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Politics and Activism

5 Things That Definitely Don't Cause Mass Shootings (And 5 That Almost Certainly Do)

America is divided on many things. One of the most divisive issues? What causes mass shootings.

redbxrn

Aug 14, 2019

Eastern Michigan University

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5 Things That Definitely Don't Cause Mass Shootings (And 5 That Almost Certainly Do)

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1. Violent Video Games

I'm so tired of hearing baby boomers say that video games cause violence. In my whole life, I have never seen a person who was playing video games turn out to be a violent person because of the games that they were playing. Sure, they can cause temporary moments of anger and increased adrenaline, but do you know what also causes moments of anger and increased adrenaline? Math homework. And you don't see people saying that we need to ban math.

2. Heavy Metal Music

The same thing as above. Loud music does not cause violence. Sorry, boomers.

3. Poor Parenting

Blaming mass shootings on poor parenting is so lazy. There are thousands of people who have absent parental figures and guess what? They've never committed a mass shooting.

4. Lack Of Religion

I can't count on both hands the number of times I've seen someone say that mass shootings happen in part because prayer isn't allowed in school anymore. Lack of religion does not make someone a bad person, and it definitely does not make someone commit mass shootings.

5. Mental Illness

Blaming mass shootings on mental illness is just another way to stigmatize mental health. Just because someone has a mental illness, does not mean that they're going to commit a mass shooting, and to blame such a horrible problem on mental illness is part of the problem.

And now for the things that DO contribute to mass shootings...

1. Bigotry, Racism, and Homophobia

How many times has a mass shooter been a person with bigoted views? El Paso, Christchurch, Charleston...

2. Ignorance

This goes hand in hand with the above. Most of the time when someone doesn't like something, it'd because they don't understand it. If we just started educating everyone, mass shootings would most likely take a huge plummet.

3. Easy Access To Guns

I mean, come on. This one should be obvious, right? Wrong. Many people still believe that being able to buy a gun at the age of 18 (when the legal drinking age is 21) is perfectly fine.

4. The NRA

The NRA donates hundreds of thousands of dollars to politicians, making them change their stance on gun control quite literally every 12 seconds.

5. Selfishness

"Why should I have to give up my rights because someone else didn't follow the law?"

How many times have you heard that? I've heard it too many times. Many of the Americans who are against gun control are against it because they don't want to make any sacrifices, even if it would make our country safer.

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11 Things You Should Never Say To A Puerto Rican

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Puerto Ricans. They are very proud people and whether they were born on the island or born in the United States by Puerto Rican parent(s). It gets even better when they meet another fellow Puerto Rican or Latino in general. You’ll know quickly if they are Puerto Rican whether the flag is printed somewhere on their person or whether they tell you or whether the famous phrase “wepa!” is said.

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We fall each and every time with the complete and utter confidence that someone will be there to catch us. Now that person we SWORE we were never going to fall for has our hearts, and every time we see them our palms start sweating. The butterflies in our stomach start to soar and our hearts are entirely too close to bursting out of our chests.

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5 Things That Definitely Don't Cause Mass Shootings (And 5 That Almost Certainly Do)

America is divided on many things. One of the most divisive issues? What causes mass shootings.

In This Article:

1. Violent Video Games

2. Heavy Metal Music

3. Poor Parenting

4. Lack Of Religion

5. Mental Illness

1. Bigotry, Racism, and Homophobia

2. Ignorance

3. Easy Access To Guns

4. The NRA

5. Selfishness

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There are plenty of obstacles that come when taking care of kids, but it's a very rewarding experience.

1. You get excited when the parents purchase season passes to the pool.

2. You've become friends with the stay-at-home moms in town.

3. You get a chance to eat "kid foods" again.

4. You've traded in your cute purse for a large tote bag.

5. You have at least one car seat in your backseat.

6. Their nap time is your happy time.

7. Lunch time can be a disaster.

8. You have to play the same board games repeatedly.

9. You catch yourself using the same lines your parents once told you.

10. Your "mom-mode" kicks in at times.

11. Your heart melts a little when they do something cute.

You'll never find any souvenirs with your name on it

1. You know you are up next when the teacher pauses while taking attendance

2. When “I’m going to do my very best to make sure I know all your names” is said, it may or may be an empty promise

3. “Wow! That sounds so cool! Where is your family from?”

4. You dread when people ask you to repeat your name over and over because it “sounds so cool when you say it”

5. There’s a 50/50 chance that your name will come back either correct or incorrect at Starbucks

6. People try to find shorter, easier nicknames for you instead of calling you by your actual name

7. When someone famous or fictional character shares your name, you get so happy

8. “What’s your name?” “It’s [name]” “I’m sorry, what was it again?”

9. You’ve pretty much seen every misspelling and heard every mispronunciation of your name throughout your life

10. When you find another person with an “ethnic” sounding name, you both get excited

11. Despite the struggles, your name is pretty unique… just like you

Can I be excused for the rest of my life?

Don't Be That Person

1. “Oh, so you/your family are immigrants!”

2. “Is Puerto Rico near Mexico?”

3. “Do you speak Puerto Rican?”

4. “You look too light/dark to be Puerto Rican.”

5. “Do I need my passport to go to Puerto Rico?”

6. “Geez, you are obsessed with your flag. We get it, you’re Puerto Rican.”

7. “Why are you so loud?”

8. “So does your family know English?”

9. “Oh my god, Puerto Ricans are so spicy.”

10. “So did you eat a lot of tacos?”

11. “Are you Mexican?”

Love hard, every day, and never be ashamed.

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