Guns aside, what do you think contributes to our seeming epidemic of mass shooti

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ChristinSposted 8 years ago
Guns aside, what do you think contributes to our seeming epidemic of mass shootings in the US?

BESIDES the easy access to guns, what else do you think contributes to the high rate of violence and all the mass shootings in our country? Is it feelings of hopelessness? Untreated and mismanaged mental illnesses? An overly paranoid society? What is at play behind these incidents? Are you even surprised anymore when you hear of yet another mass shooting? Obviously we have a problem that is systemic - so how do we work to resolve it? Again, not arguments on guns - been there done that. What else do we need to address as a society?
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Harry Santosposted 8 years ago
From what I've read, it's been common for these shootings for the shooters to be on some SSRI or selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor or other psychotropics that are legally prescribed and easily acquired by them. I do not know the direct correlation of this but it's definitely something to look into.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I've been curious about this link as well!
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RTalloniposted 8 years ago
When a society has a huge focus on dark, violent entertainment to the extent that even our youngest children are constantly exposed to something to do with it, what else will be on people's minds? Add the issues that you mention to what now seems to be an intrinsic focus on that sort of entertainment and we see a society that becomes blinder to the effects at ever faster rates each year.

What if we said no more of this for us or our children? What if we exchanged listening to and sitting before that for only what would raise the bar for society from the youngest to the oldest?

Free speech does not mean we have to accept every trashy, angry, ugly, violent thing that humanity can come up with. It means we can choose higher things no matter what culture may say.

Did you know that the holiday people now spend the most money on is the dismal one in October? Yes, it's a free country, but we do not have to choose that and then try to wear rose colored glasses about what it has done/is doing to young minds, nerves, and, in some cases, bodies. All for the thrill of a fright? Insanity.

We could say, "Not going there--choose the alternative." But, by and large, society prefers going along with the darkness.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I love Halloween and I'm not a violent person. Many other cultures watch violent movies and don't do such things, so I can see a bit of the point in desensitization - but I don't think it's a cause.
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Hxprofposted 8 years ago
I believe that more of us are exposed to greater degrees of evil as children, and that consequently the mental, emotional and spiritual wounds are far deeper and more widespread than ever. Coupled with the relative ineffectiveness of psychology and psychiatry, we're seeing people implode in greater numbers. Bottom line is that humans don't have an answer for this.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  As humans, we can have an answer to this. There are plenty of other nations that don't have this problem. We need to look at what they are doing right.
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  RTalloniposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  On this point there is a book from Dr. Rich Ganz worth reading, PsycoBabble: The Failure of Modern...
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  Hxprofposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Christin, I'd like to believe that humans can have answers to all the problems we encounter, but that's not the case. If it were, humans would already have the answers - we've had many centuries to figure it out, and we're no smarter than those past
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Yes we are smarter - we advance all the time in many ways. I don't view humans as a lost cause. We'll fix this eventually or we'll go extinct .
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  Kylyssaposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  So people in countries without this level of gun violence aren't human? I do agree that the worship of money and disregard for human life has gotten out of control but other countries have come to solutions. Why couldn't the US do the same?
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Say Yes To Lifeposted 8 years ago
Often, the shooters are bullying victims who snap. Easy availability of guns exacerbates the problem.
When I was in middle school, guns were not readily accessible, but one kid killed his tormentor with a dinner knife. His parents sent him out of the country. Today, he probably would have pulled a Columbine High. The type of school it was, they would have deserved it.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I can definitely see how that could be a contributing factor to someone who "snaps". I wonder how we go about figuring out who is about to reach the breaking point. Very sad.
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  Say Yes To Lifeposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Better yet, put a stop to bullying!
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  Kylyssaposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  There's such a weird acceptance of bullying in America. The victims of bullying are told they're at fault for being bullied and then the authority figures in their lives tell them to fight back. I guess that doesn't work out so well.
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  Say Yes To Lifeposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Thanks, Kyllyssa. Often the victims are blamed, especially when ganged up on. They are given vague directions to "stand up for themselves", yet they sre punished for trying to fight back - which they can't do anyway, since they're outnumbered.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Yoleen this so true. My teen son is dealing with a band of bullies now and he isn't a fighter and detests violence. Although the school is working with us it still troubles me that it happens and is even carried over to social media. No escape
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  demonfort007posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  The columbine shooter had been coached by unidentified MEN. He was on anti depressants and was jewish. He made sure he only killed the Christians. And NO ONE deserves that.
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Diana Leeposted 8 years ago
Mental illnesses play a major part in killing of any kind. We avoid getting people help until they have went beyond the point of no return.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I agree that mental health issues are a large contributor in many cases and that we should be doing a better job of funding and destigmatizing these issues so more could be helped.
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  JLauren Angelposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Diana I agree with you. No one is interested until there is a death, to change something. Why do we have to sacrifice our kids, family members or friends before change takes place?
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  demonfort007posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  You can't help those who refuse help and many families suffer greatly trying to help. They need to reestablish the funds for mental health institutions as they were cut under the Reagan administration.
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FeniqueSposted 8 years ago
Stupidity and not sure how you can fix stupid. Even if hey are outlawed or make it harder to get them they will. I'm going to take a conceal and care course so I can know the legalities and safe way of owning a gun. Not that I plan on getting one any time soon. And no I'm not surprised at all, it going to get worse, which is also no surprise. Resolve it, not sure at all. Its not the guns killing but the people using the guns. But to get them out of their hands ...just not sure. Because they will find a way to get one, even if they have to look on YouTube and make one themselves.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Thanks, although I am looking more beyond guns - the underlying issues that cause these young men (mostly) to do such heinous things as though it were a sport. Sad.
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ahorsebackposted 8 years ago
I believe the problems lay with the disconnection in families , Absentee fathers , Low or no morals instilled during child raising , , hence , undiagnosed mental health issues should be considered # 1 , And unhealthy environment in the home where a multitude of electronics are the new parent !

My question is why are most of these killings during schooling . Definitely a peer problem !
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  There are definitely absentee parents, but also a lot who don't have a choice. Some families both parents work excessive hours just to keep a roof. Sad for sure and a peer problem indeed in most cases.
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  RTalloniposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  One facet of why they happen at schools is because they are gun-tree environments. The victims have no protection from people who would do such things. These murderers are sane enough to know where they want to commit such acts.
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  JLauren Angelposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Is it though? A peer problem? Maybe its an emotional problem where the teen is unable to handle the stress because his / her parents are missing from the home. Maybe its an outlet for this stress?
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Aime Fposted 8 years ago
Okay, it's hard for me to skip past the guns because I really believe that's a BIG BIG part of this, but...

This is more often than not an issue with adolescent boys or young adult males. I would guess probably some sort of psychological abnormality that presents itself or becomes exaggerated in adolescence, mixed with social insecurity, mixed with anger and desperation and no outlet for those feelings.

I do often wonder if these things would at least slow down if we just stopped publicizing their names or anything about them. Three recent events come to mind where the person made a video and/or posted on social media about their crimes (including the one today), so it seems like some of these people view this as a way to make a statement or a name for themselves. If we stopped giving them that I wonder if they would seek another way to feel important or relevant (hopefully a much healthier and less destructive one).
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I think your assessment is right on. I too believe guns are a problem, but I think we tend to get hung up on that debate without looking at the underlying issues that also need to be addressed.
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IslandBitesposted 8 years ago
I believe is a combination of different factors. But there's obviously a serious problem of mental health, violence and guns control in US. There are a lot of crazies out there. Check the link I posted here:
http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/133327

I still cant believe what I read. It's a chat between the Oregon shooter and lots of crazies. Disgusting, sad and frightening.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Indeed. I saw it on HuffPo earlier and the people egging him on - wow, unbelievable.
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ChristinSposted 8 years ago
Here are some of my thoughts. These seem to be young people in their 20's who are doing this and I think that this generation has a distinct lack of social skills. These kids are given electronics to communicate and all they do is seek attention on social media sites that seem to glorify narcissism. When I was a kid (I'm 41) I went outside, I talked to people and everyone wasn't so damn paranoid. I was able to walk around town, find things to do. Today, everyone is terrified of people - and so kids really don't get out much.

