On guns and white males and white males with guns
I've seen so many people try and deflect away from the fact that we have a) a major problem with gun access in general and b) toxic white masculinity which, when threatened in some evil individuals, leads to mass shootings. These people try to blame these shootings on mental health or bullying.
But this is not a mental health problem. Other countries have mental illness rates just as high or higher compared with the U.S., and many struggle seriously with adequate treatment. They don't have mass shootings, because they do have gun control. Those with serious mental illness are far more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators. Many violent criminals have personality disorders, but these aren't easily treated in mental health care systems of any kind.
Bullying is an ongoing problem in U.S. schools, to be certain. But the students bullied the most are not the ones committing the shootings. Trans students, female students, Disabled students, obese students, students with Autism, and students with mental illness are the most likely to face bullying. But nearly all school shooters fit a chillingly specific profile: White, male, able-bodied, openly straight.
What does this mean? It means that we've created a society where some (not all) white males have been conditioned to believe they are owed nearly everything -- steady work, a romantic relationship, good grades, friendships -- that Trans students, girls, Disabled students, students of color, and others don't take for granted. When these over-privileged white males (who feel victimized, not privileged) perceive that they have been wronged or robbed by society or school, a small percentage snap. Access to toxic internet hives of discussion where their views are reinforced radicalizes them further. Unfettered access to the tools of destruction they believe are "manly" is easy in America, and this small group responds to the perceived injustice in the way they believe exacts proper revenge and gives them what they have "earned" -- they commit a mass shooting.
This is not a mental health issue. This is not a bullying issue. I just watched a freshman student from Stoneman Douglas -- a young man of color with dwarfism -- articulately read the names of his murdered fellow students and quote Michael Jackson. He was cheered on by his classmates as he urged the receptive crowd to hug their neighbors. And that boy, who has undoubtedly faced some bullying in his life, responded to the unfathomable violence at his school with a calm, collected request for compassion.
This is not about mental health, or "walking up instead of walking out." This is about access to guns. Period. The time has come. We need national gun control laws in America, and we need them now.
Vote. Vote, vote, vote. Vote out the lawmakers who are beholden to heartless groups like the NRA. Vote in lawmakers dedicated to common sense gun reform. Donate to advocacy groups. Give your time to help register voters and educate people ahead of the election. Volunteer in a campaign.
Let's make 2018 the year the gun jammed.