Opinion
Listen as we take a deep dive into a great scholarly article: Exploiting Mass Public Shootings By E. Gregory Wallace at Firearms Research Center.
Mass public shootings are heartbreaking events that claim innocent lives and leave entire communities shaken. But instead of addressing the complex causes of these tragedies, some media outlets and politicians rush to exploit these events, using fear to push an agenda that targets lawful gun owners. Let’s break down what’s really happening and why you deserve the full picture.
Manipulating Numbers to Fuel Fear
When the average person hears about “445 mass shootings this year,” it’s natural to feel alarmed. But that number, often reported by the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), doesn’t mean what it sounds like. The GVA defines a “mass shooting” as any event where four or more people are injured or killed, lumping together gang violence, domestic disputes, and even robberies.
Contrast that with databases like The Violence Project, which focus specifically on public shootings unrelated to criminal motives like gang activity or domestic violence. By this more focused definition, there have been only a handful of true mass public shootings this year, tragic as those are. The GVA’s inflated numbers mislead the public, creating a sense of chaos that’s weaponized to justify restrictive gun laws.
Focusing on Guns Instead of Solutions
In the wake of every publicized shooting, gun-control advocates immediately call for banning popular firearms, like AR-15s, labeling them “weapons of war.” But data shows this is more about optics than effectiveness.
Most mass shootings actually involve handguns—not rifles. Even studies claiming the federal assault weapons ban (1994–2004) reduced shootings rely on flawed methods, such as misclassifying non-banned firearms as “assault weapons.” In reality, mass public shootings increased during the ban period and continued on a gradual upward trend afterward, driven by factors unrelated to firearm availability.
Banning certain guns isn’t the solution it’s made out to be. Instead, it distracts from meaningful efforts like improving mental health care, securing public spaces, and addressing the societal factors driving violence.
Why Media Coverage Feeds the Wrong Narrative
The media amplifies fear by giving mass shootings wall-to-wall coverage while often downplaying other deadly events. A horrific mall shooting gets days of airtime, while similar or even greater death tolls from car attacks or local weekend violence barely make headlines. This selective focus fosters an emotional reaction that leaves little room for thoughtful debate about effective policy.
Real Solutions Start with Understanding
Stopping violence isn’t about scapegoating firearms. It’s about confronting hard truths: broken family structures, untreated mental illness, and social isolation are often the root causes of mass shootings. Practical steps—such as ensuring better access to mental health resources, improving security in vulnerable locations, and enforcing existing gun laws—offer far more promise than blanket bans that punish law-abiding citizens.
Gun-control advocates claim to want safety, but their proposals often fall short of addressing the real problems. Instead of stripping away your rights, it’s time to focus on strategies that truly protect everyone. That’s a conversation worth having.
Citing Fake Mass-shooting Data, US Surgeon General Declares ‘Gun Violence’ a Public Health Crisis
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the MS media are all scum buzzards
Truth is a stranger to the Progressive New Left. Gun control, better stated gun ownership elimination is one of eleven key elements necessary to transform our Constitutional Republic in to a Progressive Utopia. That being said propaganda is the means by which the Progressive New Left will convince gullible people to act against their own interest. Twisted truths create fear, fear drives conformity. Conformity and submission is the goal. Now, take your jab, put on your mask and turn in your guns and ammo. Utopia is just around the corner.
Technically, the percentage increase is beyond infinite, otherwise 0 times something would have to be other than zero. But we get your point. Instead of saying the public is by and large ignorant, lazy and stupid, which they are, I politely say they are distracted by trivial matters.
A century of brain washing via gov indoctrination camps, AKA public schools, and colleges. The media both entertainment and “news”, and now the internet and cell phones…
The human brain wasn’t designed to handle all of these obstacles.
Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. Weak men create bad Tims.
Take a guess where we are in this cycle.
Aren’t you a public school product?
what is your point
There is no point. He likes to troll me. No big deal.
And I see you got instantly down voted. I up voted you, we’ll see how long that lasts.
I up voted him, too, because he gave me the opportunity to write more clearly. In fact I upvote him a lot because he thinks, as opposed to regurgitating all the crap that comes from public schools. Wouldn’t you agree?
Nick complains that, “…brain washing via gov indoctrination camps, AKA public schools, …” Yet, he himself is a product of public school. I thought that the point is obvious, but I can see that my writing was not clear.
And much of Nick’s complaints about our country doing evil in the world confirms that public school brain washing. Thank you for the opportunity to make my writing clearer.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Firearm!
The MSM is nothing more than a propaganda machine for the DNC spinng their truth to fit their false narratives . The goal of the DNC is to disarm all Americans so they can have total control of the country . The 2nd amendment and armed Americans stand in their way , it’s that simple !
The media is run by the CIA, via Operation Mockingbird, which was put in place after they offed JFK to control the narrative. It was the CIA that devised the term, “conspiracy theorist”, as well.