Also, I've noticed that with the economic crisis we've been facing the last almost decade now; people work themselves into the ground - not only that, they are "proud" of how hard they work for 50 or 60 hours per week. There is not enough time for solid parenting and family time, especially in single parent households. People are angry and tired - it's often a fight just to survive and the middle class has shrunk and continues to.

Another possible contributer - the use of SSRI (antidepressant) medications. These pills are often handed out instead of dealing with actual problems. One of the unfortunate "side effects" in young people is a tendency towards violence and increased risk of suicide.

You have a young person, who is socially inept, feels pressure to conform or belong in a society he feels ostracized from, toss in some possible medications with bad side effects and there's like a perfect storm of stuff going on here.

I think we need to focus on developing real social skills again - especially in our young people. We need to stop being afraid of everyone and isolating ourselves - it's creating a generation of people who can't feel empathy and who are angry and ostracized. Most don't act on it; but when they do the results are tragic.
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  tsmogposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I have a strong lean along with you, I believe, being social structure as a greater root cause exasperating or causing a psychological change. I also think there are influences desensitizing the morality of violence - Media & Gaming for instance.
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  Oscarlitesposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I AGREE! and possibly go back to some of the old ways.. the old traditions of family and crafts and outings and life together as a family.. family supports each other.. and big government, culture and diversity seem to attack and tear this down..
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  Kylyssaposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Isn't that amazing how Americans were less afraid when there was much more violent crime?
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  Norine Williamsposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Why do all FORGET GOD? He doesn't matter? He would solve the problem if children "taught" the ways of JESUS!
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Norine religious diatribes don't belong here. You obviously have no knowledge of history if you think Christianity = no violence.
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  Peter Grujicposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I'm sorry I answered your question- which you did not have the common courtesy to respond to. There are over 300 million people in this country which would give the same number of "answers". I can guarantee this awful situation will get worse.
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  Say Yes To Lifeposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Peter - I gave your answer a thumbs up.
  Norrine - if someone pointed a gun at you and said "Convert or die", would you find that irrelevant? That is how the US as we know it was created.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  It wasn't a lack of "common courtesy" there have been many answers and I've been busy and coming back to respond and may have missed some initially. So nice to jump to conclusions about others. Save your scoldings for someone else.
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tsmogposted 8 years ago
One could use the popular answers being the controversy surrounding gun access and the blanket labeling of those with mental disorders at fault. Both of those generalizations offer blaming. As requested not dragging in the discussion the gun controversy lets presume they are only a means and not a cause. BTW, this is a great idea for a hub.

Firstly, IMHO, we cannot cast a blanket over mental illness as being all are violent in nature. That simply is not so. An article to view with regard to mental illness and violence is a Harvard Health Publication - Mental Illness and Violence (http://www.health.harvard.edu/newslette … d-violence) That article states, "Most individuals with psychiatric disorders are not violent".

Another consideration seen at MentalHealth.gov. - Myths & Facts with a glance to remove those with a mental illness from the streets means a rather large corral. At that [dot]gov site we learn:

Fact: Mental health problems are actually very common. In 2011, about:

One in five American adults experienced a mental health issue
One in 10 young people experienced a period of major depression
One in 20 Americans lived with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression

Does that mean there is no association between mental illness and violent behavior? Of course not! For brevity sake I suggest read the Harvard paper. There will be discovered valuable and verifiable information. Also, it elaborates on Risk Assessment and Prevention. They consider many factors of interest for this thread with criteria for that assessment for the propensity for violence:

Personality disorders.
Nature of symptoms.
Age and gender.
Social stress.
Personal stress, crisis, or loss.
Early exposure

Personality disorders indicate personality flaws to the extreme. But what is examined. A study delves into the Big 5 personality traits - "Direct and indirect relations between the Big 5 personality traits and aggressive and violent behavior" (http://public.gettysburg.edu/~cbarlett/index/12BA.pdf)

Those traits of interest are:

Agreeableness, of which is considered the strongest of the five and is negatively related
Conscientiousness, which is negatively related
Neuroticism, which is positively related
Openness, which tends to be unrelated
Extraversion, which in regard to aggression has mixed review

Again, this is a good Hub idea. Another consideration are social factors. Not enough space, Oopps!
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  so many interesting things to delve into here and I too fear the stigmatization of people with mental illnesses and blaming that instead of addressing the many other underlying issues.
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  MizBejabbersposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I agree that all individuals with mental health problems are not violent, but individuals with healthy mental health do not commit mass murders.
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  tsmogposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  There is a big difference between mental illness regarding mental health and mentally disturbed. Losing your temper is mentally disturbed & may have consequences with subsequent actions. Look at the spearing incidents with high school football.
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  JLauren Angelposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Mental issues is a huge part of the recent activity with guns. The deeper issue is the emotional turmoil kids are under today with their parents both having to work, either parent missing from the home, lack of interest in the kids. Its emotional.
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C L Mitchellposted 8 years ago
Many reasons that have been listed here e.g. absentee parents, violent games, electronics are not exclusive to the USA and are also experienced in many other countries. However, these other countries do not experience shootings like in the USA.

I am not American, but have spent a lot of time travelling around the different states and found young Americans on the whole to be very polite, courteous and respectful (even though sometimes from their outwards appearance you may not expect them to be!). I have also travelled to many other different countries and this definitely stood out to me when I was in the USA (and even my husband agrees who doesn't usually notice these things).

However, I do find that bullying seems to be a real issue in schools. I also think the way that mental illness is treated and dealt with as a society seems to be a big issue. I feel this also ties into access to quality healthcare in the USA. In other countries access to excellent health care is a basic human right. However, it seems in the USA, its only for those that can afford it. I'm always surprised at how many Americans don't believe in providing healthcare for all and actually protest against it. Why don't they want to support those that are less fortunate? How can people be allowed to suffer or die just because they can't afford to access the care that they need? Sorry - went off on a tangent there! But I think that must have an effect.

But this still doesn't completely explain this situation because there have been many shooters that have come from homes where there is a good income and therefore access to care.

