“The fact that somebody would go out and massacre a bunch of strangers, that’s not the act of a healthy mind, but that doesn’t mean they have a mental illness.”
As noted in the article, anger and resentment are not mental illnesses.
The right loves to go to this because it takes the conversation away from the availability of guns, while the left is open to it because it fits with the general principle that people aren't ultimately responsible for their own actions.
Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2019/08/05/is-mental-illness-causing-americas-mass-shootings-no-research-shows/
True Believer Extremists and The Disaffected. Worth noting that disaffection often leads to true believer extremism.
True Believer Extremists - Politically motivated terrorists, foreign and domestic.
The Disaffected - those with severe depression and/or anxiety and/or PTSD with no prospects to improve their lot in life and choose to go out in a "blaze of glory".
Mental illness and drug use (including legal drugs, especially SSRIs) are catalysts.
The availability of guns is not a motivating factor at all, neither are violent movies and video games. That said, reducing the available firepower would save lives.
So, we might see if that is possible. Summary from the news:
The Associated Press reports that more than 100 cities, towns and counties in Virginia have declared themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries in an apparent revolt against the state legislature's proposals for new firearm restrictions (which include a ban on so-called assault weapons). The resistance has also reached law enforcement. At least one county sheriff has vowed to deputize citizens if Democrats pass gun control.
The movement has gained so much steam that Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring issued an advisory opinion reminding residents that such "sanctuary" resolutions had no standing.
Vir. Rep. Donald McEachin said, "The governor may have to nationalize the National Guard to enforce the law. That's his call, because I don't know how serious these counties are and how severe the violations of law will be. But that's obviously an option he has."
McEachin's statement has gunowners "up in arms" shall we say. (Obviously the governor doesn't "nationalize" the Guard, so he must have meant activate.)
Link: More than 100 Virginia cities, counties declare themselves gun sanctuaries as Dems prepare to take l
And you’re right that shooters rarely have diagnosed mental ailments.
But I’m right that - by definition - shooters are sociopaths. The article talks about the “stressors” they experience, and the warning signs they exhibit.
If you shoot up a school, you are a sociopath. Crazy.
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Brought to you by the people who wished everyone Merry Impeachmas. Yeah, no media bias at all. Got anything from CNN like Frank usually brings to the table?
Care to address the actual points and research? Upon what do we base the conclusion that mass shootings are mostly attributable to mental illness?
Careful: you'll find you have some unwelcome bedfellows here who agree that going bonkers is the reason for mass shootings.
They are truly the most evil people to walk this earth. A good amount of these cowards kill themselves or a suicide by cop searchers. I haven't done the research to know how many are actually caught and interviewed to try and find the reason. I would think anyone who kills this many defenseless people are not in their right minds.
I just wonder why urban shootings are considered "mass shootings"? I know places like Chicago constantly have multiple homicides (close to 2500 since 2016) and it never seems to make the news. Does it not fit the narrative?
That's why the next time someone tries to tell you that we need to focus on mental illness, you should mention that there isn't a reason to believe mental illness is the reason for most of these mass shootings.
You're also correct about the fact that most of the mass shootings that occur in our country aren't usually mentioned, namely, mass shootings in our cities involving gangs and riots. Those have zero to do with mental illness.
I also believe pinning this on any politician isn't correct. No one blamed Sanders for the shooting the baseball game but lots of people blamed Trump for El Paso. There are evil people who walk among us and nothing will ever stop that.
As you raise the floor of suffering in any society, violence goes down.
God's children like Pelosi described MS-13?
If you still have questions, we can continue.
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