What is the REAL CAUSE of mass shootings?

[Double Naught Spy]

Gun free zones are the real cause in my opinion.

Most mass shootings don't occur in gun free zones, so they can't be the real cause.
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=499623&highlight=myth+gun+free+zones
expanded discussion here...
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=674889&page=2&highlight=gun+free+zone+myth

Mass shooters have not been shown to consistently look for gun-free zones. In the vast majority of the cases, mass shooters shoot up places where they have some sort of problem with people at that location, even some mall shooters like Sylvia Seegrist. The shooters had real or perceived problems at gun-free localities isn't the cause of the shootings. Let's face it, if you get fired at work across town, you are not going to go into somebody else's workplace and try to kill the management there. If you are being bullied at your school, you are not going to go to some other school and kill the students there. If you spouse is divorcing you and has moved back home to be with his/her family, you aren't going to go kill some other completely unrelated family.

 

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Misuse of the term statistical.

I have a problem with this thread as it is full of conjecture without recourse to what is actually known.

I'll let it go a bit but folks - some of you are making conclusions as bad as the antigunners make. You need to actually research these things. It's great to have opinions but ...

Glenn

 

[Dashunde]

Much of this thread has involved folks trying to identify simple causes based on their beliefs and ideologies.

Our social beliefs and ideologies are the foundation of our sense of "Right & Wrong", without it I'm not certain we can determine whether or not someone psychologically off-center or not, at least criminally. (Glenn??)

I'd like to back up and point something out here... Please re-read Post 1 quoted below.
From the outset this thread is a solicitation of what we believe (or think) is the cause.
The OP wasn’t seeking conclusive fact-based studies, but merely our layperson opinions/beliefs of the cause and what we feel our politicians should focus on. Assumably with professional input welcome too.
Dicing up responses that fall within the scope of the OP may be unnecessary.

What do you believe is the REAL CAUSE of mass shootings? Select the option you think our politicians should focus on if they are truly interested in stopping these terrible episodes.

I thought this poll might provide some sense of what we in the gun community believe is the real problem.

A few pointed out problems with the context of the thread/pole in general, but let it continue, wisely so if you ask me... I for one gleaned some insight on the subject, and I figure that’s what these forums are all about.

 

[Frank Ettin]

...I'd like to back up and point something out here... Please re-read Post 1 quoted below.
From the outset this thread is a solicitation of what we believe (or think) is the cause.
The OP wasn’t seeking conclusive fact-based studies, but merely our layperson opinions/beliefs...

What value do one's personal, subjective beliefs have when they are demonstrably inconsistent with reality?

People used to believe that the Earth was the center of the universe. People used to believe that the Earth was flat.

Some people seem to be interested in learning about, and trying to actually understand reality; and some people seem determined to remain ignorant and just pretend that they know things.

 

[Dashunde]

I'll say it again Frank...
A few pointed out problems with the context of the thread/pole in general, but let it continue, wisely so if you ask me... I for one gleaned some insight on the subject, and I figure that’s what these forums are all about.

 

[Evan Thomas]

What value do one's personal, subjective beliefs have when they are demonstrably inconsistent with reality?

People used to believe that the Earth was the center of the universe. People used to believe that the Earth was flat.

Yes -- people used to believe that the Earth stood still, and the sun, moon, and stars moved around it.

Knowing that this belief is wrong, and that the Earth is a rotating sphere, does matter: navigation, meteorology, and long-range ballistics are just a few practical fields which depend heavily on getting this right.

Not all beliefs are created equal. If we want our politicians to focus on measures that are actually effective, the first thing to do is to test our beliefs against reality. Otherwise, we're just asking for more "feel-good" legislation, which is exactly what we accuse our opponents of doing.

If this thread helps us test our beliefs, or at least see that it's important to do so, it's worthwhile.

 

[Frank Ettin]

...If this thread helps us test our beliefs, or at least see that it's important to do so, it's worthwhile.

Yes, and that is the point and value of these discussions.

Merely swapping unsupported beliefs doesn't accomplish anything. The value comes from testing those beliefs -- holding them up to critical examination, being challenged to support them and teasing out the evidence and data that helps us to understand reality.

 

[Dashunde]

How are we to understand a reality derived from sociology, psychology, politics and law?
They are ever changing and often contradict each other, even within same disciplines.

It seems we're ultimately left with what we believe to be true, which we use to socially and politically effect change, and our reality follows.

 

[SIGSHR]

How about intoxicating and mind altering substances? In 1982 South Korean police officer Woo Bum-kon killed 59 people-with government issued weapons and ammunition-in an alcohol fueled rage.

 

[Spats McGee]

This one has gotten to the round-and-round-and-round-we-go phase, so I don't see anything else useful coming out of this one.