[cryptodan]

I was bullied and still am. I have used and owned guns since I was 4. I haven't once thought about killing another person, and I too suffered from a speech impediment and didn't have it easy in school. The difference between me and these mass shooters is that I was told to use that as strengths and to use it to make myself better. I have and successfully done so. The mass shooters as of late feel like this is the only way to settle their rage and anger. It's rather sad.

The issue isn't guns the issue is the crumbling family and tge degradation of society. We humans are nothing but animals down to the core. If a person wants to kill they will find a way.

Another issue in the USA is the lacking mental Healthcare that other nations have. Many are afraid to seek mental health help because of the stigma of looking weak, much like men not reporting rape or sexual assault that they experience. Also couple that with covid19 lockdowns and that gives these at risk people lots of time to think, plan, and execute. At this time its far to late for them. As a result you get more mass shootings.

[zarzavat]

It doesn’t follow that just because _you_ have never thought to use guns, that nobody else will think to use guns and therefore guns are not the problem. Even if 0.01% of bullied people think to use guns that’s still many shootings. There will be disturbed people in any society, the question is how to limit the damage they cause.

In the UK we had one school shooting (conducted by an adult), and after that very strict restrictions were put on gun ownership. A similar case happened in Australia.

The fact that it is still controversial whether “guns are the issue” shows that the US has not yet begun to grapple with the issue.

[freediver]

Thanks for sharing that, sorry to hear the situation but really interesting thoughts.

In your opinion what lead to the crumbling of the institution of family, that did not happen in other countries?

[IG_Semmelweiss]

Not parent, but my thoughts:

- Decline of religion/spirituality is more pronounced in usa.

- More dual working parent homes (due to free labor markets). I also suspect that while real incomes have risen, actual disposable income has decreased, which pressures households into dual working arrangements. This means less time invested by parents in kids.

- institutional rot of public education . As some poster said, school bureaucracy is now defacto enabler of bullying - by doing nothing when observed... and punishing teachers that actually try.

- the internet has cracked the authority of social groups, with more time spent online and people more fractured among niche interests. This means less oversight and more activities happening without a concerted response by the group

[maxerickson]

The US is intensely religious compared to much of Europe. Intensely.

[IG_Semmelweiss]

Yes but you should compare vs peers.

You want to look at countries with high per capita ownership of firearms.

With the exception of uruguay, most comparable countries [1] place higher importance on religion vs USA [2]

That veing said, there are confounding factors. These surveys are not measuring spirituality, for example.

Then there is the elephant in the room with regards to gdp per capita. I've been told of an old chinese proverb that illustrates this point:

No food. One problem. Much food. Many problems.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_religious_populations#...

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estimated_number_of_civilian_g...

[maxerickson]

I think you are gonna need to specify what countries you think are worth comparing, because there's not really a structured correlation between the lists you link (and among large countries, the US has relatively high religiosity and relatively low atheism, look above and below at your [1]).

[johnny22]

> - Decline of religion/spirituality is more pronounced in usa.

vs where?

[Bud]

You haven't even spent 15 seconds looking up basic facts about religion, have you?

It shows.

[prawn]

Are drugs a serious factor in the US? In the case of this shooter, his mother was struggling with drugs, had a fraught relationship with the son and the grandmother was pushing them out. Growing up amongst that would build a lot of anger in someone.

[mountainriver]

Good call out on the mental healthcare I think this often gets overlooked, but you have to wonder if it was available in this instance would we be here today

[braingenious]

> I haven't once thought about killing another person…

You haven’t _THOUGHT _ of killing another person? Ever? It must be amazing to live with such purity of thought.

> The issue isn't guns the issue is the crumbling family and tge degradation of society.

The United States is unique when it comes to crumbling family?

[rrradical]

I don't think it is rare to have never imagined killing someone. Not trying to be judgy.

[braingenious]

I think the wording is kind of silly. Bragging about never even having a thought is a weird way to claim virtue.

If you read this bit of text:

“Imagine killing another human”

What happens in your head? Is it blank save for a triumphant “Not today, Satan!”?

If I were to write “Imagine pushing somebody off a cliff”, it would be common for people to just… not imagine that? And this refusal of imagination is a virtue that, if it were more common, would somehow be helpful to society?