The people who refuse to do anything about gun control are the ones who are mentally ill

Well....it's mental illness + guns, to be honest.

My generation grew up playing cowboys and Indians. Kids were constantly shooting at each other with cap guns that were loud and gave a small burst of smoke. None of those kids grew up and used a gun to kill another person. Now with the ability to get assault weapons, times have changed. It is guns!

AGREED however mentally healthy people do not shoot and kill other folks.

I'd argue even the vast majority of mentally UNhealthy people still don't kill other people. It's a small percentage doing a ton of damage.

YEAH well unfortunately those "small" group of SICK folks use FIREARMS for conflict resolution. THERE IS NO REASON FOR guns. Bottom line don't be assholes to begin with or paranoid. 2nd Amendment was for a "militia" against a corrupt gov't, which we have now. Not for murdering your neighbor

Even if it was the mental illness as these morons like to say - they clearly don’t wanna spend on dealing with mental illness Issues

Which is why we know they're full of shit when they make that claim!

Amen.

The wild part is even if it was mental illness or video games...we still wouldn't do anything about it. Guns killing kids is just normal now.

We have only had 2 major massacres in Australia the first with an illegally obtained military weapon So they made us hand in or lock up register and licence our guns the second was with a Machete and now they have banned Machetes They were both comitted by people with known mental health problems

Valid research has shown that the mere presence of a gun increases aggression. This research was killed by the gun lobby for obvious reasons but it’s out there. Based on many years of research and many independent case studies. It’s called the “weapons effect” but it’s only guns that cause it.

Im not trying to go tit for tat here, as most politicians appear to do and red vs blue commentors. I'm trying to get everyone to think before theyre manipulated again for one side or another. Because it might already be too late, but it's worth a try.

I'm not saying there shouldn't be research, it just needs to be conducted honestly with unbiased integrity. If sight of a gun made people violent, why weren't there more mass shooters earlier? We've had semi auto for a while now. And HOW neurologically does a gun incite violence?

Because the research ended when the gun lobby became more powerful by doing things like ending the assault weapons ban. Here’s a good article on the research: www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/get-...

You might want to verify who was conducting said study, and who paid for it. Logically we would see over 100 million people be shooting others if that data were true. It appears to be manipulated and politically motivated. Even blue voters own guns.

Sorry didn’t notice both replies were from the same person. BTW - and I think this is mentioned in the article - there was even research that showed things like drivers to be more aggressively around, say, a truck with a gun rack.

Here is a link to an article about the study. Admittedly, it’s been a long time since I read it. I actually first heard about it when I was in high school. And that was a long time ago. www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/get-...

It’s guns and something else. The something else changes.

True. I also suspect we have a special kind of mental health problem in this country too though. You don't hear about mass school stabbings in other countries like we have mass shootings.

Well, it is kind of hard to pull off a mass stabbing though. The stabber has to get pretty close to the victim & can typically only focus on fatally stabbing 1 person at a time--which gives others a chance to either flee or overpower the attacker.

So, what you're saying is, a knife is less efficient than an assault rifle? I think it's safe to say that generally, other countries don't have the same kind of violence overall.

Yes + if not fatal, docs can usually repair stab wounds & the patient can fully recover. If hit w/ an assault rifle, but survive, bones/organs are obliterated & not fixable. Most countries have laws that help prevent our type violence in the 1st place. We let anyone w/ a face have gun.

As an englandeer.. I can tell you.. it's like Xmas presents in that it's the thought that counts. IF (gods forbid) we had guns, it would be just as bad here! Thank FK all we have is harsh words an the odd punch up!

I actually did read about that when looking at crime stats on places to escape from the U.S. Some do have worse stabbing rates, rape stats, etc. Sadly...

I'm sure some do.

💯 but the cat is outta the bag, so we can't miraculously make the guns go away. Some things that might help: 1. Get $ out of politics 2. Red flag laws 3. Gradual age of ownership increase 4. Wait to purchase period 5. Written learner's permit test 6. Remove red tape of suing the NRA

Actually, Australia did make the guns go away. Quite successfully. They had one mass shooting in the 90s, tools action, and didn't have another mass shooting for nearly 20 years.

Yes! Australia and other countries nipped it in the bud at the first shooting bc they value life more than guns. I think that ship has sailed here, and therefore a different approach is needed. PS I often dream of moving to Australia!

