We Cannot Continue to Live This Way
Governor Whitmer of Michigan declares that we cannot continue to live this way. Sadly, that is exactly what we will do. The pattern is all too familiar after mass shootings such as this one. There is initially a huge outcry and passionate pleas demanding that the violence stop. There will be wreaths, thoughts and prayers, teddy bears laid next to flowers in memory of the injured, candle light vigils and live pictures of funeral ceremonies on television with distraught relatives and friends in attendance. There will be passionate calls for the violence to stop during eulogies. There will be a call to action. And within 10-14 days, this tragic event will be out of the news cycle and become another statistic in the long list of mass shootings which are unique to the United States in terms of the number of innocent people killed in any given year. It will remain fresh only until the next mass shooting, which is likely to occur in the near future, based on historical analysis and statistical probability, which is quite easy-the more people with guns the more people who are killed.
Recently I attended a seminar on mass shootings as a part of my continuing education. I learned that based on reliable sources such as the Violence Project and the FBI, the phenomenon of mass shootings is contagious. There is most certainly some deranged person who has been inspired by what happened at Michigan State University and is plotting the next mass shooting. Our politicians will talk about the only way to stop bad guys with guns is good guys with guns. Where were the good guys with guns last night? A veritable army of police officers showed up but understandably were too late to stop the carnage. There will be platitudes about the right to bear arms. There will no mention of the right to live.
What will certainly not happen is any sensible gun reform. We will continue to sell guns to people who have absolutely no business owning a gun. We will sell guns to people with mental illness, who may be paranoid schizophrenics. They have second amendments rights too. Right? We will sell guns to people who have never been trained on how to use a firearm but so what? They have rights too. There is a skill to shooting. I know from experience. I went to firearms training for over 31 years with the FBI. Shooting is an art form and carrying a gun comes with huge responsibilities. Personally, I could hardly wait to retire so I would have the right not to carry,.
Nothing will change because we change nothing. So Governor Whitmer can wax eloquently about how the gun violence needs to stop, we will continue to live this way because we as a society refuse to address the issue of gun violence. Isn't the definition of insanity that we continue to do the same thing and expect different results? The result of last night's mass murder will most likely be the impetus for more mass shootings. This is truly American exceptionalism. There is no other country that can compare.
