Gun violence debate - exploring our own culture and what we can change... [View all]

[ReasonableToo]

The reasons for the violence are not clear-cut. The circumstances of the shooters vary but it's no wonder that we have as much violence as we do...this violence includes not only these mass shooting events but also the DAILY gun violence in cities - especially poor neighborhoods.

--We have no universal health care. And certainly no universal mental health care.

--We have a pressure cooker economy where money to live on has been siphoned out of the middle and working class.

--The housing bubble has left many home owners on the verge of foreclosure and bankruptcy.

--Young adults can't find work and are still living at home or have returned home. Their parents are economically unable to continue to support grown children and in some cases their families living at home.

--Reliable contraception is not cheaply and readily available to all men and women - especially those without health insurance. Women who have no desire to have and love kids are shamed into keeping kids that they don't want or are denied abortions. Many kids are neglected and live emotionally and physically tortured lives.

--In most families, both parents have to work to make ends meet. The tax deduction for daycare runs out at age 13. Many kids are left alone in the summer after age 13. Lots of time for video games. (many are "first person shooters" - these are especially popular among adolescent males.) Single parent families have it even worse.

--The NRA is maniacal in their support of the gun companies' right to sell arms. The NRA scorecard will make or break a campaign in the red states.

--Community centers and youth programs have been cut from budgets. (meanwhile money for prisons increases)

--We have a never ending supply of TV shows where viewers laugh at people getting hurt - many seriously hurt.

--We have a growing number of TV shows about how great guns are. (And how anyone who want's to limit access/use is evil.)

--Drug addiction is treated as a crime rather than an illness. (Unless you're Rush or the President (the last 3) or any number of wealthy and well-connected individuals - then it's ok.)

--We no longer have a department of corrections that's goal is to prepare inmates to re-enter society. Rather, it's a for-profit system where taxpayers are paying corporations to pen humans in and then release them WORSE then they were when they entered.

--Our media consists of talking heads that just let lobbyist correspondents/pundits/contributors/"reporters" just ramble on with their talking points - unchallenged by anyone who can speak to the issues objectively. They rarely bring on actual economists, inmates rights advocates, environmentalists, peace activists, to counter the oligarchs' narrative. No more lies on any news show or news networks. Mandate corrections for false reporting. (Require multiple on-air/in print corrections - not just a footnote or late night mention.) Take away license for network owners that condone lying on their network.

--We have people that think the violence in schools is because we "took god out of schools." Somehow the schools deserve what's happening. So if it's divine intervention that made the shooters kill, we have no responsibility to stop future shooters - just get the teachers to lead the kids in prayer. Yeah, that will fix it. (sarcasm of course)

--We have people that think that god is "testing" individuals and providing an "opportunity" for more people to get their hears right so that they will "survive" the end of times. (yes, someone actually told me that today.)

--Gangs provide perceived protection from other gangs. If a 17 gang member shoots a 15 year old kid on gang leader's orders he's a murderer. If a 17 year old in the us army shoots a 15 year old Iraqi on orders, we thank him for his service.

Solutions:

--Single payer health (including mental) care. For those that say that you don't want to pay for other's care. Realize that 20 kindergartners and 6 staff and their families are paying for the lack of mental health care today. More will pay for it next month. This is the new normal unless we DO something.

--Don't take away all guns. Require registration and licenses - with safety testing. The in-person safety testing gives the tester an opportunity to interact and assess the applicant. Limit the size of magazines. No auto or semi-automatic for civilians. Anyone with more than 5 guns = red flag. Requires additional monitoring. The military screens new recruits and although it's less lately, they'll turn mentally unstable recruits away. Start with the military's standards and make it even more stringent for who can have guns.

--Support the middle and working class. Support children from 0 to 18 with not only a safety net but programs that enrich their lives. Quality education for all - NOT vouchers that are designed to put money in the hands of the for-profit educators at the expense of students.

--Tax everyone. If the upper 2% takes in half of the annual wealth then they should be paying 1/2 of the annual taxes. If they take in 3/4 of the wealth then they should be paying 3/4 of the taxes. Put a tax on guns and bullets so that the money coming in pays for the system to register, license and monitor guns. Keep tax deduction for first home - not the second or the third or the ones that are part of the flipping business. Determine what we want government to do and then raise enough revenues to pay for it.

--Change back to department of corrections. Teach life skills and job skills. And NOT under some slave labor system. Treat inmates respectfully like human beings because that's how we want them to treat us.

--Legalize marijuana so that police departments can focus on violent crimes and not drug arrest quotas. AND marijuana can be used as a gateway drug OFF the harder drugs.

--Support more programs to engage the public - young and old - in getting together as a community. Support the arts in school. Not every kid is going to college for math and science.

--Separate church and state. That includes the military.

--Stop the military's support of life-like violent video games. Yes, they help develop mainstream violent video games.