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.

The attacker wouldn’t have been able to enter a bar and legally buy a beer but he could walk into a gun shop and legally buy a gun. This just doesn’t make sense.

Anonymous wrote:If women were the shooters behind mass shootings, or any shootings, you can guarantee that men would enact some gun laws to prevent women owning guns. At very least women would have to jump through multiple hoops, testing, go to different states, etc.

This is a gun problem.
This is a male problem.

Do you know how many women vote in GOP candidates? Do you know how many women are standing up -- quite vocally -- for 2A rights? Do you know how many of these women are mothers who still don't care about children being gunned down to change their voting or blathering on about guns, and abortion, and shooters who need church because they lacked morality?

Feminist here who will never say this is a male problem. Women may not pull the trigger, but the certainly enable it every single time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"What struck me was these kinds of mass shootings rarely happen anywhere else in the world. Why?

"They have mental health problems. They have domestic disputes in other countries. They have people who are lost, but these kinds of mass shootings never happen with the kind of frequency they happen in America. Why? Why are we willing to live with this carnage?"

From what I have read the shooter had a terrible home life with a drug addicted mother and absent father. He was relentlessly bullied for a stutter in middle school and became very angry and violent by high school. He was currently living with his grandmother whose home he had recently moved into and spore fly yesterday he shot her.

There are multiple layers here but this kid seemed to have so many warning signs. It’s awful.

And yet we did nothing to prevent him from buying multiple guns on his 18th birthday.

Worse than nothing. Texas (not "we", it wasn't my choice) *encouraged* him by passing a law enabling 18 year olds to buy guns.

Does anyone know off hand what the VA/DC/MD ages are?

Quoting myself. I searched:

DC: https://mpdc.dc.gov/page/general-requirements-firearms-registration Be 21 years of age or older. (Applicants between the age of 18 and 21 may qualify to register a long gun[1]

MD: Maryland generally prohibits any person under age 21 from possessing any “regulated firearm” (handgun or assault weapon).1 Maryland also prohibits any person from transferring a regulated firearm to a transferee who the person knows or has reasonable cause to believe is under 21 years of age.2 https://giffords.org/lawcenter/state-laws/minimum-age-to-purchase-possess-in-maryland/

VA:A person must be at least 18 years of age to purchase a rifle or shotgun from a licensed firearms dealer. To purchase a handgun from a licensed firearms dealer, you must be at least 21 years of age, pursuant to federal law. For statutory regulations concerning underage persons possessing firearms, refer to VA Code § 18.2-308.7, possession or transportation of certain firearms by persons under the age of eighteen. https://vsp.virginia.gov/services/firearms/faq/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"What struck me was these kinds of mass shootings rarely happen anywhere else in the world. Why?

"They have mental health problems. They have domestic disputes in other countries. They have people who are lost, but these kinds of mass shootings never happen with the kind of frequency they happen in America. Why? Why are we willing to live with this carnage?"

From what I have read the shooter had a terrible home life with a drug addicted mother and absent father. He was relentlessly bullied for a stutter in middle school and became very angry and violent by high school. He was currently living with his grandmother whose home he had recently moved into and spore fly yesterday he shot her.

There are multiple layers here but this kid seemed to have so many warning signs. It’s awful.

And yet we did nothing to prevent him from buying multiple guns on his 18th birthday.

Worse than nothing. Texas (not "we", it wasn't my choice) *encouraged* him by passing a law enabling 18 year olds to buy guns.

Does anyone know off hand what the VA/DC/MD ages are?

I believe DC and MD are 21 to buy a handgun/18 for a long gun. VA is 18 for a handgun or certain rifles and shotguns (based on magazine capacity) with no age restriction for possession or purchase of other rifles or shotguns.

Anonymous wrote:If women were the shooters behind mass shootings, or any shootings, you can guarantee that men would enact some gun laws to prevent women owning guns. At very least women would have to jump through multiple hoops, testing, go to different states, etc.

This is a gun problem.
This is a male problem.

100%.

I can’t think of a mass shooting that has been perpetrated by a woman. And yet, women and girls suffer from depression, anxiety, broken homes, etc.

If women were the shooters behind mass shootings, or any shootings, you can guarantee that men would enact some gun laws to prevent women owning guns. At very least women would have to jump through multiple hoops, testing, go to different states, etc.

This is a gun problem.
This is a male problem.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A few thoughts:

1) Mental health is a big issue.
2) Video games/social media are contributing to the problem.
3) Banning AR15s or even all guns won’t completely eliminate the problem.
4) increasing security may help some but again having one armed cop does not mean a determined gun person won’t succeed.

WTF!!

GUNS IS A BIG ISSUE.

How f-ing dense do you have to be? I'm so tired of this goddamn country. IT IS THE GUNS, STUPID.

