Another Shooting

 Another shooting, and once again certain people are quick to argue that we must enact new gun regulations.  And yet, no matter how many gun regulations we have, human beings will still try to kill one another.  I’m not sure how gun regulations are going to change that.  And always the NRA is brought into the mix, as if they are responsible for the shootings.  Odd, given that the shootings are not done by members of the NRA; in fact, I don’t think any shootings that we hear in the news have been carried out by card carrying members of the NRA.  I don’t quite understand why one should ever think about blaming an organization that has no connection to the crime.  We don’t blame the auto manufacturer or the Automobile Association if someone uses a car purposefully to run someone over—even if they do happen to be members of the Automobile Association.  If I were to decide to plow into a crowd, I don’t think AAA would have any connection to my poor decision even though I have an AAA card.

When it is convenient for the narrative, shootings will be blamed on other groups as well, mostly targeting those who belong to a group that the writer disagrees with politically.  The pundit will be quick to point out how “rhetoric” made for conditions that were conducive to the shooting occurring, that attitudes and thoughts that were “ungood” were responsible for what happened: that if only the persons and groups whom we happen to disagree with didn’t hold such horrible opinions then the bad things wouldn’t have happened.

I understand the reason some people react the way they do.  They want to stop the violence and they pick convenient targets and simple narratives.  Unfortunately, simple answers such as “more gun regulations” or “make the people I don’t like shut up” are not going to fix the problem.  The problem does not have a simple solution.  If there were a simple solution, it would have been implemented already.

I don’t know.  I think maybe we should just blame the people who pulled the triggers.  And their reasons for pulling the triggers really don’t matter because whatever reason they might care to give will not justify murder.  I don’t really care why you murdered a certain individual or group of individuals.  If you’re a murderer, your act is by definition not justifiable.  And your reasons, your grievances, whatever they might be simply don’t count.  Your evil trumps your cause.