First I want to still offer my prayers to those who suffer from the Roseburg, Oregon shootings. Second I will not be talking gun rights (I can tell you gun rights advocates even agree the shooter should not have had access to firearms.) I want to address the key factor that underlies these acts of terror, and that is what they are whether committed by the lone wolf or organizations. These acts are cold blooded and calculated to terrify everyone and not just the targeted victims.
The underlying problem is we now live in a society full of violence be it real, fiction, or virtual. We also live I the Information Age and it is sad to say people probably have more access to false information than they do factual. We live in a shrinking world where different cultures are being pushed closer and closer together. Sometimes these cultures mix very well and end up being greater than the sum of their parts other times they do not mix and we have turmoil. This turmoil is usually do to a conflict in values and if one culture uses violence as a means to an ends then we have death and destruction.
As a Christian I do not believe in spreading the Word by the sword unless that Sword is the tongue welding the Gospel truth. Did Christ use anything other than the Word to reach people? No, then no one has the right to in His or His Father's Name. This is not saying I will not defend my family and friends if you come at me physically then I will come at you with everything I got and then some. If you come after me with words I will wield the Word and the Word always prevails.
Another problem we have is that with an increase in population we will have an increase in people with mental or emotional issues. Not everyone of those people are going to be bad but there will be those who will think that what they do is right even though it is wrong.
Now here is a connection I want to make; sometimes a problem in itself is composed of areas from those I have listed and more. The sad thing is our society can make problems worse due to poor choices in regards to our freedoms. Do you think that the problem is the Second amendment right to bear arms? You are wrong. What about the rest of The Bill of Rights? You know the ten amendments that seemed like and after thought of the constitution. Those rights. I am a firm believer in Constitutional rights but I can tack on a few others that can be seen to contribute to mass shootings.
Let's start with the First Amendment. Probably the best amendment as it is the one that ensures I am free to be a Christian and that no person nor the government can say otherwise. It is the one that allows me to write this post here without fear of the government saying I cannot write it. The sad thing is that some people think this amendment is for them force their views on others and we are just helpless and have to listen. Wrong answer, if I don't agree with you I have the right not to listen to you. You do not have the right to force you way into my home to voice your opinion. Now I, on the other hand, do have the right to knock you on your ass if you try. How And what I use to knock you on your ass I'll leave to your imagination (See Second Amendment). If you protest outside my house after a certain hour you go from peaceful assembly to disturbing the peace and the police will handle that.
Ok I got sidetracked but here I go back on track. As we know Hollywood, or as Phil Robertson would call it, Hollyweird, is a big industry depending primarily on the freedom of speech aspect of the first amendment. This allows them to tell stories of fiction and non-fiction ( though most non-fiction is so changed by artistic license it might as well be fiction). They can do this freely limited only by an industry rating system. Sex, Drug, And violence story telling protected by the First Amendment. Now those violent crime glorifying bits of cinema and TV don't cause violence. They are just pieces of show. Let me set you straight, if various media could not influence behavior then why do we have advertising? If we didn't have advertising we would not have Hollywood plain and simple. If you say well maybe a very few people would be influenced to commit a violent act by media here is something to think about. Your number is pretty close, actually higher, probably than those who are gun owners legally committing violent acts. And for the anti-gun Hollywood types: Before you go out attacking the second amendment you better check your résumé to make sure you did not act in a violence glorying project before you start asking to get rid of the second amendment. As I see it Hollywood is abusing the First Amendment because you cannot claim that your use of the first amendment did not lead to acts of violence.
Freedom of Religion, if your view of religion means causing harm then you got it wrong. If you think atheism will get rid of violence let me point you to the history of countries that are atheist, USSR, North Korea, pretty much most communist bloc countries. Not a good track record atheists.
Freedom of assembly, let's get rid of this and extend it to the Internet so we can make sure no one can be influenced or conspire. Heck the added benefit would we wouldn't have to listen to blowhard politicians at conventions or have to put up with Hollywood award shows where some celebrity who doesn't know their ass from their hat spout off about their political ideals.
Let us skip to the third Amendment. Let us get rid of this amendment so we can quarter a soldier in each home in the country. A soldier could make sure we don’t have guns, anti-government paraphernalia, and make sure the only sex position is missionary so as not to offend others. (Sorry to bring sex up). Another plus for having soldiers in the home, at least for celebrities, is they can keep away paparazzi.
On to the Fourth Amendment. Let’s ditch this one. Heck it would solve all are problems with gun violence by getting rid of this and the second amendment. The government could just drop in and go through all your stuff to find out if people are hiding guns. It may have another side effect, an increase in drug busts, especially in Hollywood. Brainstorm: if the government finds private nude photos of celebrities they could sell them to the tabloids or Playboy and pay off the national debt.
Fifth Amendment, only criminals need this one right? If you answer yes, uh, ummm then there is probably a little man in your head giving directions saying “move along folks, nothing to see here!” Due Process! Double Jeopardy! (Not a game) and self incrimination. You know if we got rid of this we could say bye bye lawyers, try the same crime in state and federal courts because if one doesn't convict the other can. Heck, keep going until you get that guilty verdict.
Sixth Amendment not that we have a speedy Justice system anyway. We can get rid of this so the judicial system can focus on more serious matters like “preventing small scale and recreational miners from suction dredging in California because of environmental issues while the Sierra Club wants to conduct the same dredging using the argument they are removing Mercury from the rivers.(of course they want to keep the gold they find to fill their coffers. What the heck?)
Seventh Amendment no one needs a jury trial because the cost too much. Heck maybe without juries we’d have more convictions. I still get a kick out of the $20.00 limit for civil cases eligible for jury trials.
Eighth Amendment screw bail, Jack the fines up so high no one can pay so that way we keep the poor criminals off the street.
Ninth Amendment get rid of this that way we can get rid of common law and make some really cool draconian laws to keep all safe.
Tenth Amendment we can just say screw the states and let the Feds control everything, who needs a state government. That way we can all be exactly the same, I mean all the same. Who needs individuality?
See some amendments contribute to this Social Problem and others just get in the way of having a totally safe society. You want to do something to fix the problem? Look to the elements of society that glorify violence, isolate people, and do nothing to address mental health. And above all, “Teach your Children Well!”
