For sixty years motor vehicles were the number one cause of death of children. In 2020, shooting deaths overtook cars with 4,357 deaths among children, according to the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention at Michigan University.

Every American with a beating heart and an even partially functioning soul feels gut punched each time a mass shooting at a school dominates our headlines. Despite our collective heartbreak, mass shooters rampage on. We did not end up here by happenstance. Dedicated action to mislead U.S. citizens by confabulating data, debating vapid slogans, and political virtue signaling without action, over decades, was required to bring us to this point.

Mass shootings are defined by CNN as any shooting that injures or kills four or more people, not including the shooter. The FBI defines a mass shooting as the murder of three or more people by a firearm. The Mass Shooting Project of America from Stanford University states a mass shooting includes three or more victims but does not limit the definition to fatalities. Mother Jones defines mass shootings as “indiscriminate rampages in public places resulting in four or more victims killed by the attacker.” Some include family killings while some lists specifically exclude mass killings or shootings that involve even one family member. Lack of a universally accepted definition of a mass shooting is one problem in gathering and examining data for the purpose of solving the mass shooting problem in the U.S..

Another block is what appears to be a practice of starting from the conclusion one side wants to prove, and working the statistical problem backward to prove that point. Remember in high school if you applied the wrong formula to a math problem the answer could be wildly incorrect? It’s similar to that, except it’s intentional. For example, charts comparing other countries mass killings to the murders in the U.S. may show other European, Middle Eastern or Latin American countries with similar statistics referring to gun deaths. But in some instances, a sample of years that includes only one mass shooting over five years in one country, is compared to the U.S. with multiple mass shootings yearly. The conclusion can be constructed to appear that the U.S. is experiencing less gun deaths and is therefore as safe as, say, Norway.

Norway experienced one horrific massacre in 2015, killing 65 people. But if we spread the number of Norwegians murdered in one incident over six years adjust for population while deleting murders that occured in the U.S. that included family members or a co- occuring crime, the U.S. has less mass shooting victims than Norway.

Other manipulation tactics include; using international mass shooter events compared to national shooter events, using a per capita size not appropriate for the population, comparing U.S. murder rates with Latin American countries armed primarily with illegal U.S. weapons, and using continued murders in a city with gun restrictions like Chicago, as proof gun restrictions and gun shop bans do not stop gun violence. In the Chicago example, no further explanation is given of the ease with which a gun can be purchased in Gary, Indiana, where 850 of the weapons used in crimes committed in Chicago in 2015 can be traced back to.

On the right, the “side” most associated with gun rights, the argument is, “If we give an inch to the liberals by allowing any restrictions to gun rights they will soon confiscate the firearms of every law- abiding citizen.” On the left, the “side” associated most with supporting gun restrictions, “All gun owners are to blame for mass shootings and gun violence. If they cared as much about children as they do about their guns, they would allow gun restrictions and firearm bans.” Both sides often believe the other is misinformed un-American.

The left’s assignment of blame to the right is not supported by data. Most Republican gun owners agree with common sense legislation. Proposals like raising the age requirement, requiring licenses or training for purchasers, extensive background checks with a functioning national database, closing gun show loop-holes, and even banning private ownership of assault rifles, poll at over 50% with conservative voters.

Since the mass killing at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, there have been at least 14 more mass shootings in the U.S. resulting in seven people dead and 49 injured, as of Memorial Day. These stats don’t include the 10 dead and three injured in the Buffalo, New York, mass killing on May 14, just prior to the Uvalde shooting. Mass murder, mass shootings, and especially school children massacres, are clearly a crisis in this country. But despite the increasing frequency and rising number of deaths related to these shootings, we have remained gridlocked; unwilling or unable to make the changes necessary to end, or significantly reduce mass shootings domestically.

What makes the U.S. uniquely unable to stop the rising number of deaths from mass shootings, when these crimes decrease in other developed countries? Some would argue that the blame lies with the National Rifle Association and its powerful political action committee (PAC). The NRA PAC, formed in 1977, donates an estimated 3 million dollars annually to individual political campaign and re-election efforts. The exact number the NRA contributes politically is unknown due to our soft campaign contribution guidelines.

The NRA, founded in 1871 following the Civil War, was concerned with training and competitions in the early days. The non-profit group, helped financially with grants from Congress, advised to create gun control measures included in the National Firearms Act of 1934 and the Gun Control Act of 1968. The NRA’s motivation shifted in 1970 from training to politics, specifically to defending the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment. “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” This became the unofficial NRA slogan, used to solicit donations from members for the PAC.

The money trail looks like this; Congress awards billions in defense contracts to a variety of gun and ammo manufacturers paid with taxpayer dollars. The beneficiaries of these defense funneled millions of dollars from these contracts through various “gun advocacy groups” and PACs. The NRA sells million dollar gold memberships to gun and ammunition manufacturers. From this laundering process the money passes to the candidate most friendly to gun manufacturers and their profit margins. Rinse. Repeat.

A recorded conference call from 1994, after the Columbine shooting, emerged from NPR early this year. The organization was concerned about their image, discussed creating a victims fund worth millions for the families of victims and canceling an event in Denver scheduled days after the Columbine shooting. During the call the executives laughingly referred to the NRA members they claim publicly to revere as “hillbillies wackos and idiots.” This is the unfortunate attitude of many on the left.

All U.S. citizens do not embrace guns as culture or tradition. For many conservatives though, guns are family heirlooms. These weapons represent a right of passage handed down from father to son and communicate trust, respect and family. It stands to reason the mass shooting problem could be met with an understanding between both sides of the issue that includes a mutual respect for each other’s values. Hurling slogans and insults at each other has accomplished

Countries that have found a safer middle ground between gun enthusiasts and citizens resistant to guns include; Switzerland, Norway, and Finland. These countries allow private gun ownership with guidelines such as;background checks, training and safety requirements, mental health evals, and regular check ins to maintain these privileges. Firearm enthusiasts keep the weapons and the traditions attached. The gun neutral or gun-averse enjoy a low rate of gun related deaths and feel safe. Everyone is satisfied.

Politicians on both sides (some democrat representatives have “A” ratings with the NRA too) appear to care about campaign contributions. They have remained stuck in th problem, attached to talking points and debate. The lost lives of school children, shoppers or club goers to mass violence has not moved a compromise on policy, and activist contributions on both sides keep flowing.

In mass shooting events, evidence that “a good guy with a gun stops a bad guy with a gun” has not materialized. Last week young children were massacred in their classroom in Texas, while the good guys with guns did nothing to save them. On the hopelessness of this shooting, our opposing sides cannot matter. We, the people, are the only allies we have.

If you are anti-guns, find a gun lover, share, listen and find agreement. If you think the lefty socialists are coming for your guns, find a lefty socialist, share with them, listen and find agreement. We have done all the convincing of our rightness we’re going to get done. It’s time to find our common ground and plant a rainbow colored, black lives matter, confederate flag on said common ground.

Read the NPR reported NRA tapes here: https://www.npr.org/ 2021/ 11/ 09/ 1049054141/ a- secret-tape-made-after-columbine- shows- the- nras- evolution- on- school-shootings.