Episode 9 Show Notes- Analyzing Gun Violence & Mass Shootings: Is it a gun problem or a cultural problem

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Episode Description

In this episode, Professor Giordano provides an analysis of why mass shootings are occurring. The news media and politicians cannot think critically and fail to explore the underlying causes of mass shootings. Sick and tired of oversimplifying the issue, Professor Giordano provides a thorough analysis of the real causes of gun violence and mass shootings. Also, Professor Giordano examines the 2^nd Amendment, its purposes, and why the founders wanted an armed citizenry.

Intro

Welcome everyone to another episode of The PAS Report Weekly Roundup Podcast. This is your host Nick Giordano, and this week’s topic will center around mass shootings given the shooting over the weekend. As always, if you want to see the show notes or my sourcing, go to https://pasreport.com.

Another mass shooting has horrified the nation. We see this all too often. A mass shooting happens, people are saddened and outraged, and within a few days, the story goes away.

This week, the news media and politicians illustrated the lack of depth in their reporting and analysis. They continue to focus more on gossip than the critical issues that matter to you. The talking heads do not have the ability to explore issues in detail and instead look to generate a three-second soundbite.

Rather than understand mass shootings, the knee-jerk reaction shifts to gun control as if the government can solve the problems. They over simplify the issue, and this over simplification does not advance the debate. They also try and silence opposition by labeling anyone who disagrees with their narrative as people who must hate kids.

The PAS Report will continue to explore issues in-depth to get to the root of the problem. Only when you truly understand the issue can you begin to develop sound policies. As a society, we must not compromise our core principles because of our inability to think critically.

Putting the numbers in perspective

To understand the modern-day mass shooter, we must examine some of the numbers that exist. Perspective is everything.

1) Using the CDC database, the number of firearm deaths between 2008-2017 averages 34,293. (CDC) While this number may seem high, it is misleading to use this number as we have to break it down.

2) Using the same ten-year data set from 2008-2017, the average rate of suicide by firearm is 20,837. (CDC). So, 60.76% of all gun deaths are suicides.

• Middle-aged males make up the largest group to commit suicide. (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention)
• The media and punditry class mislead the American people by continually including the suicide numbers in the gun violence stats. They make too many assumptions:
  • You can’t assume gun control laws would affect this population. Many of these individuals purchased their firearms years before depression may have kicked in, and many would pass the background investigations.
  • By using these numbers, you would have to assume that the 20,837 would not have found another means to commit suicide
• When we take out the suicide numbers, the death by firearm rate drops to 13,456 people a year.

3) The unintentional firearm deaths must also be removed as these were accidents, and you cannot assume that any gun control law would have prevented these deaths. Using the same data set from 2008-2017, the average unintentional firearm deaths is 532 people per year. (CDC)

• This would drop the death by firearm rate to 12,924.

4) According to FBI data, the average number of homicides by firearm from 2008-2017 is 10,387 when you account for self-defense. (FBI)

5) According to the University of Pittsburgh, 79% of those arrested for gun crimes were in illegal possession of the firearm. (Washington Post) A John Hopkins study put the number at about 65%.

• These guns could be stolen or obtained on the black market.
• The study did have its limits and did not look at murders alone. Rather it looked at all gun crimes.
• Gun laws are not going to force criminals to obtain guns in the legal way.
• Using a median average of the two studies, we can put the number of deaths by illegal firearms at 7,479.
• This leaves us with an annual number of firearm deaths of 2,908 people.

6) Most of those 2,908 people are victims of domestic violence. It’s impossible to determine what percentage could have been prevented by gun control laws as it would require looking into each individual case.

7) Let’s be honest, the reason we have the gun control debate is due to mass shootings, more specifically school shootings. Definitions vary widely on what constitutes a mass shooting. We use FBI data because it is the most credible source.

