With the recent violence using firearms in the United States, is the issue one of firearms, culture, mental health or the failure of the mental health system? Please share your thoughts.
Recently, it very much appears some of the higher profile homicides can be linked in the killer with a mental health element, but that does not explain the many other homicides that appear linked to gangs and drugs.
Hi David,
I believe the issue to be one of human nature .... though culture and mental health are certainly considerations. Firearms/weapons are nothing more than neutral tools that humans use for some type of intended purpose. If someone wants truly to harm someone else, then they'll find a way. In my opinion, if firearms are unavailable, then another tool/resource will be employed to inflict harm.
An interesting case involves the UK -- here's a link that highlights crime rates, including stabbings:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5251268/london-stabbings-2018-knife-crime-statistics-woolwich-dlr-kensington/
Basically, the society shows violence -- but inflicted with knives instead of firearms. In the US, although we often hear news reports of violence involving firearms, I believe it boils down to one's desire to harm another, and the availability of a weapon/resource through which a violent act may be perpetrated. So, in my opinion, more toward culture and mental health...
Have a good evening!
--Adrian
If you look across cultures you will see countries have different attitudes to firearms resulting in different rates of homicides for example Israel, Switzerland and the USA. In the USA, the NRA have a major input into the cultural values because of their huge investment in firearms compared to other countries. Unfortunately, no USA government have the moral fibre to ban firearm and reduce the power of the NRA because they know they would loose votes. The self defence argument is not supported by data in that less than 1% of homicides in the USA is legally accepted as self defence.
Commenting only to state that Dr. Berry's claims are overwhelmingly false/counterfactual.
"Attitudes towards firearms" cannot explain the difference in violence rates between USA, Israel, and Switzerland. ALL violent crimes are lower in Israel and Switzerland--so it's clearly not related to "firearm crime" as opposed to *ALL* crime.
The NRA has no "investment in firearms". It has many individual members (human beings) who support its activities.
The fact that politicians make *many* promises about *many* different interests in order not to lose votes is not an "NRA issue".
Beyond the ignorance fueling calls for more "common sense" gun control, or even gun ban, the fact of the existence of that inconvenient 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution also has something to do with why the US government doesn't just ban guns.
Even ardent supporters of gun bans have had the intellectual honesty to understand that the evidence demonstrates guns may be used (in fact, are *overwhelmingly* used) in self defense *without ever being fired*. See, e.g., https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.bing.com/&httpsredir=1&article=6854&context=jclc Thus, the number of justifiable homicides is specifically designed to grossly underestimate the number of defensive uses.
Thank you so much for your answers. Each have been very and lightning and insightful
Different interpretations of what the concept of "freedom" means to different groups who differ in ideology.
Dennis
Dennis Mazur
This is a great question and I believe it includes elements of each of these factors.
I also agree with Ashley and others that it very much appears some of the higher profile homicides can be linked in the killer with a mental health element, but that does not explain the many other homicides that appear linked to gangs and drugs.
I also agree, I believe the issue to be one of human nature .... though culture and mental health are certainly considerations. Firearms/weapons are nothing more than neutral tools that humans use for some type of intended purpose. If someone wants truly to harm someone else, then they'll find a way.
As I reach my more mature years and have been teaching and practicing law for nearly 40 years, I must observe the changes in culture, society, family and diminishing resources for mental health as all being factors which advance gun violence. I can't help but wonder how the graphic depiction of death through multiple media, without consequence for the observer has created a sense of de-sensitizing attitudes towards violence directed towards others, whether gun or otherwise. However, I remember vividly playing war or cowboy/Indian battles when growing up. Somehow the overall attitude towards killing another has lost the notion of being outside the avenues of resolving conflicts with others. During my career we have also released people into society from previous captivity due to mental issues, and yet we did not provide an appropriate mechanism for insuring those with compromised judgement are not able to obtain firearms with relative ease. It is not any of these factors in isolation, but rather the perfect storm of all of them acting in concert to change attitudes across all aspects of society. I don't think it is gun ownership or the NRA. I remember when the Sears and Roebuck catalog had guns which could be ordered through the mail. But something has changed the way people respect the lives of others sufficiently to protect their lives rather than taking them through violence. Just observations from an old lawyer who has tried capital murder cases (with and without guns) and also been in the classroom for nearly four decades watching changes in our young people. There is much good within them, but also we may have failed them in some respects to value life. It is only the blink of time's eye.
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