When males are young (can occur in females too), many go through a period of being angry with life and being aggressive (hormones play a big part). Clockwork Orange is an excellent example of this. They need a way to vent this out and to learn how to deal with it (also explains their love of violent games). Unfortunately that's when mental illness can arise. If there is easy access to a gun, then of course that's what they turn to to make their point or get noticed and to express their feelings and to spread the hurt that they may be feeling. There needs to be more of an openness in society where people can feel that they can talk about their issues and be supported with them so that they don't turn to violence. Things like sport can really help channel that energy into something more positive.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Hormones are a contributing factor for sure, but as for politeness, that isn't the same thing as genuine social skills. Anyone can be taught basic manners. This fellow was seen as "polite" by many. I agree with you on healthcare.
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  demonfort007posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Hormones are NOT a part of the problem. That is the stupidest EXCUSE I've heard up aside the gun did it.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Testosterone does lead to aggressive behavior ever heard of "roid rage" it's due to increased testosterone. No one said it is a cause or an excuse, but a contributing factor (hence we see many more male shooters than females).
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  demonfort007posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  It is a rare thing to happen and I do not believe for one second it has anything to do with testosterone. You are talking steroids and is blown way out of proportion
  . .
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Excess testosterone can enhance aggression and some people do have hormonal imbalances particularly the young. This is basic science. young men = more T which could help tip the scales - not a cause, but one ingredient in the soup.
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  demonfort007posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I'm perfectly aware of what you are talking about but the studies have been dramatized. It's not hormones or watching violent tv shows. The meds and an increase of people breeding with mentally ill people. Diet and nutrition. Having healthy relations
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  demon I'm convinced you just like to argue for arguments sake. Forget it, I've had enough and we have plenty of answers to the question now anyway... good grief.
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dashingscorpioposted 8 years ago

I believe there are a lot of folks who lash out in violence when they're unhappy with the way their life has turned out.
They're mad at the world!
Society has treated them like they are "nobodies" and everything connected with other people has been a negative experience for them. They don't feel they need to change. It's society that needs to.
They see others who "appear" to have everything go their way and it infuriates them. A couple of examples like Eliot Rodger and George Sodini. The first one was age 22 and the other age 48.
They were angry at "beautiful women" for not going out with them so they armed themselves and went on a killing spree to make women pay for ignoring/rejecting them. They came to hate all women.
In just about every one of these shooting lies someone who feel like life has given them a "raw deal". They may hate to see changes in society and believe it's those changes that keep (them) from getting ahead. It's women, blacks, illegals, gays/lesbians...whatever.
They'll blame just about anyone!
They refuse to accept any responsibility for their own happiness.
Most of these people would rather attempt to change the world than change themselves!
They'd rather die gaining some form of notoriety than live invisibly.
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  Say Yes To Lifeposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  You have a point there. This sounds like the Virginia Tech shooter.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  They'd rather die gaining some form of notoriety than live invisibly. -- absolutely, this latest shooter said as much on social media and was egged on by others who think like him. Sad that we glorify these killers in the media like we do.
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passionatelearnrposted 8 years ago
values of peace and nonviolence need to be taught to children.i don't think a child after becoming an adult would do something that his parents strictly forbade.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I do agree with teaching nonviolence and peace - but I don't believe that children grow up not doing things their parents forbid. Often just the opposite - they rebel.
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  RTalloniposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Teaching nonviolence can't be done while exposing them to the darknesses of popular culture. Little eyes and ears that should be protected from the heinous are constantly exposed to it, but adults insist on their right to so-called entertainment.
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  passionatelearnrposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Love conquers all.If you love your child deeply and are a caring parent,rarely a child will disregard your values.
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  Sojourner1234posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Unfortunately, there will always be those who need to be stopped. And unfortunately, sometimes, with violence. Defending oneself, and others, is important. There may always be people who need to be defended against as well (again, unfortunately).
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Teitoposted 8 years ago
I believe mental health is the biggest cause of these events. Mental Health in this nation is stigmatized, hard to access, and too expensive. People are afraid of the repercussions in life that a diagnosis can bring. Until we solve this dilemma we will never solve this problem of violence.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I think it's definitely one huge piece of the puzzle for sure.
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  cat on a soapboxposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Why the increase in mental health issues? It's my understanding from reading that schizophrenia and other serious mental illnesses have declined, yet anxiety and depression are on the rise. Is it lifestyle and stress?
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I think anxiety and stress left untreated do lead to deeper issues and in some people it causes them to snap. Most with mental illnesses are not harmful.
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  demonfort007posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I'm not sure about it being to expensive or hard to access. I do know many people who are mentally ill refuse help and refuse the medications. Many of the medications are very dangerous and they choose drugs instead. Heroine, coke etc.
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  Kylyssaposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Well, $200 an hour might not be too expensive and a two month wait might not seem long to everyone, but for people who are in crisis, broke, and in need of help it's both.
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  demonfort007posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Well I know quite a few doctors in the field of medicine and mental health and now a day it is easier to get help without money than with. This is from my experience and others who work in the field. There are places for emergencies.
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RLWalker LMposted 8 years ago
With due respect to the people of the US who have to live with the knowledge and fear of this epidemic, I think there is no one or two reasons why this is happening. I think it has been a long time in the making. It's everything, the state of your society, media, history and culture. The racism. The inequality. The false and ineffective politicians and leaders. The expectations of the world about the US and how they have in a many ways, not lived up to them. The violence in media. Not just violence but over the top exaggerated stupid violence, specifically for... the sake of pure violence. It's embedded deep within your culture. Not just the US as I'm sure most of us know.

I'm not saying ban half the console games and albulms. I'm saying, you have a 5 year old, pay a little attention to what they're doing, watching, saying and thinking. Have a little respect for the family and home. Get your kids to respect you. And yeh "kids respect your mom and dad"... but they don't yet have the mind to care. Take it little easy with the war heros, the war, the war stories, the battle cries, jeeze. I'm not making an opinion about war itself or the wars the US has fought. I'm just saying take it easy. The prisons. The racism. The inequality. Understand that while there are many countries that are far worse in the aspects I just mentioned, the US is not just the superpower of the world, their the democratic superpower of the world. So you see these things like a little inequality here and there means allot more.

In short, it seems to me if you have a society marinating in violence and brutality through several generations, and when your flag paints a picture of democracy and freedom for all, a fair chance for wealth and prosperity for all, justice for all, and turns out to be a lie, people get upset, lose hope, becoming desperate and the only way to get anything more out of this crappy deal seems to them to be to go out with a loud enough bang.

Lastly as many others have pointed out, mental health is major problem. It is a hell of allot easier for people to lose it than a hundred years ago. Drug abuse I would cite as a big contributor.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  So many excellent observations and you are right. We are conditioned here to celebrate violence and always fear. I think it makes it easier for the govt. to keep us in perpetual war to normalize violence and keep people afraid.
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  demonfort007posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  You make good points. Mixed cultures always suffer throughout history but I think a lot of drug abuse is "self" medicating and is very sad. Its all very heart breaking.
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Kryssy OSullivanposted 8 years ago
I had a personal experience in high school with two twin boys who brought guns to school, and planned to murder people. I was right down the hall, 3 classrooms away, when they went to execute their plan. But they began fighting with each other, causing their plan to murder to fail.

They did it because they wanted to be someone. They didn't have much of a mother, and their father wasn't around. They lived in an area where a gang took over, and were bullied by people in it. They faced peer pressure that they weren't good enough. And, in all, they just had a lot taken away from them in life.

I'm sure mental illness has something to do with people causing a mass shooting, but I think it also has A LOT to do with how much a person does NOT have in their life.
And I'm sure we all have realized that the more you take away from a person, the more we all want something back. It's temptation. It's like that "Don't Touch" sign, causing us to poke at that something anyways.

I also think it's becoming worse because we are shedding light on the situation now. And I think it's also becoming worse because with technology and how much it is impacting lives, a lot is being taken away from our lives. Be it social interaction, jobs, family, etc... And I'm sure with it comes boredom.
So we aren't living the classic lives we grew up expecting to live. (Or, at least my generation isn't.)

