Does a mass shooting in someone’s community change people’s minds?
Asked by
JLeslie (
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April 10th, 2023
from iPhone
The way I see it, when mass shootings happen in Republican areas usually nothing changes and you don’t hear much from the families or community. Sandy Hook Elementary in CT, and Stoneman High School in Parkland, FL, were in Democratic areas and you heard some activism happening from affected families.
In Florida, Republicans actually came together with Democrats immediately following the shooting and passed some legislation on gun laws, but my point is the families and students pushed hard when it happened, they were very vocal, but they were already probably for tighter gun laws to begin with.
Sandy Hook families still speak out, probably because the QAnon right was so incredibly horrible to them.
I know Nashville is more liberal than the rest of the state, but the Christian school where the latest school shooting happened is probably more than 90% Republican if I had to guess. I doubt anything will change there, and I haven’t heard of any of the families who have children attending there speaking out.
My point is, it doesn’t seem to me that a shooting, even a shooting of their own children, changes the minds of most people on the issue.
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10 Answers
People already have their minds made up for the mostpart. Lean left you’ll mostly support gun control as a measure. Lean right and you’ll mostly support enhanced security.
Nope, it does not change minds.
”....Lean right and you’ll mostly support enhanced security” Lean right and you are okay with kids getting gunned down, because security means giving everyone a gun except for drag queens.
The Right seems to be more focused on preventing crazy people access than adding gun laws due to saturation, agreed. Maybe combining the two will actually work?!
“The Right seems to be more focused on preventing crazy people access…” except they will not support more background checks or anymore scrutiny before purchasing a weapon. And in many red states they have eliminated any permissions for concealed carry.
@zenvelo We already have to pass a pretty hefty background check, but yes this state is very resistant to gun restrictions.
But a federal judge just ruleed SAPA as unconstitutional so we’ll see. Complying with federal law may not be an option.
Yes you just assume people are carrying here, they always have.
@KNOWITALL That would be great to combine the two. Democrats certainly support more mental health support in the country and making living conditions better for people, but that does take money.
I think politicians on both sides like the gun issue as a wedge issue. I keep hearing most of the country wants gun laws to help prevent guns getting into unstable hands. Republicans seemed against raising the age to 21 in many states, in Florida we raised the age after Parkland, I don’t know if that has been dismantled here or if it is still in force. DeSantis is loosening concealed carry laws so permits aren’t necessary.
Both extreme sides make no sense to me as usual. Democrats flip out when Republicans suggest armed security in high risk locations. I’m ok with it, just not in lieu of other common sense laws and help to improve mental health and stresses in our society.
I think a lot of people just won’t agree with the other side in any way shape or form in front of their friends. They won’t speak up. I’m not saying none, a few do, but overwhelmingly no.
I live outside Chicago, every Monday we wake up with the news doing shooting body counts of the weekend; how many show and how many killed. Lots of talk, but nothing changes.
It may change some people’s minds, but the hard core gun nuts will usually be so gung ho, and those they surround themselves with will encourage that, and they’ll say it’s not the gun, it’s the person.
(Are we talking about just guns??)
Maybe some. Surely not all.
For too short a time. People forget even the most heinous acts.
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