Brazilian victim of school shooting rampage: " It was like America."

[elehhhhna]

Just now on ABC(GMA).


I'm ashamed for "America".

[elehhhhna]

1. .

[robcon]

2. Reporting that smear is despicable.

ABC should be ashamed of itself.

[Javaman]

4. Why? nt

[Dem1988]

5. It's not a smear if it's the truth.

Make a list of the 100 worst shooting rampages in history, not connected to a war. How many were by Americans?

[WatsonT]

7. The worst was in Russia

http://listverse.com/2008/01/01/top-10-worst-school-massacres/

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2007/04/22/the_list_the_worlds_worst_shooting_rampages

I will agree that there is a huge difference in perception. But it isn't necessarily warranted.

We live under 24 hour surveillance by the rest of the world, of course we seem to have a lot of problems.

How many kidnappings in Germany do you hear about? Rapes in China? Shootings in Korea?

[Edweird]

11. Seriously? You believe that? You are aware that Brazil had death squads that would torture and

murder (massacre) homeless children, right?
Spare me the "it's just like America" bullshit.

[VioletLake]

14. There's a difference between kids killing kids,

and death squads. When it comes to kids killing kids in schools, there's no place like the United States.

[Edweird]

15. So you are asserting that Brazillian kids don't kill each other?

I'd love to see some kind of evidence
of that.

[VioletLake]

17. In school massacres, like in the US?

Apparently it's a first.

[Jmaxfie1]

23. True, but I'd take school shootings over death squads ;) n/t

[VioletLake]

25. It's funny how sensitive some people get when "America" is criticized. ;) nt

[Darth_Kitten]

42. People live in a vacuum, kind of believe their own countries are so much better than the U.S....

when each country has it's problems. Brazil, for one, doesn't seem to acknowledge the murder of it's children. It seems to be swept underneath the carpet.

Yes, when you think of school shootings, you think the U.S. But violence happens everywhere, in all forms. :(

[VioletLake]

44. Is that what people "kind of believe"?

Haven't run into too many of those halfhearted souls in my travels abroad. On the other hand, there are plenty of people in the U.S. caught in a most exceptional nationalist vacuum. They can't accept an earnestly expressed fact about their beloved "America" without getting defensive and offensive.

The ability to gracefully accept legitimate criticism is a sign of maturity. The ability to learn from one's mistakes and improve oneself is a sign of wisdom.

"What about you!" and "You're worse!" are the responses of children and fools.

[Darth_Kitten]

48. You are so mature, wise, and I'm foolish beyond words. Gotcha.

Sorry for expressing my opinion. :eyes: :sarcasm:

Oh, I've been abroad, too.

[VioletLake]

50. LOL

My comments on maturity and wisdom were not delivered with you in mind, but if the shoe fits...

Relax, Darth_Kitten.

[aikoaiko]

46. You mean like the OP being "ashamed". It is funny.

Very funny.

[VioletLake]

47. Yeah, that was a bit much. nt

[Jefferson23]

18. Brazil shooting said to be first school massacre in nation's history

'What happened has no precedent,' says Military Police Colonel Djalma Beltrame, as he guarded the school in Brazil where 11 students were gunned down today.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Americas/2011/0407/Brazil-shooting-said-to-be-first-school-massacre-in-nation-s-history

*Thus the comment, like America, there was nothing said suggesting people live violence free in Rio.

[a la izquierda]

38. You're aware that Brazil...

had the tacit approval of the US to do it's dirty deeds in regards to death squads? ETA: Think about it this way, people in Brazil may not have an inkling what was happening during those days, just like my students haven't a clue what we supported in Latin America.

[robcon]

21. Wow. What a smear against the U.S., Dem1988

Despicable.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

24. Brazil has more gun violence than the US.

BUT this specific kind of thing, i.e. a madman going in some place and shooting people at random, is virtually unheard of here.

We have gang wars. We have armed robbery. We have police abuse. But this is new.

Calm down.

[Zoeisright]

33. Fuckin' A.

Denial is a hallmark of the gun porn crowd.

[eqfan592]

41. Ohhhh, a real zinger there...

...glad to see you could really add to the conversation with something substantive. It's too bad you never have, you know, reality on your side.

