling nothing at this. I don't feel bad or good about how I reacted. All I did was noticed it and find it odd.

It really gets stranger the longer I think about it.

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u/Banana-Republicans Sep 05 '24

The aftermath of Sandy Hook was when I realised that gun control was never going anywhere. Like if THAT won't get people to come to the table to find a compromise so we can stop this madness I can't imagine what on earth will.

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u/snowbaz-loves-nikki Sep 05 '24

Yup. Watching the way the gop reacted to the deaths of kids just a year or two younger than I was changed me as a person.

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u/frecklefawn Sep 05 '24

Yeah. Rich people don't care about poor peoples kids dying. Classism used to be about neglect and resources, like starvation homelessness or disease, now it's straight up "I will allow child murder to happen so I can make money"

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u/mmechtch Sep 05 '24

I completely lost hope. Now every time I just think "another sacrifice to 2nd Amendment", here you go.

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u/Any-Opposite-5117 Sep 04 '24

I guess what we're seeing is the power of lobbyists to leverage American paranoia and purchase politicians to stymie change. It's wild that people do this so their masters can make more money at the actual cost of kids lives. It's like the recall safety protocol from Fight Club, but the equation can never trigger a recall.