Red flag laws don't work.

Ok maybe we implement more of what @govwesmoore.bsky.social has going on in MD

Ew. No.

Do you have any ideas that would possibly help curb mass shootings that people who are gun enthusiasts would support?

Harsher penalties and sentences for gun violence, really crime all around. Armed guards place at soft targets. Stop saying the killers name.

I could be wrong, but aren't most mass shootings committed by ppl without criminal background? And they usually kill themselves in the process, so you may be on to something with not saying their names. If a shooter commits suicide, how do feel about the purchaser/seller or other ppl being charged?

Good point, especially if they did their job according to their states laws. So people who go in with intent to kill as many ppl as possible, how do we make laws to prevent that? Typically they don't have priors and end in suicide. It seems like there's some warning signs, but can we act on that?

Prevent it? Now that's the million dollar question, isn't it? I don't have that answer, but stripping away the rights of the many because the actions of the few doesn't seem like the correct answer.

I hate the term "mass shootings" because there is no concrete definition. You look data on them and they can wildly vary.

Ok fair enough, when I hear mass shooting I think of someone going in with intent to kill as many people as possible. As opposed to going after a specific person. What would be a better name for that?

The people who sell things legally shouldn't be charged with a crime some nut job decided up do. If someone rented a car with the purpose of running someone over, and the manufacturer/rental company didn't know, then would you charge them?

It IS the guns + hate ideology, they are inseparable. Without the assault weapons, the hate ideology is bad too. With assault weapons, + hate on the trigger, it is deadly.

There's a lot of reason to be angry, but if we get rid of logic, we lose future elections. Don't forget plenty of blue and purple voters also have guns. The ratio of reckless violence to gun ownership doesn't equate anywhere near 1:1. You're potentially pushing voters back to maga with that.

You may have your own independent view. I'm not concerned about gun ownership. I AM concerned about Assault Weapon ownership + Hateful ideology. I don't worry about intelligent voters. If Maga voters return to their home base, that's on them.

It is the guns... But it's no coincidence that this all started when the Republican propaganda machine turned on. ( 1989 ) It's guns + brainwashing The 1st & 2nd amendments need some updating.

The fact that life in America means living in a pressure cooker doesn't help.

Look the repubs will never let there be a gun law that goes thru. They will stop it every time. They are having their wallets stuffed by the nra. And that is the only reason why #greed

Your sentiments are valid but we cant ignore the facts-that's what pushed so many people to vote red who were moderate in the first place. While they absolutely are getting paid, this is about the voter and private donor support too. Not only the NRA.

One more time in case the people in the back didn’t hear….

He's already shown us he is an imbecile-please don't think anything he says is even half true for most of public perception. Only the 30% who blindly follow him out of cult brainwashing...

You don’t need to worry about me. I figured out that he was the worst of all possible Kennedys and a national security threat at least 10 years ago. Removal from office is not enough. He needs to do prison time.

Well it is also mental illness.

N the ease with which people can get fucking assault /war weapons. Guns only do what people point them at.

I've gotta disagree with you there, partially. Yes, the guns. Yes, also mental illness. You give a healthy-minded person a gun and they will, with varying levels of urgency, secure it. Not point it at people and shoot knowing damn well what happens next. That is not a healthy mind.

These tragedies should be addressed with the urgency of both gun control and universal healthcare. It's not one or the other, the two are not mutually exclusive, it's both. We need gun control and mental help available for everyone who needs it.

Yes but you've seen what happens when a political comes into fame claiming he's gonna "fix America" and now wr have people dying in concentration camps. Specifically people who couldnt shoot back at home invading kidnappers. It's a systemic problem. Look what the government does with power.

Look what the people do with guns. Statistically, the use of firearms against tyranny is at an all-time low in the United States despite fascism and tyranny being at an all-time high. Or at least highest since the 1700's. I'm not saying we should remove them completely, though. There is a balance.

What I propose for gun control is we treat it as the dangerous tool it is. Handling one should require a gun license, earned by completing firearm safety courses that cover how to handle, maintain, and properly store firearms. Safe storage would also be a legal requirement.

A few other laws and requirements would also be necessary, such as passing a firearm safety test every few years, to ensure nobody forgets or tries to claim they didn't know. Mental healthcare should also be a requirement for all gun owners, mandatory therapy meetings for regular checkups.

