Another gunman, another elementary school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There have always been a lot of guns in the US and access hasn't changed much. If anything, access is more regulated than it was 50+ years ago. Yet we have many many more mass shootings. What variable changed? Is it social media? Different expectations for kids? Lack of mental health instituations- particularly residential ones?

Pre 1970s it wasn't all that hard to have someone committed to mental institution if they were unstable. Now, not only it that extremely difficult to do, there are very very few even left.

I think the mass shootings need to be addressed from both angles. Stricter gun lines/more regulation but also more mental health resources. And by resources I mean institutions. All the "therapy" in the world isn't enough.

Psych beds are not the answer. The people who ended up institutionalized in the past are not the people committing these crimes. It’s the easy access to guns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The next time you are at your child’s school notice how easy it is for someone to walk in the door with anything they want.
And never once have I ever seen a suggestion that we try and at least make that change.

There should be no school that has no entrance doors for visitors that open immediately into the actual school building.

All entrances should be double doored. And require being buzzed in twice. ID should be scanned at the door before being buzzed in the first time. The second time along with ID they need to show it again. At least this slows someone with bad ideas down.

People quietly piggyback. I know firsthand as someone probably snuck in behind me and I got a reprimand as the one who let them in everyone though I didn't sign anyone in and they couldn't provide my name. They just used "she" and since I was the only female, I got the clearance mark. I'd much prefer a video ring system. Pure fitness has double doors-bet you if you wanted to you could piggy back.

[Anonymous]

I was just forced to listen to a F*x”News” interview:

-18 yr old was “unemployed” (he attends high schoo)
-really probing why he lived with his grandmother — are his parents together (married) — and where are they: “do they live in another country?”
-when met with facts that gunman was 18, no criminal history and not flagged in any system - play stupid question just “how” he got there AR15 (HE EASILY AND LEGALLY WALKED INTO A GUN STORE AND BOUGHT IT)
-and F*X says NOTHING can prepare law enforcement for what they encountered — except maybe the MASS SHOOTINGS in fact and MASS SHOOTING DRILLS they run every year WITH OUR CHILDREN. Sadly, even our kids have practiced exactly this scenario.

Such willful ignorance it’s so offensive.

But, PROLIFE!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There have always been a lot of guns in the US and access hasn't changed much. If anything, access is more regulated than it was 50+ years ago. Yet we have many many more mass shootings. What variable changed? Is it social media? Different expectations for kids? Lack of mental health instituations- particularly residential ones?

Pre 1970s it wasn't all that hard to have someone committed to mental institution if they were unstable. Now, not only it that extremely difficult to do, there are very very few even left.

I think the mass shootings need to be addressed from both angles. Stricter gun lines/more regulation but also more mental health resources. And by resources I mean institutions. All the "therapy" in the world isn't enough.

Firearms today are more powerful and more efficient than in the 1970s. Less recoil, lighter, able to dispense bigger rounds more quickly, higher quality production processes, etc. Further, the gun industry has "democratized" - there are more manufacturers tpday than in the 1970s. The equipment to produce firearms is not that expensive relative to the 1970s. It's easier to do more damage more quickly in 2022 compared to the 1970s.

The internet has vastly lowered the bar for acquiring a firearm. You can chat with someone online and do a private transaction in a parking lot that same day.

The internet has also allowed gun hobbyists (and legit psychopaths) to find each other online and inspire one another. The internet and social media has led to an arms race among gun hobbyist to acquire ever more powerful firearms as a point of pride. The manufacturers have popped up to meet demand and to figure out how to circumvent gun laws. It's a cultural ecosystem where all the players involved feed off each others' enthusiasm for firearms.

Finally, the US has a toxic culture. No social trust, solidarity, or empathy for fellow Americans. Adding guns to this culture is just a recipe for violence.

I honestly think the most effective gun legislation would be to ban ownership for anyone under the age of 25 who is not active duty military, national guard, or police. Vast majority of gun crimes - excluding domestic violence - are committed by men under the age of 25. This group is also responsible for most gun suicides.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There have always been a lot of guns in the US and access hasn't changed much. If anything, access is more regulated than it was 50+ years ago. Yet we have many many more mass shootings. What variable changed? Is it social media? Different expectations for kids? Lack of mental health instituations- particularly residential ones?

Pre 1970s it wasn't all that hard to have someone committed to mental institution if they were unstable. Now, not only it that extremely difficult to do, there are very very few even left.

I think the mass shootings need to be addressed from both angles. Stricter gun lines/more regulation but also more mental health resources. And by resources I mean institutions. All the "therapy" in the world isn't enough.

