I really wish we would stop making this about the weapons being used vs the availability / banning of potential weapons. There's just no such thing as gun violence, or car violence, or knife violence, etc. There is only violence. It's just... Violence. Categorizing it as anything other than plan and simple violence is a tool statisticians and politicians use to promote certain agendas while decrying others.
When we get right down to it, this is an issue of violence that is rooted a lack of respect for fellow members of our communities, a disregard for any form of accountability for our own actions, a backlash against the acceptable norms of behavior, and... well... a lack of understanding of mental health.
To use the "mass shooter" issue that we have in the U.S. as an example here for just a moment... The number of mass shooters that kill themselves at the end of their rampage is indicative of a mindset that screams, "I'm determined to share my pain with the world, but I don't want to deal with the consequences." These individuals aren't fighting to the last. It's not about glory, or righteousness, or anything like that at all.
It's narcissism expressed through violent means. And yes, that does include the so called, extremists, whatever their religion may be. Fanaticism holds the hand of narcissism. The idea that I am special, it falls on ME to show the world that I am right, I AM THE RIGHT HAND OF MY GOD... When it is written in just about every holy test from every major religion that we humans can't fathom the will of the Almighty, or gods (plural) if that's your thing. In the Quran itself, much the same as the Torah and the Bible, it speaks to concepts such as;
Tawhid: The Oneness of the Almighty. The Almighty is singular, has no equal, and cannot be truly understood because of this.
Al-Ghayb: The Unseen... The existence of the Almighty is beyond our understanding for we are flawed, yet the Almighty is flawless...
Hell, let us actually quote the Quran for a moment as f*cking proof....
Surah Ash-Shura (42:11): "There is nothing whatever like unto Him, and He is the One who hears and sees all things."
Surah Al-An'am (6:103): "No vision can grasp Him, but His Grasp is over all vision."
Now, let it be known that I am not defending Islam at all. I have a very unique distaste for the fanatics of that faith for personal reasons. But with that in mind, we must actually look at the core root of the problem...
Human beings are inherently violent. Our history is violence. Our glory is violence. Our self identity is the power we project overs other through violent means... Take away the ability to be violent in a respectful and honorable manner? And this shit is the result.
When we get right down to it, this is an issue of violence that is rooted a lack of respect for fellow members of our communities, a disregard for any form of accountability for our own actions, a backlash against the acceptable norms of behavior, and... well... a lack of understanding of mental health.
To use the "mass shooter" issue that we have in the U.S. as an example here for just a moment... The number of mass shooters that kill themselves at the end of their rampage is indicative of a mindset that screams, "I'm determined to share my pain with the world, but I don't want to deal with the consequences." These individuals aren't fighting to the last. It's not about glory, or righteousness, or anything like that at all.
It's narcissism expressed through violent means. And yes, that does include the so called, extremists, whatever their religion may be. Fanaticism holds the hand of narcissism. The idea that I am special, it falls on ME to show the world that I am right, I AM THE RIGHT HAND OF MY GOD... When it is written in just about every holy test from every major religion that we humans can't fathom the will of the Almighty, or gods (plural) if that's your thing. In the Quran itself, much the same as the Torah and the Bible, it speaks to concepts such as;
Tawhid: The Oneness of the Almighty. The Almighty is singular, has no equal, and cannot be truly understood because of this.
Al-Ghayb: The Unseen... The existence of the Almighty is beyond our understanding for we are flawed, yet the Almighty is flawless...
Hell, let us actually quote the Quran for a moment as f*cking proof....
Surah Ash-Shura (42:11): "There is nothing whatever like unto Him, and He is the One who hears and sees all things."
Surah Al-An'am (6:103): "No vision can grasp Him, but His Grasp is over all vision."
Now, let it be known that I am not defending Islam at all. I have a very unique distaste for the fanatics of that faith for personal reasons. But with that in mind, we must actually look at the core root of the problem...
Human beings are inherently violent. Our history is violence. Our glory is violence. Our self identity is the power we project overs other through violent means... Take away the ability to be violent in a respectful and honorable manner? And this shit is the result.