NEWS2U Health & Wellness
Living Healthy in an Unhealthy World

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Will Banning Guns Stop Violent Crime?

by Dr. Ignatius Piazza
January 19, 2013

After watching Obama address the nation on gun control, I have to congratulate his speech writers for a masterful job. That speech, delivered by Obama as he read directly from his teleprompters, may have been the best written speech I have ever heard to lull free Americans into giving up their weapons and thus surrender their collective power to the Federal Government.

A semi-automatic rifle with high capacity magazine is the ultimate balance of power we must always maintain as an individual right of every law abiding, responsible citizen. If we give up our rifles, we give up our ability to keep the government in line.

Of course the problem with Obama's speech is that NOTHING he said will decrease violent crime or stop psych drugged lunatics from continuing to commit mass murders. It all sounded warm and fuzzy, but Obama and Biden purposely avoid the RIGHT target to stop mass murders because of the all the money that is poured into the Democratic party by the companies who are responsible for creating the monsters who murder without remorse or reality.

Want to know the common denominator in EVERY mass shooting of completely innocent people who happened to be in the wrong "Gun Free Zone" at the wrong time?

What is the common denominator?

IT'S NOT GUNS.

Whenever you are trying to correct a bad statistic, you must analyze ALL of the factors that may be causing the unacceptable problem you are trying to correct. There may be several factors, but ONE, is the RIGHT TARGET to attack which will cause an immediate correction of the problem.

Find the RIGHT Target, attack it, and the bad statistic immediately and positively responds.

Attack the wrong target and the bad situation will not improve, and in many cases gets worse.

In analyzing statistics of mass shootings, there are several factors (targets) that have been talked about as the cause of the shootings, including access to guns, lack of proper mental health care, violence in movies, television, and video games.

The danger in lumping all of these factors into the "cause" of mass shootings is that it appeases the public and tricks them into thinking "something has been done" but it hides the RIGHT target and mass shootings not only do not stop, they become more frequent and deadlier.

Isn't that EXACTLY what we have seen over the last 40 years? We have picked the wrong target, because had we selected the right target and attacked it 40 years ago, mass shootings would have stopped. But they have not stopped, they have become more frequent and more deadly.

So what have we targeted as a society to try to stop these mass murders that have clearly been the wrong target?

Guns are the wrong target.

Why?

Because prior to these shootings, there were just as many guns per capita and there was unrestricted access to semiautomatic weapons, even for young adults and kids. But even more evidence that guns are the wrong target is the undeniable fact that in towns, cities, schools, and shopping malls, where guns have been severely restricted and in some cases outright banned, the statistic of murder, HAS NOT DROPPED, IT HAS INCREASED!

Even greater evidence that proves guns are the wrong target is found in towns, cities, schools and shopping malls where law abiding, responsible citizens are allowed to carry concealed weapons. In those areas where guns are the least restricted we see the statistic of murder and violent crime HAS DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY.

So if the RIGHT TARGET IS NOT GUNS, what is the right target?

Well, let's first look at the other targets being offered up... Violence in TV, Movies and Video Games.

If you are old enough to remember when America did not have kids walking into schools and killing their classmates with guns, then you remember when you could walk to school with your .22 rifle because you were on the school's rifle team, and prop your rifle up against the cabinet in the back of your classroom. You also likely remember the TV shows and movies you watched as a kid, as well as the games you played with all the other kids...

You watched westerns and war movies that had lots of killing in them. You played Cops and Robbers, Cowboys and Indians.

Remember those games? If you had the money, you had toy cap guns to use and if you didn't have the money you made toy weapons out of sticks or whatever you could fashion to look like a Tommy Gun or lever action rifle or bow and arrow. And yes, you killed the bad guy every chance you could get. And yes, every now and then someone you shot said you didn't shoot him and it might lead to an argument, a wrestling match or a few punches thrown to settle it.

BUT YOU NEVER, EVER THOUGHT OF GRABBING THE REAL GUN that was unlocked and readily accessible in your closet at home, and taking it to school to shoot your classmates.

The TV, movie industry, and video game industry has placed warning labels and age restrictions on violent shows and games, but it has not made a difference in mass shootings. WHY? Because such restrictions, were the WRONG TARGET!

