Can’t help but believe that part of the problem is exposure to violent imagery. If you don’t believe that even brief exposure to images can effect your thinking consider the amount of money that people with something to sell will spend for thirty seconds of advertising during the Super Bowl . I grew up with guns - our high school had a gun club and rifle team of which I was a member . We actually brought guns to school for hunting afterwards- checked them in the principal’s office - many used gun safety /cleaning for the required demonstration speech in speech class. The point I am laboring to make is that there were likely more guns in school when I was a boy than there are today and no one shot each other or threatened to do so . So what has changed ? As others have mentioned, traditional family values have changed - some crave the attention (albeit negative) that the media will give them perhaps.
I suppose I am stating the obvious but what we have is an extremely complex issue - a perfect storm of contributing factors that have come together. Does the existence of guns cause the shootings ? Of course not - see above . Do the guns facilitate the violence ? Of course they do . If by some magic they were all to disappear perhaps things might change but sadly , I think those who would commit horrific acts would find another avenue.
Look what has been done with a rental truck full of fertilizer and diesel fuel or hijacked commercial aircraft. If I knew that surrendering my firearms would eliminate the heartache I would do so in a heartbeat . But it wouldn’t so I won’t . What kind of thinking comes to the conclusion that a person or persons who would randomly shoot a bunch of school children would also willingly turn in their weapons ? Pie in the sky .
I don’t know what the answer is . I wish I did .
Yup.
The imagery is never ending.
It is a constant for so very many kids growing up.
Would Hollywood be the overwhelming entertainment success it has become without firearms being part of the actual fiber of its big screen entertainment offerings?
Ask the same question for the multi billion dollar video gaming industry.
How many people have I/we watched die on television alone starting 65 years ago?
What is, almost always, the first thing presented on the evening "news", local, national, whatever?
There are 1.3 guns for every citizen in the US.
That's over 370,000,000 firearms of some design in the US alone.
I had fellow classmates in high school who had firearms on them or in their locker.
"Gun Control", as presented modern day, is a political mantra that a politician uses to promote themselves for, or to remain, in office.
GC is not, as presently presented, addressed, or designed, a viable mechanism to control or channel the illegal use of a firearm.
How many politicians during an election year do you hear promoting gun control?
)
