Barry starts a conversation about mass shootings, inviting believers to think through narrowing the topic, developing parameters for response, and seeking clear-headed and soft-hearted means for conversing about challenging topics facing our culture.
Articles:
As many might add to this complicated issue, and I have no hard and fast statistics to share at present, that a large percent of these shootings could more implicate mental illness as a huge factor in these shootings. Texas is dead last in terms of mental healthcare in the US.
The following excerpt is taken from the article:
“The Worst States For Mental Health Care, Ranked”
Les Masterson Forbes Advisor May 23, 2023.
“Texas tops the list of worst states for mental health care, while Vermont is the best state for mental health care.
Seven of the 10 worst states for mental health care are located in the South, including Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee.”
This, coupled with scriptural warnings about the “Last Days” and the condition of he heart of mankind being “deceitful wicked”, it should come as no surprise. Still, if more attention were paid to the mental health care system by politicians, to name just one group, we might see a reduction coupled with a more comprehensive gun ownership screening.
It would seem that an appeal to “common sense” would require that we consider the growing data, because these many mass shootings have given us a base of information. I have never heard those who want “common sense” changes to explain the likelyhood of the changes they want to actually change the outcome of some reasonable percentage of actual shootings.
The one thing that often comes up is to put restrictions on a specific type of firearm(semi auto rifle). There is a really strong argument that another type of firmarm (semi auto pistol) is about 95% as “effective” as the semi auto rifle, and about no one wants to put restrictions on the pistols.