Personal Rant/Why I refuse to remember names

"El Rivinado" (joeman856)
06/13/2016 at 18:50 • Filed to: None

Okay Oppo, this is going to be a dark post. This is going to contain a lot of politics, a lot of personal opinions, and maybe a call to arms. It also contains some stuff that goes against my usual “not interfering in other’s lives” viewpoint and persona. But, I’ve been thinking about this recently, and I need to get this off my chest. I’ll get back to posting about cars and other stuff, but I got to vent. Before we go inward, have something happy.

Are you happy? Good, let’s get into it.

I don’t think I need to explain what happened over the weekend, the aftermath is something I try to avoid. So, this topic will not be about the usual talking points that are going to be brought up in the next couple of days or so. Instead, I want to tell Oppo to do something that may seem unconventional.

One of the posts that I came across on Oppo regarding this, was my citroen won’t start’s post about the FBI watchlist.

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/american-oppos…

I had a pretty reasoned debate with citroen on the subject, and laid down some comments and stars. But, one of the comments was when under_score was debating, and he brought up Elliot Rodgers. I thought to myself “Who the fuck was that?” So, I went to Wikipedia to search him up. Then I remembered.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Isla…

Too get personal oppo, I still have really bad thoughts whenever I remember this shooting. One of my best friends was going to UCSB at the time, and when I heard the news, my heart was in my throat. It’s one of the only times that has tested my lack of faith, I literally prayed to myself that she would be alright. It was the first mass shooting that hit close to home for me, and I never want to forget what happened and what the worst case scenario could’ve been.

But one thing I did forgot, was Elliot Rodgers, his name, his life, and his background. Not because I didn’t want to forget what he did, but because I wasn’t going to give that low-life cocksucker the infamy he wanted.

The same is true of Orlando, I think what happened in Orlando was tragic, I sincerely am sorry to anyone who was affected by this, be it personally or because you were part of the same lifestyle that the shooter targeted. But, do not expect me to remember the shooter, all I need to know is that he was a homophobic shitstain that committed a disgusting act on his fellow man. But, I will not remember his name, his history, his family, or anything else.

Because he doesn’t deserve it.

Mass shooters in general, don’t deserve to be remembered.

To briefly sound like a raving conspiracy theorist, I find the over indulgent details of mass shooters that the mainstream media gives them in the wake of an event, appalling and disgusting. It’s little more than a twisted conclusion of the disturbing fascination with the concept of celebrity status. In fact, I believe the media makes it worse, because if another raving sociopathic misanthrope wants his 15 minutes of fame, we’ll give it to him in no time.

And to me, that’s just not cool.

I may be the only one alone in this situation, and that’s fine by me. No one has to take what I’m about to say next into consideration, and no one has to agree with me. But if you were to show me pictures of this asshole.

Or this asshole

Or, more recently, this asshole

I couldn’t tell you who these guys were. If you were to tell me their names, I wouldn’t recognize them. If you tell me what they did, I would understand, and then I would keep on forgetting.

Because, they deserve to be forgotten.

So Oppo, I want you to promise me something. Or at least, understand where I’m coming from when I say this. Forget the man who caused the tragedy in Orlando, forget his name. If another tragedy comes along, forget their names too. Remember the names of the victims, not the fucker who took them away. Remember the tragedies they caused, not the psychopath behind them. Remember what they did, but never remember who they were.

Mass shooters want to live in infamy, if we keep giving them attention, they’ve won. Don’t give them what they wanted, deny them that hunger and fame. Never forget what they caused, but never give them the satisfaction of living in infamy. Forget these guys Oppo, they don’t deserve to be remembered. Never let the fear they caused entangle us and divide us, and mourn and pray for whoever was affected by it.

Don’t remember this guy Oppo. Remember his actions. Psychopaths don’t deserve to be rewarded like this, so don’t do it.

Stay safe out there Oppo, now to get back to cars.

DISCUSSION (26)

DynamicWeight > El Rivinado
06/13/2016 at 19:25

You may not be in the right mindset to hear this right now, but consider that you used a homophobic slur, cock sucker, when describing a shooter, but then proceeded to call this current shooter a homophobic shit stain. I don’t think this makes you a homophobe, but the language we use matters. Tragedies like this one help show us why. Never dehumanize another human being.

