comment: >
context: As a millennial who was in high school when columbine happened, I thought I was part of the mass shooting generation. I never imagined it would get as bad as it has. Fuck every politician who sits on their hands while our kids die. >
  
  I live in Colorado, which at this point is like the poster child for mass shootings.  There have been three mass shootings that made national news since I moved here.  I lived in Aurora for a while - you can guess what people's first reaction was when I told them that.
  It's fucking insane.  I've been lucky, my closest connection to a mass shooting was when a couple coworkers visited the Boulder King Sooper less than 24 hours before the shooting there, and a bunch of people texted me concerned because it's close to my office.  I was also within a couple blocks of the Planned Parenthood shooting when it happened.  Thankfully, nobody I know was hurt. But damn, it's horrible.
  While gun violence has many factors to be addressed, I think the phenomenon of mass shootings in particular has one major factor that sets it apart:
  Right wing radicalization.
  This isn't suicide due to unavailability of mental health care.  This isn't drug related violence.  This is a bunch of people radicalized online by far right propaganda and incel forums.  Until we figure out a way to eliminate those things, no amount of gun laws will make a difference. >
  
  I'm sorry hear about your closeness to this issue. But I value your perspective, and I very much agree.
  Myself, I don't have a problem with guns. Being around one or around someone with one doesn't make me one iota uncomfortable. They say "guns don't kill people, people kill people" - I think that's right. And those people right now are the radicalized right wingers. We really have to put a stop to this right wing radicalization. I have no idea how.... >
  
  
  They say "guns don't kill people, people kill people" - I think that's right. 
  
  And yet people without guns don't mass shoot people. Weird how they works. >
  
  Yeah, they just mass kill by other means, like in Nice. But I guess those deaths don't matter. >
  
  Mass killing is significantly harder without a gun. In fact, it's so hard to do that when it does happen, people remember it for years to come, like the stabbings in Nice. This is an example of "the exception that proves the rule."
  There's no reason to be obtuse here. In the modern day, mass killing is realistically only done with guns. This is a fact regardless of how you feel about guns and gun control. >
  
  
  Mass killing is significantly harder without a gun.
  
  Not really. Nice is just one example. Bombing and vehicles are easy to employ. >
  
  Evidently they are less easy to employ than guns? >
  
  ^
  
  “I think we have an opportunity, even in a Republican Congress, to pass legislation that can help get money for community violence intervention programs that help end gun violence before it even happens,” he said.
  He further insists that any prospective legislation needs to have a mental health component.
  “Folks with serious mental health issues are often scapegoated as the reason why there’s gun violence,” Frost says. “But as someone who’s been doing the work, when you look into the numbers, having a serious mental health issue doesn’t make you more likely to shoot someone. It actually makes you more likely to be shot.”
  Frost intends to keep the pressure on both Republicans “who sweep the deaths of children under the rug” and on members of his own party who have been otherwise disinclined to take bold action. “I’d venture to say that gun control is the slowest-moving issue in the federal government that has the most media coverage when something happens,” he says. “I have to be the consistent voice.”
  
  Article continues.. >
  
  Most of that is true. But it's not folks with serious mental illness. To be sure,  mental illness definitely plays a role. Lack of care options, stigmas, and undiagnosed mental health problems are absolutely part of the problem. But what we really see far more is a correlation between poverty and gun violence. It's got to be the most reliable correlation. >
  
  Please don't conflate the two things like everyone loves to to fit their story. Poverty and gun violence and crime as a whole are definitely correlated. But when we talk about school shootings, Mall shootings, black church shootings, sikh temple shootings, gay club shootings, supermarket shootings, that's a different topic >
  
  There's one pretty clear constant when it comes to gun violence in the US: an overabundance of guns. If we want to tackle gun violence, we have to address the absolutely insane number of guns our citizens possess. >
  
  Sure but, pointing out that we had record gun sales in 2020 and that they clearly has an impact on the increase in shootings and gun violence makes you a screeching woke lib or something. It's completely impossible to get any one to just acknowledge that more guns=more shootings as an objective fact. >
  
  I wonder how much of those record sales was liberals reacting to the conservative attempt to overthrow the government. >
  
  Anecdotally, I purchased a handgun due to that exact reason. So that's at least 1. >
  
  Another anecdote, my experience at the range has been a huge influx of new gun owners from all walks of life.  
  I'm a gun owner in an extremely liberal state.  So it's somewhat more safe here for all kinds of people to show up at a range.  
  And honestly, I'm delighted to see new gun owners putting in the time to build habits and proficiency.  Way too many of these panic buyers will just buy a gun and stick it in the nightstand, hoping they'll magically become John Wick in a crisis. >
  
  Come down to Houston, the ranges here are generally very diverse and just about everyone here owns. >
  
  Keep going for the jugular, kid.
  -a Millenial who's watched this shit for far too long. >
  
