I struggle with the idea of who I should be angry at. I want to yell and scream and have some sort of therapeutic barrage of blame throw towards someone, but who?
Is it the shooter? The gun store? Our politicians? The people who aided in the poisoning of this terrorists mind?
When I think about the lack of concrete blame, I become aware of just how broken this system is.
Blame works on all levels, from the shooter to businesses who profit from death to politicians who enable it, to us as individuals who are so jaded that hundreds of people dying daily from gun violence is just the way things are and we are unwilling to entertain fundamental change to make things different
I've been waiting for your view on this. I've always valued your views on everything. I was just talking my coworkers that me and my wife are planning for by boys graduation and sadly these kids and parents won't be able to. It's very sad what happen. I'm scared to death to send our child to school next year. What else has to happen for something to be done. Does it have to happen to one of these political figures who are pro guns. I feel so terrible for everyone involved. One of my coworkers even mentioned. Instead of a vacation, the parents have to plan their kids funeral. As a parent you never want to plan for your kids funeral. They need to turn schools into fortresses just to keep the evil out.
I don't have a gun nor am I an American but it's tough to see guns being the main issue in your country. I'm from Finland where there is a very high rate of guns same is true for Switzerland but why aren't there shoptings there? My reason would be that mental healthcare and access to it is much better and especially here school system is very equal. Therefore I think if people would want to actually fix this it would require money and for rich people like the makers of this show to pay more taxes and that money to be used for healthcare and school system. But maybe that would be going too far and that is why it is better to say "I don't have solutions" or get rid of guns. Looking at world bad intentions always have a way whether it is guns, driving into crowds or bows and arrows...
If your child has a toy and hits you and the pets with it, is it the toy's fault? No, the child needs to learn. But, until he does, we take the toy away. Americans are children and we do not, at this point, deserve toys, much less guns.
Agreed. My original point was that best would be to put money on treating mental health issues and not just say "i don't have solutions" "ban guns". Its just cheaper to say those things as solutions would take money and that would mean more taxes which for many would be going too far.
BAN is absolutely, 100% NOT NOT NOT the only narrative or solution being promoted by those who value children's lives over the right to bear arms. It is JUST NOT. Yet, when this debate comes up, that is the only solution gun right's advocates point to their opponent's offering forth. simply. not. true.
saying nothing will work leads to doing nothing. children's lives are worth trying ANYTHING, even if makes a couple gun lovers get a little down in the dumps about having to do a little more to get their toys... and yes, many other things like mental health legislation, but when the same folks who oppose gun legislation of any kind oppose health care for those who can't afford it, we're back to doing nothing.
The IACP (International Association of Chiefs of Police) has been a strong supporter of the assault weapons ban since 1992, and our membership has approved several reauthorizations of support in the years since. The membership took this action
because we, as law enforcement executives, understand that the criminal use of semiautomatic assault weapons pose a grave risk to our officers and the communities they are sworn to protect. - https://www.theiacp.org/
After the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, in which 26 victims — including 20 children — were killed, Congress proposed a bipartisan bill expanding background checks for gun buyers, a ban on assault weapons and a ban on high-capacity gun magazines.
More than 50 senators, including some Republicans, had indicated support for the bill, but it ultimately failed to get the necessary 60 votes.
A handful of Democrats from conservative states voted against the legislation, the New York Times reports.
The Senate also blocked Republican proposals to expand permission to carry concealed weapons and to increase law enforcement efforts on prosecuting gun crimes, per the Times.
Former President Obama said that the day of the failed vote was a "shameful day in Washington."
Guns per 100 persons in Finland is about 32, in the US it’s about 4x that. Also how many of those guns are civilian versions of military rifles, with high capacity magazines and the ability to modify to full auto? Also, how hard is it to get a gun in finland? A quick Wikipedia shows even their “lax” gun policy is significantly more intense then what’s in the US.
Sure true most guns are rifles for hunting but in Finland despite those laws being in place there was school shootings in 07 and 08 where combined 20 people got killed after which they improved access to mental healthcare and since then only one attack to a school in 2019 where one person got killed by knives the attacker was using. Also amount of cases may seem small but per capita i'd say it was quite many.
I’d argue the significant law changes passed in 2011 where you need two years of documented sports shooting to just get the license for a pistol probably had more to do with decreasing access. Still, I won’t argue that America’s health care system isn’t a hellscape, but poor mental health resources PLUS easy access to firearms is the lethal combination
I can agree with last part you said. If people didn't have any mental issues they wouldn't shoot anyone but if there are mental issues guns make results worse. Just in my opinion root cause is mental not guns.
