Passing more gun control laws will not prevent the tragic mass shootings and school shootings which have sadly become commonplace in America. The state of California and the city of Chicago have had some of the most stringent gun laws on the books for years, yet both continue to be home to mounting crime rates. Second Amendment supporters and the NRA are not to blame for the horrific loss of life we all read about on a nearly weekly basis. The cultural decline in the United States and a lack of adherence to mental health issues must shoulder the death toll burden.
Back when many of us were children, or our parents were youngsters, school shootings and mass shootings were nearly unheard of. During that same era, there were far fewer gun control laws than exist today, and children playing with toy guns at school were never suspended. When liberal anti-gun advocates pound their fists on press conference podiums and bash those who cherish their Second Amendment freedoms, the NRA, and basically anyone who dares to own the firearm used in the latest tragedy, they are missing the underlying issues which prompt gun violence entirely.
My father gave many essential pieces of advice during his life, and one of his pearls of his wisdom directly addresses why we are experiencing tragedy after bloody tragedy in America – “You cannot legislate either morality or common sense.” The desire to do something to fix the gun violence problem should not translate to doing anything simply to make yourself feel better or to get a bump in the polls.
Passing additional gun control laws will only impact law-abiding gun owners and potentially infringe upon the Second Amendment rights which our Founding Fathers drafted. Too many Americans, and dare I say it, liberals, are prepared to completely disregard the Constitution instead of cherishing the document upon which the ideals of this great nation were founded.
Why are so many young suburban or relatively affluent urban individuals becoming mass shooters? Mental health problems have increased ten-fold in recent decades, and such illnesses surely play a part in the decision-making process of mass shooters. Teens and twenty-somethings are far too often divorced from reality due to all the time they spend playing violent video games and “living” in the social media world of cyberspace – sure that could be at least partially to blame as well.
The breakdown of the family, discussing such a topic and assigning blame for poor parenting, is definitely not a politically correct topic, but one which must be addressed if the destructive, criminal, and violent actions of teens and young adults is ever expected to decrease. Blame any or all of the above, gun control loving politicians and those who vote for them, but do not blame the gun – it is merely an inanimate object offering protections from things that go bump in the night and puts food on the table.
The connection between mass shootings and the use of psychiatric drugs meant for adults on young children whose brains have not fully formed, to treat behavioral issues, is often noted as a possible cause or inciting factor in mass shootings by teens and those in their twenties.
Excerpt from a Citizens Commission on Human Rights report concerning the connection between commonly prescribed drugs and violent behavior :
“Understanding society’s skyrocketing psychiatric drug usage is now even more critical than ever. Internationally, 54 million people are taking antidepressants known to cause addiction, violent and homicidal behavior. Consider also the fact that terrorists have used psychotropic drugs to brainwash young men to become suicide bombers. At least 250,000 children worldwide, some as young as seven, are being used for terrorist and revolutionary activities and given amphetamines and tranquilizers to go on ‘murderous binges’ for days. Yet these are the same drugs that psychiatrists are prescribing children for ‘learning’ or ‘behavioral’ problems.”
A CCHR report, a mental health watchdog group, had this to say about the link between mass shooters and prescription drugs:
“At least 34 school shootings and/or school-related acts of violence have been committed by those taking or withdrawing from psychiatric drugs resulting in 167 wounded and 78 killed. In other school shootings, information about their drug use was never made public—neither confirming or refuting if they were under the influence of prescribed drugs. The most important fact about this list, is that these are only cases where the information about their psychiatric drug use was made public.”
Limiting ammo magazines is once again a popular topic among those crying out for action after the latest mass shooting. In theory, for those who do not own or have never fired a gun, maybe this makes sense and seems like a solution to the gun violence problem. But, debunking such a mindset is not difficult. One county sheriff created a viral video clearly illustrating how quickly and simply even an extremely novice shooter could empty 5, 10, 15, and 30 round magazines, reload, and continue firing in under two minutes, never allowing a window for a dedicated police officer or a brave citizen to intercede.
Drugs are illegal, yet millions of Americans toke up, shoot up, and pop non-prescription pills every day. Murder, robbery, rape, domestic violence, and child molestation – all illegal and still prompting 911 calls in every state in the country. Making something illegal does not guarantee the end of the problem.
Let’s look at the gun control mindset in very simplistic terms and place it inside a common parenting scenario. Little Bobby is late for school every day, and gets in trouble with his teacher. He is punished under the current rules for tardy behavior, detention, no recess, etc. Bobby’s parents understandably decide that his behavior is unacceptable, and instantly add new rules and punishments to deter such behavior in the future. Being a rebellious sort, little Bobby continues to get to school late, and both the school (federal government) and his mom and dad (state and local government) heap on the punishment, add new rules, and threaten even more mandates if the behavior continues. Bobby eventually gets expelled, continues his poor habits, and winds up in an orange jumpsuit.
Meanwhile, Shasta’s parents are experiencing the same tardy problems – perhaps she and little Bobby were stealing a kiss in a vacant lot on the way to school. Instead of making new rules, Shasta’s parents take the time to review what is going on with their daughter prior to the start of the school day, discovering why the behavior is occurring is, after all, a tried-and-true parental tool. Once her elders unearthed all the time-wasting habits and school avoidance issues plaguing their daughter and dealing with them, sweet Shasta was never tardy to class again. As a nation, as parents, and public officials, we need to approach the devastating rash of school shootings, mass shootings, and overall youth violence problem like Shasta’s parents did. If your child broke the old rules with complete disregard for authority and common sense, it stands to reason that said child would simply brush of a new set of rules in the same manner. Getting to the root of the problem is the only way to solve it, always has been, always will be.
A “Gun Free Zone” sign has not deterred one school shooter. A criminal, especially one afflicted with a mental health issue, will barely give such a posting even a glance on the way inside a school, mall, public park, or government building. Restricting the concealed carry rights because standing next to a man (or woman) with a gun while buying an over-priced morning coffee only increases the chances of becoming a willing gun violence victim. Does carrying a concealed firearm or standing next to someone who is ensure you will leave a robbery or shooting involving a crazy person unscathed? Of course not, but it sure does even the odds.