# "Whites don't kill whites..." Shooting at Kentucky Kroger supermarket **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 25, 2018, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whites-dont-kill-whites-shooting-at-kentucky-kroger-supermarket/823496 "2018-10-25T13:53:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2018, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whites-dont-kill-whites-shooting-at-kentucky-kroger-supermarket/823496/41 "2018-10-25T23:21:45Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > This is America because a guy with a history of mental problems was able to get a gun. That happens elsewhere too ([cite, for one example](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danforth_shooting#Perpetrator)) ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2018, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whites-dont-kill-whites-shooting-at-kentucky-kroger-supermarket/823496/42 "2018-10-25T23:37:27Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > …what is it exactly are you confused about? > > (Warning, contains disturbing imagery) > > "This is America." > > [Its a song that addresses gun violence. It addresses mass shootings. It addresses racism and discrimination against black Americans.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Is_America_(song)) > > The reference fits perfectly for this thread. This \*is \*America. We don’t have an epidemic of mass shootings in my country (NZ). We don’t have an epidemic of gun violence in my country: our police force aren’t even routinely armed. And the racism in our country is an entirely different type of racism. Do you not understand that what the song talks about is a uniquely American experience? Um…did you see what I was responding too? What part of either what I was responding too and what I wrote don’t you get? Shall I break it down? Diagram the sentences? This horrible situation isn’t unique to America. Do you agree or disagree? And if so, will a single example of racially motivated violence in another country be sufficient, because, you know, it’s pretty easy to find. I didn’t click on your links btw, because it skips over the very simple quote and my response which you are pretending you need to query me about my confusion over. Let me cut to the chase here…it’s fucking bullshit that racial violence is unique to the US. It’s fucking bullshit that a murder of two random people by a crazy motherfucker for racial reasons is unique to the US. Hell, even the armed response by a 3rd party isnt’ unique to the US. None of this means we don’t have issues, really really bad issues with racism…we do. But don’t pretend I’m having some sort of cognition issue and you need to clear that up for me in an oh so helpful way with a handy YouTube song or whatever it is you linked too. You don’t and I’m not. So, the real question is…are you also asserting that this is some sort of unique issue to the US? ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2018, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whites-dont-kill-whites-shooting-at-kentucky-kroger-supermarket/823496/43 "2018-10-25T23:38:57Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > No big deal here; just a teeny-tiny story. Happens all the time. Nothing to worry about. > > After all, this is America. Straw must be on sale this week…that and folks are pretending they can’t read or that others can’t scroll up… ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2018, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whites-dont-kill-whites-shooting-at-kentucky-kroger-supermarket/823496/44 "2018-10-25T23:45:21Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Um…did you see what I was responding too? …yep. > [@](#): > > What part of either what I was responding too and what I wrote don’t you get? I get what you wrote. I also got what you were orginally responding too. > [@](#): > > Shall I break it down? Diagram the sentences? This horrible situation isn’t unique to America. Do you agree or disagree? And if so, will a single example of racially motivated violence in another country be sufficient, because, you know, it’s pretty easy to find. I didn’t click on your links btw, because it skips over the very simple quote and my response which you are pretending you need to query me about my confusion over. > Let me cut to the chase here…it’s fucking bullshit that racial violence is unique to the US. It’s fucking bullshit that a murder of two random people by a crazy motherfucker for racial reasons is unique to the US. Hell, even the armed response by a 3rd party isnt’ unique to the US. None of this means we don’t have issues, really really bad issues with racism…we do. But don’t pretend I’m having some sort of cognition issue and you need to clear that up for me is a helpful way. You don’t and I’m not. So, the real question is…are you also asserting that this is some sort of unique issue to the US? Let me cut to the fucking chase. And I’ll cut to the chase with less words than you. “This is America” was a specific reference to a recent song by Childish Gambino that talks about the Black experience of living in America. “This is America” is not just a reference to this particular murder. Its a reference to the reality of “living while black in America.” So yes: “living while black in America” is a unique issue to the United Fucking States of America. I’m glad I could clarify that for you. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2018, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whites-dont-kill-whites-shooting-at-kentucky-kroger-supermarket/823496/45 "2018-10-25T23:59:34Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > …yep. > > I get what you wrote. I also got what you were orginally responding too. > > Let me cut to the fucking chase. And I’ll cut to the chase with less words than you. > > “This is America” was a specific reference to a recent song by Childish Gambino that talks about the Black experience of living in America. “This is America” is not just a reference to this particular murder. Its a reference to the reality of “living while black in America.” So yes: “living while black in America” is a unique issue to the United Fucking States of America. > > I’m glad I could clarify that for you. Should have put it in quotes then. I don’t buy it, and, again, since you DON’T seem to get what I was responding too you should go back and re-read what I was quoting, since I don’t think it has anything to do with a song. MAYBE that’s what the OP was thinking (I’d buy that), if so then I missed that, but not what I was responding too. