The shootings problem in U.S.

Albert Einstein added to our collective intelligence when he defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result. Could it be that we are behaving in an irrational and insane manner when, time after time, we experience the anguish of yet another mass shooting, and ask for a change to our gun laws, all to no avail? We, in the United States, do have a serious, repetitive problem, occurring as regularly as clockwork. How can we resolve this conundrum?

First, let’s consider why these shootings are taking place. Here are some plausible reasons:

Some are committed by young people who are under pharmaceutical treatment for depression, anxiety, or other disorders. Some medications are capable of causing personality changes.

Others are related to unresolved domestic and family disputes

Some shooters are victims of workplace displacement, grudges, job loss, and/or unsettled conflict.

And there are those brave souls who have served in the military, and come home, with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which can prey upon their minds and judgment as they try to return to a normal life.

Some shootings are based on religious or racial prejudices.

Other shooters are people from countries where we have a strong military presence. These shootings are committed in retribution for the killing of their friends and family members, and/or the occupation of towns, destruction of homes, damage to necessities of life and places of worship.

The repeated viewing of violence on television, movies, and video games, can feed into a shooters decision to use a gun as a problem solver, as so often occurs on the screen or game board.

Let’s look for some ways to ameliorate this situation. While we can’t actually find a way into the brain and emotions of a shooter, who often dies at the hands of another or his own, we can use empathy to try to understand the problem and work out a solution.

Here are some ideas.

Make mental health treatment easily available at no cost. This is much cheaper in the long run. Most shootings are committed by people with at least a temporary loss of mental stability.

Find and use drug free treatments for depression, anxiety, ADHD, and the multitude of other psychological and psychiatric ailments. Many medications have side effects more troubling and numerous, than the symptoms they are supposed to treat. Strong prescription drugs, just as street drugs, can cause dangerous, sometimes permanent, personality changes.

Make classes in effective marriage and family practices as well as non-violent problem solving, mandatory parts of our education system, beginning with very young children and continuing through college and university education.

Alter our foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East. As we selfishly keep the war over there we are recruiting thousands upon thousands of terrorists whose family members have been killed, and whose homes and communities have been devastated, usually by drones, but by other means as well. We always say such things as Never Forget 911!, without thinking that the people who conspired to attack us on that day were following the same mantra, as it relates to their homelands.

We do not have to be a war economy. Think what could be done with just half of the recently authorized $770 billion defense appropriation if it were spent on infrastructure, education, health care, science research, and the arts.

Open government work programs such as those created during the great depression of the 30s. Give people a hand up, not a hand out, thus providing a full measure of self-respect for every individual. It would, indeed, make America Great Again!

Encourage the media, and video game, film and documentary producers to create more uplifting, encouraging products.

Work within our community to hold events that bring us together rather than divide us. Put an emphasis on interfaith programs, and occasions for the sharing of the food, music and customs of all nationalities and races, as well as special religious observances.

Build community. Be as powerful as the gun lobby. Insist that our elected officials enact local, state and federal legislation for alternative measures that will effectively lower the number of mass shootings. Wouldn’t it be fantastic to bring that number down to zero?

Perhaps this will be a better say to solve the Shooter Problem than trying to change gun laws. And, best of all, those elected officials who are hindered by a potential loss of financial support from the NRA will easily be able to see these measures are a phenomenal way to go.

At least it is worthy of a good try.