Another school shooting shows there's only one reason: too many damn guns!

Today four people were killed and nine wounded at a high school in Georgia by a 14-year old student there. 

According to Wikipedia, as of August 31, so far in 2024 in the United States a total of 527 people have been killed and 1,755 people have been wounded in 432 mass shootings. (Defined as at least four people killed or wounded in an incident.)

So this school shooting wasn't anything special, sadly. School shootings just get more attention from the media.

I watched some of the coverage as I exercised this afternoon, then listened to MSNBC and CNN discussions of the mass shooting while driving home.

It didn't take long for me to become disgusted with the all-too-familiar ritual of this country's usual reaction to mass shootings. Vigils, prayers, praise for the police reaction, vilifying the "evil" shooter, calls for better mental health care, blah, blah, blah. 

I can't stand this crap anymore. None of these endlessly repeated actions addresses the real cause of mass shootings: the massive amount of guns floating around in our country. 

This is so damn obvious, it's journalistic malpractice to talk about anything else. 

The United States doesn't have a higher proportion of people with mental health problems than other high-income countries. What distinguishes us is our insane gun culture, the wrong-headed belief that guns keep us safer. 

They don't. As shown in the chart below, which has data for 2017 and 2019, the United States has by far the most guns per 100 people among these countries, and also has by far the highest gun murder rate per 100,000 people.

More guns, more gun deaths. That's the five-word explanation for why our country has so many shootings. There's no other reason. 

So whenever I hear some talking head on a news program blather on about the need for better mental health care, or for arming teachers, or for any other action aimed at reducing mass shootings other than making it more difficult to own a gun, I feel like screaming at the television or radio, shut the fuck up, you idiot!

In the coming days and weeks law enforcement types will study the Georgia shooter's background, his motive for doing what he did, whether his parents knew he had access to the AR-15 style rifle used in the shooting, his behavior on the day of the attack, and such.

None of that, precisely zero, zilch, nada, will move the United States closer to reducing the crazily high number of gun deaths and injuries in this country. Fewer guns -- that's the only real solution.

And that, unfortunately, is almost impossible to achieve until we get a Supreme Court that understands that the second amendment to our constitution allows for strong regulations governing gun ownership.

Comments

[Lee]

I couldn't have said it better, I find it profoundly disturbing that rational people see the issue clearly and yet we are constantly bombarded with the "My 2nd Amendment RIGHT!!" blah blah, dude, your second amendment right is to provide for a WELL REGULATED MILITIA in case you need to protect your self from the government.. and to that note, I'd just like to say: there's no way you honestly believe if the government shows up at your front door with a tank and a seal team.. that you and your AR are going to stop them? And for all the people (and I use that term loosely) who say an AR is for hunting... uh, yeah.. I totally agree.. BUT I always thought hunting people was illegal?? if you 'need' an AR to hunt actual game animals, .. you must be a pretty lousy hunter..

[Rain Trueax]

I'd be all for banning AR-15 type rifles, but there is another issue with these shootings. FBI has gotten warnings about more than a couple of the shooters but after a cursory questioning, they did nothing. What are they for if they alert the shooter and their family but don't do anything to stop them before it's too late.