  I had a school lockdown in college that thankfully no one was hurt in. But hearing the alarms and realizing it was a real lockdown was terrifying. Having to hide and the door opening because students were looking for a place to hide and wait for the all clear still stays with me. Our professor was near tears and I was praying to anyone who would hear just in case. I just wanted to go home. 
  Luckily we got the all clear and able to get home safe and sound. Next day, Sandy hook was all over the news. All I think about is those kids and teachers every time a shooting happens. Realizing they probably felt that same fear and just wanted to go home. It hurts to see nothing has changed but gotten worse since. My heart aches for anyone having to experience that feeling of uncertainty and not being able to get home. >
  
  Gen-Z:  Hey can you stop us from getting murdered at school?
  GOP:  haha no fuck you
  Gen-Z:  Hi we're adults now and we're never voting for you.
  GOP:  why tho >
  
  More like 
  Gen-Z: Hi we’re adults now and we’re never voting at all
  GOP: Ok we’ll continue ignoring you
  Gen-Z: why tho >
  
  Ok come back if you get rich >
  
  It’s such a uniquely American problem that we have the highest rates of gun ownership of any country by an absurd margin and the highest rates of gun violence of any country by an absurd margin and our elected officials believe the two are unconnected. Somehow. >
  
  But we need more guns to stop all the guns! 
  This forest fire is out of control! Quick! Get the flame thrower! >
  
  To be fair, they do burn shit to control fires >
  
  The difference being that when they grab the flamethrowers, they don’t aim them at elementary schools, theaters, and churches. They surround the fire itself >
  
  Are boomers then the "serial killer" generation? >
  
  He's not wrong. >
  
  Does it make a whole lot of sense to define a generation on something that results in like 25-50 deaths per year on average? >
  
  You need to relook at your numbers because the death toll is a lot higher >
  
  I bet I'd have great quads/calves if I moved goal posts all the time. >
  
  How is that moving a goalpost? Avg. over the last 40 years is 25. 55 is not a lot higher than 50. >
  
  Hey, homie. I think you need to relax.
  The median over the last 40 years is 15. 55 is not a lot higher than 50, and a million is not a lot higher than a trillion. >
  
  The cost of 2a is paid everyday in American blood and lives >
  
  The US Supreme Court has ruled that concealed carry is a constitutional right.
  But they won't allow concealed carry in their own building while they are hearing cases. 
  Force them to follow the same rules as they are imposing on the rest of us, and watch how quickly they change their tune. >
  
  I feel like it's been a few generations at this point. >
  
  I was 5 when Columbine happened. I obviously didn’t know what happened at the time but as I got into junior high and high school I started to see it in the news. I was always so scared sitting in class and being in crowded hallways where I wouldn’t be able to easily run away if shooting started to happen terrified me. In college, I always picked a seat near an exit and I was constantly paranoid that someone was going to come in and start shooting. I have kids of my own now and I’m seriously considering homeschooling them because I can’t imagine sending them to school and something happening. >
  
  The statistics and studies regarding firearms are becoming and have been extremely politically motivated. We've seen asinine things included in datasets many times to either inflate or deflate the numbers. 
  I'm against banning guns for a few reasons personally.  
  The police are viciously violent and untrustworthy with no legal duty to save or protect anyone.  They are absurdly militarized and already stomp on civil rights daily and I know you've all seen the articles that just become more and more frequent.
  Americans have no social healthcare meaning anyone who gets seriously hurt needs tens of thousands of dollars to be okay again. Sure they might save your life but the bill will make you want to die anyhow. Medical debt last I checked is the leading cause of bankrupcy in the U.S.
  The theme here so far is that without firearms americans have no assurance whatsoever of their well being. Calling 911 is dysfunctional. Pacifying everyone while providing zero groundwork to be like other nations is throwing Americans to the wolves.
  My last reason which might be controversial but is that culturally this is the way of life I want to have.  I do think we need to address a lot of problems but prior to the 1990s america did not have a problem with mass shootings even though semi automatics including ar15s were widely available.  
  It is only in the past several years that the number of incidents have risen drastically.  For that reason I think guns are not the root cause but rather political tension, ongoing poverty, media infamy, and other societal causes.
  My view on this might change personally if we got all the reforms I wish we had. But the way this dialogue is going it looks like we'd just get the firearm bans and none of the police reform or social healthcare and that's a shit deal in my eyes. >
  
  It’s interesting that some American think that taking away a gun is infringement of their rights while taking away a persons freedom to go freely into society isn’t. >
  
  What freedom to go into society is taken away? >
  
  That’s the point. People are afraid to venture out. People live in fear that a group setting may be the next mass shooting. That’s not freedom. >
  
  No one is stopping you from venturing out, except you. >
  
  K bro… >
  
  That’s cool. Now let’s get more like him. Maybe in 50 years we can finally repeal the 2nd amendment. Hopefully I’ll still be alive to see that day. Probably not though. >
  
  I'm for this guy. Fuck the 2A. We have a military that rivals any other countries, our citizens have no need for military hardware. Restrict it to single shot or breech loaders for hunting use, enact a buyback, and throw anyone caught with an illegal weapon in jail for max penalty. >
  
  You think it’s a great idea for only police, military, and the people who direct their actions (i.e., people whose main goal in life is to grow their own power and influence) to have all the weapons? >
  
