Tag Archives: crime

How Should Responsible Gun Owners See the Irresponsible and Criminal

I’ve been spending more time than I would like to recently addressing gun owners shooting people for (seemingly) no good reason. After the recent “hide-and-seek” shooting in Louisiana, I thought about an opinion essay I wrote last summer on why I dislike the “good guy with a gun” slogan. The responses were interesting, to sayContinue reading “How Should Responsible Gun Owners See the Irresponsible and Criminal”

Put “Shoot First” in the Garbage Where It Belongs (Light Over Heat #50)

This week on my “Light Over Heat” YouTube channel, I address the idea that people can or should “shoot first and ask questions later.” It’s sad that I have to point out that this is garbage, but it seems I do.

Coming Back to Lower the Heat and Address Frustration and Fatigue Over Guns (Light Over Heat #48)

I have been on a 5-month hiatus from my “Light Over Heat” YouTube channel and seriously thought about not coming back. (More on that in a later video.) But seeing the frustration and fatigue in my son while talking about all of the recent shootings in America (Kansas City, upstate New York, Austin, Charlotte, Louisville,Continue reading “Coming Back to Lower the Heat and Address Frustration and Fatigue Over Guns (Light Over Heat #48)”

Sociology of Guns Module 9: Criminal Homicide and Injury

I include the modifier “criminal” here, because descriptively homicide means causing the death of another person. This would include legally justifiable killing (e.g., in self-defense). Some who study “gun violence” actually do not distinguish between justifiable homicide and criminal homicide, but I think that is an important starting point. It is also important to recognizeContinue reading “Sociology of Guns Module 9: Criminal Homicide and Injury”

Was the Storming of the U.S. Capitol Building an “Insurrection”?

In early January 2021, my work was disrupted by a text message from a friend: “They are storming the capitol.” It took me a moment to figure out who “they” were, but I soon made the connection. They were people gathered for the March for Trump rally in Washington, DC. Formally organized by Women ForContinue reading “Was the Storming of the U.S. Capitol Building an “Insurrection”?”

Are Mass Public Shootings Seasonal? (Corrected)

***CORRECTION: A FACEBOOK READER noticed something in the Mother Jones data I presented recently that I had missed. Beginning in 2013, MJ changed their definition of a mass public shooting from 4 or more victims to 3 or more victims in 2013 (see more below), but did not retroactively update their database. Although not deceptiveContinue reading “Are Mass Public Shootings Seasonal? (Corrected)”