About what you wrote, I completely agree. When I saw they had his pictures and name in the paper today I thought it was in very poor taste. These people should be ignored and forgotten.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > El Rivinado
06/13/2016 at 19:26

Here’s one of the individuals that SHOULD be remembered. He’s the SWAT officer that took a round to the head and his helmet saved him

Kinja'd!!!

Berang > El Rivinado
06/13/2016 at 19:29

I understand not wanting to give complete scum attention for being complete scum, or out of fear that the next wannabe badass will be inspired to bathe in media glory, but if you don’t look at these people, you’re not going to figure out why they did what they did. Besides if somebody is genuinely crazy, doubts about not getting attention are not going to stop them.

El Rivinado > DynamicWeight
06/13/2016 at 19:32

I don’t consider Cocksucker a homophobic slur. I’ve been using it as a general extreme insult. In fact, I’ve never heard anyone call it a homophobic slur in the slightest until today.

El Rivinado > Berang
06/13/2016 at 19:34

You present a fair point, I just find it disgusting the media lavishes the amount of attention they do on these pricks. It's something I've felt for a long time, but I finally needed to get it out there. Otherwise, I might go nuts.

DynamicWeight > El Rivinado
06/13/2016 at 19:46

Okay.... so do I really have to explain why cocksucker is a homophobic slur? It seems fairly self evident to me. Do people ever call women cock suckers? No, because it doesn’t work the same way. The core of the insult is to imply a man is gay.

DynamicWeight > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul
06/13/2016 at 19:48

Kinja'd!!!

LOREM IPSUM > El Rivinado
06/13/2016 at 19:52

I was to post this this am because it was such a what the fuck article, albeit not auto related whatsoever:

New York man randomly slit the throat of a shopper in the produce aisle at ShopRite, police say

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-m…

...fucked up world we live in, and nobody is really safe from insane shitbags.

El Rivinado > DynamicWeight
06/13/2016 at 19:53

No, you don’t have to explain it. You also don’t have to talk down to me like I’m an idiot for not understanding it. I’ve used the insult the same way I would use “asshole” or “motherfucker” or anything else of that nature. I never use it often, and I never have seen anyone regard it as a homophobic slur for as long as I’ve been on the internet or even as long as I’ve been alive.

DynamicWeight > El Rivinado
06/13/2016 at 20:02

I apologize for being condescending.

My bird IS the word > El Rivinado
06/13/2016 at 20:14

Aren't they calling this one a terrorist attack? Thought he called the cops and said a bunch of Muslim bs.

El Rivinado > My bird IS the word
06/13/2016 at 20:17

What is a mass shooting if not domestic terrorism?

My bird IS the word > El Rivinado
06/13/2016 at 20:42

True, but mass shooters don't shoot people to make a point or promote a cause. They shoot people for personal satisfaction or glory. Mass murder doesn't necessarily mean terrorism. This fucktard did it to frighten gays.

Funktheduck > El Rivinado
06/13/2016 at 21:43

I agree. I’ve had the same thoughts myself. It’s like that ass that killed the reporter because he wanted to be famous and couldn’t contribute in any meaningful way (in his mind) and decided to kill someone.

I’ve always thought they should lose their names and replaced with insults. For example: the asswad in Charlestown. Or dipshit in Virginia.

The way the media posts their pictures and turn them into celebrities is disgusting. It's horrific for the families of the survivors to see the face(s) of those who destroyed their lives plastered on every screen. I know because I've lived it. I wish I could forget their names. I can't.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > El Rivinado
06/14/2016 at 01:46

A big problem with slathering shooters’ names all over the media is that it gives motivation and confidence to “aspiring criminals” (others who feel disenfranchised from society) to go out and one-up their predecessors for the fame. We know that these people are children at heart—obssessed with the notion that popularity is the only measure of progress in life. We also know that these people are not only immature, but also the biggest cowards and hypocrites ever to walk the face of a peaceful society.

