A book (and organisation) to help prevent mass shootings
Of course, we have had a few mass shootings in the last few decades. But nothing like on the scale of the USA. And now with a recent wave of mass shootings closer to home, it’s for sure time to look at lessons to be learned from the country where it all started.
In Guns We Trust is an American book, which has had huge accolades. In a country that has over 100 million people owning guns.
The author was the local bureau chief when the Sandy Hook shooting happened at a New England primary school (one man shot his mother dead, then killed 20 children and 6 staff, before shooting himself). So quite similar to the Dunblane massacre in Scotland (of which Restore UK leader recently told a US right-wing journalist was ‘one murder’).
What’s this book all about?
An unsettling investigation into the ‘unholy trinity’ that incorrectly links Jesus Christ to right-wing politics, an ‘America first’ mentality and gun ownership. He asks why is is that ‘white evangelicals’ are more likel to own weapons? Yet the message of Jesus was to ‘turn the other cheek’.
The author also meets Christians worldwide who would never own a gun (think of Quakers). One Amish community that suffered a similar primary school shooting a few years back, even had residents attend the funeral of the gunman, and help his widow and young family.
It’s almost impossible to believe this level of forgiveness. But due to their actions, the killer’s parents (he also shot himself dead) were able to forgive their own son. His mother would even visit a survivor (left unable to walk, talk or feed herself) to read her the Bible and Anne of Green Gables stories.
The author also meets activists who are ‘beating guns into garden tools’. And nuns who bought company stock, so they could force a gun manufacturer to do more to promote peace!
A book for the ‘evangelical Christians’
What makes this book so interesting is that the author is a practicing Christian (and former lay missionary). Who is appalled at how ‘Christian evangelicals’ have ‘hijacked his faith’ to promote gun ownership and right-wing politics.
We are always hearing these days about immigrants (or what President Trump calls ‘aliens’). Yet one of the teachers who died protecting the children was just 27 – and the daughter of immigrants.
One good thing to come from this tragedy was Sandy Hook Promise, a website with free resources for schools, councils and police forces. To prevent gun violence worldwide.
Most mass shooters are legal gun owners
Nearly all mass shootings are carried out by licensed gun owners (the Sandy Hook gun was legally bought by the killer’s mother, who he shot dead). That means that stopping people from owning guns is not the answer in all cases.
And of course many people legally own guns to hunt innocent animals, which creates a society where guns are the norm. In the USA, people can order free gun safety kits to protect children in homes (some accidentally are killed when setting a firearm off).
Although England does not have so many hunters, the House of Lords is still yet to approve the ban on trophy hunting imports (since the killing of Cecil the lion – around 100 more lions have been shot dead by British hunters). And the dentist who killed Cecil has sinced killed a rare Mongolian sheep.
In the USA, there is no trophy hunting ban. Trump does not hunt himself, but his sons do. So presumably his political position is to protect their ‘hobby’ of shooting buffalo, leopards and elephants.
Other ways to prevent mass shootings
There’s never an excuse. But many mass shootings start off as political or religious hatred. So promoting world peace is a good place to start. After the Sydney beach shootings, the Israeli Prime Minister immediately blamed politicians, as did Trump after Charlie Kirk was shot.
Politicans have a responsibility to turn down the temperature when these tragedies happen, not raise it.
Many teens who carry out mass shootings have been bullied at the schools where crimes were carried out. Again no excuse. But preventing bullying (including in the workplace) is a good preventive measure.
Parents in the USA can use BARK app (this tool to prevent bullying has also so far prevented at least two school shootings).
Listen to warnings. Nearly all mass shooters give an indication to someone (or on social media) of what they are planning. Register your school at Sandy Hook Promise, to take online courses to prevent shootings.
People don’t just ‘snap’. There is a process as observable, and often as predictable, as water coming to a boil. Criminological consensus
Links between animal and human abuse
Nearly all serial killers (and this includes mass shooters) have a history of cruelty to animals (most people who own lots of guns are hunters).
Animal Legal Defense Fund has more information on this. You can take free courses to learn more.
Don’t encourage play with ‘violent toys’
The daughter of Gwen Mayor (the teacher at Dunblane who died with defensive wounds, holding a dead child in her arms) does not allow her own children to play with toy guns or violent video games. Instead, she teaches them about hedgehogs, her mother’s favourite animal.
