Gun Rights Advocates and the Controversial Claim of Mass Shootings

The recent statistic claiming one mass shooting occurs in the United States every day has sparked much debate among gun rights advocates. Critics dismiss it as misleading, arguing that such a claim skews statistics to support a political agenda. This article delves into the contentious issue and explores the perspectives of gun rights advocates.

The Skepticism of Gun Rights Advocates

Gun rights advocates view the claim of one mass shooting per day as particularly absurd. They argue that while such incidents are indeed tragic, they do not constitute a prevalent or daily occurrence. An advocate notes, 'Sounds like crap to me but even if its true we lose between 40 and 50 thousand a year on the highways yet few would argue for restricting freedom of movement.'

The argument pivots on the human right of armed self-defense. According to the advocate, 'I dont understand why the basic human right of armed self-defense should be compromised because of murderers.' The advocate, who is a Marxist, adds, 'And as a Marxist I am extremely suspicious of the motives of anyone who wants to disarm the proletariat.'

Statistical Misrepresentation and Agenda-Pushing

Another advocate offers a critical perspective on the statistical claim. They point out the politicization of statistics, particularly the change in the definition of a 'mass shooting' that occurred during the Obama administration. An advocate comments, 'Classic example of skewing statistics to push an agenda. People couldn’t say that until the Obama administration dropped the threshhold of what is considered a “mass shooting” to include a higher number of crimes.'

The advocate argues that this change in definition led to an increase in the reported number of mass shootings starting around 2015, making earlier statistics seem misleading. They continue, 'Not to say these crimes aren’t horrific but killing 3 people is a different story from killing 30. Nonetheless people interpret this as meaning Sandy Hook is happening every day and that at any moment a mass shooter could come shoot them.'

They also provide statistical context, noting that rifle murders are around 600 a year and that banning assault weapons is unlikely to significantly reduce this number, thus dispelling the common argument behind such statistics.

The advocate concludes by expressing concern over the spread of 'contagious outrage' that may lead to irrational decisions. They argue, 'I find the contagious outrage more troubling than the statistic itself. People are throwing reason to the wind and it’s a bad thing for this country and ultimately for the people pushing the agenda.'

A Critique of the Media's Role

Another perspective is that mass shootings are often exaggerated by the liberal media. An advocate asserts, 'That's gotta be based on a totally ridiculous definition of mass shooting. I read the national news carefully each day and what I would call a mass shooting happens once or twice per year. Not 365 times. The liberal media makes sure they get top billing when they happen.'

The advocate concludes, 'This kind of crap makes you not believe any statistics brought up by either side.' This underscores the need for a balanced and informed perspective on the issue of mass shootings.