Yet another school shooting?

Guys what is wrong with America? Seriously?

Why always kids?

I feel like there's a thousand things to say, yet nothing at the same time. Because we know this will continue. It's a cycle. I can't imagine the fear parents must face, and even having to decide where to send their kids to school or if there are any other options. I honestly think a majority of it is the gun culture in the US. I know plenty of people of all ages who believe in the Second Amendment and gun rights as well as sensible, reasonable gun control. They're not mutually exclusive. Specifically I know LGBTQ+ people and people of color who never want their rights infringed on, and even though I never personally want to own a gun, I want communities who DO face significant harassment and discrimination to feel safe and to arm themselves if they need to. But I feel of all that gets lost in translation. Reasonable gun control makes people think we want to ban everything, or that we want to take away freedoms extending from that when I doubt that would ever be the case. I think it comes down to the fetishization of guns and weapons in general. I work in retail and it's no surprise to me when people walk in wearing clothing with guns displayed on the t-shirt. There is something fundamentally wrong if, and not just as a hobby like hunting or interest in weaponry etc, someone is that convinced that it will be the end of the world if they cannot have the same rules and regulations they used to have. Then you have the open carry in Texas and more relaxed laws (from what I understand). Then you have the people who will say "if only there was a good guy with a gun" despite contradicting their usual rhetoric of "nothing will stop someone who wants to be violent; they'll just find other ways to commit acts of violence". But shouldn't harm reduction be the key? Then you have the mental health debate, which is frankly a huge insult to those of us who struggle with mental health daily. I guess it's how far in-depth someone wants to go, but even if someone lives with a severe illness, accountability is still key. The choices are there to make. Most of us don't choose violence, or to follow through if we have violent thoughts or un-directed, unmanageable anger. And going a step further: if you are arguing that the reason behind mass shootings is poor mental health, which sparks a very valid debate on the state of mental health accessibility in this country, then why not vote people in who care about healthcare for all, and who want more funding for communities? It's hypocrisy everywhere.

Hey.

Are you asking why always kids as in why is the mass shooter always a kid, or why are kids always targeted? Well, neither is true. I guess this most recent elementary school slaughter made worldwide news, but mass shootings are far from abnormal here. The U.S. has had 214 mass shootings so far in 2022. Here's the full list:
https://www.insider.com/number-of-mass-shootingsin-america-this-year-2022-5

What is wrong with America indeed. Where to begin? We're an outlier when it comes to mass shootings, obviously. Half of the country's response to the horrific gun crime is, "We need more guns!" This, despite all of the evidence pointing to guns being the problem. The horrific truth is gun sales skyrocket after widely publicized mass shootings. Gun worshippers get scared their guns are going to be taken away and they stockpile. People who've never owned guns suddenly decide they need them. It's totally backwards.

Would a young man be able to walk into an elementary school and kill 19 kids and 1 teacher with just a knife? Probably not. Some respond to school shootings with: "Arm teachers." As if we should tack on “Defender of Lives" to a teacher's already great responsibilities. Ludicrous. They're underpaid and undervalued for the work they do already! And how would having guns in classrooms be safer? Come on! It doesn't make any sense. There is so much that doesn't make sense.

Pair extremely easy access to guns (whether by theft or relaxed legal means) with deep misogyny (lots of new evidence points to this) and/or far-right extremism, and this is where we find ourselves. A country plagued by mass shootings. Experts speak about why this is happening and what can be done, but enough people refuse to listen such that nothing changes. We have the evidence. We have the means. It doesn't seem to matter. Nothing. Changes.

As Elliott talked about, mental health is not to blame. Those with mental illnesses are more likely to be victims of violence rather than perpetrators. The suggestion is a cop out, and it’s insulting! Yes! Instead, look to misogyny, racism, elitism, entitlement, anger, extremism… that’s where the answer lies. In a word: Hatred.