How do you say that the CIA got control of the media?
The ultimate goal of changing to a democracy is simple: a totalitarian government bereft of individual rights and controlled by the elitists. Welcome to Venezuela. Think on this the next time someone says “our democracy”. Are they a statist or just ignorant or perhaps, both. “For 250 years, far-left uprisings have followed the same battle-plan- from the first call for ‘change,’ to the last innocent executed, from denial a revolution is even happening, to declaration of a ‘new order’… Communism, socialism, Marxism, and all other radical-isms are not ‘philosophies,’ but tactics- tactics that are designed to unleash terror on everyday… Read more »
That’s why the Founding Fathers wanted a republic.
As bad or worse is the public vigils, makeshift monuments and anniversary ‘celebrations’ following a high casualty event or one that occurs in a supposed safe space. All these do is spread and amplify the grief among the unconnected.
TORA! TORA! TORA!… Let’s not forget the men who died at Pearl Harbor.
That was on the 7th. I have a 4’x6′ 48 star flag I fly on such anniversaries. And I take a moment several times a day to reflect on those who fought and sacrificed to preserve our liberty.
Strange. I see it says I posted it one day ago, but I wrote that Saturday afternoon, the 7th. Weird. Does the Ammoland counter go by hours, as opposed to calendar days? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a 48 star flag outside of the movies, and books. It’s stunning, how Kimmel and Short didn’t do anything to protect Hawaii. And that the telegram warning of the attack came an hour late. And I’m amazed the Japanese never dropped a single bomb on the fuel storage. If they’d have done that, and if Halsey hadn’t had his carriers out to… Read more »
It will probably tick over to day 2 this afternoon. I wondered about that after I posted. The algorithm will look at machine time, not calendar date, and calculate the delta between when posted and when the page is displayed. If more than 23 hours, 59 minutes and seconds point some number of 9s (digital 1s,really) it will round down to integer days.
A person with no military training or experience criticizing generals and admirals is laughable and obnoxious, at the same time.
yes it is but i have met people who have served, so they say, who were no better
Uff-da!
hey Nick we don’t need a history lesson and you can buy a 48 star flag on the net
My reply was to DIYinSTL not you. You don’t need to be a jerk. If you’re not interested in what I write, don’t read it.
i have one to, except i fly her all the time, those were better times
My father was a SSgt. He fought at Saipan. I still have his 48 star flag.
sadly most do not even know what Dec 7 was except a date
I agree. People don’t know, and don’t care to know anything beyond their stupid little smart phones. We as a society have lost that, intangible thing, that unites us. We no longer have any national character, or any fundamental beliefs we can all agree on. As a society, we can’t even agree that men and boys are males, and women and girls are females. No wonder no one knows or cares about history, and those that fought and died. I’m apart of the the last generation that will be able to recall where they were when they heard airliners crashed… Read more »
No, that is what the democrats want us to think. Don’t buy that crap.
Or the USS Liberty….
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That was an act of war. And instead of America retaliating, we just gave them money and arms instead.
The six-day war was currently being fought and the USS Liberty got caught up in the Fog of War.
The “Fog of War” is a term that originates from the 19th century, coined by British military historian and philosopher Carl von Clausewitz. It refers to the uncertainty, ambiguity, and confusion that occurs during military conflicts, making it difficult for commanders to accurately assess the situation and make informed decisions.
It’s so simple to understand. Demonrats always change the scope in which things are counted changing the outcome in their favor, they only hire those that are going to produce a statistical outcome that confirms what they want furthering their agenda and most importantly they are liars.
It’s as easy as ABC, 123 or CBS 123 or NBC 123. Get the picture? They don’t because they only watch lying fake news.
Everything liberal progressive democrats do can be summed up in one word…NEWSPEAK and the world was warned 75 years ago.
Liberals are losing their rhythm with guns. But think of all the lives they’ll save with the new 10-day baseball bat waiting period? Making the evil of baseball bat crime a thing of the past!
Good one, thanks for the chuckle. It made me think of a hammer waiting period.
Don’t forget ball peen hammers and chainsaws.
Uhhhhhh…. fact check it
I’m surprised you haven’t been banned.
Are you trying to manipulate Ammoland, again?
@WB – would you object to @Dindonuffins being banned? Have yet to see any post of his contributing to the conversation, but much of this type of crap.
OK.
Got news for you – publicly traded corporations do not belong to any religion. They belong to shareholders – likely mostly to mutual funds, which in turn belong mostly to retirement funds as well smaller amounts to private investors.
The “religions” of corporations are: money, legality, and money. Making money is first, last and everything – but in order to continue making money they must remain within the law, so do their best at that as well.
According to HeyJackass(.)com, there have been 101 mass shootings (three or more) in Chicago this year with 53 fatalities. There are actually more than are reported, they’re just in the wrong demographic.