• From 2000-2017, there were 250 mass shootings of which 799 people were killed, and 1,418 were wounded.
• Looking at the fatalities, it averages approximately 47 people dying in a year in mass shootings. (FBI)

Perspective is everything

When talking about radically overhauling our gun laws, lets put the 47 deaths a year in perspective.

• Being a country of 329 million people, where according to the Congressional Research Service, 310 million firearms are owned, it shows that Americans are largely responsible when it comes to firearms. If there were a real gun epidemic, the numbers would be off the charts.
• Every day, 29 people will die from drinking and driving (CDC), and 88,000 per year will die from alcohol-related causes (National Institute of Health)- Banning alcohol will save a lot more lives.
• Cigarettes, the largest preventable death, kills a whopping 480,000 people each year. (CDC)- Instead of taxing the hell out of cigarettes, why not just outright ban them?
• 467 people will be killed each year by blunt force objects including hammers and clubs (FBI)- Should we ban these items?
• 1,591 will be killed by stabbings each year (FBI)- Should we ban knives?

Historical perspective is important as well

Another interesting fact that the media fails to explore is past history regarding mass shootings. It is important to understand our past so that we can identify the real reason why we see an increase in mass shootings. The same high-powered weapons that exist today have existed for over a half-century. The AR-15 has been in the news because of its use in a few mass shootings, yet this firearm has existed since 1959. (NPR)

In addition, America didn’t have any real gun laws until the 1980s. Before 1986, there were three major gun laws, mostly dealing with licensing firearm dealers, and in 1968, preventing the sale of bombs, mines, grenades, and fully automatic machine guns. (Time)

At the same time, the percentage of households with firearms has declined over the decades. According to a University of Chicago study, in 1973, 47% of American households had firearms, whereas 31% of households had firearms in 2014. (University of Chicago)

No one asks the question- Before the 1990’s we had virtually no real gun laws, and we had a handful of mass shootings. Starting in the late 1990s, we began to see extensive gun laws and an increase in mass shootings.

The Politicians are lying to you

That doesn’t make sense. Haven’t we been told that if we pass more gun control laws, mass shootings will decrease? This illustrates that something deeper may be going on, and the government may not be the answer.

Shockingly, the politicians are lying to you. The reality is that stricter gun laws would not have impacted most of the mass shootings as most mass shooters followed the laws, had clean backgrounds, and purchased at least one firearm long before the mass shooting.

That’s not to say that no gun laws have merit. Mental health, punishing parents, etc. can all be discussed. However, it is a lie that if we just pass gun laws will stop mass shootings. They make it as if a law will be the silver bullet (no pun intended) for this problem. We should demand honesty from our politicians. If we are going to be honest and you want to prevent mass shootings by firearm, then admit to the American people that you want confiscation. They want to disarm our society going against the very idea of the 2^nd Amendment, which I’ll discuss further in a little while.

It’s not a gun problem; it’s a cultural problem

Guns are not the problem, and guns don’t make people become killers. There is something interesting that is happening in our society where there is a complete disregard for human life. If we want to find the cause of the problem, we need to look at the modern-day mass shooter as their enough similarities to give us the answers.

The 1998 Columbine shooting is where the modern mass shooter emerged. The trends among the modern-day mass shooter are disturbing.

Similarities

• Mass shooters are overwhelmingly men. According to FBI data, out of the 250 mass shootings that I identified earlier from 2000-2017, only nine were perpetrated by females. That’s only 3%.
• According to the FBI Active Shooter Incidents from 2000-2018, the average age of a mass shooter is 34-years old. (FBI) If we focus on school shootings alone (this is why we have the debate), the average age is between 18-20.
• Sticking with school shootings, the largest factors in school shootings are
  • 24% motivated by a desire for attention or recognition.
  • 27% motivated by suicide or desperation.
  • 34% motivated by an attempt to solve a problem.
  • 54% had multiple motives.
  • 61% motivated by the desire for revenge.
  • 75% felt bullied/persecuted/threatened by others (FBI)

 

• Continuing to focus on school shooters (American Counseling Association)
  • 88% had very few close friends
  • 63% were interested in violent movies and video games
  • 78% had a history of suicide attempts and mental health conditions
  • 71-87% faced bullying

Generational differences

Things like bullying are nothing new, and it’s fair to ask why kids from the 50’s to the early 90’s engage in mass shootings? What has changed since then? What has changed in our society and our culture to create this phenomenon of a complete disregard for human life?

