Again

Again, another shooting.  Again, in a school by another young, troubled person.  Again, hotly contested debate about how to stop such incidents.  Young people have started a movement to eliminate / curtail gun sales.  Particularly those termed Assault. Potentially this movement may take roots and lead to some changes in gun ownership.  What it will likely not create is less acts of violence by people determined to create havoc.  Persons with a demented need to wreck havoc on innocent people will most certainly find a way to do so.  If automatic weapons are not available, then other means will continue to be used.

We have witnessed acts of this nature in ever increasing instances.  Cars, explosives, blade weapons and more besides guns have been used.  Most occurrences are attributed to deranged individuals rather than well planned instances of terrorism.  The nature of these attacks appear to have nothing in common beyond individual detachment to reality. Arguments are made for increased background checks or increasing legal age for purchasing certain weapons.  Criminal leaning individuals will undoubtedly continue to have disregard for laws and therefore more laws will have little effect.

In the grand scheme of things, gun violence is noticeably less than many other causes of death.  The fact that some occurrences have happened at schools seems to have brought guns to the forefront of news today, again.  Always in the past, some new hot topic has come up and the noise about gun control has died quietly.  Interestingly, more frequent causes of premature death have not created the same furor in the consciousness of society.  Automobiles, drugs, disease,alcohol and other causes are far more reaching than guns as a cause of early death.  Why not similar outrage and concern for control?

Could there be some connection to Movies and Video Games and the potential for reduced sensitivity to violence?  Could be.  Why not restrict the availability of those.  How about distracted driving?  Auto makers continue to make it easier to use electronic devices in the modern automobile.  Lets legislate the return of driving without electronic distractions.  We have attempted to legislate our way out of the drug epidemic, without success.  We have laws against driving under the influence of alcohol, yet, alcohol continues to be a leading cause of automobile accidents.  So, that's working well?  Now, personally, I have no sympathy for drug users and alcohol related problems because those are choices made by those individuals.  I do feel sorry for those individuals harmed or killed by users of drugs and alcohol.

While untimely death or maiming is unfortunate and heart breaking, I see no way that we can legislate our way away from the reality that these problems will continue.  And continue with greater frequency.  Society is becoming more narcissistic every year.  Concern for fellow man only happens when some unbelievable act of violence happens.  Then we offer prayers and condolences and continue with our life.  Permanent change seems only a dream we have.  Actual ability of our society to change is most likely not happening until an actual global event that requires a new way of thinking.  I am comfortable that I will not see that happen in my lifetime and hope that future generations will rise to the challenge.  I feel certain that the necessary change will not come from government, but rather by grass roots groups and individuals.  A revolution if you will.  Action sparked by a genuine concern for humanity rather than driven by greed.