The American gun Laws.....can it remain as it is?

Daniel L. wrote:
I agree punishment is not the answer nor is controlling the "psychopath" after his/her mind is lost. That would be controlling the effect not fixing the problem.

The problem is the loss of the mind. Fix the problem and you wont have a psychopath to create the massacre effect.

Psychopathy is, I should point out, actually a neurological disorder which makes people completely unable to feel empathy. We call people 'psychopaths' but actually they are just horrible people with a terrible personality. Actual 'psychopaths' are something completely different

This shooter was deranged but not a psychopath (just wanted to make a distinction) and not saying you don't know the difference Daniel

So I will agree with that if you want people to stop killing others... Change the way people's minds work. Though that can never happen... We are meant to kill others, it is our nature.

I completely disagree. Without getting into a more in depth discussion about morality and conscience... I feel as though the evidence supporting the existence of groups of animals greater than 1 enough to counteract this claim

I have to agree also with Jestor. Gun control is a bandaid. Education would be a much more thorough solution

Each of these shooting cases involved someone that was suffering emotionally....

The newtown one for instance ...the shooters mother was planning to have him committed to a mental hospital...so he must have felt betrayed by her...emotional pain...she volunteered for an after school program with those little kids...so he must have felt that she cared more for them than she did for him, more betrayal...more emotional pain....so how did he choose to express this sense of betrayal? How did he choose to express his pain?...by making others feel the same pain of loss (he no doubt felt as though he lost his mother's love)...the gun just happened to be there...it did not seek to take the lives of the mother or the children, he did...it's like giving the hammer credit for building the house instead of the carpenter...both are just tools that were at hand, neither sought to perform the deeds...

band-aids only address the aftermath, they do nothing for the cause...in this case the cause was emotional pain and mental health...knowledge and understanding address the cause

Daniel L. wrote:

Whyte Horse wrote: I'm going to have to throw something in the mix here. I've been a teacher in a school where we had a psychopathic spectrum teen-ager. Punishment doesn't work because they can't learn from their mistakes and they feel no remorse or pain.

I don't have all the answers but I do know it takes more than a little parenting to turn a psychopath around.

I agree punishment is not the answer nor is controlling the "psychopath" after his/her mind is lost. That would be controlling the effect not fixing the problem.

The problem is the loss of the mind. Fix the problem and you wont have a psychopath to create the massacre effect.

Agreed. In my graduate studies on child and adolescent development, we've found that nature and nurture play a key role in the development of the brain. More recent studies show epigenetic effects where genes can be turned on or off by environmental factors...

It comes as no surprise that a society, such as ours, which is based on competition and violence produces psychopaths. Maybe if we based our society on cooperation and peace we would have very different outcomes.

I've said it for years...America was born in violence, expanded with violence, and grew to prominence because of violence...look at our history...if we don't have a common enemy we turn to fighting amongst ourselves...

As was stated nature AND nurture play a part....parents have a strong influence on their children and should exert it to counter some of nature (some parts of human nature cannot be changed)...some people are naturally more aggressive than others...parents can influence this if they take the time to know their children...if your child behaves aggressively, then don't put them in situations that encourage that behavior...

Akkarin, we evolve through violence and killing. The strong survive rule? It does not matter how advanced in conscious or morality we get. Break it down to our base nature and it is there. You can disagree all you like though it's still there and it will always be there.

I would disagree on your definition of the strong survive...

Now it would seem the strong of mind survive, while those stuck in antiquated thinking will die of stagnation....

Killing metaphorically, I might buy what you are saying, but not physically...

Braddon wrote: we evolve through violence and killing. The strong survive rule?

Judging by the way in which human civilisation has been changing I think we are finding that we are stronger together than apart

Sure things aren't perfect but you can't jump from one spectrum of animalistic tendencies to, as Jestor said, 'divine intellect' in one leap

Evolution through violence and killing is only as prevalent as our selfish natures allow

We are at the most peaceful time ever in human history and still going pretty darn strong!

Jestor I never said physical strength to begin with. There is a balance with a persons mind and body. Also no.. We are definitely not in as much of a peaceful time as you may think in human history. You also realize that without wars there would be not as strong or fast technological advancements right? One side always trying to out do the other to get the one up on the opponent.

Akkarin wrote: We are at the most peaceful time ever in human history

Is that a fact?

I'm not doubting you, I'm just genuinely interested...it just doesn't really feel as though we're living in a very peaceful world...

There is a paradox that proves true too often...

To have peace you must be prepared for war

Just throwing that out there...