Mass Shootings and Conspiracies: A Podcast Double Header

Two recent interviews.

Last weekend I appeared on the Ed & Ethan podcast to talk about mass shooting statistics, a subject I've been writing about recently here at Reason. To listen to that conversation, go here. (My segment starts around 32:35.) And in an episode of Skeptiles that was posted today, I spent an hour-plus discussing my history of American conspiracy theories, The United States of Paranoia. You can hear that show here.

Comments

[Almanian!]

*peaks around corner - seeing no SugarFree scat pron, retreats*

[Paul.]

*peeks back at Almanian*

[Almanian!]

I peaked years ago

[Paul.]

I keep thinking I'm yet to peak, but I'm realizing that what I thought was just sort of a marginally better day... yeah, that was it.

I think it was that day that the guy ahead of me knew how to make an unprotected left. That was kind of the pinnacle. I remember that feeling when he moved to the middle of the intersection when the light went green, I was all, "Oh my god, I'm not going to sit at this light for three cycles." I remember being glad I wasn't wearing sweat pants.

Yeah, that was it.

*pumps fist half way in air*

[Paul.]

Serious question: which one is Matt Welch in that picture? The one on the left? The one on the right looks like it could be a young Gillespie. I always suspected Gillespie was The Fat Kid when he was younger. I have no idea who the one in the middle is. Lucy?

[Almanian!]

DON'T TALK SHIT ABOUT LUCY

[RBS]

Poor, poor Lucy.

[The Late P Brooks]

"Stories about" mass shootings = mass shootings.

There were at least a thousand mass shootings just last December.

We're DOOOOOOOMED!

[Paul.]

I heard a statistic the other day that said something like 1 in 5 teenagers have witnessed a shooting. Did anyone else hear that?

[RBS]

How did they define "witness" and what is a "shooting"?

[Paul.]

Not sure, I can't find anything on it. I remember thinking it was BS, it's also possible I didn't hear it right. But since the gun control groups are, almost to the last, documented liars, it would be exactly the kind of shit they'd say.

[RBS]

Probably went along with the 90 percent support gun control stat.

[Anonymous Coward]

I spent an hour-plus discussing my history of American conspiracy theories

Yeesh. An hour? I don't know if I want to listen to an hour of conspiracy theories. You should consider putting all of your thoughts down on paper. Perhaps in some kind of book format.

[Paul.]

This is why you should just comply with what the criminal wants:

Elkins walked toward West and told her to give him her purse, Lang said. West refused and Elkins repeated his demand several times before pulling out a gun and hitting West in the face with it, Lang said. West still wouldn't give up the purse and tugged back when Elkins reached out and grabbed it, Lang said. Then Elkins threatened the baby, Lang said.

"He was like, `Five, four, three,' and then she stopped him," Lang said.

Elkins asked for the purse again and West refused again, and Elkins began to count down from five again, Lang said. West still refused to give up the purse, and Lang said Elkins walked around the stroller toward her and shot at the ground and then shot West in the leg and asked for the purse again. Lang said he wasn't sure what happened next but said Elkins had been pointing the gun at the baby and Lang heard a third shot. Then both teens took off running.

Bystanders and rescue workers were unable to revive the child, who was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities have said.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....99170.html

[Loki]

WARNING: I'M ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING THAT SOME MAY CONSIDER TO BE HIGHLY UNLIBERTARIAN AND POSSIBLY OFFENSIVE DEPENDING ON HOW ONE FEELS ABOUT CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.

If this fucker is found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and it seems likely he will be assuming the witnesses are credible and the evidence is solid, they should put a fucking needle in his arm. Don't waste taxpayer money keeping this fucker alive, please.

[RBS]

If this fucker is found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and it seems likely he will be assuming the witnesses are credible and the evidence is solid, they should put a fucking needle bullet in his arm head. Don't waste taxpayer money keeping this fucker alive, please.

[Paul.]

Ditto. I'm a death penalty-supporting libertarian though, so I have a notch out of the corner of my card.