7 ms·

Wouldn't investing in better mental health care, more reasonable ways to track and hold individuals liable for gun ownership, and general investment in a social

Wouldn't investing in better mental health care, more reasonable ways to track and hold individuals liable for gun ownership, and general investment in a social safety net be better here? Why would we look at a sword and consider it a shield?

kelseyfrog 4y ago
Taser drones make the right people more money.
qgin 4y ago
I think those are all good things, but most countries that have negligible mass shooting events don’t have better mental healthcare or particularly great gun ownership databases. Something fundamental has happened to American culture and it’s not clear what solves that.
- glaucon 4y ago
  > but most countries that have negligible mass shooting events don’t have better mental healthcare or particularly great gun ownership databases I don't know what countries you're referring to "that have negligible mass shooting events" but I guess within the developed world "most countries" here is "every country other than the USA" ? I mean I'm open to other suggestions but, sadly and tragically, it seems to me the USA is out in front to a significant degree. Saying that those other countries "don't have better mental healthcare" might be technically correct (or it may not I don't know for sure) but what does it mean when large swathes of the population in the USA can't access it anyway ? How many of those who perpetrate mass killings in the USA are actively being cared for ? I don't know how to comment on the gun database thing. These other countries have gun databases but the key thing is you just can't buy a gun unless you have a very good reason to own one. When you can buy a gun it's not an automatic weapon. I mean I can't think of a developed world country, other than the USA, where it's possible to buy or own such a weapon legally. So regardless of the quality of such databases, and I'm not saying they're better or worse, the main thing is that there's just not many entries in such databases. > Something fundamental has happened to American culture and it’s not clear what solves that. I agree and I'm deeply sorry for it being the case. I read an article recently I now can't find which discussed the Las Vegas[1] killer and attempted to put him in set of men of a certain age who have economically "failed" (I don't like that term) and how that was viewed by US society in a less forgiving way than in other countries and how it also led to lack of treatment for depression etc. I thought that was interesting but as I can't find the article it doesn't take us far. If anyone recognises it I'd be interested to know. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Las_Vegas_shooting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Las_Vegas_shooting
  - qgin 4y ago
    It’s not as if developed countries are the only countries that don’t have mass shooting events. It’s rare even in the developing world. Places with extremely minimal mental health support and minimal governmental enforcement for who is allowed to own weapons… you still don’t have people showing up at elementary schools and theaters and supermarkets and shooting everyone in sight. I agree mental health and gun control are important tools and maybe we need uniquely American solutions to this uniquely American problem. But something has broken in our culture that precipitates this. Fwiw, the US never had this problem before the mid 90s.

kelseyfrog 4y ago

Taser drones make the right people more money.

qgin 4y ago

I think those are all good things, but most countries that have negligible mass shooting events don’t have better mental healthcare or particularly great gun ownership databases. Something fundamental has happened to American culture and it’s not clear what solves that.

glaucon 4y ago
> but most countries that have negligible mass shooting events don’t have better mental healthcare or particularly great gun ownership databases I don't know what countries you're referring to "that have negligible mass shooting events" but I guess within the developed world "most countries" here is "every country other than the USA" ? I mean I'm open to other suggestions but, sadly and tragically, it seems to me the USA is out in front to a significant degree. Saying that those other countries "don't have better mental healthcare" might be technically correct (or it may not I don't know for sure) but what does it mean when large swathes of the population in the USA can't access it anyway ? How many of those who perpetrate mass killings in the USA are actively being cared for ? I don't know how to comment on the gun database thing. These other countries have gun databases but the key thing is you just can't buy a gun unless you have a very good reason to own one. When you can buy a gun it's not an automatic weapon. I mean I can't think of a developed world country, other than the USA, where it's possible to buy or own such a weapon legally. So regardless of the quality of such databases, and I'm not saying they're better or worse, the main thing is that there's just not many entries in such databases. > Something fundamental has happened to American culture and it’s not clear what solves that. I agree and I'm deeply sorry for it being the case. I read an article recently I now can't find which discussed the Las Vegas[1] killer and attempted to put him in set of men of a certain age who have economically "failed" (I don't like that term) and how that was viewed by US society in a less forgiving way than in other countries and how it also led to lack of treatment for depression etc. I thought that was interesting but as I can't find the article it doesn't take us far. If anyone recognises it I'd be interested to know. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Las_Vegas_shooting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Las_Vegas_shooting
- qgin 4y ago
  It’s not as if developed countries are the only countries that don’t have mass shooting events. It’s rare even in the developing world. Places with extremely minimal mental health support and minimal governmental enforcement for who is allowed to own weapons… you still don’t have people showing up at elementary schools and theaters and supermarkets and shooting everyone in sight. I agree mental health and gun control are important tools and maybe we need uniquely American solutions to this uniquely American problem. But something has broken in our culture that precipitates this. Fwiw, the US never had this problem before the mid 90s.