Do you think that a racist or some other pathology is a mental health issue? I mean, if a racist shoots up a grocery store or a homophobe a night club, we’re not saying he (pretty much always a he) didn’t know what was right from wrong. I think making it harder for a schizophrenic or somebody with severe depression to get a gun is great because suicide by gun is a horrible sickness in this country too, but a domestic abuser or a guy who blows up a federal building are going to be considered sane by the law and the psychiatric community, and by every metric probably wouldn’t be flagged by a mental health screening
I think those are mental issues when its to a point where killing others is seen as an option but I can see your point and I think the access to psychiatric care would help with school shootings not all mass killings. In a way I believe that when its racism, religion or other reason like that removing guns would not do much as there have been those cases of driving a truck to a group of people. I guess bad intentions always find a way.
Goosebumps on top of goosebumps. Eloquence forces reckoning because it removes the ability to offer excuses. I have a seven and a nine year old. I just listened to this as I am literally in the pick up line at school.
Children’s and teacher’s faces left mangled beyond recognition, and another school left bloodied and vulnerable. Lives that will never get to experience life at the hands of a young man who walked in with Armor and Assault Rifles. And what were the qualifying factors in this?
To all of us with students in schools who have relinquished our trust on the social construct of what schools are supposed to represent…Learning, trust, safety, playing, relationships. Where life and personalities are molded. I’m praying for you. And for my wife and myself.
We drop our kids off at bus stops and school doors while we go off and provide for them, with the trust that our children will get to experience these things.
Not mistrust, fear, and death.
I pray, EVERY DAY, that our children come home safe. That racial and religious groups aren’t targeted in stores, churches and outings.
“Nobody slaughters kids at school the way our country does.”
Doing something isn't always better than not doing something. Sometimes what you do makes the problem worse. Clearly, shooting yourself in the foot is doing something, but it's better to not shoot yourself.
It's an oxymoron that the same side of our government who is pro life is also pro guns.
It just doesn't make sense.
It’s less of an oxymoron if you understand “pro-life” in their context absolutely does not mean pro-life.
"You don't get the show!"
Facts!
I struggle with the idea of who I should be angry at. I want to yell and scream and have some sort of therapeutic barrage of blame throw towards someone, but who?
Is it the shooter? The gun store? Our politicians? The people who aided in the poisoning of this terrorists mind?
When I think about the lack of concrete blame, I become aware of just how broken this system is.
You can be angry at everyone, they all share blame. No one more so than the perpetrator followed by our corrupt politicians.
Blame works on all levels, from the shooter to businesses who profit from death to politicians who enable it, to us as individuals who are so jaded that hundreds of people dying daily from gun violence is just the way things are and we are unwilling to entertain fundamental change to make things different
I've been waiting for your view on this. I've always valued your views on everything. I was just talking my coworkers that me and my wife are planning for by boys graduation and sadly these kids and parents won't be able to. It's very sad what happen. I'm scared to death to send our child to school next year. What else has to happen for something to be done. Does it have to happen to one of these political figures who are pro guns. I feel so terrible for everyone involved. One of my coworkers even mentioned. Instead of a vacation, the parents have to plan their kids funeral. As a parent you never want to plan for your kids funeral. They need to turn schools into fortresses just to keep the evil out.
sometimes I think,, so much for "The Land of the Free" when our kids live in fear, until the next shooting. Sad
As a parent, it's such a helpless feeling.
Bravo, Dan. So happy to have your writing back again.
as always, well written, Dan. thanks for giving voice to our shared OUTrage.
I don't have a gun nor am I an American but it's tough to see guns being the main issue in your country. I'm from Finland where there is a very high rate of guns same is true for Switzerland but why aren't there shoptings there? My reason would be that mental healthcare and access to it is much better and especially here school system is very equal. Therefore I think if people would want to actually fix this it would require money and for rich people like the makers of this show to pay more taxes and that money to be used for healthcare and school system. But maybe that would be going too far and that is why it is better to say "I don't have solutions" or get rid of guns. Looking at world bad intentions always have a way whether it is guns, driving into crowds or bows and arrows...
If your child has a toy and hits you and the pets with it, is it the toy's fault? No, the child needs to learn. But, until he does, we take the toy away. Americans are children and we do not, at this point, deserve toys, much less guns.
True, but as a parent you would help the kid to learn and deal with why they are hitting not just take the toy away without dealing with the cause.
exactly my point, we are doing NOTHING
Agreed. My original point was that best would be to put money on treating mental health issues and not just say "i don't have solutions" "ban guns". Its just cheaper to say those things as solutions would take money and that would mean more taxes which for many would be going too far.
