another mass shooting

[_Hawkeye]

[_Gadianton]

Not fair, those countries have fewer gates and doors to get into places.

[_Hawkeye]

Houston Police Chief Says He’s Sick Of Inaction On Gun Control

[_Res Ipsa]

One more thing and I would have edited my above, but I don't like to change a post when it's possible that others are already reading it and might reply.

What this is going to take is our collective society working it's ass off and pulling from every side imaginable on behalf of our youth. I know this like I know my own name. Not prayers and promises. It's going to take an exhaustive and sustained effort.

Wake up people. Wake up.

In the event that people stay asleep a little longer, don't you think it would make sense to take some steps to make it less easy for children to slaughter themselves and each other?

[_DarkHelmet]

This hit close to home for me just a couple weeks ago. My nephew committed suicide in what appears to be an immediate irrational decision.

Wow, man. I'm really sorry to hear this. My condolences. That's awful.

Thanks, schmo. I appreciate it.

[_DarkHelmet]

DarkHelmet I had to run out right after making the post to you. I'm sorry that I didn't stop to offer condolences. I am so sorry that your family is having to deal with this type of deep and sudden loss. You all will live with questions that can never be fully answered. Some day you'll accept the fact that you'll never know the answers to the questions that you have. That day surely isn't today and I know you are all facing a very hard road. I don't wish it on anyone.

Thanks, Jersey Girl. The nonsensical loss of young lives makes this a very emotional issue for everyone. Gun debate threads go on forever. I can understand the desire to get guns out of the hands of the homicidal and suicidal. It makes logical sense. But we also need to get to the root cause of the homicidal and suicidal behaviors.

[_Jersey Girl]

But we also need to get to the root cause of the homicidal and suicidal behaviors.

Yes, I kind of filled up the thread in an attempt to forward that very idea.

[_EAllusion]

To clarify a point made here, in the US women attempt suicide at nearly 4 times the rate men do. Men commit suicide at nearly 4 times the rate women do. Or at least this was the case the last time I was aware of the data. The difference is almost entirely explained by males being much more likely to use guns when attempting suicide. American women have much higher depression rates than men do.

Further, gun availability and suicide rate are tightly correlated. This isn't neccesarily an argument for restrictions, but it is the reality.

[_Hawkeye]

To clarify a point made here, in the US women attempt suicide at nearly 4 times the rate men do. Men committ suicide at nearly 4 times the rate women do. Or at least this was the case the last time I was aware of the data. The difference is almost entirely explained by males being much more likely to use guns when attempting suicide.

Further, gun availability and suicide rate are tightly correlated. This isn't neccesarily an argument for restrictions, but it is the reality.

Let's suppose that with the snap of Thanos' finger, suddenly every person in the country finds a loaded pistol in their possession. Republicans would have us believe the country instantly becomes a safer place, but the reality would be that the news cycle the next day would be overwhelmed with record breaking numbers of suicides, accidental and intentional gun related deaths.

[_EAllusion]

I went to school with several kids who fantasized about planting bombs in our school. I suspect this was and is common. I imagine the subset of "kids who go on killing sprees" is a tiny subset of "kids who displayed some foreshadowing of traits that people would say in retrospect makes it less surprising they went on a killing spree."

Every idea I see bandied about to target the latter group sounds like something that causes more harm than it prevents.