The difficulty in MSM is that they are by nature attracted to view counts and click counts, so sensationalism seems to come naturally even when it’s detrimental to society. That’s why we see the names and mugshots of these cowards.

DipodomysDeserti > My bird IS the word
06/14/2016 at 01:51

Well, it turns out he was gay, so it seems he was your run of the mill, mentally deranged serial killer rather than some politically motivated terrorist. Not that it makes a difference.

El Rivinado > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever
06/14/2016 at 02:04

Couldn't have said it better myself. I feel like the clickbait culture has infected the MSM in a very unhealthy way.

My bird IS the word > DipodomysDeserti
06/14/2016 at 10:15

Wow I don't even. I don't want to conceal carry but I will if they keep this shit up.

DipodomysDeserti > My bird IS the word
06/14/2016 at 10:35

Unless you’ve been killing people your whole life, someone surprising you like this with a rifle would most likely plug you before you even knew what was happening. It took a fucking SWAT team a few hours to stop this guy, and that’s all they do. There was also an armed, off duty cop as security as the club, and he couldn’t stop him.

My bird IS the word > DipodomysDeserti
06/14/2016 at 18:32

Video games have completely desensitized me to violence.

DipodomysDeserti > My bird IS the word
06/14/2016 at 19:23

Have you ever been shot at, seen a friend shot and killed, or had to shoot at someone in real life? Video games can't desensitize you to violence, as they don't contain any actual violence.

My bird IS the word > DipodomysDeserti
06/14/2016 at 21:30

1 No. neither have you I’d wager.

http://public.psych.iastate.edu/caa/abstracts/…

I have virtually killed the population of small countries over the course of ~ 15 years with everything from flamethrowers to explosives. I can effectively operate weapons I have never actually held. And as for experience, for never firing a real weapon in my life I was able to shoot skeet as well as my friend who does it as a hobby. I am not claiming to be a badass or some couch commando. I dont think I will ever find myself in that scenario. I wouldnt honestly even bring a gun to a club (alcohol and firearms don’t mix) but if my life was threatened and I had the time to draw a gun, I would.

DipodomysDeserti > My bird IS the word
06/14/2016 at 22:59

Had a kid I played baseball with in high school murdered while at a party when some kids started shooting at people as we were leaving. Three people total were shot. He ended up dying in another kids car as they rushed him to the hospital. This was about thirteen years ago.

A few years ago a friend of mine had to shoot and kill a kid who came at him with a machete. Shot him three times and dropped him where he stood. He was using a Sig Sauer P220 and the first round ripped through his elbow before punching through his ribs and into his chest cavity. Just about blew his elbow off.

I’ve had to draw a gun a few times in my younger days but thankfully never had to shoot anyone. I have kids now so I just avoid sketchy situations. Half my close friends are former Army and Marines who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan so I know first hand what a desensitation to killing looks like.

You haven’t killed the equivalent of anyone. You’ve played games. And no, you can’t handle firearms you’ve never touched, because you haven’t actually touched them. You’re right about drinking and carrying firearms. It’s not a good mix.

Under_Score > El Rivinado
07/02/2016 at 10:51

I just saw this post. I feel so sorry and so terrible that I brought back those horrible memories that you had, even though it’s been a few weeks since this was originally posted. This is the big issue with the media and society; I remembered the guy who shot the students, but I didn’t even know this was called the “Isla Vista killings”. Yes, there are many victims, but the media, which is apparently “so caring” (yet thinks people like Trump are “racist”), never provides a huge focus on the people that lost their lives too soon; the victims who deserve to be remembered.

Again, I’m so sorry for bringing it up another time, and I hope you’ve forgiven me. I always feel really bad when I think I’ve hurt someone’s feelings or unintentionally caused harm to someone, both online and in real life. I appreciate your comments here on Oppo, as more conservative voices seem to be rare; keep up the good work.

El Rivinado > Under_Score
07/02/2016 at 12:41

Thanks man, I really appreciate your comment.

El Rivinado > Under_Score
07/03/2016 at 06:19

I should also state, you didn't hurt my feelings by bringing him up. My friend was thankfully, not one of the victims and she and I have moved on from it. I don't think you did anything wrong at all.