There is just a lot of pressure in the world, and we all explode differently. Some, worse than others.
As human beings, maybe we just aren't meant to live like this, with the changes that are supposed to make life "better" for all. It adds to the pressure, in addition to that boredom.
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  Oscarlitesposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Amen kryssy!
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Great points Kryssy we live in a society now where it seems no matter how hard you work you never get ahead and racked with debt until you die. It can promote hopelessness, anger and make people snap for sure.
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letstalkabouteducposted 8 years ago
Mass shooters receive a lot of media attention in our country. A mentally fragile person may see it as a way to become famous/infamous before he ends his own life. I think our country is finally getting wise to this. After the shootings in Roseburg, OR, the sheriff refused to mouth the killer's name. Now the community is coming together and refusing to give him any more attention. It's a good start, but we need the media to cooperate.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I agree, in fact this guy talked about gaining notoriety online before the act and others were egging him on. Media will never cooperate though as they like the ratings giving shooters attention brings.
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  RTalloniposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Yes, we need to commend that sheriff and community for refusing to help promote the murderer's name!
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  Kari J Rossposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I agree 100%. Everyone wants 15 minutes of fame.
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  RLWalker LMposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  In abandonment of my own answer, I think that this answer is spot on.
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peter565posted 8 years ago
There is in fact a research. They found Americans are significantly more scare, then people of other country. When people are scare, they are more likely to pull the trigger
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  Kylyssaposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I think this is a big contributing factor.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  yes we do live in a very paranoid society it seems.
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Kristen Howeposted 8 years ago
It can be stemmed from many factors. If it's bullying/cyber-bullying, it needs to be addressed and stopped. If it's mental illness, that person needs help. Security needs to be tightened from airports, movie theaters and schools and colleges. They should be a background check for gun permits and tighter and restricted gun laws. Guns should be locked up at homes away from children to use for harm, and should be mandatory only for protection and self-defense, not used in violence.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I agree particularly with learning to end bullying, but also with teaching kids how to manage bullies and not let it destroy their own self-esteem. Mental health in this country has been progressively worse since being largely defunded in the 1980s
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  Say Yes To Lifeposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Amen to that!!!
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I am not big on giving insurance companies more money, but it would seem to me a need to carry liability insurance might deter some folks too. If your gun is used to harm someone you're on the hook. We insure cars - why not guns?
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  JLauren Angelposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Kristin, you are living in a world with rose colored glasses, you cannot stop cyber bullying. It continues even after the first victim perishes, it continues in online games and MMO games. There is now way to stop it, unless you turn off the internet
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Nell Roseposted 8 years ago
From someone who lives in a country without guns I believe I know one of the reasons.
If you think about it, if you have something that becomes so familiar to you its easier to use it. Simple as that.
Over here in England if someone gave me a gun I would have to go through a number of learning and feeling emotions.
The first being, 'this is weird I don't like holding the darn dangerous thing'
Second, 'okay how do you fire it?
Third 'It feels so dangerous, what happens if I accidently fire it and kill or hurt someone?
Third, 'okay, got the hang of it now, but it still feels weird'
Four, 'someone broke in, hell I can't shoot them.....its just not a normal feeling'!

And so on.
To have a gun like in America, its familiar. Familiar breeds lack of thought, lack of thought breeds easy access, and bang, there you go.

That's just my opinion though. I may be wrong. I have four steps to using a gun, 'you' have none.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Interesting to hear other perspectives. I honestly feel the same way you do and guns are not "normal" for a great deal of our society honestly. I grew up in a house full (dad hunts), but never touched one and never had the desire to.
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  Sojourner1234posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Hi Nell Rose,
  I can see how you have come to your conclusions on gun violence, but oddly gun violence has risen in the UK since additional advances in Gun Control. Gun violence in the UK has risen because criminals do not respect rules and laws.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Show your sources for gun violence increasing in the UK. They have far FAR less gun violence than the US. That statement is false.
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  Sojourner1234posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Hi Christin,
  This study reveals gun violence in UK increased after additional Gun Control:
  http://www.beliefnet.com/News/Articles/ … k.aspx?p=1
  UK gun violence increased; did not say more than the US.
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  RTalloniposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  It's easy to research the people who have protected themselves, and especially interesting to look up reports of how young people successfully used guns to protect selves and their families.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  There are far more people dying due to guns than being protected by them, so I don't buy into that "good guy with a gun" nonsense. If that were true we should be the safest nation on Earth.
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  demonfort007posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  That is incorrect all are required take safety classes. Thank the liberals for no other gun teaching. Back in the day we took our guns, bee bee guns to school where we were taught by teachers and local law. No one shot each either.
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  Kylyssaposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Here in Michigan, any adult without a felony record can fill in some forms, lay out some cash, and own a handgun. If one buys from a licensed dealer, one need not even have a permit to buy a handgun. No training or test is required.
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  demonfort007posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I did not know that! It's to bad that the schools still do not teach gun safety and how to handle them.
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  Sojourner1234posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Christin, please indicate where you are getting this data about more people being killed than protected by guns. You don't need a bunch of good guys, per say, you need reg citizens who own guns to deter the bad guys. We are safer than many countries.
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Max Harmonposted 8 years ago
Rise in violence is due in large part to the societal permeation of a satanic religion mandated by the state known as Evolutionism having leveled off near saturation for two generations. Basically, the harmful nature akin to us is exacerbated by the sensed pointlessness and hopelessness rendered by a belief of coming from nothing by accident with no purpose or meaning, not to mention its apparent deletion of a perceived higher law and recompense. But there were other times in history as violent as today. Specifically for mass shootings, some are also government sponsored propaganda devices staged to promote the coming attempt at disarmament of the American people during the establishment of global governance by traitors and adversaries of human beings.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  History has been much more violent and it has nothing to do with evolutionary theory which is not "satanic" this sounds more like it belongs on a religious debate board.
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  thegeckoposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Speaking about mental illness...
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  Sojourner1234posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I would say Max has a point. There is certainly a correlation to a secular society, which takes away the idea of consequences after one dies, and violent crime. If there are no consequences after death, only pain, etc., now really hurts me (right?).
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  Kylyssaposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Then how do you explain why very secular countries like Sweden (88% irreligious according to Gallup) that have lots of guns but only a fraction of the gun violence the US has? How about Japan with .056% of the gun violence and very little Jesus?
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  Sojourner1234posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Hi Kylyssa, Another part of this is to another point in My Answer to this question. I said, "Max has a point", but not that it is the only point... when more citizens are armed or there are Real consequences right now that is also a good deterrent.
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cat on a soapboxposted 8 years ago
Aside from the fact that this country should reinstate a ban on assault rifles and large capacity magazine weapons rather than all guns, I see several issues that center around parenting and home life.
Kids need parents who aren't afraid of discipline. Too many parents today feel guilty for "not being there" and cave to every request. Kids want boundaries- It means parents care!
Parents should know what their kids are up to. How can parents NOT know their child has a stockpile of weapons? Really?
If they still live at home and aren't financially independent, you've a right discuss the house rules.
.Overprotection is not the answer either. Kids need to learn from bad things that happen in a safe and loving environment. Mistakes and consequences make them stronger. Shielding makes them weak and the target of bullies. This leads to depression and misplaced anger.
Kids need a parent's time, unconditional love, and understanding. Adolescence is tougher today than ever. Respectful listening, rather than knee-jerk judgment, means more open communication and a greater chance of problem intervention.
The news media is greatly at fault for promoting fear, divisiveness, and overall negativity. It also stands as a place to be noticed for immoral, controversial, and violent behavior. It's the daily menu.
Too much time w/ gruesome video games and TV shows may play a part in that they anesthetize our kids to genuine acts of aggression and violence and lessen social interaction.
Sorry, Christin! I got pretty long-winded while up on my soapbox:)
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  don't apologize - these are the exact kinds of things we all need to be discussing. I agree a lot with establishing boundaries and allowing kids to be able to face disappointment and grow from it, definitely constant negativity has to play a role.
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Kylyssaposted 8 years ago
I see five major cultural contributors aside from guns being ridiculously easy to get:

1. Our culture has become extremely fearful and risk averse. While violent crime has actually gone down, people are living lives of terror, thinking they need guns to keep them safe. Frightened people do things they normally wouldn't while in the grip of fear.

