These shootings break my heart every time I hear about them. I'm certainly no expert in the field of mass-shootings, but here's what I've gathered from all of this:
There are many people who want tighter gun restrictions, etc. I understand this point, but I just don't see it working unless a mass amount of guns are confiscated by the government (something I don't advocate for). As a person who owns three guns, and have bought and sold several more, I can tell you that it MANY guns are sold person-to-person, without background checks. Cracking down on this is almost impossible, hence the reason I don't believe tight gun control laws will do much good.
People also cite mental illness as a cause. I generally agree with this statement, but I don't like the idea of blaming "crazy people" for all these shootings. I do, however think we all could be more supportive of people with anxiety and depression. More support, more kindness, more caring will be helpful.
Other people suggest arming teachers- I don't mind the idea of having more protection in schools, but I don't think teachers are the answer. I live in Montana, where almost everyone owns firearms- but I wouldn't trust my kindergarten teacher firing off rounds at shooter. It's not in their job description, nor are they qualified. On the other hand, hiring additional armed security could be an easier fix. Doing lockdown training, and educating students will also be helpful. (Unfortunate that this is the case)
While all these topics are possible ideas, there is one cause that I believe is the universal cause for an increase in mass shootings. I believe the breakdown of the family is the boiled-down cause. Our families in America are more stressed than ever. Poverty, increased desire for material objects, drugs, divorce, social media... they all inject more stress into our families. We have more kids living at home with abusive family members. We have more kids being raised by daycare centers, because both parents have to work just to scrape by. From what I can tell, most (not all) of these shooters came from broken, or abusive families. Some came from the Foster Care system, others were in abusive families. Just an observation, not trying to offend anyone.
I think the best things we can do are to strengthen the family unit. More parks, and access to nature. More affordable, family-friendly attractions in cities. Less social media, less drugs, less poverty. If we start chipping away at these things, we may create a better society- a safer society.
Just my thoughts!