BAN is absolutely, 100% NOT NOT NOT the only narrative or solution being promoted by those who value children's lives over the right to bear arms. It is JUST NOT. Yet, when this debate comes up, that is the only solution gun right's advocates point to their opponent's offering forth. simply. not. true.
saying nothing will work leads to doing nothing. children's lives are worth trying ANYTHING, even if makes a couple gun lovers get a little down in the dumps about having to do a little more to get their toys... and yes, many other things like mental health legislation, but when the same folks who oppose gun legislation of any kind oppose health care for those who can't afford it, we're back to doing nothing.
The IACP (International Association of Chiefs of Police) has been a strong supporter of the assault weapons ban since 1992, and our membership has approved several reauthorizations of support in the years since. The membership took this action
because we, as law enforcement executives, understand that the criminal use of semiautomatic assault weapons pose a grave risk to our officers and the communities they are sworn to protect. - https://www.theiacp.org/
Sandy Hook, December 2012
After the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, in which 26 victims — including 20 children — were killed, Congress proposed a bipartisan bill expanding background checks for gun buyers, a ban on assault weapons and a ban on high-capacity gun magazines.
More than 50 senators, including some Republicans, had indicated support for the bill, but it ultimately failed to get the necessary 60 votes.
A handful of Democrats from conservative states voted against the legislation, the New York Times reports.
The Senate also blocked Republican proposals to expand permission to carry concealed weapons and to increase law enforcement efforts on prosecuting gun crimes, per the Times.
Former President Obama said that the day of the failed vote was a "shameful day in Washington."
source: AXIOS.
Guns per 100 persons in Finland is about 32, in the US it’s about 4x that. Also how many of those guns are civilian versions of military rifles, with high capacity magazines and the ability to modify to full auto? Also, how hard is it to get a gun in finland? A quick Wikipedia shows even their “lax” gun policy is significantly more intense then what’s in the US.
Sure true most guns are rifles for hunting but in Finland despite those laws being in place there was school shootings in 07 and 08 where combined 20 people got killed after which they improved access to mental healthcare and since then only one attack to a school in 2019 where one person got killed by knives the attacker was using. Also amount of cases may seem small but per capita i'd say it was quite many.
I’d argue the significant law changes passed in 2011 where you need two years of documented sports shooting to just get the license for a pistol probably had more to do with decreasing access. Still, I won’t argue that America’s health care system isn’t a hellscape, but poor mental health resources PLUS easy access to firearms is the lethal combination
I can agree with last part you said. If people didn't have any mental issues they wouldn't shoot anyone but if there are mental issues guns make results worse. Just in my opinion root cause is mental not guns.
Do you think that a racist or some other pathology is a mental health issue? I mean, if a racist shoots up a grocery store or a homophobe a night club, we’re not saying he (pretty much always a he) didn’t know what was right from wrong. I think making it harder for a schizophrenic or somebody with severe depression to get a gun is great because suicide by gun is a horrible sickness in this country too, but a domestic abuser or a guy who blows up a federal building are going to be considered sane by the law and the psychiatric community, and by every metric probably wouldn’t be flagged by a mental health screening
I think those are mental issues when its to a point where killing others is seen as an option but I can see your point and I think the access to psychiatric care would help with school shootings not all mass killings. In a way I believe that when its racism, religion or other reason like that removing guns would not do much as there have been those cases of driving a truck to a group of people. I guess bad intentions always find a way.
Goosebumps on top of goosebumps. Eloquence forces reckoning because it removes the ability to offer excuses. I have a seven and a nine year old. I just listened to this as I am literally in the pick up line at school.
My hat's off to both Steve Kerr and you.
Children’s and teacher’s faces left mangled beyond recognition, and another school left bloodied and vulnerable. Lives that will never get to experience life at the hands of a young man who walked in with Armor and Assault Rifles. And what were the qualifying factors in this?
For a young man to turn 18. That was it.
THAT.
WAS.
IT.
“When are we going to do something?“
To all of us with students in schools who have relinquished our trust on the social construct of what schools are supposed to represent…Learning, trust, safety, playing, relationships. Where life and personalities are molded. I’m praying for you. And for my wife and myself.
We drop our kids off at bus stops and school doors while we go off and provide for them, with the trust that our children will get to experience these things.
Not mistrust, fear, and death.
I pray, EVERY DAY, that our children come home safe. That racial and religious groups aren’t targeted in stores, churches and outings.
“Nobody slaughters kids at school the way our country does.”
Doing something isn't always better than not doing something. Sometimes what you do makes the problem worse. Clearly, shooting yourself in the foot is doing something, but it's better to not shoot yourself.
I agree whole heartedly with DanO.
Also when are real callers going to be back on the show? Another thing; Danny-Boy needs to be capped to two days a week.
Thank you Dan for your wonderful writing and words.
#ThankYouDan