Or anti depressants

Idk, you’ve gotta be a little mentally ill to shoot at children.

But you have to be mentally ill AND have a gun to kill and injury that many at once. Otherwise you're just a nutter running around screaming "BANG! BANG! BANG!" While jarring, screaming bang is not deadly. Guns however, are deadly.

Also the “Bang! Bang! Bang!” made me laugh 😂

As an English prude think there's been enough talk of fingers , banging an scools.......

You brought it to the pervy place, kinda sounds like you’re not as much of a prude as you want to claim to be

"Meee! The 4th Earl of Wymondunham! Why the thought of it..." (Google the fast show for the punchline)

Of course guns are deadly, I’m a hunter. I just think it’s silly to act like mental illness isnt a primary element to the overall problem. Guns are absolutely part of the problem too, but then so will knives be if/when we handle the gun issue.

There is a gigantic different between guns and knives. Unfortunately, if you aren't aware of that difference, I simply do not have the resources to explain why guns and knives aren't the same.

This is a laughably stupid response, trying to act like I think they’re the same. The point is that crazy people are the key issue and that despite the lethality of the weapon they choose they will still seek to harm. If you couldn’t keep up with that then please don’t even bother responding.

A crazy person with a knife is infinitely less dangerous than any person with a gun. Its not a debatable position. Mental illness is a universal, gun violence is not. Countries with gun control measure are not suddenly burdened with daily "mass knifings."

When did I say it wasn’t less dangerous, I said the danger is not removed by removing the gun. The person is in fact the issue in the scenario. Why are you trying to argue me like I’ve advocated against gun control. I’m very pro gun control.

And if you're such an advocate for gun control, why are you spouting NRA talking points.

Because the NRA manipulate real information to lead to a false conclusion. I’m in no way using it to claim we should lessen gun control, that’s what the NRA says. I’m just talking about mental illness being a key factor to the over arching issue. Because I work in mental health. So kindly fuck off

The danger is removed by removing the gun. See again, "BANG! BANG! BANG!"

Personally, I think you’re stupid and have difficulty following what I’m saying. So have a nice day, away from me.

You missed the point

It’s definitely mental illness. It’s the mental illness of those who refuse to admit it’s the guns.

It IS the guns.

What super brain food do you eat????? Good gosh dang, you had enough mind power to figure that out? Please let us know how to you did that????

And extreme “gun culture.” www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGF5...

Yeah this is a terrible and poorly constructed advertisement, clearly directed at lustful or insecure male viewers. Rather irresponsible as well, as no one appears to be addressing proper attire or safety protocols. That needs to be pointed out more.

The music is a “sonic collage” by Negativland. You may have heard their album deconstructing brand advertising, Dispepsi. Their Guns EP has two tracks — Guns (Then) and Guns (Now), shining an ironic light on American gun culture. Images added by film-maker Silver Persinger. tinyurl.com/5fctrdka

The NRA has bought GOP politicians

They’re not killing others with their mental illness or their video games. Anyone can have those. It’s not until they have guns that there’s killing. Geez. It’s the easy access to guns!

That's not accurate, though. Plenty of serial killers don't use guns. Over 80 million gun owners don't shoot up schools. It's not a simple problem, there's more variables at play there.

But all the ones that do

The nuts behind the wheel needs to be tightened down

It was always the guns

Please think back to when guns were prevalent in schools as a sport like PE. Back when they were everywhere easily accessible. We didn't have as many shootings on record. There's more information at play to consider.

It’s the parenting.

Start by banning weapons manufacturers that are eradicating people for political gain, not regular people's guns trying to defend themselves and hunt.

I agree it’s the guns, but mental illness and the stigma that surrounds it compounds the issue.

Yeah they pull their own triggers and aim themselves don't they? They reload themselves and transport themselves too. 🫵🤡

Remember though that the same argument could be made to forcible castrate men saying "it's the penis/all men" because so many rapes are committed. The violence is unacceptable you're right. But the people holding the tool made the decision-not the tool/body part. Plenty gunowners DON'T shoot others.

Access to guns. You have to be seriously mentally ill to murder small children in mass shootings. To see humans as prey. O want to kill women en masse. To take a gun to a college and shoot people. This is not normal gun owner behavior. Until we know what causes it, no one gets guns.

