(Originally published on AUN-TV.)
In the days leading up to Halloween, it looked things would be more trick than treat as NPR reported that 12 mass shootings over the weekend before the spooky holiday made it scarier than Halloween. The shootings left 11 dead and 76 injured across the country.
Halloween weekend tends, sadly, to be more violent than other weekends. However, this year puts last year’s Halloween weekend to shame. According to ASIS International, there were nine mass shootings nationwide with 10 deaths and 46 injuries.
Although these numbers may seem like typical weekend in a major city, the fact that it does is disturbing.
It points to how out of control crime has become. Criminals roam free with those being tasked to stop them lacking the funds, personnel, or authority to do anything about it.
A Halloween party in Texarkana, Texas, turned deadly when a fist fight escalated into a shooting. At least two men pulled out rifles and started shooting, leaving three dead and three injured. The victims ranged from 19 to 31 years old.
In Indianapolis, a shooting at a large party left 10 people between 16 and 22 years old injured, and one of them eventually died from his injuries. Police officers said they heard gunshots and saw a large crowd dispersing from the area, according to Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department statement.
These are just a few examples showing how little human life means to people nowadays. Why is that?
Has violence in first-person video games or in TV shows and movies desensitized us? Has the lack of concern for a life in the womb spread outside of it? Have people been playing taught that they are victims too long that they believe it? Or is it that our children are no longer taught the difference between right and wrong?
It’s probably some of all those things, truth be told.
However, gun rights will jump on guns as the culprit. If guns are removed, the killing will stop seems to be their rationale. It’s like blaming the car for a driver speeding or food for someone gaining weight. If you take away guns, people will find another way to kill if they want to.
I think a large part of it is that we are no longer told to accept responsibility for our actions. There is always a reason something bad happens, and it has nothing to do with a person deciding to do something bad.
Law enforcement used to help in that regard. It forced a person to take responsibility for their actions by paying fines or serving jail time. It wasn’t completely effective, but even where it wasn’t effective, it helped take the worst criminals off the streets and took them away from potential victims.
Nowadays, even when criminals are caught, progressive prosecutors and judges are releasing them with no real penalty. For criminals to hold back on criminal activity, the cost of committing crime must outweigh the benefit of committing the crime.
That would be a nice treat for the rest of us.
Michael A. Letts is the CEO and Founder of In-VestUSA, a national grassroots non-profit organization helping hundreds of communities provide thousands of bulletproof vests for their police forces through educational, public relations, sponsorship, and fundraising programs.
