Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Sunday said school shootings aren't happening because of an issue with guns. Rather, he blamed the tragedies on a litany of other reasons... - CNN, May 20, 2018
It's hard to stick up for Gun Ownership, again it is a guaranteed freedom in the Constitution, when buffoons like Dan Patrick worship at the alter of Gun Ownership.
I'm going to ask myself a question and try to give an honest answer. Today my answer may differ from other days, but we're going to pause for a few minutes for me to think....
Fred Hunt, what, in general, is to blame in a school shooting?
80% Blame goes to the Individual Assailant.
5% Blame goes to Bullies (and there are always bullies. Still waiting for the day Popular Johnny Football Star goes on a rampage.
5% Blame goes to the Mental Illness. (The mentally stable tend to keep shooting rampages out of their heads.)
5% Blame goes to Professionals/Family who missed the signs. (After the fact, someone is always lamenting that they should have seen the signs.)
4% Blame goes to an inflated sense of Confidence. (I think the Mentally Ill are empowered by other acts of violence. "If they can do it, I can do it.")
1% Blame goes to the Weapon. (Notice I said weapon. Ban the guns. They'll get a knife. Ban the knives, they'll make themselves a bomb. I can look up how to make a bomb in about 3 seconds.)
No person or entity should be prosecuted under the law except for the Individual Assailant (unless there are support accomplices.) Even if a bully is partially to blame, they are not culpable to the threshold of the law.
Nothing should be banned as a result of a school shooting.
What can you do to stop the next school shooting? I came up with a plan in The Week in Guns IV that explored extra security and how to pay for it. Again, I am a Blogger with an inflated sense that I have valid ideas. I hold no elected office. For, I think, the 5th time, I am re-repeating, if you ban the guns, you are opening up a whole 'nother set of difficult problems for America and the concept of Individual Freedoms.
Now, let's ask Dan Patrick the same question about school shootings, straight from the CNN article.
Dan Patrick, what, in general, is to blame in a school shooting?
These were his answers. These answers were so bad, he should be impeached.
Violent Video Games. Okay, let's say that video games are to blame. I don't agree with that premise, but let's go with that. Let's ban Violent Video Games. With the exception that there's no video game clause in the Constitution, the arguments between banning guns and banning video games are remarkably similar. I don't know how you can be for banning video games, but keeping guns is a priority. They are both inanimate objects that ultimately can't do anything if you leave them on the floor of an empty room.
Removing Religion from Schools. Alright, let's return Allah to all the schools in Texas. Wait, that's not what you meant? You meant your religion. I looked it up, the predominant religion of Galveston County Texas is not my religion. Which religion did you mean? Removing religion from schools would get a 0% culpability from me. This answer would simply be the Right moving an agenda.
Abortions and 'Broken' Families. I'll at least listen to the Broken Family argument. The Abortion argument is absurd. If you are an aborted Fetus, you cannot grow up to shoot up a school. If anything, abortion PREVENTS school shootings.
Irresponsible Gun Owners. Somehow, our lists are not matching at all. Basically Patrick here is not blaming the Gun or the Individual Assailant.
Too Many Entrances to Schools. I agree you need to control the access points. This answer would be number, say, 20 if I expanded my list out that far. Somewhere around .005% Blame mark.
Unarmed Teachers. It is here where my brain broke. A teacher's job is to teach. A janitor's job is to clean. A police officer's job is to keep the peace. You need to have an armed officer in every school in America. I'm telling you, if you arm all teachers, you are opening another Pandora's Box set of other problems. I'm sure some teachers want to be armed, and if they go through the training and want to assume liability, I guess that's okay. Arming all teachers? Have you ever been in a school before?????????
Seriously, have you? When's the last time the Lieutenant Governor spent time in a school. With the exception of the controlling access points answer, all answers are either invalid or cause more problems than they solve. I have to know, what the heck did Dan Patrick do before he was a politician? I'll be back....
Conservative Talk Show Host and Sports Bar Owner.
You know what, I want to change my answers. Ask me the question again.
Fred Hunt, what, in general, is to blame in a school shooting?
80% Blame goes to the Individual Assailant.
20% Blame goes to the Lieutenant Governor of the State.
And that absurd answer is just about as valid as Dan Patricks' answers.
Maybe I'll now have more Confidence in Beacon of Speech knowing that the Dan Patricks of the world have a national forum.