So whats your solution, ban violence on TV and movies, but don't mess with gun control or securing weapons in homes with children?
Is mental health the reason more elementary students are taking guns to school?
- Thread starter gohawks50
- Start date
So what do you propose since you want results? You clearly haven’t put any ideas out there in this thread.
Kids could walk along the town square with a case gun back in the 50s…no big deal. Guns were popular then too. It’s shitty parenting, media, mental health care.
You know the answer. All the guns were confiscated after the rise in gun deaths following the Korean War. I think guns have been illegal for like 40-50 years...long before overly violent media really took place. I'm actually kinda envious. FWIW, Korean movies don't portray guns either, they use knives and martial arts (and I'm being serious...they have some pretty violent stuff--I spent a year there), but as we've discussed on here, it's much harder to have a mass stabbing than a shooting.
Look, if you could guarantee that we could rid the whole damn country--world even--of guns, I'd be all in Huey. America spent too long doing nothing and now we live in some angry and very violent times and those guns that were once mostly used for hunting and home defense are now being picked up in droves for mass murder.
It's going to be a long road to get it under control, but you and I already agree something needs to be done.
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There's no way you've never seen my laundry list of gun reform measures on here. Not possible...I've posted it dozens of times. Hell, I've even gone as far as to say if a gun is used in a crime than the owner is held liable if the weapon is proven to be unsecure.
I'm sure Shenandoah children are influenced by the same things as inner city teenagers. SMH
Then why the need to justify this craziness of elementary students bringing weapons to school?
There's no way you've never seen my laundry list of gun reform measures on here. Not possible...I've posted it dozens of times. Hell, I've even gone as far as to say if a gun is used in a crime than the owner is held liable if the weapon is proven to be unsecure.
I’m sure the numbers of gun violence in small towns dwarfs urban areas. I’m SW Iowa, not sure wtf the kid was thinking. The parents should definitely be in trouble. My point about guns being common in the 40s and 50s stands. Also, if NRA propaganda is the issue, what’s up with urban minority violence?
I live just north of you and in the last few months there have been more than a couple incidents reported on the Omaha news of rural schools having elementary students bring guns to school. We're supposed to be an area that values guns for hunting and personal protection, but apparently keeping children from accessing weapons without adult supervision isn't a high priority.
Where did I justify elementary students bringing weapons to school? If a child brought a weapon to school, my first question is who allowed access. My second question is why did the child bring it to school.
My first response in this thread was simply asking if there were more guns in the 80s or 90s than now. ...conversation went on from there.
Nope. There were guns all around me when I was a kid. Heck, most pick up trucks near me had a gun rack, many with guns in the rack. Kids didn't bring guns to school.
IMO, video games and changes in parenting are big contributors to kids bringing guns to school. Video games because they blur fantasy with reality. Parenting because there's way less sense of personal responsibility for parents, or their children.
Parenting is a big part of it and why are the guns in the home now compared to then?
For me guns were tools. There were no hand guns in the home. All we had were rifles and shotguns. They were as standard as having a hammer.
The fact is an elementary student playing video games is much less likely to bring a gun to school if there are no guns in the home. We are talking about kids between the ages of 5 and 13, they do not have the means to get a weapon on their own.
It's multiple reasons, and you can't see past your face enough to understand it.
Were there Republicans telling everyone that the solution to all our violence problems is more guns when you were a kid?
Will you admit that guns and Rs pushing guns is a major cause?
I've always said guns are a major problem. You and I have had discussions on what changes should be made to those laws, and agreed on them. I think you argue with so many people, you forget their stance on issues.
So, kids are watching NRA and Republican propaganda?
You're going to tell me a kid has a better chance of being influenced by this:
Than this?
I'd be shocked if a kid even knows what the NRA is.
I blame the NRA for nothing being done regarding gun legislation reform, but they aren't responsible for our society's steady consumption of violence nor the fact so many Americans are flat out pissed off.
And no, I'm not just parking the blame on "movies".
Honestly I tend to think it's kind of both.
More and more gun owners are making their guns their identity. It's no longer just something that someone owns for hunting and self defense. Now gun is tied up with who you are. It's become a way of life. Probably at least half of all gun owners you would know they have guns within like 5 minutes of meeting them for the first time.
Along with that you have conspiracy theories about people out to get you and fantasies of someone doing something so that you can finally legally shoot someone for real. You and I have talked about this and we both know there are way too many of these types.
That said I can't say movies arn't out to make it look cool. And Bill Maher pointed out that a lot of movies the violence is specifically about revenge. It's not even about self defense or protecting others, it's about chasing down and harming those who have wronged you. . . And honestly the last people we need to be filling up with fantasies about getting revenge are teenagers. Who are more emotional, more likely to feel aggrieved about a perceived slight and less likely to consider the consequences of their actions.
Lets not also forget that we have this weird thing in our culture where we treat sexual content as more serious than violence. My wife and I are watching 1923 and we enjoy the show but recently they had some naked women in there in a couple episodes. And my wife was shocked at how many people freaked out complaining about the naked women because *their kids were watching*. Which to me demonstrates how little people care about exposing their kids to violence (since 1923 is also very violent) but freak out if there is any sexual content.