Firearms today are more powerful and more efficient than in the 1970s. Less recoil, lighter, able to dispense bigger rounds more quickly, higher quality production processes, etc. Further, the gun industry has "democratized" - there are more manufacturers tpday than in the 1970s. The equipment to produce firearms is not that expensive relative to the 1970s. It's easier to do more damage more quickly in 2022 compared to the 1970s.

The internet has vastly lowered the bar for acquiring a firearm. You can chat with someone online and do a private transaction in a parking lot that same day.

The internet has also allowed gun hobbyists (and legit psychopaths) to find each other online and inspire one another. The internet and social media has led to an arms race among gun hobbyist to acquire ever more powerful firearms as a point of pride. The manufacturers have popped up to meet demand and to figure out how to circumvent gun laws. It's a cultural ecosystem where all the players involved feed off each others' enthusiasm for firearms.

Finally, the US has a toxic culture. No social trust, solidarity, or empathy for fellow Americans. Adding guns to this culture is just a recipe for violence.

I honestly think the most effective gun legislation would be to ban ownership for anyone under the age of 25 who is not active duty military, national guard, or police. Vast majority of gun crimes - excluding domestic violence - are committed by men under the age of 25. This group is also responsible for most gun suicides.

I think that is not a bad idea. You are right, they are usually teens or early 20s. But that doesn't stop them from proxy access through their parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There have always been a lot of guns in the US and access hasn't changed much. If anything, access is more regulated than it was 50+ years ago. Yet we have many many more mass shootings. What variable changed? Is it social media? Different expectations for kids? Lack of mental health instituations- particularly residential ones?

Pre 1970s it wasn't all that hard to have someone committed to mental institution if they were unstable. Now, not only it that extremely difficult to do, there are very very few even left.

I think the mass shootings need to be addressed from both angles. Stricter gun lines/more regulation but also more mental health resources. And by resources I mean institutions. All the "therapy" in the world isn't enough.

Firearms today are more powerful and more efficient than in the 1970s. Less recoil, lighter, able to dispense bigger rounds more quickly, higher quality production processes, etc. Further, the gun industry has "democratized" - there are more manufacturers tpday than in the 1970s. The equipment to produce firearms is not that expensive relative to the 1970s. It's easier to do more damage more quickly in 2022 compared to the 1970s.

The internet has vastly lowered the bar for acquiring a firearm. You can chat with someone online and do a private transaction in a parking lot that same day.

The internet has also allowed gun hobbyists (and legit psychopaths) to find each other online and inspire one another. The internet and social media has led to an arms race among gun hobbyist to acquire ever more powerful firearms as a point of pride. The manufacturers have popped up to meet demand and to figure out how to circumvent gun laws. It's a cultural ecosystem where all the players involved feed off each others' enthusiasm for firearms.

Finally, the US has a toxic culture. No social trust, solidarity, or empathy for fellow Americans. Adding guns to this culture is just a recipe for violence.

I honestly think the most effective gun legislation would be to ban ownership for anyone under the age of 25 who is not active duty military, national guard, or police. Vast majority of gun crimes - excluding domestic violence - are committed by men under the age of 25. This group is also responsible for most gun suicides.

I think that is not a bad idea. You are right, they are usually teens or early 20s. But that doesn't stop them from proxy access through their parents.

True, but having to go through the parents is another barrier to access for a young, impulsive man with too much testosterone. Any additional barrier you put up slows down the gunman's progress, may provide an opportunity for others to raise a red flag, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There have always been a lot of guns in the US and access hasn't changed much. If anything, access is more regulated than it was 50+ years ago. Yet we have many many more mass shootings. What variable changed? Is it social media? Different expectations for kids? Lack of mental health instituations- particularly residential ones?

Pre 1970s it wasn't all that hard to have someone committed to mental institution if they were unstable. Now, not only it that extremely difficult to do, there are very very few even left.

I think the mass shootings need to be addressed from both angles. Stricter gun lines/more regulation but also more mental health resources. And by resources I mean institutions. All the "therapy" in the world isn't enough.

Were assault-style weapons always so readily available though? Harder to kill 20 people at a time with a pistol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was just forced to listen to a F*x”News” interview:

-18 yr old was “unemployed” (he attends high schoo)
-really probing why he lived with his grandmother — are his parents together (married) — and where are they: “do they live in another country?”
-when met with facts that gunman was 18, no criminal history and not flagged in any system - play stupid question just “how” he got there AR15 (HE EASILY AND LEGALLY WALKED INTO A GUN STORE AND BOUGHT IT)
-and F*X says NOTHING can prepare law enforcement for what they encountered — except maybe the MASS SHOOTINGS in fact and MASS SHOOTING DRILLS they run every year WITH OUR CHILDREN. Sadly, even our kids have practiced exactly this scenario.