Texas became a 2A sanctuary state last year dropping nearly all major impediments to buying a gun - no license, lowering age for purchase, etc. - and the result is an increase in homicides and Houston being the murder capital of the country. We have the data. We know the answer. It is the goddamn guns.

And yes, when we had the assault weapons bans we had little to none of these mass shootings. But guess what? That sunset and we did not extend. Instead, the sociopath Republicans in this country made it EASIER than any other place in the first world to get a gun. And guess what? We're dying becuase of it!

Republicans are killing us and our kids. We must vote them out.

+1

It's easier to buy an assault rifle and THOUSANDS of rounds of ammunition than it is to get a drivers license.

How does that make any sense?

Anonymous wrote:It's weird to me that TX can police miscarrying women but somehow doesn't know who is going to kill 14 post-birth fetuses (ie children) with an assault rifle.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/10/texas-woman-murder-charges-dropped-self-induced-abortion

19.

Texas is 38 in spending per student. Wonder where the money will come from to increase security at schools?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"What struck me was these kinds of mass shootings rarely happen anywhere else in the world. Why?

"They have mental health problems. They have domestic disputes in other countries. They have people who are lost, but these kinds of mass shootings never happen with the kind of frequency they happen in America. Why? Why are we willing to live with this carnage?"

From what I have read the shooter had a terrible home life with a drug addicted mother and absent father. He was relentlessly bullied for a stutter in middle school and became very angry and violent by high school. He was currently living with his grandmother whose home he had recently moved into and spore fly yesterday he shot her.

There are multiple layers here but this kid seemed to have so many warning signs. It’s awful.

And yet we did nothing to prevent him from buying multiple guns on his 18th birthday.

Worse than nothing. Texas (not "we", it wasn't my choice) *encouraged* him by passing a law enabling 18 year olds to buy guns.

Does anyone know off hand what the VA/DC/MD ages are?

I don’t know ages, but VA gun laws are very weak.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"What struck me was these kinds of mass shootings rarely happen anywhere else in the world. Why?

"They have mental health problems. They have domestic disputes in other countries. They have people who are lost, but these kinds of mass shootings never happen with the kind of frequency they happen in America. Why? Why are we willing to live with this carnage?"

From what I have read the shooter had a terrible home life with a drug addicted mother and absent father. He was relentlessly bullied for a stutter in middle school and became very angry and violent by high school. He was currently living with his grandmother whose home he had recently moved into and spore fly yesterday he shot her.

There are multiple layers here but this kid seemed to have so many warning signs. It’s awful.

And yet we did nothing to prevent him from buying multiple guns on his 18th birthday.

Worse than nothing. Texas (not "we", it wasn't my choice) *encouraged* him by passing a law enabling 18 year olds to buy guns.

Does anyone know off hand what the VA/DC/MD ages are?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"What struck me was these kinds of mass shootings rarely happen anywhere else in the world. Why?

"They have mental health problems. They have domestic disputes in other countries. They have people who are lost, but these kinds of mass shootings never happen with the kind of frequency they happen in America. Why? Why are we willing to live with this carnage?"

From what I have read the shooter had a terrible home life with a drug addicted mother and absent father. He was relentlessly bullied for a stutter in middle school and became very angry and violent by high school. He was currently living with his grandmother whose home he had recently moved into and spore fly yesterday he shot her.

There are multiple layers here but this kid seemed to have so many warning signs. It’s awful.

And yet we did nothing to prevent him from buying multiple guns on his 18th birthday.

Worse than nothing. Texas (not "we", it wasn't my choice) *encouraged* him by passing a law enabling 18 year olds to buy guns.

Anonymous wrote:A few thoughts:

1) Mental health is a big issue.
2) Video games/social media are contributing to the problem.
3) Banning AR15s or even all guns won’t completely eliminate the problem.
4) increasing security may help some but again having one armed cop does not mean a determined gun person won’t succeed.

WTF!!

GUNS IS A BIG ISSUE.

How f-ing dense do you have to be? I'm so tired of this goddamn country. IT IS THE GUNS, STUPID.

Texas became a 2A sanctuary state last year dropping nearly all major impediments to buying a gun - no license, lowering age for purchase, etc. - and the result is an increase in homicides and Houston being the murder capital of the country. We have the data. We know the answer. It is the goddamn guns.

And yes, when we had the assault weapons bans we had little to none of these mass shottings. But guess what? That sunset and we did not extend. Instead, the sociopath Republicans in this country made it EASIER than any other place in the first world to get a gun. And guess what? We're dying becuase of it!

Republicans are killing us and our kids. We must vote them out.

Anonymous wrote:His mom was a drug addict and a crappy parent. He had recently moved in with grandma who owned both her own home and her daughter’s home. She was in the process of evicting her daughter for drug use.

There was a long WaPo story about the family. Total train wreck.

There are train wreck families all over the world. Why do the shootings happen mostly here?