It’s the guns and all those who truly believe it’s their god given right to own a friggin arsenal of weapons and ammo. For??? Hunting? Defending their homestead from burglars? For feeling like big person on campus? For the swagger?

We should not shut down the conversation with one liners. managing access to certain weapons, available and accessible mental healthcare, and repeated reminders that exposure of violence is desensitizing are all important.

Easy access to guns is the problem

Consider the wrong people having easy access is the problem. I dont see everyone here in my state becoming a mass shooters just because guns are literally everywhere for sale.

It's the Money the gun lobby gives politicians!

If it’s the guns, why doesn’t it happen in Switzerland? It’s the operators. Also, why are guns the only machine in the US that deals with lethal energies whose operators aren’t licensed?

"Switzerland's low rate of mass shootings stems from a combination of strict gun laws, rigorous firearm training responsible gun culture, and strong societal cohesion, which includes low levels of inequality and a focus on non-violent gun use for sport and hunting rather than self-defense or crime"

"Switzerland has significant gun regulations despite high gun ownership rates. Regulations include permit requirements , background checks & a ban on carrying loaded weapons in public, restrictions on types of weapons, with high-capacity semi-automatic weapons largely banned for civilian use"

Except a large number of those arms are FULLY automatic, not just semi-automatic (that the US public keeps inaccurately describing as “assault weapons”).

"No, most Swiss do not have fully automatic weapons because they are banned for civilian ownership and use outside of military purposes. However, Swiss citizens can own semi-automatic firearms after obtaining a permit for sport, collecting, or hunting."

"The acquisition of fully automatic weapons, suppressors and target lasers requires special permits issued by the cantonal firearms office"

"Swiss reservists cannot own a fully automatic weapon for private use after completing their military service. Upon leaving the military, soldiers can choose to purchase their assigned rifle, but it must be legally converted to semi-automatic only"

And if we are talking about mental health: "Switzerland has a universal, heavily regulated healthcare system that provides affordable and comprehensive coverage, leading to better access and outcomes compared to the US. "

"In contrast, The US faces significant cost-related barriers to mental health care and has some of the worst mental health outcomes among wealthy countries."

Conversely at any given time ~80,000 19-34 year-olds are REQUIRED to have FULLY automatic real assault rifles at home. Yet somehow they manage to keep avoiding the mass shooting events. Proof: it’s not the guns.

"The claim that 80,000 young Swiss are required to keep fully automatic assault rifles at home is false. It is a persistent myth based on a misinterpretation of Switzerland's militia army system and outdated information. " www.google.com/search?clien...

I feel like you undermined your own gotcha. Unlike Switzerland, the US has no comprehensive laws governing gun ownership and use.

Huh. Kinda makes you think doesn’t it. Almost like that IS the argument.

Yup

No it's mental illness Murdering your own species is not normal for humans

It's *men* with guns. Take away their guns and they blow up Federal buildings and Planned Parenthood offices. Take away their bombs and they drive trucks into parades.

More specifically the deeply embedded festering wound of patriarchal entitlement and seething hatred and lust for power.

It's not even the guns ... its the elected representatives not listening to their constituents, paid off to allow guns for everyone. Common sense gun laws work everywhere else in this world.

Someone posted a meme saying, if people are the problem, why would you give the problem a gun?

𝙽𝚘 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙽𝚁𝙰 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚜 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚢. 𝙽𝚘𝚝.

As a Canadian, I concur

Period. It’s the fucking guns.

No doubt about it. Not sure how we can keep pretending it's about anything else.

UK Sunday newspaper cartoon...

Don't blame mental illness for evil people. Take these folks for example. They want to kill you and have buried more guns than the left can ever take. www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfwY...

You have a good points as well-if everyone would stop oversimplification of the issue we might actually come to a resolution. But it's too easy for political gambits to rile the emotions of everyone, and nothing gets done. Mental illness is nuanced-and ironically they praise their sociopathic reps.

Your intentions of ending violence are noble, but that's not logical. There are literally tens of millions of gun owners to every one delusional mass-shooter. Causation vs correlation.

I have a PS5 and I've never killed anyone...

Yes good point. There are over 80 million gun owners who haven't either. It's causation vs correlation mixed with ither variables at play. So logic would then follow that it cannot be just the guns. I'm not arguing they're capable of destruction. I'm arguing the x=y=z so we dont lose our heads here.