Such willful ignorance it’s so offensive.

But, PROLIFE!

How did this happen? An 18 yr old walked into a gun shop …. You know the rest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There have always been a lot of guns in the US and access hasn't changed much. If anything, access is more regulated than it was 50+ years ago. Yet we have many many more mass shootings. What variable changed? Is it social media? Different expectations for kids? Lack of mental health instituations- particularly residential ones?

Pre 1970s it wasn't all that hard to have someone committed to mental institution if they were unstable. Now, not only it that extremely difficult to do, there are very very few even left.

I think the mass shootings need to be addressed from both angles. Stricter gun lines/more regulation but also more mental health resources. And by resources I mean institutions. All the "therapy" in the world isn't enough.

Were assault-style weapons always so readily available though? Harder to kill 20 people at a time with a pistol.

But was it even attempted? How many teen gunman were going into elementary schools with ANY gun 30+ years ago?

Gun were readily available then too

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There have always been a lot of guns in the US and access hasn't changed much. If anything, access is more regulated than it was 50+ years ago. Yet we have many many more mass shootings. What variable changed? Is it social media? Different expectations for kids? Lack of mental health instituations- particularly residential ones?

Pre 1970s it wasn't all that hard to have someone committed to mental institution if they were unstable. Now, not only it that extremely difficult to do, there are very very few even left.

I think the mass shootings need to be addressed from both angles. Stricter gun lines/more regulation but also more mental health resources. And by resources I mean institutions. All the "therapy" in the world isn't enough.

Firearms today are more powerful and more efficient than in the 1970s. Less recoil, lighter, able to dispense bigger rounds more quickly, higher quality production processes, etc. Further, the gun industry has "democratized" - there are more manufacturers tpday than in the 1970s. The equipment to produce firearms is not that expensive relative to the 1970s. It's easier to do more damage more quickly in 2022 compared to the 1970s.

The internet has vastly lowered the bar for acquiring a firearm. You can chat with someone online and do a private transaction in a parking lot that same day.

The internet has also allowed gun hobbyists (and legit psychopaths) to find each other online and inspire one another. The internet and social media has led to an arms race among gun hobbyist to acquire ever more powerful firearms as a point of pride. The manufacturers have popped up to meet demand and to figure out how to circumvent gun laws. It's a cultural ecosystem where all the players involved feed off each others' enthusiasm for firearms.

Finally, the US has a toxic culture. No social trust, solidarity, or empathy for fellow Americans. Adding guns to this culture is just a recipe for violence.

I honestly think the most effective gun legislation would be to ban ownership for anyone under the age of 25 who is not active duty military, national guard, or police. Vast majority of gun crimes - excluding domestic violence - are committed by men under the age of 25. This group is also responsible for most gun suicides.

This is an interesting proposition and I agree it would help a lot. There's actually quite a bit of scientific consensus around brain development and impulse control for this age group as well.

However, given the current makeup of our judiciary, no way would the pass the current conservative take on the 2nd Amendment.

My vote is that we try to pass a nationwide 24hr waiting period for all gun purchases right now, in the wake of this tragedy. Is it the strongest possible position? No. Is it what I think we need? No. But would it move the needle? I think it would. And I think it has the strongest chance of passing. It's not a ban at all so would be subject to lower scrutiny than an assault weapons ban or other hard-line bans and thus be more likely to withstand judicial scrutiny. But it could start to open a door for more restrictions down the road, and would also open the door for more scrutiny of gun sellers and individual transactions.

We aren't going to get what we actually want but I think now is the time to push for something meaningful but passable to start cracking that door open. My fear is that we will wind up with the same situation as post Sandy Hook, where things devolved into argument and rhetoric and ultimately nothing meaningful happened. I think if we could coalesce around a single, simple, nationwide restriction, we could start building off the momentum that Moms Demand and other groups have been quietly amassing over the last few years.

Let's not allow these victims to simply be forgotten in a wave of thoughts and prayers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There have always been a lot of guns in the US and access hasn't changed much. If anything, access is more regulated than it was 50+ years ago. Yet we have many many more mass shootings. What variable changed? Is it social media? Different expectations for kids? Lack of mental health instituations- particularly residential ones?

Pre 1970s it wasn't all that hard to have someone committed to mental institution if they were unstable. Now, not only it that extremely difficult to do, there are very very few even left.

