Orlando Florida is in the news again.Two days ago Christina Grimmie was gunned down while signing autographs.Last night 50 people were killed and at least 53 wounded in what appears to be a lone wolf assault on a well known bar frequented by gays.The deceased assailant appears to be of Islamic descent.The death by gun epidemic is accelerating ; apparently motivation is not as important in prevention as might be hoped and prayed for.(To Allah as well as Jehovah)The last good guy with a gun who tried to intervene was grievously wounded by the bad guy with a gun who was apparently a better shot.(Was it Texas?) If we can’t all get along, can’t we impose limits on the proliferation of multishot semiautomatic weapons?It is hard to see the profit motive contributing to the greater good here.The visible hands here, despite the Donald and the NRA, are on the triggers of such and not needful of a great deal of training.It would appear that action on the federal level will continue to be blocked by a deadlocked Supreme Court ensnared by one of the controversial Scalia opinions and votes.Action at the state and local level in the state of Florida will not occur. Even if it did, the Supreme Court barrier will remain.
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The Octogenarians 
I feel that you will find this connection of the dots quite fascinating. It’s a connection that I feel most in America have overlooked. I offer this link which will connect the reasoning used by both Stanford rapist, Brock Turner, and Orlando shooter, Omar Mateen; two violent men, two symptoms of the same sickness:
https://theconversation.com/two-violent-men-two-symptoms-of-the-same-sickness-60988
This explains much of the misogyny and homophobia displayed in America. There’s actually a deeper message concerning the gun debate to which most men in America won’t want to admit. I’m interested to hear your position on this message.
I agree that homophobia and hypersexual fantasy and behavior are often dynamically related to fear of inadequacy.(sexual and/ or social instrumental).the murderous self hate that emerges as succumbing to homosexual attraction becomes imminent has often led to suicide and/or murder. The identification with a “cause” and the availability of semiautomatic weapons and megamagazines are the horrendous multipliers.From a societal vantage point ,motivation is fairly inaccesible.The guns and magazines are more accessible (although late in the game) to intervention.
I see it as a matter of education of the masses. Ours (in fact most of the world) is a male-dominated society. We have to teach our young boys that they are not supposed to dominate over women or other men considered inferior by them (bullying), rather to share the same responsibilities and positions in society absent of dominance by either gender. Currently, we teach our young boys that they are meant to be the tougher and stronger gender, and that the more so the better. We instill that dominance factor in them from the earliest ages. That’s not an easy fix, granted, but we have to start somewhere. Wherein the problem lies is that those in a position of power and dominance are reluctant to relinquish that advantage.
The ready availability of guns makes them an easy “weapon of dominance” over those considered inferior. But, as the link states, the use of rape or guns are simply two different symptoms of the same sickness. As long as we continue to teach young boys to dominate, the problem will persist, regardless of weaponry available. Causing a paradigm shift for all of the world’s societies is a daunting task … that or we continue to wage wars, rape, and murder. A great first step would be to elect all female leadership to speed up the process. The United States has the possibility of a female leader at this current time … just as a reminder.
I’m sure some would claim that would simply be a role reversal, at least at the level of government leadership. I’d settle for a split equivalent to the numbers of each in society. Does that sound fair, or are we men reluctant to give up our dominance?
Yes.men are reluctant to give up dominance and its symbols.However the problem is beyond the domain of the frontotemporal cortices.There is most probably a powerful evolutionary incentive to aggressive, hypersexual behavior and its non sexual behavioral equivalents.The” big swinging dicks” of Wall Street for example.Role reversal would not come easily.Nationalism is tied to aggression in both sexes .(As in territoriality) Women produce testosterone too.There are many related steps needed to save the planet.Ultimately world government has to replace nation state competitiveness.But in the meantime there has to be an enormous juggling act.Jupiter and Mars have to yield to Apollo and Hermes but Hera and Artemis have to yield to Athena.Earthbound we have to depend on Hippolyte and her one breast for awhile.The structures of our government that are in place to effect compromise must be allowed to work;the refusal to govern as a political strategy is a gonadless insult to all of us.(U.S. and the world!).
The bad guy with a gun will often have the advantage over the good guy with a gun. The good guy is limited to those guns and clips that are declared legal. Now, if there are more armed good guys at a shooting than are bad, that may offset the inequity imposed by our laws.
Sadly, perfect laws are impossible. The only possibility is that of “best” law.
Those truly interested in laws designed for the maximum saving of life would honestly probe two all-important questions: How many are harmed because bad guys are armed, and how many innocents are saved by their ability to protect themselves (and others) because they are armed?
Reblogged this on daedal2207's Blog.
Unknown and probably unknowable.But an armed populace could not have prevented the rise of Hitler.The Trump…eter is dead wrong!