I also own guns, and I've never shot anyone.

dont forget the ammunition

I’m sure. Walk around town making finger guns and saying bang. You’ll hear some talk about mental illness but nobody falls. It’s definitely the guns.

Please consider the rest of the logic though, so we dont fall down the same path maga did (different direction, same manipulation). Over 80 million gun owners are not killers. About 20 mass shooters were. If guns were the cause, we'd have 80million shooters.

Very serious response to a lighthearted post. Who sounds like maga?

All 500+ million o them.

It's the good Jeans.

Ok drumpf.. so other countries also have video games... Other countries have mentally illness... But they don't have mass shootings every other day.... Can we see a pattern here?

Yes but patterns require assessment of all variables, not just one. We can't lose our heads here if we're going to stabilize the nation. If you look at the stats of violence, all the things you mentioned, and tools available, you still see a pattern. Guns do have far reach, but aren't the cause.

An dead kids are ALL the variables that need paying attention too

I was being sarcastic...... 😂

its the abusive language😝

Just like it is not a drunk who runs down a person , it is that darn car!

Would civil disobedience have defeated the Nazis? Did harsh rhetoric stop Stalin? The Black Panthers were right about everything.

Yep.

💯

1/5 I personally think it’s a combination, even as a 2A participant and supporter, it’s an issue. But I don’t believe it’s entirely the guns. Look back to the 60’s and 70’s when rifles and guns were on every campus across America, no mass shooting events…

2/5 I believe it’s a societal shift. Now days, adults aren’t as involved in kids lives because there’s too few of us and too many of them. As someone else said, other countries have mental illness, video games, etc… but they also have a very different culture and

3/5 are raised understanding and respecting human life, you may have differences, but their taught to work through them and in the instances of bullying, my understanding is they don’t play around with consequences… none of this “one week suspension” crap where you’re actually rewarding the kid

4/5 For being a mean person… we lost the sense of community and the “it takes a village” mentality a long time ago, and these poor kids don’t have the maturity, resources, or help to deal with their problems. And let’s be honest, Social Media plays a HUGE role in mental health/illness these days.

5/5 But who do the kids have to turn to? All of the adults in their lives are so overworked they don’t have the capacity anymore to help… Just my 2 cents…

It’s the guns and the republican culture

A startling amount of our problems right now is 3 rich white guys sharing the same mental illness and having the ability to have laws written supporting their perspective.

wanting to make penis rockets go into outerspace is a mental illness? I know you are, but what am I? are you saying that taxing the wealthy and #repeal2A would make a difference? ha, I'd really like to see that. no, really, I would.

Wanting to go to space is natural. Wanting to own slaves in space is mental sickness. Anyone who publically states a desire to own slaves should be brutally executed. These people threaten the world and the world should respond seriously.

To be honest, the "wanting to go to space" part IS part of the psychopathy you're condemning (for now). We cant eat a buffet while a starving kid cries next to us. We need those billions for curing cancer and viruses-not collecting sand and footprint pics.

Nasa going to the moon cost a lot of money, but that money was spent on earth. It went into the economy. New technolgies developed improved the world. Giving Musk money does none of those things. That asshole just explodes rockets and keeps a dragon's horde.

Every developed country has mental illness. Every developed country has video games. Every developed country has trans people. Every developed country apart from the US has meaningful gun controls. Only the US has frequent mass shootings. It’s the guns.

Not to dispute the gun control argument but most developed countries also have mental illness treatment programs. For free

💯

2000%!

You just admitted it's not the guns, though-it's the U.S that's the problem. Poland doesn't have our issues yet they have guns AND capitalism.

You want to put the US and Poland gun policies on the same level? Really?

Polish gun controls are stronger. And there are more guns than people in the US.

It is neither, it's the social pressures these individuals go under, along with the events of these individuals lives that led them to the point of action. Not to mention the lack of a real health care system that cares for every citizen of the country at a fair price in this time of horrible wages.

A tyrannical government doesn't fix tyrannical government. That's why We the People have "certain unalienable rights." Rights are like muscles, to keep them strong and functioning they have to be exercised. We the People gain our strength by and through the use of our freedom. Get in the gym!

You made great points but dont forget that they FIRST made the populace weak and complacent. They FIRST starved and preached learned helplessness. They FIRST brainwashed masses. For a reason...many Americans are now too sick to fight.