Ralph Yarl: Sweet, young teen shot trying to pick up siblings

[Anonymous]

So is he wearing a bib in that picture?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So is he wearing a bib in that picture?

I wonder if his shirt said something inflammatory and they put it over the shirt for the picture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dementia causes changes in personality including confusion, anxiety, and anger.

Just as we take car keys away from seniors who should no longer be driving, we need to take guns away from seniors too.

Could be dementia, but the availability of a gun nearby is a key factor too.

Also, a similar incident happened in upstate NY (several posters have provided link to story) and that shooter was mid-60s, so is that dementia too? That guy shot at a car coming up his driveway around 10pm at night. The people in the car had gone to the wrong house. A young woman was killed. It's the guns + paranoia/fear fueled by Fox etc.

[Anonymous]

Will someone please help me understand why everyone is so much more outraged by the perpetrator's race, age, and gender in this particular shooting of a young innocent man?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Will someone please help me understand why everyone is so much more outraged by the perpetrator's race, age, and gender in this particular shooting of a young innocent man?

Because they are allowed to be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also thought it’s pure racism (along the Aubrey case) until I found that it’s an 85 year old guy. It’s racism but also gun availability. Why, why does an 85 year old, living in an urban area (he’s not living alone in a cabin in the woods to justify owning a gun), need a gun? How come he can keep a gun? He will die in prison, but that does not help the child who was shot, and doesn’t prevent other incidents where people who should have no access to guns do have them. There will always be someone who’s racist, or who is suicidal, or who holds a grudge against the world for perceived real or imagined injustices. Gun ownership should not be this easy! There should be real checks. If I need to renew my driver’s license every 5-8 years, why should a gun owner not have to do the same?

I attended high school not far from Staley high school, which is considered in the Northland or "north" of the Missouri River. You have to drive across the Missouri River by bridge to get to the Northland. The older part of Kansas City, MO is "south" of the Missouri River. That's where the downtown, City Market, the Country Club Plaza, West Port, and the Paseo are located. "South" of the Missouri River has some of the wealthiest areas of Kansas City, like on Ward Parkway, and it also has some of the poorest areas. Most of the crime committed in the Kansas City metro area is concentrated South of the Missouri River and to the East.

Teenagers in the Northland have always enjoyed freedom to roam as they please without much consequence, as they should. My high school has traditions such as tp'ing football players houses for Homecoming. That's kids taking toilet paper in the middle of the night, and throwing it around the outside of the house. I can't imagine having older people like this man with guns, shooting at any noise they hear.

I'm not really sure is about race, though. It's really hard to know if this man with a gun wouldn't have shot at any teenager regardless of race or gender.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Will someone please help me understand why everyone is so much more outraged by the perpetrator's race, age, and gender in this particular shooting of a young innocent man?

Yet the same people are perfectly silent when black kids shoot each other pretty much EVERY DAY in this country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will someone please help me understand why everyone is so much more outraged by the perpetrator's race, age, and gender in this particular shooting of a young innocent man?

Yet the same people are perfectly silent when black kids shoot each other pretty much EVERY DAY in this country.

It's all bad. We should have the same level of outrage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will someone please help me understand why everyone is so much more outraged by the perpetrator's race, age, and gender in this particular shooting of a young innocent man?

Yet the same people are perfectly silent when black kids shoot each other pretty much EVERY DAY in this country.

Silent?? You think we only want gun control for old white people? No, we want gun control for every person in this entire effing country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also thought it’s pure racism (along the Aubrey case) until I found that it’s an 85 year old guy. It’s racism but also gun availability. Why, why does an 85 year old, living in an urban area (he’s not living alone in a cabin in the woods to justify owning a gun), need a gun? How come he can keep a gun? He will die in prison, but that does not help the child who was shot, and doesn’t prevent other incidents where people who should have no access to guns do have them. There will always be someone who’s racist, or who is suicidal, or who holds a grudge against the world for perceived real or imagined injustices. Gun ownership should not be this easy! There should be real checks. If I need to renew my driver’s license every 5-8 years, why should a gun owner not have to do the same?

