MASS SCHOOL SHOOTINGS, PART 2 - ROOT CAUSES

MASS SCHOOL SHOOTINGS, PART 2 - ROOT CAUSES

By Richard E. “Rick” Dennis CPP
Certified Protection Professional
Risk Manager & Analyst
Freelance Journalist and Author

July 3, 2022
Copyright – All Rights Reserved

ROOT CAUSES

In my last article, “MASS SHOOTINGS,” I touched on a myriad causative factors directly contributing to the horrific mass school shootings phenomenon plaguing school systems in the USA. However, as a Risk Manager and Analyst it’s an arduous task to assign one causative factor as the Root Cause for this phenomenon. A more realistic approach is to state: There isn’t one causative factor resulting in the mass shooting phenomenon, but rather a myriad causative factors leading up to an end result, i.e., mass shootings.

By example and more specifically, politicians singly assign one component to blame for the event - the AR-15 rifle. Moreover, Democratic politicians seize a mass shooting tragedy to promote more unnecessary gun control on law abiding citizens. As they say, “Democrats never let a good tragedy go to waste!” After all, its already been proven “Background Checks” don’t stop or prevent mass shooters in lieu of the fact some mass shooters legally purchase their firearms from a Federally Licensed firearms dealer and pass a background check prior to committing the heinous crime.

Contrary to what politicians state, the firearm isn’t the single causative factor but rather a single component of a broader reality. More specifically, a firearm is a tool. Its only as good or bad as the one behind the trigger, nothing more. In order to understand the specifics of why mass shootings occur, one has to perform a “Root Cause Analysis” as well as a criminal profile of the shooter to better understand the psychosis as well as the mechanics behind the mind set triggering mass shootings.

SOCIETAL ISSUES

In retrospect, homicides and mass homicides aren’t new. They’ve been happening through time and memorial. After all, the first historical recorded homicide was the biblical story of Cain killing his brother Abel with a rock. For that matter, Cain didn’t use an AR-15, a semi-auto pistol, a truck being drive through a crowd of pedestrians, poison, or a knife to accomplish his egregious crime. According to the Bible, the root cause of the crime; Cain’s jealousy of Able was the stimulus. Similarly, today we live in a violent world. A world inundated without respect for another human being or a value of life.

Some suggest a world without GOD. A politicians answer to the mass shootings is more gun control for law abiding citizens without gun control cries for the unlawful criminals using firearms to torment society and commit heinous crimes. After all, criminals don’t purchase firearms; they steal them or purchase them off the black market. Nonetheless, criminals have firearms. The political cry has become so disgusting, its usually broadcast before the deceased are buried, leaving grieving relatives asking “WHY” are the politicians using my deceased child like a pawn in the political game of gun control. Again, just one example of a lack of respect in our society. Again, the “Root Cause” isn’t identified, only substituted with more gun control.

Notwithstanding, are more gun control laws the answer? No its not. Harsher punishment for the offender is a perfect place to begin. Society no longer fears incarceration or the judicial system. More and more, liberal District Attorneys are decriminalizing violent crimes. Liberal judges are handing more reduced/lenient sentences. Politicians like our Vice President Kamala Harris are openly fund raising to bail out rioters and persons committing civil unrest. As a matter of fact, developed countries around the world having the most stringent gun control laws in existence, still experience gun crime as well as single, multiple, and mass homicides with guns and other weapons – such as knives and automobiles.

A relative fact: A human being is a light thin skinned animal, similar to a deer, and can be killed/dispatched relatively easily, e.g., by a hammer, a brick, or a baseball bat causing blunt force trauma. Strangulation is another cause of homicides. Moreover, the plain truth is: A person bent on committing a homicide will find a way to complete the task. In reality, in the USA, we have a disobedient, undisciplined, disrespectful, and an out-of-control population crisis. If you don’t believe that, research soaring crime statistics or just monitor news outlets and social media accounts. Social media bullying is at an all time high.

Another contributing factor: To some, life isn’t as precious as it use to be. Case-in-point: Since the 1970’s, when abortion was first legalized, by a bad Supreme Court decision, statistics state there’s been over 60 million unborn children aborted by their mothers, just in the USA. A phenomenon within itself. Still another fact of aborted children reveals, the selling of body parts which has become big business around the world.

DEMOCRATS CONTRIBUTION TO ENDING MARRIAGES – THE FATHERLESS CHILD

“In The Sentinel Record article;” Welfare System Actually Discouraging Marriage the author describes a breakdown in society as a result of a Democratic President – Lyndon B Johnson providing welfare to unwed mothers and their child or children.

In his Union Address on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson proposed legislation that would create a "War on Poverty" in response to a national poverty rate of around 19 percent. His speech led the United States Congress to pass the Economic Opportunity Act, which established the Office of Economic Opportunity to administer the application of federal funds targeted against poverty.

Now to be sure, his intent was noble, but it has not turned out that way. He just wanted to take care of poor people, or so he said. Now, five decades later, we are reaping what he has sown. Prior to the 1960s, nearly all children were born to married couples. When the War on Poverty began in 1964, only 7 percent of children were born to unmarried women. Now, that figure is closer to 60 percent. Historically, marriage has played a critical role in the raising of children. In most cases, the economic benefits of marriage are substantial. Marriage among families with children is an extremely powerful factor in promoting economic self-sufficiency.

