Psychology may shed light on ‘Why?’ of shooting NRA, use your power to prevent mass killings

While everyone seems stunned the horrific shooting in Las Vegas has “no explanation,” have we considered the depression, self-loathing and vindictiveness that often haunts a chronic gambler?

Gamblers who lose sometimes turn that self-hatred to an external target. They beat spouses, abuse their children and, yes, shoot their neighbors. One can never make sense out of insanity, but combine depression, rage, self-loathing, have a few drinks for “courage” — maybe some Ambien or Xanax to calm down — and the powder keg is lit. Insanity is sometimes temporary, swift, and violent.

Get toxicology screens, look up gambling patterns, see if he had behavioral traits inherited from his “psychopathic” father; you may have some insight into the “why” of this. Knowing why doesn’t undo the evil. It may, however, better help profile the next individual bent on violence.

The NRA should not just be an association that wants to put guns into the hands of everybody. It should be an association that helps us protect ourselves. This includes keeping guns out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them. While we can ask ourselves, “Does the government have the right to decide who should and shouldn’t have guns?,” there is little doubt the private sector should be able to help make that determination.

The NRA is a powerful group. They could choose to use that power to help us stop these mass killings. They could choose to investigate the causes. They could choose to help the victims. Instead of quieting the storm of misuse of weapons, they are trying to quiet their guns with silencers.

The NRA is a nasty power broker and is one of many power brokers that have seized control of the Republican Party for their own selfish means. These men and women, big businesses and opportunity hoarders, write the rules and laws in their favor, enriching themselves and leaving the rest of us behind. Rather than worrying about our safety, they solely worry about their bottom line.

It is time the NRA card-carrying members take back the NRA and use it not only as a mouth piece to protect the Second Amendment, but also use it as a force to protect every citizen from the misuse of firearms.