2. Our culture has grown very cold. Human life has less value than even relatively small amounts of money. The disparity between rich and poor is routinely one of life and death. Until the healthcare act went into play, tens of thousands of Americans died each year due to poverty limiting their access to healthcare.

3. The American dream has become more of an illusion than ever. Young people know working hard and doing the right thing can still lead to poverty, suffering, and premature death for themselves and those they love. Combined with other factors, it's easy to see how this could lead to profound feelings of hopelessness. Some mass shooters might even think they are doing their victims a favor by saving them from a lifetime of suffering. Some might just be doing suicide-by-cop in a bigger, flashier way.

4. There's a widespread, casual acceptance of bullying and bullying has profound psychological effects on everyone involved. Bullies can make a person's life Hell until they snap. The fact that the victims of bullying can seldom get help or even sympathy may leave them feeling terrorized and helpless.

5. Mental health care deficiencies likely play a big role. Mental health care is difficult to access and the process of accessing it can be humiliating, stigmatizing, and triggering. Unless you have lots of money to burn, it can take a long time to be seen when time is of the essence. Mental health care is also lagging about fifty years behind other types of healthcare in sophistication and innovation and some treatments can be ineffective or even make things worse.

It's caving in to the same culture of fear that's feeding gun violence to avoid discussing guns when discussing a mass shooting. Guns really aren't something sacred; they're just tools for killing.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I agree with all your points for sure. Not avoiding the gun discussion, just didn't want to get "stuck" there as these debates often do. More I wanted to touch on these deeper issues.
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  thegeckoposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Hard to disagree
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  Say Yes To Lifeposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I definitely agree on the 4th point!
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Perspycaciousposted 8 years ago
I believe the culture of violence created by TV, Hollywood, video games, the existence of terrorists and wars around the globe, all add to our American fascination with guns, and lead to the copycat shootings. Those who seek notoriety at the expense of their innocent victims (from Oswald to the latest assassin terrorist) seem to feel that their lives will only have meaning at the expense of the lives of others.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Absolutely and that's sad. This latest shooter planned and bragged on social media and people were encouraging him to do it. He was angry at the world and felt harming strangers was somehow the answer to make him not feel invisible.
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  demonfort007posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  And Christin all I said was there is NO one source give me the names of the shooters and I'd do it for you. But since I made the comment that they were on meds you won't. But still you comment. You don't understand my intent.
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Readmikenowposted 8 years ago
I would say a problem is "Gun Free Zones." That is the same as putting a bullseye target on this place. If you're going to shoot someone, go to a place where there are no guns. It's like putting up a sign that says "Come Shoot Us. We Have No Way To Defend Ourselves." We need to realize criminals do not obey laws. Any legislation passed will only impact law abiding citizens and make them more vulnerable to criminals. If legislation worked, the City of Chicago would have zero gun violence, instead, it's one of the most dangerous cities in the United States. Proof gun legislation does not work. I say have "Gun Required Zones." This would be a very safe place. I think when the chance you are going to be shot is high, criminals and those who have bad intentions will avoid them. I've owned guns since childhood and never had a problem. If you don't know about guns, learn about them. Try competitive target shooting but know how the handle a firearm.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Yeah great solution then we can all cower in fear wondering what wannabe hero might hurt themselves and others because proper training is not a requirement to buy/own a gun. Instead of one potential shooter, lets make sure there are many.
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  Readmikenowposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  If you cower in fear it is based on your ignorance of guns. Most sensible gun owners would be comfortable with this idea. How many guns have you shot? If you say none...you've made my point.
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  Kylyssaposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  How would even a hundred people with handguns be able to stop one or two intelligent people shooting from a height with rifles without significant loss of life?
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  RTalloniposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Not everyone would have to carry a gun. Awarding the veteran hero Chris Mintz a medal is nice but if he had been armed his efforts to stop the murderer would have been dramatically increased, likely saving lives along with his own health.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I've been around guns all my life - I'm not anti-gun, I'm pro common sense and arming a whole bunch more people to the teeth without proper training is not the answer.
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  PeterStipposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Is it not far more easier and healthier to make the US one big Gun Free Zone. What you suggest is the world upside down. Children who "play" with guns are not criminals. They simply have far to easy excess to weapons. How do you stop that !
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  demonfort007posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Actually Christin you are required to go through safety arms classes in order to obtain your gun. And it is not a matter of cowering to own a gun. I'm got more than one and I"m no coward! You are clearly uneducated.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I am not uneducated, but I am real tired of you trolling my question and being rude to me demon especially when reading and context are obviously not your forte. No, you do not have to be trained as military and police do to have a gun license.
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Virginia Allainposted 8 years ago
I'm afraid we can't look at this issue without addressing the over-abundance of guns in the U.S.

It allows people, when they reach the tipping point or are momentarily angry, to act out on their crazy feelings or anger.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Yes this is true, but the point of the question was to look at the deeper reasons why people snap or turn to violence - beyond the guns themselves (I agree easy access makes it easier to snap)
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  JLauren Angelposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Guns are not the issue? Its the people behind them. Some are mental cases who should be confined and not allowed to have access to firearms. Such as the mother / son combo of two years ago. She knew her son was not all there.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  no one said guns are not part of the issue - my purpose was to not get hung up at the gun and delve deeper. I agree with you on the Lanza people - that mom should have known better. This mom in the lastest shooting - same deal.
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lovesamratposted 8 years ago
Guns aside, I think contributes to our seeming epidemic of mass shootings in the US mass shootings make up a small portion of overall gun violence, they seem to be happening more often. And they point toward a larger truth: America is a huge outlier among developed countries when it comes to gun ownership and gun-related homicides.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Yes, we have so many guns and such a fear mired society that glorifies violence - it's a perfect storm for these problems we see.
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PeterStipposted 8 years ago
You can not say besides guns. Second Amendment should be striped away completely. It is a law from 1791 and is completely wrong in a modern society. Just like the right to have slaves is wrong in a modern society.

Today every day a masa shooting happens in the US. This has to be stoped. The easies way to reduce this is by stop selling arms at civilians. No excuses. Hunters should be a governmental job.

If you buy a gun, you want to use them. If you have a family, chance are that your kids are playing with a gun are bigger then that you shoot down a bugler.

Now the "besides" , Hollywood and television is one reason why people use violancen and guns so easily. In all the big movies , the hero shoots the vilan so easily and there is never a word about the family of the vilan. What happens when somebody is shot down? The emotional part is never shown, to much trouble for a director. I think violance on tv, computer games and film encourage people to think to lightly about violance and what it does.