Personally I tend to avoid having my kids watch both. And only in the last year were they able to watch Star Wars. Which granted has some violence but the violence tends to be limited and I think more importantly it puts some moral construct around violence and very importantly IMO violence for the sake of revenge is treated as a path to evil. The bolded is perhaps something we need to get back to. Or at least maybe keep the revenge oriented violence for adults only. No teenager needs to be thinking that revenge is a good or noble thing.
You ignored my statement. Kids in the 60's and 70's had guns all around them and didn't bring them to school.
I grew up in the 60s and 70s. Yes, there were a lot more hunters then and high school kids drove pickups with gun racks in the back window, but I don't think people had as many pistols as we have today. Most people didn't think they needed to carry a handgun all the time to protect themselves. Long guns are a little more difficult for an elementary student to conceal in their backpack while heading to school.
I taught elementary for 34 years with lots of different experiences, but never once did a child bring a gun to school. In the last few months it happened at 2 elementary schools within 50 miles of the one where I used to teach.
Echoes what I said above...we had a house full of guns, but not a single hand gun.
As a society, we need to address the root causes behind these occurrences. While mental health can be a contributing factor, it's crucial not to generalize or stigmatize individuals with mental health challenges. However, it's essential to focus on providing better support systems and resources for students. Early intervention and access to mental health services can make a significant difference. If anyone reading this is going through a tough time, don't hesitate to reach out for help. I found the depression hotline, and it might be worth considering if you or someone you know needs someone to talk to.
Is there any sort of political action group out there taking a deep dive into this? For some examples .....
Why is it ok for anyone to own an automatic weapon of any sort?
Why are people so angry that they feel the need to shoot others?
Why hasn't anyone developed realist non-lethal ammunition, so we can put stricter controls on lethal ammo?
Why aren't our schools being "hardened" to keep our children safer?
Why aren't there more serious consequences for people not securing their guns?
Why are movies and video games so violent?
Why aren't parents doing more to stem the tide, and why aren't they being held responsible?
How is it that states have allowed open carry or even concealed carry?
Why are the "rights" afforded by the 2nd Amendment completely unassailable?
It's absurd how hard it has become to address any problem in this country.
Why is it ok for anyone to own an automatic weapon of any sort?
Why are people so angry that they feel the need to shoot others?
Why hasn't anyone developed realist non-lethal ammunition, so we can put stricter controls on lethal ammo?
Why aren't our schools being "hardened" to keep our children safer?
Why aren't there more serious consequences for people not securing their guns?
Why are movies and video games so violent?
Why aren't parents doing more to stem the tide, and why aren't they being held responsible?
How is it that states have allowed open carry or even concealed carry?
Why are the "rights" afforded by the 2nd Amendment completely unassailable?
It's absurd how hard it has become to address any problem in this country.
This is a non-sensical question. Mt early years (1960's) I was a military brat who spent summers on a farm. Long guns and handguns were everywhere, and not locked up. My background is the rural south, and there weren't any Republicans, and the politics were nothing like today. After my mom got divorced, we lived in a very impoverished area, and there were guns everywhere and not locked up. Not many murders then, either, and definitely not mass shootings.
Mental health issues being glorified by the left has led to a mental health crisis in our youth. Pair that with the access to social media and yes, we have a real problem. We are at a point of severe cultural and mental health decay across the country.
Good answers. I agree with most.
I meant semi-automatic, not auto. My bad. There is no reason why people should be able to own and assault rifle.
Regarding ammo - I don't know anything about gun ammunition. But from my "research" (watching TV) it seems that that are making bullet's more lethal, not less.
Rubber bullets for example - do they have the same "feel" as a regular bullet for target shooting? Are they effective at disabling someone without killing them?
My actual suggestion is - sell real bullets for hunting rifles. If it's possible to make a less lethal ammunition, lets do that and restrict the use of lethal ammo to law enforcement, military, etc.
Yeah, I know - lots of problems with this one ....
The question you're asking is complex and multi-faceted, touching on gun control, family dynamics, social pressures, and yes, mental health. While I'm no expert, mental health could very well be one of the factors influencing why more young students are taking such extreme steps. However, it's essential to remember that the issue is likely influenced by a web of complicated factors.
Now, speaking about mental health, more and more children are experiencing significant stress and anxiety, often stemming from societal pressures, family situations, and even global events. You can check out https://fherehab.com/anxiety/generalized-anxiety-disorder/ for more info.
In this context, early interventions focusing on mental health can be crucial. Schools, parents, and communities should consider increasing mental health services, including counseling and peer support.
Now, speaking about mental health, more and more children are experiencing significant stress and anxiety, often stemming from societal pressures, family situations, and even global events. You can check out https://fherehab.com/anxiety/generalized-anxiety-disorder/ for more info.
In this context, early interventions focusing on mental health can be crucial. Schools, parents, and communities should consider increasing mental health services, including counseling and peer support.
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It's probably the most complex issue of our time. There are no single answers.
It's tough to pinpoint a single reason why more elementary students are bringing guns to school. The situation feels really layered, doesn't it? From family dynamics to societal pressures, there's a lot at play here. I wonder if the rise in neurotic behaviors among young kids could be contributing to. It's definitely something worth exploring further.
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