Neil Degrasse Tyson Triggers Twitter

Mr. Tyson had the gall to state facts after he recognized Saturday's shootings as "horrific"...

Celebrity astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson got an earful Sunday on Twitter after an ill-advised tweet in the aftermath of Saturday’s two horrific mass shootings that left at least 29 people dead.
The killings don’t really matter in the big picture, DeGrasse Tyson seemed to say, it’s just that darn human empathy that makes them seem so bad.

How dare he appeal to logic and common sense, instead of the strictly emotional response the media embraces in the face of tragedy. Calling them "horrific" and a "loss" is not enough Neil. You should be calling for the nation wide confiscation of guns.

Oddly enough, there are some well known people in recent history that did just that. I wonder why they aren't lauded as great leaders? Couldn't be what happened after they got everyone's guns, could it?

Link to article

originally posted by: Klassified
Mr. Tyson had the gall to state facts after he recognized Saturday's shootings as "horrific"...

Celebrity astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson got an earful Sunday on Twitter after an ill-advised tweet in the aftermath of Saturday’s two horrific mass shootings that left at least 29 people dead.
The killings don’t really matter in the big picture, DeGrasse Tyson seemed to say, it’s just that darn human empathy that makes them seem so bad.

How dare he appeal to logic and common sense, instead of the strictly emotional response the media embraces in the face of tragedy. Calling them "horrific" and a "loss" is not enough Neil. You should be calling for the nation wide confiscation of guns.

Oddly enough, there are some well known people in recent history that did just that. I wonder why they aren't lauded as great leaders? Couldn't be what happened after they got everyone's guns, could it?

Link to article

You're quite right. He's quite right. The stats show that you are more likely to die from other things than being shot dead.


However, I guess mass shootings which occur in a first world country like the United States of America gain more media coverage because they don't occur as often and are rather infrequent (on the whole) - hence, when they DO actually occur, the world seems to momentarily "stop"...

a reply to: Klassified

People hate it when someone destroys their political agenda with a tweet.

He does have a point. The one thing he doesn’t have is compassion. Bet he’s never posted about flu death statistics without also comparing it to mass shootings.

The woke Twitterati has his scent now. They tried to kill him with a #metoo accusation, and now they'll try to kill him by accusing him of excusing white supremacy.

This is out of hand. But it will only get worse.

originally posted by: Secretrooster
He does have a point. The one thing he doesn’t have is compassion. Bet he’s never posted about flu death statistics without also comparing it to mass shootings.

Strictly my opinion, because I don't know Neil personally, but I don't think it's that he lacks compassion. I think it's that he doesn't appeal to the knee-jerk emotional response of the media's sensationalism and the ensuing emotional roller-coaster afterward.

a reply to: projectvxn

The woke Twitterati has his scent now. They tried to kill him with a #metoo accusation, and now they'll try to kill him by accusing him of excusing white supremacy.

Or maybe he is going against the grain because he just got "cleared" of an allegation.

I'm sure as a scientist, his instinct is to look at things from an analytical point of view. I know he's been a public figure, and at time's it appeared he was towing a line... But maybe after many tried to smear his name over allegations that never seemed to substantiate did he take a step back and decide to go back to thinking for himself.

Time will tell.

Uh oh. There went his next couple of TV deals.

originally posted by: Klassified

originally posted by: Secretrooster
He does have a point. The one thing he doesn’t have is compassion. Bet he’s never posted about flu death statistics without also comparing it to mass shootings.

Strictly my opinion, because I don't know Neil personally, but I don't think it's that he lacks compassion. I think it's that he doesn't appeal to the knee-jerk emotional response of the media's sensationalism and the ensuing emotional roller-coaster afterward.

I’m only judging from the tweet and I think that he lacks compassion and sincerity. Is he sincerely concerned about the causes of death he listed?

originally posted by: Secretrooster

originally posted by: Klassified

originally posted by: Secretrooster
He does have a point. The one thing he doesn’t have is compassion. Bet he’s never posted about flu death statistics without also comparing it to mass shootings.

Strictly my opinion, because I don't know Neil personally, but I don't think it's that he lacks compassion. I think it's that he doesn't appeal to the knee-jerk emotional response of the media's sensationalism and the ensuing emotional roller-coaster afterward.

I’m only judging from the tweet and I think that he lacks compassion and sincerity. Is he sincerely concerned about the causes of death he listed?

That's a good question. One only Neil could answer.

a reply to: CriticalStinker

I'd read that twitter thread. Those accusations are already flying.

NDT is now a white supremacist.

Facts and logic have no place in an emotional debate....

Mass shootings are pretty rare. They just get a ton of TV coverage and most people are horrified by the the deaths of so many people at ONE TIME while in aggregate, the deaths may not be a huge issue statistically.

One person gets murdered and no one will bat an eye.... because it is one person. However, if you find a serial killed with 20 bodies in the basement it makes headline news because it is a rare occurrence and the number of bodies is unusual.

originally posted by: projectvxn
a reply to: CriticalStinker

I'd read that twitter thread. Those accusations are already flying.

NDT is now a white supremacist.

Which is ironic, because they're playing right into his point about people being reactionary with emotion rather than actively trying to better large problems.

He messed up by apologizing, saying your opinion backed by data isn't something to be sorry about. The fact he was trying to calm the waters because we all know nothing productive happens when the argument is heated was refreshing.

If people want to get bent out of shape because someone said something they don't like... I say let them basque in it.

a reply to: projectvxn

Wow
a black white supremacist......
I have seen that somewhere before......tho I think it was satire......

HMM....

originally posted by: Klassified
Mr. Tyson had the gall to state facts after he recognized Saturday's shootings as "horrific"...

Celebrity astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson got an earful Sunday on Twitter after an ill-advised tweet in the aftermath of Saturday’s two horrific mass shootings that left at least 29 people dead.
The killings don’t really matter in the big picture, DeGrasse Tyson seemed to say, it’s just that darn human empathy that makes them seem so bad.

How dare he appeal to logic and common sense, instead of the strictly emotional response the media embraces in the face of tragedy. Calling them "horrific" and a "loss" is not enough Neil. You should be calling for the nation wide confiscation of guns.

Oddly enough, there are some well known people in recent history that did just that. I wonder why they aren't lauded as great leaders? Couldn't be what happened after they got everyone's guns, could it?

Link to article

Yea, he's comparing senseless acts of violence not needed, to every day events...?


Those things occurred long before guns were invented.

He's stats only shows that we have enough to worry about. We don't have room for something not needed.


It's like saying why not kill a few more people because of the flu...

originally posted by: shooterbrody
Wow
a black white supremacist......
I have seen that somewhere before......tho I think it was satire......

HMM....

He's a real life Clayton Bigsby.

The 100 plus gun shots a month in Chicago are boring. Nobody wants to watch a bunch of poor uneducated people shooting each other. Those gun shots and deaths don't have "manifestos", assault rifles, toddlers, mommie's little basement son.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Thats it!!
Thanks that would have bugged me all day!

originally posted by: shooterbrody
Thats it!!
Thanks that would have bugged me all day!

The best line is why he divorced his white wife.

a reply to: odzeandennz

We all do things our own way to make sense of things.

I personally think along the lines he does. Comparatively I'm far more likely to be killed by a drunk or distracted driver than a lunatic with a gun. That doesn't stop me from getting in my car every day.

Either way, I don't get how people are so surprised someone who deals with numbers every day is thinking about statistics.