Another Day Another School Shooting (or why do we keep having the same conversation (or this has really gotten dull and this concerns me.)) By Nash Farmer
So if you haven't heard the news, (and if you haven't I hate to break it to you) another school shooting happened at Oregon State University last week. It's a tragedy, it's awful, and once again I'm disappointed in my country. Every time there is a school shooting we have the same conversation. 'Oh it's the guns.' 'Oh it's the mentally ill.' 'Oh it's the liberals fault.' 'Oh, it's the conservatives fault.' 'Oh it's the video games.' 'Oh it's the violent media.' 'Oh it's the media.' 'Oh it's the the candy he ate right before the shooting.' Okay that last one was made up, but you see the problem right, whether it be a theater in Colorado or Sandy Hook Elementary we talk the same points and we do the same song and dance and nothing is improved and we keep seeing these discussions get more and more ludicrous.
So before we continue lets take a moment.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Now that we have been sufficiently calm I shall now try to state my political opinions without infuriating anybody, now more than ever though I want everyone who reads this to comment. I want all comments here to be respectful and calm and remember,
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
So, I personally believe that the problem is not the mentally ill because most of these shooters have records of violence rather than mental illness*. It's not necessarily the guns. While I believe our nation might be better off without them, I think we can have no mass killers in a society with guns. And it's not really the media, because most studies cannot find a link between media and extreme violence**(but aggression can rise).
To me the problem is that the government never takes any action to change the state of the U.S.A. to try to prevent this we spend to much time blaming and not enough time doing. We see politicians praying for the victims families but never helping to stop this. Democracy is slow, and it will always be slow, but this is something that needs to be changed quickly and soon, at least we have to try. If I could I would beg Congress to do something anything and keep trying till we the people find a solution.
"Call on God, but row away from the rocks."
-Hunter S Thompson
http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/03/us/oregon-umpqua-community-college-shooting/
*http://www.psmag.com/health-and-behavior/actually-know-connections-mental-illness-mass-shootings-gun-violence-83103
**http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=204790
You seem to have some of the same views as President Obama and on some levels I agree with you but also on some I don't but nevertheless, I respect your ideas. I agree that we as a society need to do something to prevent these things from happening instead of them being so constant that people think nothing of it and just bypass it as just another school shooting. I know some of the shooters have mental illnesses and some don't but if there's any signs of violent frustration in an adolescent or unstable mind why would we not do something to help them, not only to try and prevent these horrible situations from happening again but to attempt to comfort and help someone who needs it. You said that you don't believe that mental illness and loose gun laws are to blame for some of these situations but there are only so many things that our government can do to restrict these violent outbursts without taking away some kind of human rights. Finding help for those that need it and tightening the grip on gun laws is what you would think one of the easiest things they could do to prevent this but there are those people who are stubborn and selfish and can't think of the good of public safety above their own preferences. That's what's restricting our government from making any large differences, it's own people are hindering it, but there's nothing against us as individuals being responsible in keeping our guns away from young people/unstable people and getting the help that someone might desperately need. But these are just my thoughts and the way I see it.
ReplyDeleteShelby Linker, 8th period
Seeing each thing in the press about another school shooting is just getting more and more ridiculous. People have to find a better way to keep us kids safe.
ReplyDeleteA society without guns would not work, because people with violent tendencies are going to be violent, period. It's the way their minds work, sorta comes in the definition. You take away the guns, you're left with mass stabbings, you take away the knives you get mass stranglings... Etc. there is no way to stop it, people will always find a loop-hole or way around, it's human nature.
ReplyDeleteA society without guns would not work, because people with violent tendencies are going to be violent, period. It's the way their minds work, sorta comes in the definition. You take away the guns, you're left with mass stabbings, you take away the knives you get mass stranglings... Etc. there is no way to stop it, people will always find a loop-hole or way around, it's human nature.
ReplyDelete