Violent Video Games

Over 95% of children will play violent video games and not become a school shooter, but although the overwhelming majority would not become a school shooter, many school shooters had a tendency towards violence and played violent video games.

The video games and graphics have evolved from Frogger to Sonic the Hedgehog to Grand Theft Auto. As the graphics became real, the violence becomes real. What benefit does a game like GTA have to a society where you are a bad guy that can beat and kill cops, prostitutes, and innocent people? It doesn’t mean that anyone playing these types of games will engage in violence, but can we say it’s beneficial? Why in the past did most children pick to be the good guy whereas today many will choose the bad guy?

Look at our military. We have created killer drones using the same controllers from the gaming platforms. Doesn’t this take the humanity out of war?

Television Shows & Movies

Television shows have evolved as well. Growing up, I watched shows like Saved by the Bell, Charles in Charge, and Growing Pains. Every episode was a moral lesson where someone would do something wrong, and by the end, they learned what they did wrong. It was a way to try and instill morality in society.

If you look at shows today, the lines have been blurred between good and bad. It is difficult to be able to tell the difference between the good guys and the bad guys. Take shows like Gotham or Lethal Weapon. I enjoyed these shows, and for the entertainment value they were great. But when we look at the main characters, they engage in the same bad behavior as the bad guys. Jim Gordon, the person that’s supposed to be Commissioner of a police department, and bring some order to Gotham committed numerous crimes throughout the series including murder. As for Lethal Weapon, the beloved character was a drunk, and the two lead cops again broke laws and violated rules. Do the ends justify the means.

Movies are another area where violence has consistently gotten worse. Are we going to argue that the constant bombardment of Hollywood glorifying violence, sex, and drugs, is having a positive impact on young males? Are we going to say these movies are improving society? I’m not taking anything away from them as far as entertainment value goes, but as far as impacting the youth, we must recognize the negative impact they have. Once again, I am not saying that everyone that watches violent movies will become a mass shooter. Most won’t.

However, we need to examine how these programs impact those suffering from mental health issues, particularly younger people whose brains haven’t fully developed.

Mental Health Issues & Medications

Why are kids more stressed out today? Why do more kids today suffer from anxiety and depression compared to previous generations? Why do those between the ages of 18-25 have a higher rate of depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety? (National Institute of Health)

Today more kids are feeling “empty” and “miserable.” The CDC says that 1 in 5 American children ages 3-17 have a “diagnosable mental, emotional or behavioral disorder.” (NBC News)

Think about that. The mental health crisis among our youth is real. Obviously, it shows all the “stuff” we have is not making us happier. People growing up in the ’40s, ’50s 60’s and the ’70s didn’t have a lot. Steak was a luxury. There was no such thing as gaming systems. Households had one television. Most families had one car. Interesting to see as we acquire more and more stuff, we get more and more depressed. Could it be because we had a much greater appreciation for what little some may have had? Could it be that we felt like we were part of a community, and now many feel isolated?

Most people that suffer from a mental illness will never commit an act of violence. But it would be foolish not to see that a common theme amongst school shooters is that they had a mental health condition, were socially awkward and had little close friends, and they were bullied. The warning signs are usually there, and after most school shootings, it is rare for the victims to say that the shooter was an outgoing, warm, well-like person. (NPR)

Rise of the internet and social media

It is undeniable that the internet and social media has played a role in shaping the modern-day mass shooter. Once again, it doesn’t mean every person suing the internet, and social media will become a killer. But we have to recognize the obvious. The internet emerged and became mainstream in the mid-1990s. As the internet gained in popularity, mass shootings increased. Same holds true for social media. Social media begins to gain popularity in the early-2000’s and then explodes in 2006 with the development of the iPhone and apps.

