As a gun owner, you likely have a different response to mass shootings than the typical bleeding heart liberal. A mixture of sorrow, rage and cringing anticipation twist your insides as you simultaneously cast anger at the perpetrator, feel sorrow for the victims and brace for the next storm of loud liberal nonsense.
Perspective is always essential in the face of emotional reactionism, so we’re going to take a minute to compare the impact of mass shootings and terrorism. The resulting perspective will make you far angrier than any of the stupid arguments you hear.
The Gun Control Debate
We’re all used to the cycle now. Every once in a while, a maniac will do something terrible, and America will argue about punishing law abiding citizens for the crimes of a few. We’ve seen the basic arguments. Disarming American citizens is in no way feasible at this point, so Democrats grasp for what they think they can reach: incremental gun control.
Countless studies have been done, and the results are all the same. Incremental gun restrictions have no discernible impact on gun crime. And, they certainly don’t affect mass shootings. There is an argument that completely disarming the citizens could reduce gun crime specifically, but all of the studies suggest that it leads to higher overall totals of violent crime. It also prevents citizens from defending themselves and gives potentially tyrannical governments more leverage. In every measurable way, gun control is a bad idea.
Yet, the left still argues, and the shock of these terrible mass shootings leaves all of us scrapping for answers. In response, Democrats label lone attackers as terrorists (completely ignoring the significant threat of organized efforts) and push the terrifying narrative that we, and our children, are all in danger of being gunned down randomly. Let’s pit these ideas against each other. We feel relatively safe from terrorism at the moment. Are mass shootings the bigger threat?
Mass Shootings by the Numbers
The debate on what qualifies as a mass shooting is almost as heated as the gun control arguments it circles. Is a mass shooting every time multiple shots are fired? Should we separate gang violence from the seemingly random episodes? Do terrorists count?
For this comparison, we’re going to steal criteria that were used by an article in the Washington Post. It only counts massacres that have four or more deaths. It ignores crimes that can be tied to traditional motives such as gang violence, robberies or domestic violence. It does not necessitate that the shooter acted alone, but for these criteria they were not directly tied to any known terrorist organization.
These specific qualifications are important because they are the same that are used in arguments measuring mass shootings in Australia, the UK and other countries that often pop into this discussion. (Side note: Australia has in fact had several mass shootings since they banned guns. Don’t let liberals tell you otherwise.)
With the rules set, we can now talk about the shootings themselves. The first qualifying event in American history was in 1966. The famous clock tower sniper at the University of Texas rained bullets on an unsuspecting crowd and killed 17. Since then, the rate of mass shootings very slowly increased. It actually peaked in the 90s when the Clinton Administration had to face 23 separate incidents over 8 years.
We saw a brief respite with Bush, but when Obama took the reins things escalated suddenly and severely. Obama oversaw several of the worst shootings in history to that point, and he presided over a total of 162 mass shootings. It’s not fair to blame Obama solely for this change, but it’s also unreasonable to assume his administration and lax lawmaking didn’t in any way contribute.
Overall, these shootings took a massive toll on human life. From August 1, 1966 to February 16, 2018, there have been a total 153 mass shooters. Their combined efforts have robbed 1,077 Americans of their lives over a span of 52 years.
Terrorism
There have been plenty of terrorist attacks against the U.S. over the years. Most of them took place outside of the mainland, but the few that have struck home have hurt us deeply. On September 11, 2001, the worst of those attacks robbed us of our security. The combined attack killed 2,996 people and injured many thousands more. A single terrorist attack proved deadlier than 50 years of domestic mass shootings combined. Times three. How is this still a conversation?
~ American Gun News
There is no need for automatic weapons. My guns are semi-automatic,
Please don’t take this wrong. I am a gun owner and supporter of the 2nd Amendment. I just want to point out your numbers. You state that there have been a total of 153 mass shootings in 52 years. Yet during those 52 years Obama presided over 162 mass shootings during his reign (I am not an Obama supporter). How can more shootings have occurred during his presidency than the total over 52 years?
Not 153 mass shootings…………….153 mass SHOOTERS
Its all a threat to our nation, no matter where it comes from. The left just wants the guns, then they will take our property….
There were more shootings during Obama’s time in because he flooded America with Muslims from all over the middle east!! That is exactly why he did it too. For votes to the dems and he hates Americans basically. He is Islam!! He caused many terrorist’s attacks,supported the Muslim Brotherhood and who knows what all else. Obama is the enemy to America!! Just like Hillary!!
My theory is the media is the worst cause because they regurgitate so much attention the crazies get worked up so they can become notorious before the masses! Gun control is a bust and Trump got suckered into this by gun grabbers taken advantage of young people who are easily swayed by their bull crap.
YOU DAMN RIGHT IT IS. IT IS THE MONIED AND POWERFUL PEOPLE (DEMOCRATS) WITH THEIR SOCIALIST IDEAS. THEY WANT TO CONTROL THE PEOPLE, AND WILL STEAL, LIE, ANYTHING TOGAIN CONTROL. THEY KNOW THAT THEY CANNOT DO THAT WITH OVER 3 MILLION GUNS IN THE HANDS OF AMERICAN CITIZENS. PLS WORK WITH THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND ANY OF THE GUN OWNERS OUT THERE THAT WILL STAND UP TO THE GUN GRABBERS. THANK YOU.
Lets face it, no one wants to tackle the drug problem in America. We drug our children with vaccines, behavioral drugs, medical drugs, and all kinds of street drugs. That’s why this is happening. greed is greed
Interesting numbers but one not mentioned is the number of time guns were used in 2016 to stop criminal activity such as home invasions, store robberies, rapes, attempted murder and others. 2 million
I am willing to bet a months pay that not one Parkland student or staff member prayed while under attack, “Please Lord, don’t let anyone on our side have a gun too.”
Just for the Heck of it why not ban pressure cookers, baseball bats, hatchets, box cutters, axes, and chisels. You could add rocks, ropes, and picture frame wire. Almost anything can be turned into a weapon. Of course some can be used for mass destruction and others can be used for personal killing. Ask any jail deputy what can kill. A pencil held between the fingers and thrust into the eye can penetrate the brain. A good upthrust by the side of the palm to the nose can drive bone splinters into the brain and kill. Do I go on? The heart needs changing, not the weapon. Ask God who made us.
Amen!
well nobody has said it so I will the sheriff down at Parkland is a muslim heavy CAIR supporter and work with naacp on keeping young people out of jail and listed as students to get more money The same way Miami is doing thats the reason that man not a boy at 19 was left along after the law had been called on him so many times
These protests that are going on Nothing is said nor looked upon as to violent movies. But 97% of students will go see a movie with guns, blowing some thing up and drugs. Leave the 2nd Ammendment alone. Should be going after Hollywood. Lets get real on that matter.
I believe televised hangings of shooters should be in order. That way they can be on television and get the attention that they crave. Public executions used to be the norm.