Why So Many Mass Shootings Across America? It’s Not The Guns.

Gavin Newsome points to mass shootings in red states. Read his diatribe in the Epoch Times here.

Newsome suggests there are no shootings or crimes in California. What are the facts?

“He wants to selectively use snippets of the truth to bolster his argument without providing the full picture … that these blue cities continue to have failing policies because of progressive politics that refuse to hold criminals accountable for their crimes. If he doesn’t want to address that, then he’s not being truthful with California citizens.” — Mark Oliva, public relations director for the National Shooting Sports Foundation

Regarding violence, the violent crime rates of California (442.0/100K) are comparable to those of Texas (446.5/100K). Therefore, California is by no means a low-crime, low-violence state but comparable to the ‘red states’. Murder, whether incidences one at a time or multiple victims of a shooter, it’s the murders per 100,000 that tell the true story, and California is right up there with the conservative states.

History and Analyses of Mass Shootings

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) studied mass shootings over the last 50 years. The NIJ study found Persons who committed public mass shootings in the U.S. over the last half-century were commonly troubled by personal trauma before their shooting incidents, nearly always in a state of crisis at the time, and, in most cases, engaged in leaking their plans before opening fire.

The project spanned mass shootings over more than 50 years, yet 20% of the 167 mass shootings in that period occurred in the last five years of the study period. More than half occurred after 2000, of which 33% occurred after 2010.

Moving from Politics to Pharmacology

Before the late nineteen eighties, mass shootings and acts of senseless violence were relatively unheard of.  Prozac, the most well-known SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) antidepressant, was not yet on the market.  When Prozac did arrive, it was marketed as a panacea for depression which resulted in huge profits for its manufacturer Eli Lilly. Of course, other drug companies had to create their own cash cow and followed suit by marketing their own SSRI antidepressants.
Subsequently, mass shootings and other violent incidents started to be reported.  More often than not, the common denominator was that the shooters were on an antidepressant, or withdrawing from one.  This is not about an isolated incident or two but numerous shootings.  The question is, during the past twenty years is the use of antidepressants here a coincidence or causation?  There have been too many mass shootings for it just to be a coincidence. 

Citizens Commission on Human Rights Florida, 14 Nov 2012 | Antidepressants Are a Prescription for Mass Shootings

Indisputably mental illness exacerbated by antidepressants is the common factor in most, if not all, mass shootings.

Drug Control, Not Gun Control

Joe Biden said to Congress, “Do something.” This reminded me of a friend of bygone years who would say, “Don’t do anything. Just stand there!”

My counsel? When you do not know what to do, do nothing.

The first firearms were introduced into the western hemisphere by Spanish explorers in 1492, 530 years ago. Later, French, German, Czech, English, and Portuguese explorers and settlers brought firearms to this hemisphere. Over the past 530 years, there have been numerous wars where firearms were the prime instruments of offense and defense.

Congress, led by Democrat lawmakers and supported by ten Republican senators passed a bill and Joe Biden signed it into law. Our own Senator John Cornyn sided with the Democrats who have no interest whatsoever in actually addressing the root causes of mass shootings but wish to eliminate the private ownership of firearms, one unconstitutional law at a time.

Summary

Illinformed opinions, Governor Newsome, and politically driven reactions, Senator Cornyn, present a greater public danger than the mass shooters themselves.

The well-documented history of antidepressants as a leading cause of mass shootings points to a sensible conclusion. Guns are not the problem. Mental illness exacerbated by antidepressants must be the focus of lawmakers.

Urge your elected representatives in Congress and your State Legislature to enact drug control instead of gun control.

John White
Rockwall, Texas