The reason for this is simple. In most cases, two parents working together can support a child more efficiently than one. However, the benefits are far beyond self-sufficiency. When compared with children in a two-parent family, children raised by single parents are more likely to have emotional and behavioral problems; be physically abused; smoke, drink, and use drugs; be aggressive; engage in violent, delinquent, and criminal behavior; have poor school performance; be expelled from school; and drop out of high school. Many of these negative outcomes are associated with higher poverty rates of single mothers.

Compared with girls raised in similar married families, girls from single-parent homes are more than twice likely to have a child without being married. It is no accident that the collapse of marriage in America largely began with the War on Poverty and the proliferation of means-tested welfare programs that it fostered. When the War on Poverty began, only a single welfare program -- Aid to Families With Dependent Children -- assisted single parents. Today there are dozens of programs, including the Earned Income Tax Credit, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the WIC food program, Supplemental Security Income, food stamps, child nutrition programs, public housing and Section 8 housing, and Medicaid. The end result: After pregnancy, the father is no longer needed.

Essentially, the government has now taken the place of fathers in this country. As with other government program failures, once the Federal Government inserts itself into a program it usually never works correctly again. We see this today with our out-of-control borders fostering millions of illegal individuals gaining access to our country and rewarded with access to our welfare system. As with poverty in 1966 the governments answer to all problems is to throw more money at it. Out-of-control government spending is certainly driving the out-of-control inflation we’re experiencing today.

CHILDREN GROWING UP WITHOUT FATHERS

Today, the fatherless child created by Johnsons War on Poverty is further identified in a FOX News article, titled: “Americas Crisis Is A Lack of Fathers.” https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/america-crisis-fathers

In the opinion piece, the author cites: As our country commemorates Father’s Day this weekend, it is important that we recognize the millions of children throughout our nation who are growing up without their fathers. Data from the United States Census Bureau shows that nearly 18.5 million children grow up without their fathers, which has in return led to the United States owning the title of the world’s leader in fatherlessness.

We know that fatherhood is essential to the development of our children, and the increased involvement of fathers in the home leads to better results on a wide variety of outcomes. From economic prosperity, increased academic performance, to improved social mobility; fathers in their respective homes continue to be a key indicator of success for all children across racial, ethnic, and socio-economic groups.

A DETERIORATING LEGAL SYSTEM

Never before in our history, has the USA witnessed such a disdain for law enforcement. Defund the Police is an illusionary Democratic strategy designed to destabilize society and garner votes. It’s lunacy and hypocritical for politicians to advocate defunding the police, while their surrounded by their armed security task force. A large part of our society actually openly exhibit a hatred for law enforcement. The murder rate of law enforcement officers is rapidly climbing, as are armed assaults.

However, the Defund the Police movement; accompanied by civil unrest are the single causative factors in the escalating violent crime in our country. Still another fact: A reduced police presence and escalating violent crime has driven law abiding citizens to arm themselves to protect their loved ones and themselves. Guns and ammunition sales are at an all time high. The plain truth: Law Enforcement can no longer be relied on to protect you. The response time to assist the populous is becoming an ever increasing longer than usual proposition.

Furthermore, the Defund The Police Movement is directly related to civil unrest resulting in riots, violent crimes, and the burning of cities and towns. Apparently, politicians don’t understand that in a civilized society, law enforcement is the barrier between social stability and total chaos!

Additionally, the Defund The Police movement is directly related to a reduction in law enforcement agency personnel across-the-board, in this country. It would be hard to write an article about civil disobedience without this subject and omit the fact: Democratic politicians in Washington D.C. are openly advocating civil disobedience and unrest. Maxine Waters is a perfect example. Couple that with left wing extremists groups advocating for the same criteria and the end result is: Escalating violent crime.

Senator Chuck Schumer openly attacked members of the Supreme Court and the result, was a planned attack and murder of a Supreme Court Justice. As a result of the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse Roe V Wade; a bad legal decision from the start has resulted in unlawful demonstrators constantly harassing certain members of the court in order to influence their decisions, even though its illegal to try and influence a judges decision. The Democratic lead Department of Justice has openly declined to stop the harassment of Supreme Court Justices, even though it’s a Federal Crime to do so.

Lastly, we’re witnessing the Democratic politicization and weaponizing of our Federal Law Enforcement communities such as: The Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Immigration, to name a few. The sad commentary to this is: The American People can no longer rely on these Federal Agencies to uphold the rule of law, without bias. History has shown us there’s definitely a two part system when it comes to enforcing the rule of law. The laws average Americans are forced to live by aren’t the same laws Washington D.C. politicians live by. The old adage: “What’s good for the goose isn’t good for the gander. In factual reality, D.C. politicians think there entitled and above the rule of law. Either way it’s interpreted, their unlawful actions count for civil unrest in this country!

In conclusion, there’s more than just the AR-15 that’s contributing to mass school shootings in this country!

“Until Next Time, Keep Em Between The Bridle!”