Conspiracy theories

[Sandra Siren]

I don't know how many people are aware of this, but there has been a conspiracy theory roaming the internet and I don't think it's OK. Normally I'm a very "live and let live" sort of person, and that people's personal beliefs shouldn't be attacked. I still believe that, only with a qualifier: as long as it doesn't harm other people. Right now a conspiracy theory saying No one was shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary, it was all a big hoax to take away your guns. This is a hurtful belief to the survivors and the friends and family of those who died, and I would like to encourage those of you who have seen the articles, or posts to speak up and speak out against the people spreading it.

[Mermaid Neri Elvina]

What?! That is not right, I feel so sorry for the families of those poor children!

[AniaR]

I have to be honest, the gun culture in america terrifies me. We have gun laws in Canada and it's never been an issue. If I saw a person carrying a gun I would assume if they weren't in clear military or police uniform- that they were a a criminal because open carry does't exist. We don't have anti-gun propeganda or anything. Loads of people have guns. I do. We just all have to have licenses, no one but law enforcement or military get military weapons, and known criminals can't legally purchase guns. Does it solve all the problems? No. but in multiple studies that take into account the population difference, we have less mass shootings victims in 40 years than America has had in 1. American gun culture terrifies me to the point I don't feel safe when I travel. And the way people will go crazy defending it, at the cost of someone else's safety, astounds me. If pro gun lobbyist fought as hard for other things in America as they do for their right to openly carry a gun into a family restaurant, I think you'd all have a lot less problems. America has a real culture of fear that I think American's don't often see them self- but is glaringly obvious to the rest of the world. I could never live there because of it. I feel much safer in Canada. Yeah, bad things do happen, gun control does not solve all the problems, but I much prefer it. Many americans do not understand what gun control means, and for most americans it wouldn't change a darn thing for them.

[MerEmma]

It scares me too, and many other Americans, Raina, so you're not alone. s: To the point where I want to move to Canada pretty dang bad, but just...a warmer version of Canada. ;\

[AniaR]

We all want a warmer version of Canada let's be honest lol

[Mermaid Galene]

What Raina said. Exactly.

And the other frightening thing about American culture is how readily many people believe malicious, politically motivated propaganda, ignoring fact and logic.

[Sandra Siren]

I hear you, our complete lack of gun control is terrifying, and I don't think I'll ever understand some people's need for open carry rights. I especially will NEVER understand why some feel they need freaking assault rifles, and other weapons that were obviously made for the military. I have so many members of my family in some branch of the military, and I never grew up with any weapons in the house.

[AniaR]

I hear the argument guns don't kill people, people kill people. So why do you allow the people who are at risk of harming others... Buy guns. Lol criminals don't get the same rights as everyone else. They forfeit that when they break the law. Having a background check to determine if someone can have a gun shouldn't be perceived as voiding the average joes right to a gun. If your a non criminal you have nothing to fear. And if you're a criminal access to a gun isn't the only right you lose.

[AniaR]

That's how it works here. Everyone has the right to a gun unless they have a criminal background.

[Mermaid Kelda]

It's similar in Australia to what you have in Canada, I think. You need a license to own a gun, and there's a background check. You also have to keep it securely stored at all times. Only... Almost no one has a gun. Seriously. Wild pig shooters have guns, cattle farmers have guns, professional or casual shooters have guns. But only 765,000 people as of the last census actually own a firearm - that's 5.2 percent of our population.

And I couldn't even tell you the last time a mass shooting happened. 20 years ago? 30? Before I was born, I think. Before these laws came into effect. It is so so obvious that stricter gun laws save lives. And we just don't have the culture here. Anyone over 18 can own a gun as long as they're not a felon, but only 5 percent of us do. Why does the right to beat arms need to include semi-automatic weapons, anyway? How is your liberty being infringed there? Ugh seriously those activists and conspiracy theorists make me mad

[AniaR]

A lot of times when we have mass shootings it is an American who immigrated, crossed the border, or someone who got their guns in America it's actually freaky. We stop plenty of attempts at mass shootings though without a single victim. I was quite impressed at how many were stopped when I read through the info.

