Every time a mass shooting occurs in America, you can map out the public discussions that inevitably follow. They usually deal with gun control, mental illness, or parental care. In other words, issues that are sociological. The problems are well worth discussing, but the outcomes are predictable.
The most recent mass shooting in Florida is no exception. The central point that binds the current debate is the possibility that the shooter is mentally ill. Any arguments that follow are based on that assertion. The usual reaction to an event like this is to look for answers that reside outside of the person who committed the crime in question. For the most part, the shooter was parentless, and without a doubt, this kind of social situation surely had a negative impact on him.
Perhaps this shooter is mentally ill. I cannot make that conclusion since I am not a psychiatrist nor have I evaluated him. But what we are failing to ask is whether this is an act of evil as opposed to one induced by mental illness or social conditions?
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