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reformist2

(9,841 posts)
Sun Dec 16, 2012, 11:39 AM Dec 2012

Don't oversimplify: Guns, mental illness, family strife, and culture of violence are ALL to blame.

I dare say that so many people's desire to push their pet theory at the exclusion of everyone else's has prevented us from doing anything about it.

It's a complex problem with many contributing factors. It's time we dealt with them all in the same big conversation.

15 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
 

Comrade_McKenzie

(2,526 posts)
1. Unfortunately, Americans don't have the capacity to take on all of that at once...
Sun Dec 16, 2012, 11:41 AM
Dec 2012

So we have to take what we can get.

 

RomneyLies

(3,333 posts)
3. Add economic disparity to the list.
Sun Dec 16, 2012, 11:45 AM
Dec 2012

Those nations with the worst disparity between the very rich and the very poor are more violent, have lower levels of social trust and higher levels of mental illness than nations where the disparity between the very rich and the very poor is much lower.

 

HiPointDem

(20,729 posts)
5. thank you. few people seem interested in that rather strong correlation. i posted a few threads
Sun Dec 16, 2012, 11:46 AM
Dec 2012

about it and they basically sank in favor of the simple 'it's too many guns!" stuff.

inequality ties into bullying in schools, increased economic and status competition, and a host of other factors directly related to mass shootings. 30% of mass shootings are workplace shootings; another 23% are revenge shootings with economic and status motives.

potatoslayer

(36 posts)
11. Poverty
Sun Dec 16, 2012, 11:59 AM
Dec 2012

Poverty leads to desperation.

Desperation leads to crime.

Easy access to guns make crime easier.

More crime leads to more bloodshed.

More bloodshed leads more fear.

More fear leads to less civility.

Less civility leads to less tolerance.

Less tolerance leads to less patience.

Less patience leads to more violence.

 

HiPointDem

(20,729 posts)
12. not poverty in particular, inequality generally. inequality destroys social bonds, destroys trust,
Sun Dec 16, 2012, 12:01 PM
Dec 2012

increases status insecurity and malevolent competion.

jwirr

(39,215 posts)
4. Absolutely agree. Then add in the hate culture we have going and we are going to have a hell of a
Sun Dec 16, 2012, 11:46 AM
Dec 2012

time getting ourselves out of this mess we have created since the 80s.

 

Motown_Johnny

(22,308 posts)
6. and we need to control what can be controlled
Sun Dec 16, 2012, 11:48 AM
Dec 2012

I agree that there are many pieces to this puzzle. Lets do what we can to remove the ones that we can.

Throwing up your hands with a "It is to complex to do anything about" attitude is absurd. Break the complex problem down into it's less complex parts and do something about those.

 

HiPointDem

(20,729 posts)
9. the only reason we "can" control the guns angle is if the PTB decide they want it controlled.
Sun Dec 16, 2012, 11:53 AM
Dec 2012

the only reason we "cannot" control the others is because the PTB don't want to control them.

 

Motown_Johnny

(22,308 posts)
15. Did I say we can control the guns angle? Well No, no I didn't.
Sun Dec 16, 2012, 05:08 PM
Dec 2012

Because you jumped to that conclusion it is obvious that you are biased on this subject.

 

HiPointDem

(20,729 posts)
10. tackling guns without tackling the others = never tackling the others. because basically,
Sun Dec 16, 2012, 11:55 AM
Dec 2012

the ptb use any tragedy to impose more restrictions on the population while ignoring root causes because that would impose regulations on *them*.

 

frank380

(27 posts)
13. Do you have any suggestions?
Sun Dec 16, 2012, 12:04 PM
Dec 2012

This individual walked into a a school and murdered little children. He was really freakin far from normal. He was criminally insane, and nothing was done about it. Apparently nobody even thought he was dangerous. And he was pretty wealthy so they could have any mental health treatment they wanted. Apparently he didn't want it.
Just like the guy who murdered 38 elementary school children in Michigan 1927 with home made bombs. He was 55 years old and he was the school board treasurer.

If we could get control of the criminally insane we could stop all of these suicide/murder attacks. All of them are actually crazy people. But I don't have any idea how to do that.

Schema Thing

(10,283 posts)
14. This. If we can take 20 different sensible measures in various area that prevent ONE mass shooting
Sun Dec 16, 2012, 12:18 PM
Dec 2012


that's progress that saved lives.


We aren't going to outlaw guns, but that doesn't mean current law is the ONLY law that can pass constitutional muster.

We can't prevent mental illness, but we can mitigate it.
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