We did in the spring have a terrible shooting where a guy had a family with a gun collection and he had all sorts of psychological problems, and he killed a bunch of Mounties :( which was awful for the community. Prior to that there was a terrible shooting in the 80s of women in a Quebec school that was more about violence against women. Just awful. Shit does happen, just very rarely.

[Toxotes]

First of all, when such cruel things happen, people try to understand it. A conspiracy of any sort is a easy explanation.
There was a school shooting in Germany in 2009, and many questions remained unanswered, too.

For me, the call for more gun control is not the solution. The shooter does typically not run amok from one second to the other. They plan that for weeks or even months. And they start the killing in "gun-free zones". Which was for example a certain cinema in Aurora, or in my case, the whole country. Here almost nobody can carry a gun legally for self-defense. Only as a licensed competitive shooter, hunter or gun collector you can legally own guns. Your background check must be OK, you have to prove that you own the necessary gun safe(s), you have to pass a certain test depending on your intention, and all of your guns are registered. After 2009, the officials can visit you at home and check if all your guns are in the gun safe. If not, you can lose your license. If you don't let them in because of your inviolability of the home, you can lose your license. And of course, if you commit a crime, or drive your car drunk, you lose your license. And all your guns. Because the officials know about every firearm a licensed owner has. To me, it is nonsense, because we aren't safer than in parts of the United States with less strict gun laws. And should ever all registered firearms be confiscated, there still will be around 20 million guns remained from the last wars in Europe.

To that assault rifle topic, aren't fully automatic guns (a.k.a. machine guns) strictly regulated since 1968 in the U.S., so no civilian can buy a machine gun that was built after this date? And any other is beyond expensive...
If it's about these semiautomatic rifles which fire one bullet with each pull of the trigger, they are no greater risk than any other firearm in the hands of a experienced user.

[Sandra Siren]

For the record,I posted this, not to discuss various opinions on gun regulation, but to ask people to refrain from encouraging those who would spread harmful rumors. Everyone has a right to their own opinion, and I'm glad to read various viewpoints. I just don't think it's OK to trivialize the pain families of the victims are going through by spreading a "theory" around that a tragic incident was all a hoax.

[Toxotes]

You're completely right.
I heard of that theory just about a week after it happened. And I don't believe that the whole incident could be a hoax.
But fact is also, that people get paid for crying in tears in front of TV cameras.
And several other things that make the main street media less credible.

[AniaR]

I think when a school shooting happens at an elementary school- there's no need to *pay* people to cry. And honestly, gun culture IS part of the conspiracies. It's usually behind it.

[Meronica]

Not to get political but it's interesting how most of the recent idiotic conspiracies lately have clearly been thought up by those on the radical right.

The most recent one being that ebola is all part of a plan by the government for population control that will inevitably force us all into FEMA camps. *eye roll* People need to leave their agendas out of tragedies.

[Toxotes]

Of course these conspiracy theories are idiotic.
FEMA or otherwise concentration camps do not exist and never existed.
No government would ever deport or oppress its people.
And the "radical right" denies that? Where do they live?

[Echidna]

No government would ever deport or oppress its people.

lolwat?
happened countless times in various countries already.

Edit; or maybe my sarcasmometer is broken.

[Toxotes]

Yes, that was sarcasm.
It's difficult for me to express that in English.

And that's the point, it is always a conspiracy theory until it happens really, or it becomes known.
Not every theory must become reality, nor it must always be based on paranoia.

@AniaR:
Of course you don't have to pay people to cry, but to do that in front of cameras.
To me, there are too many clues that those tragedies aren't always what we get presented by TV. Just not one hundred percent.

[AptaMer]

Hey, we could have our very own conspiracy theory.

It's that all the boats and planes that disappear in the Bermuda Triangle are actually lured in by sirens, who then have their way with the human occupants. I bet this could go viral, then mermaids will regain some of their badass reputation like they had in olden times
24825

[Sandra Siren]

I second this motion, all in favor?

[Mermaid Neri Elvina]

Hey, we could have our very own conspiracy theory.

