(Commentary, temporarily posted:)
FWIW (not too much, unfortunately), been saying something like - part of - the following (ref. the Stevens quotation below) whenever/wherever I'm able to. (Even more is near the end of the post, if you dare.)
4/4/18 update: Facts are still being gathered at this point re the YouTube workplace gun-shooting. Early indications though are that the (alleged) perpetrator COULD be an example of one of those "490" (or so) dangerous AND armed "everyday" Americans that I speculate about near the end of this post.
Note that family members very recently expressed concerns (reportedly) to authorities about the (YouTube) shooter....and (the) gun-mayhem still occurred. ..Perhaps because the perpetrator had something of a plan (including the crucial element of 'surprise'..). ..Plus a gun.... (News story link:)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/youtube-shooter-nasim-aghdam-thought-company-was-ruining-her-life-family-members-say/
(Another 4/4/18 article link for consideration:
https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/03/us/trauma-surgeon-youtube-hq-shooting/index.html)
4/23/18 update: Details are still emerging, but early appearances are that the alleged Waffle House (Tennessee) killer could be yet another example of the (estimated) "490" or so dangerous and armed U.S. inhabitants typically inside this country's huge population. Please see further below near the end of this post for more information (about this assertion) if interested. Terrible shootings like this latest one will keep occurring absent major societal/cultural changes in the U.S. Per below... they are inevitable (at this point). Really hate to say that...
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((Previously written text:) Insert: Before (possibly) dismissing this post out-of-hand, take a look at the America that poorly controlled guns/gun-related violence (..including threats of..) has helped create: (Link) https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/17/us/other-school-incidents-since-florida-shooting-trnd/index.html)
(Continuing:)
3/27/18 article excerpt (retired Justice Stevens quotation), source link follows. Emphasis added:
"...Concern that a national standing army might pose a threat to the security of the separate states led to the adoption of that amendment, which provides that "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." Today that concern is a relic of the 18th century," wrote Stevens."(Source article link. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/retired-supreme-court-justice-john-paul-stevens-calls-for-repeal-of-second-amendment/
Original source link: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/27/opinion/john-paul-stevens-repeal-second-amendment.html)
More (via the original article source listed above. Yes, it kind of goes without saying that repeal of the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment is currently very unlikely..):
"....During the years when Warren Burger was our chief justice, from 1969 to 1986, no judge, federal or state, as far as I am aware, expressed any doubt as to the limited coverage of that amendment. When organizations like the National Rifle Association disagreed with that position and began their campaign claiming that federal regulation of firearms curtailed Second Amendment rights, Chief Justice Burger publicly characterized the N.R.A. as perpetrating “one of the greatest pieces of fraud, I repeat the word fraud, on the American public by special interest groups that I have ever seen in my lifetime.”
"In 2008, the Supreme Court overturned Chief Justice Burger’s and others’ long-settled understanding of the Second Amendment’s limited reach by ruling, in District of Columbia v. Heller, that there was an individual right to bear arms. I was among the four dissenters....
That decision — which I remain convinced was wrong and certainly was debatable — has provided the N.R.A. with a propaganda weapon of immense power...."
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(Comment:)
...Those advocating or "justifying" civilian possession of military-style automatic weapons and/or large caches of guns and bullets (etc. etc.), in order to (if 'necessary') "rise up" and combat - or "overthrow" - a tyrannical government (...or similar):
You're "thinking" is a relic of the 18th century....
(E.g., ...better possess a significant number of these↓, too.....No civilians (esp. sporadic groups, marginally-trained (at best)) would be able to "out-gun" an advanced country's military -- if it ever came to that.)
(Insert: BTW, if interested, have a read of the following linked commentary article re the U.S Constitution's Second Amendment: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/what-americas-gun-fanatics-wont-tell-you-2016-06-14)
Etc., etc.....
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Simple ( - yes, a natural for me - ) exercise:
Current U.S population = approximately 326 million
Multiplied by my own hypothetical, estimated, conservative percentage of those old enough, capable enough, "interested" enough, and able to own/operate some kind of GUN = .15 (15 percent.)
(Insert: For this, we assume/understand how ridiculously easy it is to obtain a gun in the U.S.)
326,000,000 X .15 = 49,000,000 (approximately)
"But the vast majority (so, let's estimate... 99.999 percent) of gun-owners are safe and responsible (with their weapons)...!"
Remainder of 99.999 percent: 1 - .99999 = 0.00001
Estimated 49 million U.S inhabitants capable of operating a gun, having access, etc. multiplied by the ".00001" that - perhaps - could/would do so unsafely or maliciously. (We'll assume, at any given moment in the vast U.S.A.:)
49,000,000 X .00001 = 490 (dangerous-with-guns people)
...Yes: A "back-of-the napkin" estimate. Change some of the assumptions if you might care to.
But always begin with the actual, 326 million total population figure...
Some real-life factors to bear in mind, esp. when looking at (the conservative, IMO) assumptions above. Links:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/249740/percentage-of-households-in-the-united-states-owning-a-firearm/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estimated_number_of_guns_per_capita_by_country
The year 1800 U.S. census, showing total surveyed population estimate. I.e., shortly after the Second Amendment was adopted:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1800_United_States_Census
Hint: The total U.S. population in 1800 was (about) 1.6% of today's population ...of this now-huge country!...........................................................
P.S. No one will EVER "reach" every one of those 490 (or so, estimated above) very dangerous AND ARMED people in the U.S., with "mental health" services.
Or any other services...
"Only takes one." (Especially with the lethal weapons of today, plus some kind of advance plan.)
Parental guidance suggested↓:
(YT video link)
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