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2018, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whites-dont-kill-whites-shooting-at-kentucky-kroger-supermarket/823496/46 "2018-10-26T00:08:23Z")
> [@TommyzNR](#): > > I get that, but you put it in quotes. In English that tells the reader that he said it rather than the fact that the author implied it from the story. Where does that leave Asians and Hispanics, etc. > > Is there a symbol for air quotes? Yes. It’s the same symbol as regular quotes. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2018, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whites-dont-kill-whites-shooting-at-kentucky-kroger-supermarket/823496/47 "2018-10-26T00:20:04Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Should have put it in quotes then. I don’t buy it, and, again, since you DON’T seem to get what I was responding too you should go back and re-read what I was quoting, since I don’t think it has anything to do with a song. MAYBE that’s what the OP was thinking (I’d buy that), if so then I missed that, but not what I was responding too. …what is it you don’t buy, the reference? When people say “This is America” what is it do you think they are talking about? I know exactly what you were quoting. You quoted BigT, who was responding to a post that you made that said “Exactly. Which makes it kind of ridiculous to point at just a crazy nut who shoots some innocents for whatever reason and say ‘This is America’, no?” I think BigT’s response was reasonable: but his response assumed you understood the cultural reference of “This is America” referred too: and it assumed that you accept that the gun culture in America (where people can walk around with side-arms completely legally) is something that is uniquely American. It doesn’t matter where in the quote-chain I decided to jump in. You don’t get it. I still don’t think you get it. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2018, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whites-dont-kill-whites-shooting-at-kentucky-kroger-supermarket/823496/48 "2018-10-26T00:22:25Z")
If it wasn’t perfectly clear when I linked to it in post #12, yes, “This is America” was a reference to the song (and the sentiment and message of the song). ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2018, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whites-dont-kill-whites-shooting-at-kentucky-kroger-supermarket/823496/49 "2018-10-26T00:26:42Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > …what is it you don’t buy, the reference? > > When people say “This is America” what is it do you think they are talking about? > > I know exactly what you were quoting. You quoted BigT, who was responding to a post that you made that said “Exactly. Which makes it kind of ridiculous to point at just a crazy nut who shoots some innocents for whatever reason and say ‘This is America’, no?” I think BigT’s response was reasonable: but his response assumed you understood the cultural reference of “This is America” referred too: and it assumed that you accept that the gun culture in America (where people can walk around with side-arms completely legally) is something that is uniquely American. > > It doesn’t matter where in the quote-chain I decided to jump in. You don’t get it. I still don’t think you get it. You are right…I don’t get the cultural reference. You are right, I still don’t get it, nor am I buying that BigT was referring to it. When someone points to some crazy crap and says ‘this is America’ I certainly take that a certain way. And when someone goes on to say it’s unique to America I take exception. Even saying that the ‘gun culture’ is somehow unique to the US is, IMHO, overstating things, though I’d be willing to concede that we look at private gun ownership differently than most. I took BigT’s response as saying that racially motivated murder is somehow unique to the US, which should have been obvious by my response. I still take it that way, but I’ll concede that it wouldn’t be the first time I didn’t understand another poster or the subtext that others seem to take for granted. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2018, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whites-dont-kill-whites-shooting-at-kentucky-kroger-supermarket/823496/50 "2018-10-26T00:28:57Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > If it wasn’t perfectly clear when I linked to it in post #12, yes, “This is America” was a reference to the song (and the sentiment and message of the song). My apologies then, to both you and Bear…and BigT. I didn’t see your post 12# and I didn’t get the reference. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2018, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whites-dont-kill-whites-shooting-at-kentucky-kroger-supermarket/823496/51 "2018-10-26T00:31:20Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’m okay with the idea of “whites don’t kill whites”. If he had just stuck with that, it would have been fine. But he went wrong when he followed it up with “whites kill blacks instead”. #WhiteLivesMatter ? ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2018, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whites-dont-kill-whites-shooting-at-kentucky-kroger-supermarket/823496/52 "2018-10-26T00:45:33Z")
> [@XT](#): > > My apologies then, to both you and Bear…and BigT. I didn’t see your post 12# and I didn’t get the reference. …all good 😃 > [@XT](#): > > YEven saying that the ‘gun culture’ is somehow unique to the US is, IMHO, overstating things Just forget about the mass-shooting for a minute. The witness to the exchange was carrying around a loaded sidearm. That is unthinkable here. It is very difficult to get a firearm permit for a pistol. Somebody walking around a shopping mall with a pistol strapped to his waist might make it to the front page of the news here. The American people and their relationship with their guns is a very unique thing. That is the difference. It isn’t overstating things. Sandy Hook wasn’t enough to make any serious change to gun culture or legislation. In NZ Aramoana was enough. In the UK it was Dunblane. In Australia it was Port Arthur. With Sandy Hook? Meh. It took until the Parkland shootings: and some very brave kids speaking out, for the NRA to finally take a hit in the pocket. But still nothing has really changed. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2018, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whites-dont-kill-whites-shooting-at-kentucky-kroger-supermarket/823496/53 "2018-10-26T02:15:52Z")
