We Should Make It As Hard As We Can To Be A Mass Killer

Read Time:2 Minute, 37 Second

by Mark Paserwark

The bells of Sutherland Springs toll for us all, each and every American. The dead at their church, on a Chicago street, in an Aurora theater, in a Columbine high school or in a Sandy Hook grade school were all Americans; some old, others so young that their instinct for self-defense was to assume the fetal position and extend their arms to break a fall, not to pull the trigger on Glock 19 Gen 5.

The rate of death by firearms in Sutherland Springs will now forever exceed that of Chicago.

Firearms, those who use them, and those who die by them cross the state and city lines of our country every hour of each day. Chicago or Sutherland Springs acting by themselves cannot assure their citizens the safety deserved by Americans.

The Good Man with a gun–sometimes there, most often not–is less needed when there are simply fewer guns. Many fine men, women and children died waiting for him while the Bad Man worked away on the Sabbath. The Good Man never showed up in the other places. I know many Good Men with guns and the professional training to use them. None claim they would have had a real chance sitting in a pew in Sutherland Springs. Probably a few of the dead worshipers knew their guns equally well. Wonder Women and Supermen are scarce. We can establish no policy that requires superheroic efforts.

Pinpointing the murderer’s motives and detailing his mental history hold importance for professional law enforcers but little for the public. In the large public view, history is and always will be filled with men holding grievances against in laws and needing of mental health services. All but a minuscule percentage are harmless to others. Not to say that the frothing maniac making meaningful and scary threats of serious harm should retain his arsenal. He should be gunless. A policy that heavily relies on identifying all the mean Bad Guys will impact only a little. New Bad Guys enter the population every day. You saw one today, and he saw you.

Likewise, blaming the failure of Air Force clerks is fruitless. Some clerk errs every day. Any person who deals in paper finds her efforts and those of others imperfect. Has everyone not omitted “not”? Not to say that we should be infinitely tolerant of bad paperwork, but any policy founded upon eradicating typos isn’t going too far.

Ultimately, those who say the Bad Guy with enough intelligence and determination can always get the gun have something to say. But they say too much. The thief who wants to steal always can. We don’t, however, make it easy for the dumb, undetermined thief; we lock our cars, outfit them with anti-theft devices, don’t leave our wallets on the table, and don’t carry too much cash. We restrict the sale of lock picks. Simply put, we make it as hard as we can to be a thief consistent with running an ordered society. We should make it as hard as we can to be a mass killer.

Happy
Happy
0 %
Sad
Sad
0 %
Excited
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
Angry
0 %
Surprise
Surprise
0 %
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of

9 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
6 years ago

The blame game is rolling right along in the good ole USA, and there are no winners.

6 years ago

[…]   From Mark Paserwark at MadMikesAmerica: […]

Bill Formby
6 years ago

It is the lack of willingness of people to take any step, however small, toward this end that is so tragic, Even after a congressman was gunned down in Washington, D.C. no one would would consider a step toward change. Those that hold back are cowards of the first order. They tend to always say that a particular change would not have stopped this incident or that one. If it stops one incident it is worth while. Just show some courage and a willingness to work on the problem.

Caroline
Reply to  Bill Formby
6 years ago

Ironically Steve Scalise is still one of the most fanatic Second Amendment supporters. Just boggles the mind.

6 years ago

It’s all about money, that which is generated by the gun industry and their faithful standard bearer the NRA. Until that changes, laws won’t change.

6 years ago

This post should be shared by everyone as it’s important. That shocking picture, coupled with the article, will certainly get your attention. Good job!

Reply to  Ron Reed
6 years ago

That picture puts a fine point on how mass killers could be made.

Rachael
Reply to  Professor Mike
6 years ago

Oh my goodness! A powerful read and equally powerful picture. Kudos to you, and I agree we need to start looking at these things differently.

Admin
6 years ago

This is the way every American needs to think of these terrible events. By continuing to make it LESS difficult to buy and carry a gun we are making is less difficult to be a mass killer. Wake up congress!

Previous post Guess Who Was Tuesday’s Biggest Loser
Next post Britain’s Changing Culture: Sex, No Drugs And No Rock ‘N’ Roll
9
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x