Had that step of restricting violent media been the right target, we would have seen a positive change, a decrease in mass shootings, and we have not.

WHY have we NOT seen a change in mass shootings after restricting violent media from our youth? 

Because kids and young adults KNOW THE DIFFERENCE between a violent TV show, movie or video game and real life, just as you and I did 40 or more years ago when we played, Cops and Robbers, Cowboys and Indians, and GI Joe.

So that leaves improving mental health care as the only remaining target that has been talked about as a solution to stop mass shootings. Believe it or not, lawmakers are suggesting the cause of these mass shootings is the inability of the State to involuntarily commit people who show signs of mental illness!

Do you see the inherent insanity in such a target? With a government already gone wild in stripping freedoms and privacy after 9/11, now there are actually lawmakers talking about increasing the power of the government to involuntarily commit (that means against your will) citizens to a mental institution! Remember the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?

These are the same lawmakers who champion gun control laws and banning violent media content as the solution to stop mass shootings. They say that due to lack of funding, we have released so many "crazy" people from mental institution into the streets, which has caused the increase in mass shootings.

Really? How many mass shooters have been homeless, mental derelicts who lacked a psychiatrist treating them and prescribing them medication? NOT ONE.

So if the RIGHT TARGET to stop mass shootings is NOT GUNS, and it is NOT VIOLENT MEDIA, and it is NOT MORE MENTAL HEATLH CARE, then WHAT IS IT?

To find the RIGHT TARGET look to see what CHANGES took place in society when mass shootings first began and what has increased in society directly and proportionally to the increase in mass shootings, even during the same time when strong actions and restrictions against guns and violent media were being implemented to stop the mass shootings.

The answer, the common denominator, the RIGHT TARGET in the ever increasing number of mass shootings was and continued to be the creation of strong, mind altering, psychiatric drugs by the pharmaceutical companies and their systematic pushing of these drugs to our children and youth through our public school system. These drugs create the monsters who are killing their parents, teachers and schoolmates.

I recognized psych drugs being pushed on our youth as the right target after the Columbine shootings. I stated it then and I have stated it after every mass shooting since and guess what, EVERY SHOOTER has been under psychiatric care, taking these powerful, mind altering drugs that are scientifically proven to create homicidal and suicidal urges in those being prescribed these drugs!

It is the RIGHT TARGET. Ban the prescription and distribution of these strong, mind altering drugs and as a society we will not have drug induced assassins killing innocent people.

Of course to do so, would take multi-billions of dollars in ridiculous profits from the pharmaceutical companies who through their relentless "lobbying" in Washington, DC have managed to not only stay in business when all evidence points at their product as the root cause of these mass shootings, they also convinced Congress years ago to pass legislation allowing the blatant advertising of antidepressant drugs on TV, radio, Internet, newspapers and magazines.

Now you understand one of the reasons why members of Congress, who receive huge political contributions from the pharmaceutical industry, avoid attacking the RIGHT TARGET, psych drugs, and continue to point fingers at the wrong target... your guns.

If we truly want to stop mass shootings, we have to ban the prescription and distribution of these strong, mind altering drugs and as a society we will not have drug induced assassins killing innocent people. At the same time, we must strengthen those aspects of society that have statistically provided a positive reduction in violent crime. Namely, allow the law abiding responsible citizenry to carry concealed weapons to protect against mass shootings.

New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles... the big cities, with the strictest gun control have the highest murder and violent crime rates.

Allow law abiding, responsible citizen to be trained to carry a concealed weapon and those same cities with the highest murder and crime rates will see an immediate and permanent reduction in violent crime and murder as all the other towns and cities across America have seen when they allowed their citizens to carry concealed weapons.

I have been preaching this for years.

Look at this revealing table of information...