The ability for shootings to go viral, and for the shooter to get instant fame, can be enough for someone suffering from a mental illness to trigger a mass shooting incident. Several studies are now validating this point. (Social Media’s Influence on Frequency of Incidents)

Also, nearly every school shooter was active on social media and had disturbing posts that could have foretold of the threat the person was. (ABC News)

It seems like a vicious cycle. We go online, and nothing is real. We look at other people’s lives and think about how wonderful their life appears to be. This can allow someone to feel anger, jealousy, and even rage. The internet can speak to the worst human characteristics. As many of the school shooters could be considered loners, how much screen time did they have? I don’t have an answer, but it is an important question.

What happens when we lose the human-to-human connection? What happens when communication morphs from human-human to human-machine-human? Do we begin to lose a piece of humanity? Do we begin to do away with the idea that human life is precious?

Nothing to do with guns

There are reasons that we are seeing more mass shootings today than ever before. As I stated, we did not see these types of incidents when there were virtually no gun laws. This is new, and so we have to examine the outside environmental factors that may be impacting our culture. The politicians that yell it’s the guns have no real solutions, and if you listen to them, I promise you that the numbers will continue to increase. It will not be until we tackle the cultural problem that we can begin to stop these horrific shootings. This is a problem that government cannot solve. We, as a society, must come together and figure it out.

Political threats of gun confiscation

As I stated earlier, there are now elected officials that are calling for mandatory gun buyback programs. That’s nothing more than gun confiscation. They state they only want to do it for semi-automatic firearms because of the mass shootings, but that’s not true. Handguns makeup over 80% of all mass shootings. (FBI) They may start with semi-automatic weapons, but it will quickly move to other guns as well.

Our founders put the Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights for a reason. It was not for hunting. It was not even to protect us from a home invader. The 2^nd Amendment exists to prevent an overbearing government from exerting tyranny and abusing the people. Governments are naturally much more cautious when it comes to an armed citizenry.

“What country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance. Let them take arms.”- Thomas Jefferson

In one of Thomas Jefferson’s works, he included a quote from a passage in Cesare Beccaria’s Essay on Crimes and Punishments. The quote reads, “Laws that forbid the carrying of arms…disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes… Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.” (Jefferson’s “Commonplace Book.”

Some argue that times have changed and the 2^nd Amendment should be altered and abolished as the founding fathers were talking about militias. This again is a lie perpetrated by those who know nothing about history.

In Federalist 29, Alexander Hamilton argued that the militia is the people. He writes, “this will not only lessen the call for military establishments, but if circumstances should at any time oblige the government to form an army of any magnitude that army can never be formidable to the liberties of the people while there is a large body of citizens, little, if at all, inferior to them in discipline and the use of arms, who stand ready to defend their own rights and those of their fellow-citizens. This appears to me the only substitute that can be devised for a standing army, and the best possible security against it, if it should exist (Federalist 29)

The list of countries that confiscated firearms and then turned to tyranny is extensive- The Soviet Union, Communist Bulgaria, Hungary, Nazi Germany, Cuba, Venezuela, etc.

Closing

I want to thank you for joining us. Don’t let the politicians lie to you. Become free thinkers. I have presented the facts, and you can come to your own conclusions.  As always, if there is a topic you would like me to analyze, send an email to podcast@pasreport.com. If you want to see the show notes or see my sourcing, visit https://pasreport.com. We will bring common-sense change to the United States and talk about the real issues the media doesn’t focus on. As I say, by using education and facts, we win the arguments. If you believe in the message and find the value in this podcast, please share this episode with others. Thank you for joining us, stay safe, and I’ll be back next week.

 

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