Thursday, October 5, 2017

The Aim of Blame (plus things we can all do to bring ourselves back from the brink)

Several people are running around this week shouting that we need more robust gun laws in the wake of the Las Vegas shooting that took place.
It is my firm belief that those that those people are wrong.
You have others who claim this is certainly a tragedy, however this tragedy does not warrant any policy change to address these types of acts.
They are also wrong.
Changes to gun laws would not have prevented the incident in Las Vegas. If you don’t believe me here’s an expert’s opinion, that was formed by academics, rather than anecdotal experience.
Additionally, there’s a video that has recently found renewed popularity online regarding the technology that was relevant when the 2nd amendment was written. If you haven’t seen it you can find it HERE. Attention-grabbing, satirical, and perhaps a bit humorous, is it not? All possibly true, but it is also ignorant. What this video ignores is perhaps the more relevant item based on its historical context: The fact that the authors of the 2nd amendment were living in a time when government overreach was not the plot of a far-fetched suspense novel, but reality.

The truth is there is not one right answer to the question of “How could’ve the Las Vegas tragedy (or any mass shooting) been prevented?” Moreover, the answer to “What could’ve stopped Stephen Paddock from killing over 50 people?” is even more elusive.
The things that stand out to this author are as follows:
  1. Assess your Values
    1. Figure out what it is that drives you, what’s truly important
    2. Determine how you can factor in these values to your daily living
  2. Streamline your commitments
    1. There are a thousand things barking for our attention everyday. To be a modern person it is expected that you do things that, for lack of a better phrase; weren’t even a thing 10, 20, 30 years ago.
    2. Quite simply, remove the things that are without purpose, or simply aren’t worthwhile.
  3. Connectivity
    1. Even the most cynical among us (raises hand) realizes a complete lack of interpersonal connections is a recipe for disaster
    2. Connect with family, friends, acquaintances, even strangers!
  4. Self care
    1. Mental health is a lot like physical health, if you don’t do it for yourself, no one will do it for you.
    2. Make it a point to engage in some activity you enjoy that reduces your stress level


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