Click on the blue 'What' to access a story. Click on a red column heading to sort the index by that column. 
Med For Depression
2011-10-25
Washington
**Girl, 15, Stabs Two Girls in School 
Restroom: 1 Is In Critical Condition
Zoloft Antidepressant & ADHD Med
2011-07-11
Alabama
**14 Year Old Kills Fellow Middle 
School Student
Meds For Depression & ADHD
2011-03-18
South Carolina
**Teen Shoots School Official: Pipe 
Bombs Found in Backpack
Prozac Withdrawal
2011-02-23
Virginia
**Teen Sentenced to 12 Years in 
Prison For Columbine Style Plot
Med For Depression
2010-12-15
France
**17 Year Old with Sword Holds 20 
Children & Teacher Hostage
Zoloft*
2010-08-22
Australia
**School Counselor Exhibits Bizarre 
Behavior: Became Manic On Zoloft
Meds For Depression & ADHD
2010-04-28
Massachusetts
**Sixteen Year Old Kills 15 Year Old 
in High School Bathroom in Sept. 2009
SSRI
2010-02-19
Finland
**On Sept. 23, 2008 a Finnish Student 
Shot & Killed 9 Students Before 
Killing Himself
Celexa Antidepressant
2010-01-25
Virginia
**Senior in High School Theatens to 
Kill 4 Classmates: Facebook Involved: 
Bail Denied
Cymbalta Antidepressant WITHDRAWAL
2009-11-09
New York
**Man With Gun Inside School Holds 
Principal Hostage
Antidepressant
2009-11-04
California
**School Custodian Assaults Student 
& Principal: Had Manic Reaction 
From Depression Med
Antidepressants
2009-09-22
England
**Two English School Boys Plot to 
Blow Up High School
Med For Depression
2009-06-29
Australia
**Vexed Father Makes Bomb Threat 
Against Elementary School
Med For Depression
2009-03-13
Germany
**16 Dead Including Shooter: 
Antidepressant Use: Shooter in 
 Treatment For Depression
Treatment For Depression & Strattera
2009-03-10
Belgium
**Three Dead in School Day Care: 
Two Children & a Caregiver: 
Happened Jan 23, 2009
Med For Depression WITHDRAWAL
2008-08-28
Texas
**18 Year Old Plots a Columbine 
School Attack
Lexapro*
2008-04-18
California
**Violent High School Student Shot 
to Death on Campus by Police
Antidepressants
2008-03-20
Indiana
**Teen [16 Years Old] Brings Gun
 to School: There Is a Lockdown
Med For Depression
2008-02-29
Texas
**Teen [17 Year Old GIRL] Stabs 
Friend & Principal at High School
Antidepressants
2008-02-27
Canada
**Wacky School Bus Driver Goes 
Berserk: Also Involved Painkillers
Med For Depression
2008-02-20
Idaho
**Teen [16 Years Old] Kills Self at 
High School: Lockdown by Police
Prozac WITHDRAWAL
2008-02-15
Illinois
** 6 Dead: 15 Wounded: Perpetrator 
Was in Withdrawal from Med &  
Acting Erratically
Prozac Antidepressant
2008-01-25
Washington
**Student Takes Loaded Shotgun & 
3 Rifles to School Parking Lot: Plans 
Suicide
Antidepressant WITHDRAWAL
2007-11-07
Finland
**Student Kills 8: Wounds 10: Kills 
Self: High School in Finland
Antidepressant WITHDRAWAL
2007-10-12
Ohio
**Teen [14 Years Old] School Shooter 
Possibly on Antidepressants or In 
Withdrawal
Lexapro Antidepressant
2007-07-28
Arkansas
**Student Has 11 Incidents with Police
 During his 16 Months on Lexapro
Wellbutrin Antidepressant
2007-04-24
Tennessee
**Young Boy, 12, Threatens to Shoot 
Others at School
Antidepressants
2007-04-23
Mississippi
**Student Arrested for Making School
 Threat Over Internet
Antidepressant?
2007-04-18
Virginia
**Possible SSRI Use: 33 Dead at 
Virginia Tech
Med for Depression
2006-12-06
Indiana
**Teen Knife Attacks Fellow Student
Wellbutrin
2006-12-04
Indiana
**Stabbing by 17 Year Old At High 
School: Charged with Attempted 
Murder
Antidepressant WITHDRAWAL
2006-11-28