There is much more to say. The problems with the society, discrimination in class and race. Etc.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I said that because I want to get to the deeper issues because everyone gets defensive on their gun positions and rarely delve deeper. There is a lot to say - hence my asking "besides guns"..
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  PeterStipposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I can understand that. But it is the main reason. And if you avoid talking about the main reason nothing will change. The right to have a weapon should not be a taboo issue.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  and plenty of other questions and forums have addressed gun rights - hence I asked a different question.
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  JLauren Angelposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Peter, try the parents are the reasons why kids have guns today. Fetish or love of firearms is not something for a household with kids. Parents take kids to see those movies. Parents allow kids to play those violent games.
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Kari J Rossposted 8 years ago
I agree with many of the comments below. I would add one word, glorification. I do believe that the media gives too much attention to the perpetrator and not enough to the victims. One slide show of their faces and names does nothing. Our society glorifies serial killers, mass murderers and those who do not fit society as a whole. The media gives little to no attention to the good deeds, the heroes and the kind. I see more about the Kardashians' shock and awe than I do about Nobel Peace Prize winners. I would however, like for people to give more responsibility for the actions of the actual perpetrator, rather than placing the blame somewhere else. Sometimes we have to accept the fact that we may never know the why instead of speculating and blaming.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Yes, the media does like to perpetuate sensationalism and fear - I agree. If the media did their actual job when it came to news, we'd have citizens who were by far more informed and less afraid of everything under the sun.
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  RTalloniposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Glorification of gory violence and personal responsibility are indeed far more important concepts than people are willing to acknowledge. Trying to blame something/one else frees criminals to do as they wish when violent entertainment is chosen.
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ValKarasposted 8 years ago
I think there are two points worth mentioning here. The first being that kids view their government as parental figures; and since the country seems to be constantly at war - with some of motives being questionable - that demoralizes the younger generation. They become cynical about leadership and the messages they are getting about rules of coexistence. So, "if Big Daddy can do some mass killing, we can do the same".
The second point is more relativistic by nature. Namely, there are more traffic fatalities due to impaired driving, more drug related violent crimes, more domestic violent acts, and robberies - than there are these juvenile shootings. It's only that we tend to give it more media coverage. Just like we do when a plane goes down, it becomes a global prime time news, while in the meantime in every major city there is a lot a fatalities happening that are treated "as a regular stuff". No one fusses much about dark statistics of medical malpractices, incompetence, or a lack of insurance coverage that resulted with death of patients.
Of course, all this is not to make juvenile mass shootings any less significant; but simply wants to remind of a bigger picture of what is "normally" happening in a country with many megacities where just about anything could happen on a daily basis.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Yes, we have an overall massive violence problem in the US. Ironically our violent crime rate overall i s down, but when violence erupts now it seems to be on grander scales more often than in the past.
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miss_jkimposted 8 years ago
Personally, I don't think we have an epidemic of mass shootings, as much as, we have a epidemic of sensationalized, never ending news coverage. If you look into our country's history, there have always been shootings, murders, and horrible acts of violence. It only seems to be escalating in the past few years because we have access to "breaking news" and up to the minute, endless news reports looped over and over again.

It's the same with weather, there have always been bad storms, tornados, floods, but it's only in the years since CNN, FOX, The Weather Channel, and other 24-hour news / weather channels that we hear about it, and see the aftermath up close and personal.

Are there contributing factors in the increase in violence? Yes, I believe there are. The number one contributing factor, in my opinion, is the lack of moral compass in this country. We remove anything from our schools and public places that may guide our young people in the way to treat one another and live a moral life. Result, a self absorbed generation who could care less about their fellow man.

Second, is the increase of violence in media. Whether it is violence in movies, television shows, or video games, we glorify it and hunger after it. The final result is that our young people are desensitized to violence and it's aftermath.

Third, a lack of challenge to grow and be the best you can be in life. Why should you when so much is at your fingertips on social media? Many of our young people lack social skills and everyday life skills, we are creating a generation of cerebral beings who can't function in a physical world.

Back to non stop news coverage. These social handicapped young people want to be noticed and make a name for themselves. Instead of working on a cure for cancer, they go out and shoot people who they view as "defective", or "holding them back" in some way. They see them as the "bad guys" and what happens in a video game when you kill all the bad guys? You become the hero and you get to put your name on "the leaderboard". I honestly think that in many ways, these are the lost souls in the millennial generation who just want to be recognized, for something.

There is a lot of talk about mental illness and I am a firm believer that the additives and preservatives in our food are a cause of a LOT of our problems, both physically and psychologically. Our society is killing itself by proxy in the foods we eat, lack or morality, and media excess
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  news cycles do indeed make it appear more prevalent I agree with that. As for teaching values in school, our schools do it through secular programs and it is inclusive of everyone and it helps establish a sense of community.
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  Robilo2posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I agree. The media is not helping any by sensationalizing every issue. They should be forced to provide 1 positive news segment for every negative news segment.
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  john000posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Good analysis. Couldn't agree more.
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cathylynn99posted 8 years ago
it's not a mental illness issue. that's just an excuse of a powerless minority to blame. the vast majority of shooters don't have mental illness. 95% of folks with mental illness would never consider hurting anyone. the ratio of folks with mental illness to others committing violent crime is similar to the rate between men and women. should only women have guns? i am a retired social worker in nursing school. i have mental illness. should i not be allowed to hunt or target shoot? my state has decided i can't, which i feel is unfair. i'm a productive member of society. i don't appreciate being considered a potential axe murderer because i have a chronic illness.
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  Kylyssaposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Also, people in European countries have mental illnesses (just like human beings everywhere) but much lower rates of gun violence. If it were the mental illnesses and not the guns, they'd all have just as much gun violence as the US.
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  helenstuartposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I am also ashamed of the lack of knowledge of mental illness shown in these comments. I guess it proves t o all people who suffer with bipolar disorder, aspergers syndrome, adhd, schizoaffective disorder, OCD & more should keep it quiet. Ignoran
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Most of us know that the majority of people with a mental illness would never harm a soul - but that doesn't change the fact that some of the shooters did have issues, this latest kid, Lanza and the theater shooter.
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Rock_njposted 8 years ago
It seems as if most, if not all, of this mass shooters are alienated people who feel disconnected from society. I think there are a lot of reasons, from their upbringings to glorified violence in movies/TV/games to a sense of being wronged at some point in their lives and in many cases mental disorders that run the gambit from schizophrenia to borderline personality. These are people that are disconnected and obviously do not feel for others around them.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  All very valid points yes.
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Faceless39posted 8 years ago
Every single mass shooting in the last couple decades has one thing in common: the person was on anti-depressant mind-altering drugs.
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  lovesamratposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  You are absolutely right i think so.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I don't know if they were all medicated, but some were and the side effects of some of those medications are indeed dangerous because they lead to violent thoughts and increased risk of suicide.
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  RTalloniposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Holding pharmaceutical companies and their partners accountable is a conversation that should have begun long ago.
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  demonfort007posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Yeap. All were!
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Peter Grujicposted 8 years ago
I believe in the second amendment but I have never and never will own a gun. I believe in hunting but I have never hunted and never will. It is my belief that there needs to be COMMON SENSE laws/changes such as background checks, better mental health coverage, better monitoring of children's access to violent material, gun registration, curtailing of ownership of assault rifles and many etc. There is no one cause or cure to all these mass shootings but we need to begin somewhere. Human life is too precious not to protect. To use a well known verse- 'The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.'

Polls indicate that 80% of gun owners support common sense changes while over 85% of people in general support common sense changes so who in the world are our representatives representing? Surely not the populace that elected them.

I automatically phase out both ends of the spectrum that advocate major changes and those that advocate absolutely no changes when they scream and argue. Our system of government was and is based on compromise which requires open-minded listening on both sides.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Sadly we have a govt. that doesn't serve its constituents but special interests and the NRA is a huge lobby for no change. It doesn't matter what the majority of people want when there is money and corruption.
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  Peter Grujicposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I agree with you but I would like to think (perhaps desperately) that there are some politicians elected for all the right reasons and will and do actually represent the people. It is frightening that the NRA has such a tight control of so many.
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greeneyedblondieposted 8 years ago
Some are talking about bullying, and I'd like to add something in here. I remember 10th grade health class and we must have spend 3 months alone on bullying. She kept asking, "Where does it come from?" "Why do we do this?" I couldn't figure out an answer. No one could, then I watched a tv show I hadn't in a while. I noticed how the characters acted toward each other. They were all bullies to each other.

Watch any comedy and you'll see people completely degrading others and almost nothing is done about it. Feelings are not hurt. This is even true in children's shows. The show I was talking about was Suite Live on Deck.

