White Supremacist Gunman massacres Sikh Temple

http://news.yahoo.com/gunman-opened-fire-wisconsin-sikh-temple-exhorted-other-080012688.html

Particularly sad:

The president of the temple died defending the house of worship he founded. Satwant Singh Kaleka, 65, managed to find a simple butter knife in the temple and attempted to stab the gunman before being shot twice, his son said Monday.

What can be done about Islamophobic sentiments in the US? (and why do we still follow religion when it's an antiquated social construct devised by desert primitives)

Also of note, why did a shooting in the The Dark Knight Rises get far more media coverage than this?

Sikhs are not Muslims. As far as coverage, this is comparable with any other shooting of this type. About the same coverage as the shooting at the Jewish daycare center in Cali a few years ago.

Also, you have to consider that the media fed into the sensationalism of the whole 'Joker' angle with the Colorado shooting and because the motivations were a lot more murky, on top of the booby trap mess going on. This guy was identified as a racist off the rip so I'm sure that's part of it, very little mystery to it.

Lastly, this had half the total body count and far, far fewer people injured.

Originally posted by Lestov16
Also of note, why did a shooting in the The Dark Knight Rises get far more media coverage than this?

Originally posted by Lestov16
What can be done about Islamophobic sentiments in the US?

so, in most cases like this, the initial assumption should be (if you feel like making assumptions at all that is) that the shooter was a member of the community being victimized.

Prior to the ID of the shooter coming out, I was laughing with my GF suggesting that it was some idiot nazi who just confused Sikhs with Muslims (as is actually common in America; turban=muslim for some reason).

That this is an actual possibility makes me think, and not for the first time, that reality is just trolling us, waiting for us to call its bluff.

Originally posted by Lestov16
(and why do we still follow religion when it's an antiquated social construct devised by desert primitives)

in the wake of a senseless tragedy, where innocent people were killed for apparently no reason, you don't understand why people might be attracted to something that gives the universe a coherent sense of order and justice?

Originally posted by Lestov16
Also of note, why did a shooting in the The Dark Knight Rises get far more media coverage than this?

1) the dark knight rises was a larger media event in general, thus there was the association factor.

2) a white supremacist being violent is a very manageable media narrative. People feel little need to engage with it beyond that fact, as it inherently "makes sense" in a way that a crazy person shooting up a theater doesn't.

3) gun violence in the DKR incident finally prompted some at least semi-serious talk about gun control, in this instance it was an ex-soldier using a legally owned pistol or 2, something even the strictest gun control (short of an outright ban) would do little to solve.

4) the racial issue, as Lucien mentioned.

I heard about this, yesterday. I hate stuff like this. Why can't we all just get along and make more love?

So did this retard think he was going after Muslims?

Originally posted by Robtard
So did this retard think he was going after Muslims?

Originally posted by Robtard
So did this retard think he was going after Muslims?

maybe. The more we learn about him, the more he sounds like some Turner Diaries idiot who probably doesn't have a sophisticated enough idea about race to differentiate between ethnicities like that.

I imagine all he saw, or cared about, was that they had brown skin.

Originally posted by Omega Vision
Probably. Not that it would have mattered.

I don't think it would be any better or worse if it turns out it he was mistaken on who he targeted. Just curious.

Originally posted by Lestov16
(and why do we still follow religion when it's an antiquated social construct devised by desert primitives)

lol.

Hey Digi, remember when I said that Atheists are like Apple product fratboys, and you were all like "hey dude thats not true"?

Originally posted by Tzeentch._
lol.

Hey Digi, remember when I said that Atheists are like Apple product fratboys, and you were all like "hey dude thats not true"?

lol.

Hey, remember when I said that all white people have committed multiple murders and someone was all like "hey dude thats not true"?

Yeah, what a tard, you know? FotN was right about white people being scumbags.

Say what you will about atheist, but I have yet to have one try and sell me non-God while on the street, at work or come to my door.

Finally had to put up a "no solicitations or religious queries" sign on my door. Shit got out of hand.

I have a suuuuuuper irritating co-worker who constantly whines about the evils of Religion. It's funny to me because, as a former JW, he reminds me a lot of some Jehovah's Witnesses I used to know. Very preachy.

For every nutty believer that I've seen harassing people with promises of salvation I've come across just as many atheists willing to belittle others who to adhere to belief in nothing as they do. There are fools on both sides of the argument. Let's not pretend like the prominent atheists who go on television and insult believers look any better than believers haranguing from the pulpit.

Originally posted by Tzeentch._
I have a suuuuuuper irritating co-worker who constantly whines about the evils of Religion. It's funny to me because, as a former JW, he reminds me a lot of some Jehovah's Witnesses I used to know. Very preachy.

So the Atheist finally got to you, ****ing quitter.

Don't get me wrong though, a diehard atheist can be just as annoying as a diehard theist. In my experiences though, they're far fewer and give up a lot easier. eg Never had an atheist tell me that if I didn't follow his/her religion and/or views, "insert negative* would happen to me upon death.

The kind of people who go around belittling people of faith are the kind of people who could easily be theists themselves but for one peer pressure factor that made them think belief was lame.

That, or they're just insecure.

Challenging the faithful's unjustified beliefs is a waste of time.

Originally posted by Tzeentch._
as a former JW,

Originally posted by Nephthys

Slow down, he's a Moonie now.

Purple Nikes for everyone!