Ok, let's say we live in an ideal world. We, as a society see the need to engage with folks locally to head off mass shootings. And we do it. Ideal society, and we now know who in the neighborhood is a little off and we are chatty and friendly with these folks. And also keeping tabs on the children.
Then what?
Sure, I know folks that are a bit squirrelly. Nice enough. I interact with them plenty. But I never invite them to the range. They just seem hinky.
Is that the person we need to worry about? Ok, now what? Snitch em out and either get their rights violated if the police swing into action, or get ignored by the same police. Neither option is satisfactory, but a third effective, more sensitive and nuanced, option is only a remote possibility.
I don't think this engagement stuff is a panacea, though I wish it was. In an ideal world, where we as a society change for the better overnight, I dunno if we stop atrocities in any meaningful way.
This depresses me a bit. But outlines the folly of notion of an inherently good and perfectible mankind.
I don't want the world to be like this, but I am afraid it is
Both Nasty and Dumb as a Rock
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1 comment:
I believe there are multiple reasons for mass shootings, so there will need to be multiple strategies to stop them.
1. The article is right; we need to engage with people, notice and try to help those around us, ESPECIALLY those from broken homes - one study showed that almost every student involved shooting in Chicago came from a broken home; most shootings both the perpetrator and the victim were from a broken home (single parent, other absent).
2. You can't stop everybody beforehand - you need to stop them as soon as possible when they do act; this requires a significant and spread out armed presence - the only way to do that affordably is multiple armed personnel in schools, which means allowing teachers and parents to carry. They are already trusted by the state to carry elsewhere; their is nothing magical about school property that makes them untrustworthy.
3. We need to stop glorifying violence and the attackers; like with attacks in other countries, focus on the victims not the perpetrators.
4. Teach kids the difference between video games/ movies/ online activities and real life; too many kids grow up without knowing the difference - they are shallow, self absorbed, and don't understand the impact of their actions in real life.
THAT is what it will take to stop mass shootings. If there is a legal change that encourages fathers to raise their children and discourages women from having children for the government benefits, inner city crime (a large portion of all US crime) will drop significantly.
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