  Works for other democracies. >
  
  It looks like it’s been working okay post WW2. I am not sure we’re out of the woods yet. It’s not unreasonable to think we might encounter some destabilizing issues in the world in our lifetimes. That might change things. Seems like the kind of thing that’s working until suddenly it isn’t anymore. But there are other good reasons for civilians to own practical firearms. If you have good training and are well practiced, you can protect yourself very effectively. Any kind of help from law enforcement is going to take minutes to arrive (after you realize your life is in danger, and/if you manage to call them, if the system is working properly). That’s a long time to wait in life or death situations. Police can only protect you if protection is still applicable when they get there, and if they choose to. In most cases, they get there after whatever happens… >
  
  How many people died of gun violence in Chicago this last wknd? How about you fix our inner cities? More people die of guns every weekend in Chicago than most mass shootings. I thought “Black Lives Matter”? You know damn well that’s a fkn lie. >
  
  They’re not ready for that convo >
  
  Was he at UT when he’ll rained down from the tower, or is he just another ignorant self-promoter? >
  
  So...what are your solutions buddy? >
  
  from his website:
  "40,000 Americans die due to gun-related deaths each year. The most vulnerable members of our society account for the majority of those deaths. Mass violence has robbed my generation of our childhoods and cut many of our lives short. The attempts to simply regulate the sale of weapons haven’t worked. That’s why I support a holistic approach to gun violence, developed and championed by the Gun Violence Prevention movement. 
  IN CONGRESS, I WILL WORK TO
  Ban assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.
  Require background checks for all gun sales.
  Fund and support local community violence intervention programs, and ensure congress allocates at least $37 million to fully fund public research on gun violence.
  Fight to end the corruption of the gun lobby and dismantle the NRA, and ensure our courts enforce licensing revocation for gun dealers and manufacturers who break the law.
  Develop a national task force to end gun violence of which 25% of the membership is composed of youth and BIPOC representatives who are most affected by gun violence." >
  
  Ah, so not actual solutions, just some unconstitutional measures that will score you political points with rich people.
  Boo all you want, gun control is not a popular issue anymore. You want to make a dent in gun violence? Increase the sentences for illegal gun possession. Enforce the laws we already have on the books. Go after gangs. >
  
  
  Increase the sentences for illegal gun possession. Enforce the laws we already have on the books. Go after gangs.
  
  Ah yes, maybe this strategy will work just as well as it did with the war on drugs. >
  
  Sorry, but unconstitutional bans on firearms are not on the table for a lot of people, nor do they work. >
  
  Yea and the war on drugs is a shining beacon showing just how effective heavy enforcement is at stamping out a problem.
  Prehaps it's time for something new. >
  
  Ah, yes, push unconstitutional laws that actually don't stop gun violence. >
  
  Can you let me know where I supported gun control? 
  Do you think this is a 2 sided coin? >
  
  The part where you said lets try something new... >
  
  How is gun control something new? it's an old idea used in many countries and has been in discourse for decades.
  It's time for new ideas. >
  
  Generation after 9/11 >
  
  Yes, Gen Z has produced more mass shooters than other generations. >
  
  I support responsible 2A rights and am a gun owner myself but something’s gotta give to strike balance and help bring the gun violence problem under control. The founders who wrote the 2A would be aghast at the problem we have on our hands today, it’s certainly not what was envisioned when they wrote it. >
  
  This rep is literally advocating for assault weapon bans and mag limits which don't do anything except piss people off >
  
  I didn’t say I agree with this rep specifically. Just saying that something has to give. And I agree limiting mag sizes and banning assault weapons doesn’t really accomplish much when there’s already so many of these weapons and mags out there, and a high capacity mag can easily be substituted with 2 lower capacity mags. >
  
  It’s a mental health issue. We need to get to root of that. Healthy people don’t go around shooting people or showing off their gun as an extension of their personality. There’s a huge culture shift that needs to happen in this country and I don’t think there’s any law that can make that happen. 
  People are in denial in this country about the depth of this mental health crisis. There’s so much propaganda coming from everywhere that as a nation we are so brainwashed that any solution offered is met with “mah freedum, mah rights”. 
  We will keep coming back to this until we fix the root of the problem: the normalization of violence in American culture and theocracy. 
  That’s the difference between the US and other developed countries. We haven’t moved beyond the primitive thought of praising violence as a way to save problems and using an invisible sky daddy to justify it. 
  We have the same extreme mentality toward violence and religion as third would countries and are wondering why we’re backsliding so fast. You cannot have a democratic country with brainwashed citizens or people in leadership that think people who don’t agree with their book of fairy tales should suffer. 
  All of our societal issues can be traced back to unchecked power from Christianity. (And Regan, but that’s a story for another day) >
  
  Which do you think would be more feasible, mandatory, country-wide mental healthcare..or a buyback program and some repeals? >
  
  Decades spent honing their elite FPS & drifting skillz in video games  have this generation uniquely qualified for leadership roles... >
  
  Ok now that came out of nowhere lol >
  
  Is that supposed to be followed by /s >
  
  If you were born in the 90s you’re a millenial. Gen Z does not claim this man >
  
  Most definitions of GenZ start in 1997, so he qualifies, in addition to identifying that way.