Mass shootings in America and how to stop them

An American Epidemic

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In the United States, we are not only battling the epidemic of Covid-19; we have an epidemic of mass shootings in America. Sadly it seems as if there is a new incident every day in the country I call home. As a parent, I am nervous about sending my children to school. I am nervous to go into a mall or grocery store because there is so much hate in this world that it is dangerous now to just hanging with your friends.

Why so much hate and anger?

As an adult with my children, I can only imagine the types of things my mother shielded us from. I don’t remember being my children ages 9 and 10 and hearing news reports of multiple mass shootings. Social media was not around like it is when my generation was young. We didn’t walk around with the latest Galaxy or iPhone. There was no Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Tik Tok, or Instagram. Being outside playing all day was what we did. Now our children face an insurmountable amount of hate and unjustified killings. How do we explain to our children why these mass shootings are happening.

So it leads me back to the question why is there so much hate in the United States of America?

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Mass shootings statistics

According to Statista.com ” Between 1982 and June 2022, 68 out of the 129 mass shootings in the United States were carried out by white shooters. By comparison, the perpetrator was African American in 21 mass shootings, and Latino in 11. When calculated as percentages, this amounts to 53 percent, 16 percent, and 8.5 percent respectively.”

As we all know mass shooters are predominately male. In my previous blog “5 Therapist Approved Ways to Fight Depression” I highlighted the fact that men are less likely to actively look into therapy for depression or any type of trauma. According to https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/ on today’s date of July 4, 2022, there have already been over 300 mass shootings in the United States of America.

Why do males turn to mass shootings?

Why do males turn to mass shootings of innocent people? This is a question that a lot of us ask ourselves daily. Why do males turn to gun violence? Why are mass shootings in the United States on an uptick? Should there be stronger gun laws implemented within the United States? After the mass, school shooting in Uvalde, TX, and the mass shooting in Buffalo the US government passed new gun laws requiring additional checks for purchasers between the ages of 18 and 21. But is this enough to keep us safe? No! Today on July 4, 2022, there was another mass shooting at a July 4th parade in Highland Park, IL leaving six innocent people dead and at least 30 injured. The person of interest in this shooting was a 22-year-old white male Robert Crimo III. In Uvalde Texas, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos killed 19 innocents, two educators, and 17 children.

Why? Why are these individuals slipping through the cracks? Are their families aware of their violent behavior or tendencies? Could they have reported strange behavior to the authorities and possibly saved lives?

Mental Health and mass shootings in America

Mass shooters are known to study the actions of other mass shooters. Whether it is to study what they feel the other did correctly or incorrectly. According to a politico interview with Professors James Densley and Jillian Peterson” Early childhood trauma seems to be the foundation, whether violence in the home, sexual assault, parental suicides, extreme bullying. Then you see the build towards hopelessness despair, isolation, self-loathing, and oftentimes rejection from peers. That turns into a crisis point where they’re acting differently.”

How to stop mass shootings in America

I honestly don’t know the answer to this question. I have read through multiple articles and there is no concrete way to stop mass shootings. Staying alert, reporting any odd behavior even if it is a close friend or family member. Get help for depression or trauma. Restricting gun purchases for individuals with documented severe depression or previous violent incidents.

Conclusion

As a mother, I worry for myself, my family, and most of all my children. Leaving the house to run errands, go to the park, or grocery store, or visit family or friends in the world today can turn into a life and death situation and that saddens me. Technology and hate make it hard to keep your family safe 100% of the time. The mass shooting epidemic in the United States is getting worst every day. How do we fix it? Can we fix it? Comment below and let me know how you feel, and what you think could be done to fix this American crisis.