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The issue of gun violence continues to persist within the United States with mass shootings, while still statistically low in occurrence, seemingly becoming more commonplace. The nation has experienced many mass shootings (Columbine, Sandy Hook, Pulse Nighclub, Las Vegas, Parkland, FL, Buffalo, NY, Nashville, TN, etc.), though it seems as if Texas has specifically experienced an increasing share of these events (Sutherland Springs, TX, Santa Fe, TX, El Paso, TX, Uvalde, TX, and now Allen, TX, to name a few), several of which rank amongst the deadliest in history and in a state which is often synonymous with gun rights, including passing a law known as Constitutional Carry, which allows anyone 21 or older and without an exclusion such as felony or domestic abuse convictions to carry a concealed handgun without obtaining a license or a minimum amount of training.
I want you to explore these mass shootings, particularly those which have occured in Texas, and determine what, if anything, can realistically be done to prevent such shootings in the future? Some politicians have renewed calls for extended gun control measures such as universal background checks, closing the gun show loophole, or outright bans on “assault” style weapons, and in some cases, bans private ownership of all guns in general. Others have pointed out that no amount of additional background checks would not have prevented most of these shootings given that the most mass shooters had no legal issues in their past to prevent them from purchasing/owning guns, or in the cases where there were, such as Sutherland Springs, the laws that are already on the books did not work because they were not enforced properly to begin with. Many times there are often “red flags” which failed to go unnoticed or reported, or when they are, none were blatantly illegal/disqualifying to prevent the shooter from buying/owning a gun.
What about the mental illness aspect of most mass shootings? If the mental illness issue is not addressed, then can any amount of gun control prevent sick individuals from harming innocent people? Should one solution be arming more of the populace, especially in places considered “soft” targets where a shooter anticipates little in the way of armed resistance, such as schools arming teachers, or by simply allowing any citizen legally allowed to own a gun to be able to carry it on their person without requiring a special license to do so? After all. shooters rarely target “hardened” locations where the expectation is an overwhelming force response, and evidence shows that most have no intention of continuing their massacre once they encounter armed resistance as they often take their own lives shortly after law enforcement arrives on the scene. Or, does arming more of the populace risk greater carnage as result of more weapons?
Also, don’t forget about the 2nd Amendment in general – what does it say and are there any restrictions that can be assumed from reading it? What exactly is the purpose of the 2nd Amendment? Is it an archaic leftover from a time when the citizenry was expected to act as the military during a time before we had a modern, all-volunteer military, or is it meant to provide the people a means with which to challenge tyrannical government if democratic methods no longer work? While it is true the government has access to far more powerful and sophisticated weapons than average people armed with AR-15’s, don’t forget that the Taliban and other resistance groups around the world have managed to fight off and inflict significant pain upon far superior forces backed by the likes of the Soviet Union and even the U.S. with nothing more than homemade bombs and decades old rifles and other out-dated military equipment. Yes, the government could unleash death and destruction, but as we’ve seen in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, using overwhelming force to subdue a population risks creating even more enemies of the state by turning those who would not have otherwise fought before against the government as a result. Please think deeply on this question and answer accordingly as these tragedies could have easily occurred at a time and place where you have all been. I look forward to reading your responses to this question.
Articles must use one
https://www.cato.org/commentary/why-anti-tyranny-case-2nd-amendment-shouldnt-be-dismissed-so-quickly
What the Founders would say about mass shootings | CNN
Mass shootings would not have surprised the Founders, writes historian Dominic Erdozain. A government that tolerates them would.
Dominic Erdozain
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Indianapolis FedEx shooter bought two weapons used in killings legally last year despite FBI concerns | CNN
The 19-year-old who killed eight people at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis late Thursday night purchased the two assault rifles used in the attack legally months after being investigated by the FBI due to his potential for violence, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
Madeline Holcombe,Harmeet Kaur,Eric Levenson
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Colorado is one of four states whose laws don’t prohibit someone with a mental illness from owning firearms | CNN
The massacre of 10 people at a Boulder supermarket occurred under a confusing mix of local, state and federal gun laws – but no Colorado statute prohibiting a person with mental illness from owning firearms.
Faith Karimi
CNN
Why semi-automatic rifles like those used in the Nashville shooting can cause so much damage
Semi-automatic rifles, such as those used by the Nashville school shooter, cause great damage to the human body. Trauma experts explain why they’re so dangerous.
ABC News
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Texas mass shooting timeline: 14 years of violence in Texas
Texas has seen nine mass shootings over the last 14 years while lawmakers have steadily loosened restrictions on carrying firearms.
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Discussion board posts should be a minimum of 500 words and typed in 12-point Times New Roman font and should include at least one outside source other than the lecture materials which you must cite in APA formatting at the end of your post. If articles are given for reading with the Discussion Board prompt, then you may use them as your required source material, provided that you cite the source used in your post. All posts should be typed in a Word document to ensure proper length.