Maybe after the shooting the gunman sang “I’m not racist”: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43gm3CJePn0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43gm3CJePn0) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2018, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whites-dont-kill-whites-shooting-at-kentucky-kroger-supermarket/823496/54 "2018-10-26T02:46:03Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > When people say “This is America” what is it do you think they are talking about? Personally, I thought Gambino was addressing the song to black people. I feel he was saying that black people let white people control their lives and that black people needed to reject the various traps that white-dominated society was pushing them towards to keep them powerless. If so, then the song really had no message for this shooting. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2018, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whites-dont-kill-whites-shooting-at-kentucky-kroger-supermarket/823496/55 "2018-10-26T03:11:55Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Personally, I thought Gambino was addressing the song to black people. I feel he was saying that black people let white people control their lives and that black people needed to reject the various traps that white-dominated society was pushing them towards to keep them powerless. …art very often means different things to different people. And “This is America” fits my definition of art precisely because it means different things to different people. Your interpretation is valid. But it isn’t the only one. > [@](#): > > If so, then the song really had no message for this shooting. As the wikipedia page points out: [“The song addresses the wider issue of gun violence in the United States, the high rate of mass shootings in the United States, along with longstanding racism and discrimination against African Americans.”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Is_America_(song)) So at the very surface level alone (before you start digging deeper into the themes and meaning of the song) the song addresses all three. While I have no problem with your interpretation of the song, I can’t see how you say that it had “no message for this shooting.” Some white people are gas-lighting black people over this. Trying to pretend that racism didn’t play a part. Allowing that narrative to stand is one of those very “traps” you are talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2018, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whites-dont-kill-whites-shooting-at-kentucky-kroger-supermarket/823496/56 "2018-10-26T04:28:16Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > …armed with a civilian gun… “civilian gun” - is that a term now? Because the level of knowledge needed to know that it was not a law enforcement or military firearm is WAY more than needed to know if it was a pistol or revolver etc. And it converys WAY less information. Like saying the suspect sped off in February 1987-made car. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2018, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whites-dont-kill-whites-shooting-at-kentucky-kroger-supermarket/823496/57 "2018-10-26T04:32:22Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Even saying that the ‘gun culture’ is somehow unique to the US is, IMHO, overstating things, though I’d be willing to concede that we look at private gun ownership differently than most Here’s a list of the countries which exceed the U.S. in both per capita gun homicides and per capita gun suicides: … Here’s a list of the countries which exceed the U.S. in both per capita gun homicides and per capita accidental gun deaths: Venezuela Guatemala Paraguay Uruguay Here are the gun ownership rates, per 100 inhabitants, of the five countries which lead the world in a weighted sum of homicidal and accidental gun deaths: Venezuela 11 Guatemala 13 Paraguay 17 Uruguay 32 U.S.A. 89 (Serbia is in a distant 2nd place with 38 guns per 100 inhabitants.) [Cite.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_firearm-related_death_rate) U.S.A.'s gun culture is not “unique”? To the country, U.S.A. wears that distinctly proudly. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2018, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whites-dont-kill-whites-shooting-at-kentucky-kroger-supermarket/823496/58 "2018-10-26T04:47:25Z")
“guns per 100 inhabitants” is a stupid metric. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2018, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whites-dont-kill-whites-shooting-at-kentucky-kroger-supermarket/823496/59 "2018-10-26T07:31:50Z")
Isn’t amazing how someone who exhibits blatant racist behavior, threatens racial violence and then perpetrates the racial violence he’s threatened to do always turns out to be just mentally ill and not violently racist after all? ---
**Author:** ![HelenTroy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helentroy/32/86_2.png) [@HelenTroy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenTroy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2018, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whites-dont-kill-whites-shooting-at-kentucky-kroger-supermarket/823496/60 "2018-10-26T14:21:00Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > While I have no problem with your interpretation of the song, I can’t see how you say that it had “no message for this shooting.” Some white people are gas-lighting black people over this. Trying to pretend that racism didn’t play a part. Allowing that narrative to stand is one of those very “traps” you are talking about. This is the issue I have; the constant gaslighting about racism in that somehow racism is not actually an element to the story of the hour. Oh, sure, some will maybe concede that racism is a problem, but every example you bring up of specific instances is hand-waved away. Look at the Megyn Kelly pit thread. Nope, gotta be something other than racism. Dude has mental health issues and the escalation of racist actions/groups have noooooooooo possible effect on how it manifests itself. Sure. Cool. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whites-dont-kill-whites-shooting-at-kentucky-kroger-supermarket/823496.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whites-dont-kill-whites-shooting-at-kentucky-kroger-supermarket/823496.md?page=4)