North Carolina
**Teen Holds Teacher & Student 
Hostage with Gun
Antidepressant
2006-09-30
Colorado
**Man Assaults Girls: Kills One &  
Self
Celexa Antidepressant
2006-08-30
North Carolina
**Teen Shoots at Two Students: Kills 
his Father: Celexa Found Among his 
Personal Effects
Med for Depression
2006-03-09
France
**Young Ex-Teacher Holds 21 Students 
Hostage
Zoloft Antidepressant
2006-02-15
Tennessee
**Teen Attacks Teacher at School
Antidepressant
2005-11-19
Arizona
**Violent 8 Year Old GIRL Handcuffed 
by Police at School
Prozac Antidepressant
2005-03-24
Minnesota
**10 Dead: 7 Wounded: Dosage Increased 
One Week before Rampage
Paxil
2004-10-23
Washington DC
**Young Boy, 10 Year Old, Has Violent 
Incidents at School
Med for Depression*
2004-10-19
New Jersey
**Over-Medicated Teen Brings Loaded 
Handguns to School
Paxil [Seroxat] Antidepressant
2004-02-09
New York
**Student Shoots Teacher in Leg at 
School
Antidepressant
2003-05-31
Michigan
**Teen Threatens School Shooting: 
Charge is Terrorism
Celexa
2002-10-07
Texas
**Young Girl [13 Years Old] Kills Self 
at School With a Gun
Paxil
2002-04-12
Michigan
**Unusual Personality Change on Paxil 
Caused 15 Year Old to Set Fires inside 
High School
Celexa Antidepressant
2002-01-23
Florida
**Violent 8 Year-Old Boy Arrested At 
School
Antidepressant?
2002-01-17
Virginia
**Possible SSRI Withdrawal Mania: 3 
Dead at Law School
Paxil
2001-10-12
North Carolina
**Young Man Holds Three People 
Hostage in Duke University President's 
Office
Med for Depression
2001-09-26
Pennsylvania
**Man Attacks 11 Children &  3 
Teachers at Elementary School
Antidepressants
2001-06-09
Japan
**Eight Dead: 15 Wounded: Assailant 
Had Taken 10 Times his Normal Dose 
of Depression Med
Celexa & Effexor Antidepressants
2001-04-19
California
**Teen Shoots at Classmates in School
Paxil & Effexor Antidepressants
2001-04-15
Washington
**Teen Holds Classmates Hostage 
with a Gun
Paxil [Seroxat] Antidepressant
2001-03-10
Pennsylvania
**14 Year Old GIRL Shoots & 
Wounds Classmate at Catholic School
Prozac/ Paxil Antidepressants
2001-01-18
California
**Teen [17 Years Old] Takes Girl 
Hostage at School: He is Killed by 
Police
Prozac Antidepressant
1999-10-19
Florida
**Teen [16 Years Old] Threatens 
Classmates With Knife & Fake 
Explosives
Luvox/Zoloft Antidepressants
1999-04-20
Colorado
**COLUMBINE: 15 Dead: 24 
Wounded
Antidepressant
1999-04-16
Idaho
**Teen Fires Gun in School
Med For Depression
1998-12-01
Wisconsin
**Teen Accused of Plotting to Gun 
Down Students at School
Prozac Antidepressant WITHDRAWAL
1998-05-21
Oregon
**Four Dead: Twenty Injured
Antidepressants*
1998-05-04
New York
**Sheriff's Deputy Shoots his Wife 
in an Elementary School
Zoloft Antidepressant
1998-04-13
Idaho
**Teen [14 Years Old] in School Holds 
Police At Bay: Fires Shots
Zoloft Antidepressant
1995-10-12
South Carolina
**15 Year Old Shoots Two Teachers, 
Killing One: Then Kills Himself
Med For Depression
1995-03-04
California
**Young Woman Deliberately Hits 3 
Kids with Her Car at Elementary School: 
Laughed During Attack
Luvox
1993-07-23
Florida
**Man Commits Murder During Clinical 
Trial for Luvox: Same Drug as in COLUMBINE: 
Never Reported
Antidepressants
1992-09-20
Texas
**Man, Angry Over Daughter's Report 
Card, Shoots 14 Rounds inside Elementary 
School
Prozac Antidepressant
1992-01-30
Michigan
**School Teacher Shoots & Kills 
His Superintendent at School
Anafranil Antidepressant
1988-05-20
Illinois
**29 Year Old WOMAN Kills One Child: 
Wounds Five: Kills Self