I think the mass shootings need to be addressed from both angles. Stricter gun lines/more regulation but also more mental health resources. And by resources I mean institutions. All the "therapy" in the world isn't enough.

Our religious beliefs and morals have changed, worship attendance declined. Sense of community involvement declined. Gap between haves and have nots widened. School violence increased. Mental problems during covid increased. Drug use increased. Child punishment decreased. Children being kids together in person decreased. Social media pressure increased.

And here we are with a society full of deranged kids who don't give a F and commit violent or homicidal acts. Even kill grannie..

[Anonymous]

What can I do TODAY to move the needle so that this does not happen again? Write someone? Who?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There have always been a lot of guns in the US and access hasn't changed much. If anything, access is more regulated than it was 50+ years ago. Yet we have many many more mass shootings. What variable changed? Is it social media? Different expectations for kids? Lack of mental health instituations- particularly residential ones?

Pre 1970s it wasn't all that hard to have someone committed to mental institution if they were unstable. Now, not only it that extremely difficult to do, there are very very few even left.

I think the mass shootings need to be addressed from both angles. Stricter gun lines/more regulation but also more mental health resources. And by resources I mean institutions. All the "therapy" in the world isn't enough.

Our religious beliefs and morals have changed, worship attendance declined. Sense of community involvement declined. Gap between haves and have nots widened. School violence increased. Mental problems during covid increased. Drug use increased. Child punishment decreased. Children being kids together in person decreased. Social media pressure increased.

And here we are with a society full of deranged kids who don't give a F and commit violent or homicidal acts. Even kill grannie..

I agree morals and sense of community have declined...but it isn't bc of lack of religion. Lets not pretend that is the moral high ground

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There have always been a lot of guns in the US and access hasn't changed much. If anything, access is more regulated than it was 50+ years ago. Yet we have many many more mass shootings. What variable changed? Is it social media? Different expectations for kids? Lack of mental health instituations- particularly residential ones?

Pre 1970s it wasn't all that hard to have someone committed to mental institution if they were unstable. Now, not only it that extremely difficult to do, there are very very few even left.

I think the mass shootings need to be addressed from both angles. Stricter gun lines/more regulation but also more mental health resources. And by resources I mean institutions. All the "therapy" in the world isn't enough.

Firearms today are more powerful and more efficient than in the 1970s. Less recoil, lighter, able to dispense bigger rounds more quickly, higher quality production processes, etc. Further, the gun industry has "democratized" - there are more manufacturers tpday than in the 1970s. The equipment to produce firearms is not that expensive relative to the 1970s. It's easier to do more damage more quickly in 2022 compared to the 1970s.

The internet has vastly lowered the bar for acquiring a firearm. You can chat with someone online and do a private transaction in a parking lot that same day.

The internet has also allowed gun hobbyists (and legit psychopaths) to find each other online and inspire one another. The internet and social media has led to an arms race among gun hobbyist to acquire ever more powerful firearms as a point of pride. The manufacturers have popped up to meet demand and to figure out how to circumvent gun laws. It's a cultural ecosystem where all the players involved feed off each others' enthusiasm for firearms.

Finally, the US has a toxic culture. No social trust, solidarity, or empathy for fellow Americans. Adding guns to this culture is just a recipe for violence.

I honestly think the most effective gun legislation would be to ban ownership for anyone under the age of 25 who is not active duty military, national guard, or police. Vast majority of gun crimes - excluding domestic violence - are committed by men under the age of 25. This group is also responsible for most gun suicides.

We need to be addressing this one at the top of the list. Gun laws can be gotten around, and mental health isn't exactly it. These people aren't "insane" most of the time. But they are steeped in a toxic masculinity that promotes violence. It really should not be surprising anymore that young men keep doing this. It is literally our culture.

[Anonymous]

"F--- your prayers. They haven’t worked for the last 20 mass shootings how about passing laws that will stop these killings," Gallego said.

Gallego also ripped Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., after she condemned the shooting.

“We are horrified and heartbroken by the senseless tragedy unfolding at Robb Elementary School in Texas and grateful to the first responders for acting swiftly,” Sinema said in a statement. “No families should ever have to fear violence in their children's schools.”

“Please just stop.. unless you are willing to break the filibuster to actually pass sensible gun control measures you might as well just say ‘thoughts and prayers,’” Gallego responded.

I am donating to this man. It is time to call an spade a spade.



https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2022/05/24/ruben-gallego-twitter-ted-cruz-uvalde-school-shooting/9916120002/