85? That’s beyond the average life expectancy. Probably has dementia.

Or he’s just really old school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will someone please help me understand why everyone is so much more outraged by the perpetrator's race, age, and gender in this particular shooting of a young innocent man?

Yet the same people are perfectly silent when black kids shoot each other pretty much EVERY DAY in this country.

Silent?? You think we only want gun control for old white people? No, we want gun control for every person in this entire effing country.

Yeah right.

You just feel all threatened because more Black people buying guns now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also thought it’s pure racism (along the Aubrey case) until I found that it’s an 85 year old guy. It’s racism but also gun availability. Why, why does an 85 year old, living in an urban area (he’s not living alone in a cabin in the woods to justify owning a gun), need a gun? How come he can keep a gun? He will die in prison, but that does not help the child who was shot, and doesn’t prevent other incidents where people who should have no access to guns do have them. There will always be someone who’s racist, or who is suicidal, or who holds a grudge against the world for perceived real or imagined injustices. Gun ownership should not be this easy! There should be real checks. If I need to renew my driver’s license every 5-8 years, why should a gun owner not have to do the same?

I attended high school not far from Staley high school, which is considered in the Northland or "north" of the Missouri River. You have to drive across the Missouri River by bridge to get to the Northland. The older part of Kansas City, MO is "south" of the Missouri River. That's where the downtown, City Market, the Country Club Plaza, West Port, and the Paseo are located. "South" of the Missouri River has some of the wealthiest areas of Kansas City, like on Ward Parkway, and it also has some of the poorest areas. Most of the crime committed in the Kansas City metro area is concentrated South of the Missouri River and to the East.

Teenagers in the Northland have always enjoyed freedom to roam as they please without much consequence, as they should. My high school has traditions such as tp'ing football players houses for Homecoming. That's kids taking toilet paper in the middle of the night, and throwing it around the outside of the house. I can't imagine having older people like this man with guns, shooting at any noise they hear.

I'm not really sure is about race, though. It's really hard to know if this man with a gun wouldn't have shot at any teenager regardless of race or gender.

In yesterday's press conference, the DA stated that there was a racial element to the case. They know more than we do at this point. But in the similar case in upstate NY that happened around the same time, the shooter and the victim were white so, yes, it's not always about race. The guns are the one constant. Also, most of the shooters are men.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will someone please help me understand why everyone is so much more outraged by the perpetrator's race, age, and gender in this particular shooting of a young innocent man?

Yet the same people are perfectly silent when black kids shoot each other pretty much EVERY DAY in this country.

I think it is because there is an assumed level of culpability with the inner city kids. People assume it is gang violence and that is what you get when you get involved in a gang. It also allows for some distance. In this case, there is a good kid, who did made a simple mistake. A mistake we could see ourselves making or our kids making, thus people respond differently to it. Not saying it is good or right just explaining.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will someone please help me understand why everyone is so much more outraged by the perpetrator's race, age, and gender in this particular shooting of a young innocent man?

Yet the same people are perfectly silent when black kids shoot each other pretty much EVERY DAY in this country.

Gun violence is a constant in this country--it is normal and an everyday occurrence. The national press covers cases that they think are noteworthy, like getting shot for knocking at the wrong door or mass mass shootings. Local news outlets tend to cover the everyday gun violence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will someone please help me understand why everyone is so much more outraged by the perpetrator's race, age, and gender in this particular shooting of a young innocent man?

Yet the same people are perfectly silent when black kids shoot each other pretty much EVERY DAY in this country.

Gun violence is a constant in this country--it is normal and an everyday occurrence. The national press covers cases that they think are noteworthy, like getting shot for knocking at the wrong door or mass mass shootings. Local news outlets tend to cover the everyday gun violence.

A white 20 yr old woman was shot & killed last night for parking in the wrong driveway