That's a topic for a different thread.

This isn't just about rates of violent crime. It's about the perceived safety of schools in very large part. It's about the terrible impact that mass shootings have on the nation's psyche, maybe especially when they happen in schools because that's where our kids spend so much time, but in bars, theaters, concerts, churches, whatever. And why these mass shootings happen so much more frequently here than other countries.

I think the discussion below about too much focus on assault-styled weapons is the kind of constructive stuff that should be happening. I think there is a strong national consensus that these mass shootings are unacceptable. We need to stop giving into the 0 sum thinking that many people want to impose, mainly for political reasons. There is no magic bullet. Of course someone wanting to kill masses of human beings is disturbed, and that's an angle for policy consideration. But how they quickly acquire the killing power to do so much damage is another very important angle. And no, nobody serious wants to take the right to gun ownership away. If we agree private citizens don't have the right to a howitzer on their front lawn, I think we can agree that there are common sense steps to be taken about how much killing power private citizens really need, and other considerations about gun ownership.

The silly thing is that it's such a cultural issue. Which makes it a very convenient wedge for opportunistic politicians. That's what we should not tolerate.