Tag: mass shootings

The Myth That the US Leads the World in Mass Shootings

If you asked me this morning which nation has the most mass shootings in the world, I would have said, with perhaps a flicker of hesitation, the United States.

This is a tad embarrassing to admit because I’m pretty familiar with shooting statistics, having written several articles on gun violence and the Second Amendment. Below is a basic overview of gun violence in America. While gun homicides have been steadily declining for decades in the US, mass shootings have indeed been trending upward.

This fact alone probably would not have led me to believe that the US leads the world in mass shootings, however. An assist goes to the US media and politicians.

The Dominant Narrative

“Let’s be clear,” President Obama said in 2015 after a shooting in North Carolina. “At some point, we as a country will have to reckon with the fact that this type of mass violence does not happen in other advanced countries.”

Sen. Harry Reid echoed this sentiment. “The United States is the only advanced country where this kind of mass violence occurs.”

Media headlines have left little doubt that the US leads the world in mass shootings. In fact, according to CNN, it isn’t even close.

The comments and data seem to conclusively say that the US leads the world in mass shootings and the violence is unique, a product of “America’s gun culture.”

It’s a slam dunk case except for one thing: it’s not true.

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Democrats rush to blame ‘White supremacy’ for Atlanta shootings, but police point to sex addiction

National Democrats rushed to Twitter on Wednesday to blame “White supremacy” and “racism” for the mass shooting spree that targeted massage parlors in the Atlanta area, but police officials say the suspect claimed the deadly shootings were not racially motivated.

Robert Aaron Long, the 21-year-old who authorities said took “responsibility” for the string of shootings Tuesday that left eight people dead, reportedly confessed that he has a “sex addiction” and that he viewed the massage parlors as “an outlet for him” where he could be tempted.

“He apparently has an issue, what he considers a sex addiction, and sees these locations as … a temptation for him that he wanted to eliminate,” said Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Jay Baker during a press conference. 

Long’s reported motive for the shooting appears to contradict several national Democrats in Congress, including Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, who quickly blamed “white supremacy” while the investigation was still ongoing. Two of the fatalities were White, while the other six victims were Asian Americans, according to police.

“Imagine if he was Black, Muslim or Latino,” Tlaib tweeted. “This is exposing white supremacy in all forms.”

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US Police Have Killed Over 1,600% More Citizens Than Mass Shooters Since 2015

Tragically, in America, mass shootings — in which murdering psychopaths go on rampages in public spaces — have claimed the lives of 392 people since 2015. While this number is certainly shocking and far too high, during this same time frame, police in America have claimed the lives of 6,571 citizens, according to Mapping Police Violence.

That is over 16 times more citizens killed by those sworn to protect and serve than the ones they claim to protect us from.

While some of these citizens were armed and dangerous, others were innocent, unarmed, and include small children. Daniel Shaver was one of these people whose life was brought to a screeching halt as he begged on his knees for police not to shoot him. Despite being innocent and unarmed, this father of three was murdered in cold blood by Philip Brailsford who was never held accountable and allowed to retire from the police force with his pension.

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