The Surgeon General during the Clinton administration decided guns were a public health issue.
As someone who went to medical school (no, I'm not a physician, I'm just a nerdy benchtop basic-scientist), when I take my own personal beliefs and biases out of the equation, I can see where those whose focus is on public health (and thus draws funding from public health
) would think that public health measures may make a difference.
I half-jokingly tell them that if that's the case, they really need to bring firearms safety to grade-school, just like we've done with sex-ed. That typically brings about some uncomfortable hand-wringing.
I have no problem with research of the causes of violence, but liberal academia will be unable to face the inevitable truth.
We already know where the problem lies. It is a subculture of violence where violence is the primary means of social discourse and control. Fatherless families and feral children, failed public education, drugs and alcohol, and a prevailing violence ethic provide a perfect foundation for a violent subculture. But our media, and elected officials, haven't the courage to confront it for what it is. Remember when Trump called MS13 animals and Pelosi and her ilk jumped to their support?
Carve out gang related murders, and murders in certain communities where violence is the norm, and the U.S. has one of the lowest murder rates in the world. Put criminals who use guns under the jail and leave them there. But just look at who is in charge in the cities with the highest homicide rates and you get a clear picture of where the problem lies. But rather than address the real issues, let's demonize and de-fund the police and mollycoddle the very criminals who are wreaking havoc. With this, and many other public policy issues, we seem to have entered an alternate reality where common sense is non-existent.
This is where I'm at with my thinking, too.
I don't think that the problem is one of "gun violence" - rather, it's one of
violence, period.
And towards that, I think it's a problem of cultural norms, of morals and ethics.
Also for me, I think that interpersonal/societal violence, as the late Dr. William Aprill ( for those who are reading and are unfamiliar with his works, I *highly* recommend taking the time to view the series of interviews of him that are available for-free on his tribute page on the
Personal Defense Network:
https://www.personaldefensenetwork.com/article/williamaprill/ - these interviews contain the bulk of his material from his outstanding "Unthinkable" lectures ) suggested, has definite mental health components to it, and that this is where perhaps public health changes and changes in the healthcare system can actually make a difference.
But alas, in today's "colorblind casting" world, we dare not put the blame on any one culture/sub-culture. [
This, despite one former UK police chief noting that by simply telling him the geographic area in London, he could give you objective, quantified data as to who commits the crime in that area, and what type of crimes are committed, so that actually effective targeted enforcement would then be possible. ]
And to try to tackle the underlying erosion of moral/ethical issues? Which politician would like to try to tackle this debacle? Maybe the former California Senator, Leland Yee?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...on-heading-to-prison-for-weapons-trafficking/
My wife is a physician, a pediatrician by training. Y'all can probably guess which side of this particular argument she is on.
We're on completely opposite sides of this debate, and as I just texted her this past Monday after she sent me an article from the October issue of
The Atlantic, I reject the notion that one inanimate object -one that is in the hands of
millions in this country- is solely responsible for acts of violence.
The issue is not one of "gun violence." The issue is one of violence, period. It's about why soccer-moms attack each other and even the children they drive to games. It's about why kids target the elderly for "the knockout game" or set fire to stray animals. It's about why passengers attack flight-attendants. It's about why priests commit pedophilia. That a gun or a knife or a brick -or just psychological pressure- is used is secondary to the violence committed.
After all, I'm not picking up my gun(s), now, to go and commit some unspeakable evil? no? And last I checked, I had more than a few, and more than a few rounds of ammo, too.....
Something really was pretty wrong with this guy.....and I don't think it was the axe that made him do it.
www.dailywire.com
