A Certain Point of View: Writing, Film and Stuff

On Quora, member Lynn Boca asks: Why does the US government feel video games are to blame for the rash of mass shootings when other countries without the shootings also have video games? My reply First of all, it’s not the entire United States government that is making the false connection between video games and mass shootings. It’s just one of the two major political parties that govern the country - and it’s the one which is closely allied with the National Rifle Association and gun manufacturers. Second, I doubt that any of the Republican Party politicians who blame video game use for the shootings in El Paso and Dayton truly believe this false narrative. The pols and spokespersons who say “Video games are to blame for mass shootings” are directing their comments at their base, not at more worldly individuals who know that Japan and other countries (such as the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Germany) where video games are not only widely played but  created and publis...

Could "good guys with guns" have stopped the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton? If by “good guys with guns” you mean average civilians with legally-purchased, licensed, and concealed firearms, no. Not in this scenario. First of all, it doesn’t matter if you’re a good marksman, an expert hunter, or a retired combat veteran. Mass shooting incidents are “bolt out of the blue” events; the perps (whether they are foreign terrorists, white supremacists, or angry adolescents with guns) don’t announce themselves ahead of time or act in a way that you, Mr. or Ms. Average Citizen With a Gun, will detect in time for you to reach for your concealed weapon, take the safety off, and fire ordnance downrange and on target to prevent a tragedy and, incidentally, become a hero. In the case of Connor Stephen Betts, the Dayton, Ohio shooter, there were two law enforcement officers close by when the gunman started firing indiscriminately into crowds at the entrance of Ned Peppers Bar ...