How to Reduce Shootings - The New York Times
New York TimesMay 25, 2022
The Facts
Six people were killed, including three children, in a shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville on Monday morning.
The shooter, identified as 28-year-old ex-student Audrey Hale, was armed with a rifle, a pistol, and a handgun and was shot dead by police.
The Spin
Left narrative
How many school children and other innocent victims must die before better gun laws are passed? The U.S. has more guns than any other country - essentially one gun for every citizen - and one of the highest gun-related death rates. This madness needs to stop with better regulation, including limiting who has access and the types of weapons they own.
Right narrative
The problem isn't guns. It's the people behind the guns. The current gun regulations that are already in place aren't working, so why keep trying the same solution hoping for a different outcome? A different, better solution is needed rather than simply banning guns. Mental illness and inadequate security are the root of mass shootings and must be addressed. But the possibility of a real solution is overlooked by making the political discourse anti-gun.
Cynical narrative
Another day in the United States, another mass shooting. And just like all the previous tragic attacks, nothing will change. The violence will continue. Mass shootings have become a part of America's landscape, and neither side has enough political willpower to change that.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that there will be at least 1.38 small firearms per capita in the USA by 2029, according to the Metaculus prediction community.