this post was submitted on 16 Aug 2025
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iamverybadass
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A disingenous comparison. It is almost like these are two completely different things with different contexts. Of course we should shame this potential mass shooter for this.
This is the exact same logic people use to paint trans people as perverts or potential rapists - not because of anything they’ve done, but because of the stereotypes their appearance triggers in others. You’re just doing mental gymnastics to deal with the cognitive dissonance of holding two conflicting views at the same time.
You can tell things about people by the way they dress and the way they look in general. This guy's decision to dress like that screams that he's going to pull a gun when there is no need to. You know this, but you're doing mental gymnastics trying to deny it because of trans people being persecuted by morons.
No, you can’t tell - you’re making assumptions. That’s exactly the same logic people use to justify shaming trans people, Muslims, or anyone else who “looks” like a stereotype they fear. Everyone convinces themselves their stereotype is the special exception. If you’re okay with that logic here, then you’ve basically conceded that appearance alone is fair grounds for public shaming across the board.
And the ratio of people dressing like this to actual mass shooters is so vanishingly small that your assumption is going to be wrong virtually every single time.
Yes these are assumptions and yes there's always exceptions. For example, this could be a publicity stunt, maybe he was taking the piss. But this case here is not the same as making generalizations about groups of people based on looks. It's not the same as thinking that because someone is dark skinned and has a beard they're a terrorist. There are different kinds of conclusions one can relatively safely reach based on outside appearance. For example, if you see someone with cauliflower ears you can safely assume that they engage in some sort of wrestling, jiu jitsu martial arts sort of thing and conversely it might be a good idea not to initiate a physical confrontation.
My point is, drawing conclusions and forming a rough profile of someone based on looks is a natural process and one should not shut it down. Just keep an open mind at all times.
This particular guy in the picture is not profiled based on gender, nationality etc. It's the context of the class subject and the very particular attire that make people jittery. Not saying don't give him the benefit of a doubt, but I do think you can pretty safely assume that he is probably not the most responsible person to give a lethal weapon to. That's all.
I don’t necessarily disagree with that. You can make educated guesses about people based on appearance - it won’t always be right, but it’s not something to ignore either. At most, it’s grounds for suspicion, not for treating those assumptions as fact. To me it seems far more likely this guy is just socially awkward and thinks he looks cool or badass. I wouldn’t feel comfortable making fun of him for that - it just feels mean.
Fair enough, but this is not about making fun of him, it's about giving him a gun or not...
Edit: love a level headed discussion btw, kudos! It's so rare these days, people just downvote instead...
Yeah, well, I’m from a country where concealed carry permits don’t even exist. The only people with guns are basically the police, military and hunters. If someone showed up dressed like that to apply for a gun permit here, I’d personally see it as a huge red flag. But I have different standards for the US, where things are already quite different to begin with.
I enjoy a good sparring session too. It’s nothing personal - it’s just a shame so many people take it that way.
Oh same there's no guns where I'm from either. Plus I'm brown enough to the point where traveling to Germany always entails a "random" check at the airport