It's that all the boats and planes that disappear in the Bermuda Triangle are actually lured in by sirens, who then have their way with the human occupants. I bet this could go viral, then mermaids will regain some of their badass reputation like they had in olden times
24825
Yes!!! I am so sharing this and spreading the word!! Not all mermaids are like the ones in young children's shows and books... Take the sirens from Wake, Lullaby, Tidal and Elegy (books by Amanda Hocking) now they are deadly

Sent from my Tablet using Tapatalk

[MarkF]

This is an interesting conversation. I have friends in other countries and have this conversation till we are tired of talking but we are better for it and challenge ourselves to prove to ourselves what we believe. What this thread is missing is background for its basis of opinions.

GUNS- One of the founding protections of the USA is that should the government become corrupt, tyrannical the people would not be helpless. If the government could dictate who can have guns they could defeat that protection.

Assault weapon is a small fully automatic gun. Not a color.
Requires registration, background checks- Concealable, Machine Guns, Silencers.

Criminals “Felons” cannot possess firearms of any kind.

In my sixty years I have only seen one person with a revolver in a holster walk into a store.

Big topics - little biddie space.

P.S. Count me in on the Mermaid conspiracy.

[Sandra Siren]

I find it interesting how there are some people who, no matter the subject, have a firm belief pertaining to it. I used to think I was like that; I thought I was so passionate about EVERYTHING. The more I learn about other people: their culture, history, personal beliefs, and reasons behind them, I find I can only be really passionate for a very few things. Human compassion is one of them, guns not so much. I think it's great that so many of you have expressed your beliefs and opinions concerning gun control. And now that I've finished my opening ramble, I've completely forgotten my point. So, I guess I'll end my random post with let's spam the mermaid conspiracy!

Oh. And mermaid Neri Elvina, I haven't read those books, but another edgy series that I love is The Sacred Breath series, and the Lies Beneath trilogy. They're good reads if you're interested.

[Echidna]

I favour the siren theory, but wasn't there a study or somesuch that the number of vanishing crafts in the Bermuda Triangle was not higher than anywhere else?

[Aziara]

I favour the siren theory, but wasn't there a study or somesuch that the number of vanishing crafts in the Bermuda Triangle was not higher than anywhere else?

I believe you are correct, and the ratio of lost ships is the same as everywhere else, but the number of ships lost is higher because MORE ships pass through it, (Many popular vacation destinations require travel in that area) which freaks people out.
As for the ridiculous theory that Sandy Hook didn't happen, I can't believe people could be so insensitive. I might be much different from many of you in my philosophy (I don't think that making guns harder to get is a good thing, it will only mean that more criminals will have guns than good folks. I was raised very pro-gun as my dad was a cop, and it is a bit hard to be frightened of something that you see on your parent's belt everyday when he gets home) but I'm never going to deny that some people are terrible and want to harm other people. Any gun control that comes out of a school shooting is simply politicians "Not letting a good tragedy go to waste" as my husband is fond of saying. (meaning they use the population's sorrow to push through legislation that they wanted anyway)

[Imogen Finnly]

I was in a minor car accident the other day amd was afraid, that if my dad got any more hot headed, the (he seemed to be a skin head) would pull out a gun. Just last month, this gang member had practically the swat team after him, when he held his (beaten) wife hostage with a 9mm.
And in my old complex, the literal swat team would be there with rifles, automatic guns and the whole bit.
Its very real. And very scary.

formerly jayy

[dfeifer]

Hmm,.. If the conspiracy is true, then do I need to buy a boat? :)

We actually had someone here someone here at work a couple months ago that was going on about the sandy hook thing as well. It's really disheartening what some people can believe. Just seems like too many people just want to jump on some bandwagon and not do any critical thinking or investigation of their own.

really been irked lately by the resurgence of the flat earth thing..

[Kathleen Everett]

Thank you for sharing this. I sympathize so much with the victims and families affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy and the thought still haunts me to this day. For anyone to even try to take away from what truly happened is horrifying. Let's not let these people hurt anyone any longer.