The main character twins make fun of each other. There is a "dumb one" that gets made fun of. There is a girl that lived on a farm her whole life and she gets made fun of. There is also a fat character that gets made fun of. They all bully each other. This is true on most shows. In The Big Bang Theory they do it too. Bullying might be a problem with this. It makes people feel terrible and exiled from society in real life (it doesn't do anything to the characters in tv shows). That might lead them to kill as many people as they can.

The media doesn't help. They really are sensationalists now. Did you know there are shootings that occur where a responsible gun owner kills or wounds the shooter before they get a chance to do more damage? You won't here that on any news channel or newspaper. We only seem to hear about the ones that target schools where guns aren't allowed.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  it's rare that a "good guy with a gun" saves the day, since your average joes aren't trained to respond to such situations. I'd be interested to know how many of these alleged hero's had military and or police training. The answer isn't more guns.
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  greeneyedblondieposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  No, it isn't rare. It's actually quite common. The regular media doesn't report such things at all though, so they only seem rare. I have no idea if there is military background in any of them and I never said more guns was the answer.
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  Aime Fposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Can you give us 3 recent examples?
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  greeneyedblondieposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  How about instead of listing some I'll leave this link: https://www.nraila.org/gun-laws/armed-citizen/
  
  There you go.
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  RTalloniposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Researching people, young and old, who have protected themselves, others/siblings, with guns from various criminals is an interesting exercise, but not one media supports. Check out criminals calling 911 due to fear of homeowners with guns!
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Again, if more guns were the answer, we'd be the safest nation on Earth - sorry even if guns do protect some people that's great, but more guns does not equal less gun violence.
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gmwilliamsposted 8 years ago

American culture & society prize, even deify violence. It is an outgrowth of the Wild West mentality where problems were solved by violence. American culture & society has the remnants of the pioneering, Wild West mentality. Many of our best loved television shows & movies are violence based where if there is a problem, it is solved by guns, not by intelligent discussion.

Besides television & movie waves, violence permeates many rap songs. Also, the so-called thug, gangster, or tough guy is what some of our youth emulate instead of more constructive role models. Violence is the name of the game in our society & culture. In addition to the permeation of violence, there is an underbelly of such violence and that is aggressive machismo or even thuggery . It is considered a sign of strength to be confrontational, even aggressively so, when one has an issue. To walk away from an issue is considered a weakness.

Also, there is the issue of poor impulse control. When one is upset or again have a problem, instead of thinking logical and conclusively, one immediately acts instinctively. Acting instinctively & without much or any logical forethought can oftentimes lead to dire, even deadly consequences.
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  PeterStipposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Great answer
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Yes, our culture does indeed have a problem with violence as an answer to everything and we do glorify it.
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Sarah Kesslerposted 8 years ago
We can't address any other factors in this issue without looking at the easy access to guns as the main issue. One of the things that bothers me most about this debate, every since the shooting in Roseburg, is that violent shooters are all now somehow assumed to have mental illnesses that are mismanaged or untreated.

Where is this belief coming from?

There are a few things wrong with this assumption, and from watching and reading the news, it seems more like an angle that reporters are taking in order to get away from beating a dead horse with the gun control debate. All of a sudden, now it's about mental illness. Except it isn't...at all.

For one, are we saying that all violent crimes are committed by people with mental illnesses? I think everyone would agree that isn't true. Otherwise, the possibility of an insanity defense wouldn't even be taken into consideration in criminal cases. The insanity defense is rarely accepted because it's rarely the case. Usually there is simply a motive, a weapon, and a violent criminal.

Second, if we're saying that gun violence is a result (or partly a result) of a poor mental health system, we're saying that people with mental illnesses are very likely to become violent if not monitored. This is untrue. What "mental illness" are we even talking about? What "mental illness" are these violent shooters all supposedly suffering from? There's absolutely no grounds.

It's a complete red herring.

We should know better than to blindly follow the conclusions of the media by now.

Finally, if these shooters are actualy, really mentally ill, the real issue is that they're getting guns. Not that they're on the wrong medication. People who are depressed often have to try several medications before finding one that works, and many people actually do need an SSRI. This doesn't include becoming a violent shooter, but if it did, why is that person able to get a gun? Let alone multiple high-power guns. That's the issue.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I don't believe all the shooters were having this problem - but it is a common denominator with several. Ease of access to guns is problematic for sure.
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lisavanvorstposted 8 years ago
All of the above. Financial problems promote hopelessness and depression. Loneliness, lack of confidence, inability to function, mental illness, physical illness. People just crack and go crazy. Sometimes it is the nice person next door who always waves hello, other times it is that miserable person who hates life. Society is so greedy and self absorbed that honestly people don't care about others likes it used to be. Just look at people who get robbed, or worse murdered. When it comes time for the police to question bystanders and neighbors, no one seen anything. Today's world is all about oneself and lack for humanity and others. So sad, so very sad.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  It seems that way at times, but I still see great good in others. unfortunately with so much media negativity we are conditioned to believe there is a bogeyman around every corner and trust no one which fuels it further.
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word55posted 8 years ago
I think the younger generation feels that they can get general revenge on society by taking out a few peers of their own. They are not loved enough and that is why they kill. If people are as spiritual as they profess to be then they should love as God commands us all to do but society is so brutally cold. People don't speak to each other. These senseless killers receive a lack of love from family and strangers.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  2 of these kids were smothered by their mothers - who, knowing they had mental issues, gave them guns. I don't think all of society is cold, I think when we disconnect and go out in the world we see most are good people doing the best they can.
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Tusitala Tomposted 8 years ago
Saying, "Guns aside," and in the same sentence mentioning " mass shootings," doesn't make sense. The mass shooting occur BECAUSE guns are so readily available. Try mass shooting by bow and arrow and see how many there are!

The problem lies with every individual. Individual action is the only action we're each in charge of.

Is the population 'paranoid?' Perhaps. Why would so many race out to buy firearms at the first sign there might be a ban or restriction on gun sales? All those people are interpreting that 'It's a hostile world out there.' And a great deal of it can be laid at the feet of the media and the entertainments industries.

Is there are cure for all these ills? Of course there is. But it'll be up to Americans themselves to figure that out and to implement the changes that'll have people 'throwing away their right to own a firearm.'
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  right I agree, the reason I phrased the question that way was to not get the topic stuck on guns themselves, but to get to deeper root causes.
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JerryPposted 8 years ago
Guns aside, because guns don't kill people - people kill people! Take all the guns away will not stop the killing.

We need to address the real problem and quit looking for escape goats from reality. The problem stems from education and society itself, which was fashioned from the last three generations on education. We are teaching our kids today it is alright to make up your own morals and ethics. I am 80 years old taking college courses today and I could not believe my eyes when I read that in my textbook.

Where in sam heck is that coming from? Kids today and their parents have their own set of morals to follow; religion, laws, etc. was for the ancients - today they are making up their own as the need arises.

Take away guns, they will go to bombs, chemicals, poisons, or some other mass murder method. If they want to kill, nothing will stop them. The only thing that will stop the killing is some three generations downstream, educating kids to follow a set of morals and ethics that they aren't some kind god and don't need to follow a specific behavior.

We need to get back to a society that we respect each other even though each and everyone of us is different. We need to look not on just the surface of someone's physical characteristics, instead much deeper; find their soul and then one just found a new friend. If everybody is playing the game of life from the same book, we can understand better each other and no need to go off the deep end.