[Skidmore]

20. Oh, yeah, America is exceptional, right?

[Spider Jerusalem]

39. It's true though.

The United States averages one incident of mass murder/spree killing A MONTH (including incidents in workplaces and other locations which are not schools). Limiting it to schools, there were eleven instances of school shootings last year and three so far this year. See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_shooting#United_States

[Javaman]

3. Once upon a time when people thought of America, they thought of freedom.

not anymore.

[WatsonT]

6. It is like the America they hear about

we have a 24 news cycle that is the most intense in the world.

It tends towards sensationalism.

So you will hear about the scary and terrible things that happen in the US. But none of the good.

For reference: how many news channels based in Brazil do people in America watch on a regular basis? They're seeing all our dirty laundry and we see none of theirs.

[RZM]

8. I wonder if this person knows any more about life in the US than I do about life in Brazil

Maybe they do, but I don't know. I've never been to Brazil nor have I studied it in depth. I don't pretend that 'City of God' can be applied to the whole country.

I've met several international students over the years who told me their parents were concerned that their children would be be shot or robbed while studying here.

[WatsonT]

9. We do have a bit of a PR problem

one that our own media is working desperately to maintain.

And while terrible things happen here it is a big country, the odds of it happening to you are very low.

[bobbolink]

13. And some have been.,

[VioletLake]

10. If this is the clip you saw,

the quote should be:

"It was like in the united states when people go in and start shooting."

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/rio-de-janeiro-shooting-claims-12-lives-13327420

In America, only people from the United States, refer to the United States as "America".

[Edweird]

12. Death squads. Brazil. Massacre children. Look it up for yourself.

[VioletLake]

16. The way things are going,

it will be no time before the rightists in this country start forming death squads. Perhaps when the government can no longer afford to keep its professional killers in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, etc...

[RZM]

19. That is pointless fearmongering

No different from saying that Obama wants to round up people and detain them in FEMA camps.

[VioletLake]

22. The difference is that my comment was delivered with a sense of humor.

To the person that says, "Obama wants to round up people and detain them in FEMA camps", I would respond, "The CEO of Empire America doesn't want to do something like that, but he will if he feels he has to. But don't you worry your pretty little teabag, it will be the left he goes after."

[RZM]

27. I must have missed the humor n/t

[apocalypsehow]

28. ...

On edit: "no more shit-stirring" is a slogan that should start at home. Thus, this edit....

[RZM]

29. You're questioning what I'm doing in this thread?

I actually commented on the main subject here earlier in the day. All you seem to be doing is jumping on me. So how about we question why you are here instead?

Please don't tell me you think that predicting death squads in the US is worse than calling out the ridiculousness of the very same statement.

[apocalypsehow]

30. Actually, all I wanted to do is rant about the "hide thread' function, and you took the bait.

I think it's a great idea; you don't. :P

I'll edit my post above accordingly. :hi:

[RZM]

31. And just think . . .

A hide function might have made all that fun impossible ;)

[apocalypsehow]

32. Haaaahaaa! Touche! You have the better of me this evening, Sir, I do concede.

Thus, a toast to you: :beer:

:toast:

[VioletLake]

34. Perhaps you missed the humor because it's a possibility you fear.

After all, the US already has death squads. They're called "kill teams".

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/09/cias-afghan-kill-teams-expand-u-s-war-in-pakistan/

http://www.rollingstone.com/kill-team.

"Black" humor, to be sure.

[RZM]

45. It's not something I'm too worried about

I don't feel the collapse of order and basic respect for human rights is imminent in the United States. Nor do I think there are any significant elements, either left or right, anxious to produce such a situation.

[Darth_Kitten]

49. Really? Could have fooled me.

But then again, I'm not wise and aware of things. :sarcasm:

[VioletLake]

51. Now you're angry at me.

What can I do to make it all better?

[tahrir]

26. That's what I thought, too

Terrible

[Taitertots]

35. Next time there is a gang shooting we should say it is just like Brazil

More specifically we should do it when it happens in areas with draconian gun control that never worked.

[VioletLake]

37. Let's not and say we did. ;)

Defensive much?

[WatsonT]

40. Detroit is becoming more and more like Brazil every year

And that's not something I ever wanted to say about an American city.

[Taitertots]

43. It is the obvious result when a nation refuses to care for it's own people

Detroit made all the cars, and New York (Wall street) made all the profits.

[cali]

36. it's just silly.