Asklemmy

It is well studied that Means Reduction saves lives. As easy access to weapons and methods to commit suicide/murder are reduced people do not often substitute other methods, therefore the tragedy is avoided.

Gun control does not confront any of the root causes of the problem, however. Isolation, loneliness, disenfranchisement, and hopelessness are at all-time highs in American society. Anyone feeling these, or other crushing emotions is not alone. Restricting access to guns will avert tragedy, but neglects to treat a more serious illness of society.

According to Robert Putman's Bowling Alone the transition from active engagement to passive consumption (the specific example he studied was how TV watching impacted Americans' social lives) has been the single greatest factor contributing to an epidemic of social disengagement. Bowling Alone is now 21 years old, and the trends Putman identified in 1999 have not improved, they have been exacerbated by the internet, social media, and smart phones.

Gun control will save lives, and I am therefore in support, but it is not enough to take away access to guns and consider the problem solved. We must also address the difficult questions such as "in a democratic society, why does someone feel they have no say in their government and therefore they feel the need to own a gun in case violent revolution is necessary?" and "why do people in this community feel unsafe around their neighbors and feel the need to own a gun for self-defense?" We need to do a better job engaging the people who feel powerless, and the people who do not trust their neighbors, to promote positive social engagement within their communities.

I believe social media can be re-engineered to promote the positive characteristics of human psychology, instead of the current situation where social media (and consumptive entertainment generally) have been engineered to manipulate and exploit human psychology for profit. I believe gun violence and suicide are symptoms of a far more serious withering of American community by toxic hyper-individualism. I also believe these issues have reached a critical mass and solutions are beginning to be implemented. I feel very hopeful that these problems will be solved, and we will look at the last 30 years in America as a tragic and confused period.