We need to go back in time and teach today those good solid morals and ethics. I and many other kids in school owned guns, we used them to hunt, no one was using them to kill teachers and other students. Yes, we had fights after school, bloody noses are a lot better than what is happening today; a whole lot less blood shed!
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Yes, too bad empathy is not a subject that can be taught really, but things that lead to empathy could - non-revisionist history books might be a good start. In my boys school they have a citizenship series they do all year it's a nice program.
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Rabadiposted 8 years ago
I believe that guns land in the wrong hands and the actual law abiding citizens don't carry guns which puts them at risk. I think that as an American citizen we should all be trained licensed and armed to carry a firearm for our own protection and the protection of others. The reason why I feel that way is because most shooters go on a rampage and won't stop until someone subdues them or the police comes which by then most innocent lives are gone. I believe that if we have well trained citizens we would be able to stop the shooter before he takes many lives away.
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  PeterStipposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  If you catch a thief in your house, are you able to shoot him ? And kill him. Do you think killing someone for stealing a TV is justice. What you propose is civil war. You can not train citizens to behave nicely. It's better to have no guns at all.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  It's not like something you can train for once. Officers for example, whose job it is to stop crime, train extensively and have ongoing training and even they screw up. This idea is lunacy - sorry
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  Sojourner1234posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Peter Stip, do you think criminals and the like would go by the 'no guns' rules?
  Christin, Osam at least has a point, in that citizens with guns stopping shooters would actually help people protect each other from lunatics.
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  Aime Fposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  So why make anything illegal if that's your rationale?
  
  Plus look at ANY developed country w/ strict gun control - less gun deaths. It's a statistical fact.
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  PeterStipposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  It's a no brainier to say. The less weapons a country has, the less chance off a shooting, by excident or aimed. The more weapons, more excidents. Training won't help. A toddler sees a weapon, plays with it. BANG. No training that can avoid this.
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  Sojourner1234posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Aime, there is a difference when you would make the thing illegal that would protect people from the people who have said item illegally anyway, versus curtailing actions with law.
  Peter, see the study I referred to in my answer regarding more guns.
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  JLauren Angelposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Osam I agree, we need to have the right training to use firearms of any kind. It doesn't matter what you use them for, training should be part of the licensing. Good call!
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TravelDude11posted 8 years ago
This is something I research and study. GUNS are the major problem, not only access to guns but an unhealthy obsession with them our country has. That being said our cultural love of violence, anger, and desire for revenge plays a role as well. One other thing that is a major problem is that we spend money overseas and on wars instead of investing in the mental health system, people do not have access to free or affordable care. Those are the other issues but GUNS are the main problem we need to address and I am for a ban , I know that is extreme but feel it is what we need to do and do it soon. Lives matter over gun rights.
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  Kylyssaposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  It isn't extreme. No other country has this problem to this extent and gun laws are what those countries have in common.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  While I do not agree with a ban - I do agree that there needs to be very strict background checks and a close to the loopholes and also required liability insurance for firearms owners.
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Robert Levineposted 8 years ago
This may sound like a very knee-jerk politically correct response, but in a very real way this country was built on and by violence: the subjugation of Native Americans, the involuntary servitude of African-Americans, the Wild West ...
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  This is all very true of course and something we need to make sure isn't erased through revisionist history. I have no doubt our very history may play a role.
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  JLauren Angelposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  The involuntary servitude of African Americans intrigues me, because in African American histories, originating from Africa, the tribes sold their own people into slavery. White man only carried out what the black tribes started.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  the ends doesn't justify the means - slavery was wrong period, no matter who started it.
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Sunny121posted 8 years ago
If we start to teach own self and remain cool and try to be happy and learn to pay thanks what ever we have leave others matter and others success so it can be solved easily.
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JLauren Angelposted 8 years ago
Seriously you want the heart felt truth behind this? Its the lack of parental involvement in a child's life. Either a father or mother who is missing or married and battling with each other all the time, or its parents who would rather go out on a date on Saturday than spend time with their kids. It's a sad trend, most of the parents today do not want to be bothered with their kids, the whining, the complaining, the bickering among siblings, the constant "I need your approval" feelings kids give off, parenting is work. You can't birth a child then leave it with the TV, toys or game units you buy them. You can't shove the ipad in front of them or the pc for that matter. Parents could care less, I see more and more smart mouthed kids and teenagers out in the world than I like to admit. Parents need to work, yes, parents need to have a social life, yes but parents your first and foremost concern is your kids.

You are their role models, if you get pissed because someone did you wrong, guess who is going to act just like that? Your kids. We, collectively are parents of our children supposedly, it's not an easy job. In my household I am a single parent without father support. A single income isn't enough to put food on the table and have extras to go and do cool things. It's been a struggle, but the best is having kids who respect me and see me doing work, doing for others before myself and never going on a date without my kids. My kids are my priority.

If you look back at the teens who have been killing off other teens you see, their favorites they tell them to leave because they were nice to the shooter. What does that say?

It says to me parents who have kids who don't want them, mistreat them, abuse them, cause them hardships and everything negative. Kids are a gift, what and how you treat them while you are raising them will affect how they handle society.

If we love our kids and teach them to do things from a compassionate point of view rather than a hate filled point of view, then we have started in the right direction.

Don't get me wrong, I am not picking on you or tearing you apart for your parenting, but maybe its time for a change. Give a little, love a lot and everything will come into place.

In my house, straight A's, good manners and doing your part gets you rewards, such as learning to drive, going places and doing fun things.

Best,
JLauren Scott
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Absentee parents and/or parents who give their kids anything they want are good points. two of these shooters had moms who gave them guns despite knowing they were mentally disturbed - boggles my mind!
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  demonfort007posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  I agree there is a real lack of parental involvement. People rely on the government way to much. But still look up each one and everyone was on some type of anti depressant or phsc drug.
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demonfort007posted 8 years ago
Pharmaceuticals and physc drugs. EVERYONE of these nut jobs have been on them. EVERYONE of them. And studies that were done back in the 70's proved it would happen, which is why the majority of countries banned them. Guns have nothing to do with it.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  do you have sources for this? I know that some have - but I have not seen anything that says all of them were. I know those drugs are bad news though for many people.
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  demonfort007posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  Just research it everyone of them has been found to had been on them.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  "just research it" doesn't fly when you are the one making such a claim. You need to provide proof if you are going to assert it as a fact, otherwise I can only assume you saw it on a meme or something.
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  demonfort007posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  OK Christina give me the name of EVERY one because I can't remember them all. Then I will research it for your lazy ass and post them right here just for you. But give me ALL the names form 1980 until now. Because your request just doesn't fly sugar
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  You are the one who made the claim so I asked you to back it up. We don't do the cause any favor by stating something as fact that we can't back up. No need to curse or be rude
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  demonfort007posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  It's fact your request is unrealistic. There is not one source for ALL. You have to look up each one. Give me the names and I'll show it to you. So give me the names and I'll help you. Your remarks were brash and rude.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  My comments were not brash or rude - you decided to take them as such without understanding my intent. At no point did I curse at you or berate you.
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  Aime Fposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  She didn't say anything rude. Meanwhile you're throwing around terms like "lazy ass" and condescendingly calling her 'sugar'. *eye roll* It's not really unusual to request sources when someone makes a statement that appears to be fact.
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  demonfort007posted 8 years agoin reply to this
  If you did not think she was brash that is fine. But anyhow she doesn't wan tto do the work and just google it...that is lazy and she isn't producing the list so she must not really want to know.
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  ChristinSposted 8 years agoin reply to this
  One more time - when YOU make a claim the burden of proof is on YOU. YOU said ALL were on medications and refuse to cite your sources and would rather troll and cause problems. I'll just close the question now as some have to ruin everything.
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Guns aside, what do you think contributes to our seeming epidemic of mass shooti

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