I am aghast by the footage.
Apparently this doesn't qualify as a "mass shooting" but it is a problem that is increasingly more unique to our beautiful country, The United States of America.
"American exceptionalism is exceptionally American."
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/american-exceptionalism-and-the-%E2%80%98exceptionally-american%E2%80%99-problem-of-mass-shootings/ar-BBm9m4VOur high expectation of our own selves and the hubris it entails is finally catching up with some of us. I say "us" because
he was a US citizen, and
they were US citizens.
Using this specific case I frame my argument that: The U.S.'s high incidence of mass killings, specifically those perpetrated by 2 or fewer people with the use of guns, is a result both of American culture of individualism and America's freedom to bear arms.
Americans should stand together, but our culture of individualism makes it impossible for
everyone to achieve the glory and success we are brought up believing we will each achieve. In the process, we fail to teach each other that anything less than hard work will not result in success, and how to deal with failure and rejection. This creates imbalance in the American psyche.
The firearm and goPro were the methods he used to execute an act of pent up frustration and anger. And
that pent up frustration and anger is what he and every other "mass shooter" ( specifically mass killings perpetrated by 1 or 2 people using firearms) had in common.
The source of the stress is the disappointment in failing to achieve "The American Dream". Whereas, the access to firearms was ingrained into American culture at our country's conception via The Constitutional Amendments.
The American Dream evolves, it changes. It changes as American culture shifts. American culture has shifted toward
snitchery and scandal effectively fostered by social media, an information highway that is breeding a generation of Americans who have a great taste for unsavory gossip, especially about fellow Americans[/i], and who cannot resist minding their own business, like their parents used to. We used to value honor and the advancement of science and the spreading of knowledge.
However our right to bear arms is a fundamental pillar of The Constitutional Amendment, it is constant.
And the only thing that is truly constant, is change. I believe in keeping our right to bear arms, because I believe in The Constitution and Its Amendments.
The Constitution does not specify how we should treat each other as humans, goodness is implied, but it allows for badness to occur. I understand it is intentionally, vaguely worded, and the wording is one of the things I respect about it.
We need to treat each other with respect, with gratitude, with patience.
That is what Americans do.