The recent shootings in Arizona and Oregon are deplorable events that should concern us all.
My fellow SINner Jonathan MS Pearce has since shared two posts with statistics that make comparisons between gun laws and gun deaths, showing a clear inversely proportional relation between gun control laws and gun deaths.
I’d just like to point out that correlation is not causation.
Although I am for gun control (in developed countries), I am foremost a skeptic, hence I will avoid jumping to conclusions until there is compelling evidence for said conclusion. Further, I have come to understand that most realities have multiple factors and can’t be accurately explained or addressed with simple explanations or answers — as far as I know, the only scenario that can comprise complex realities with simple explanations and solutions is the failed and immoral war on drugs.
I’m afraid we owe the victims of the shootings and their families a far more intelectually challenging and satisfying explanation for why these shootings happen. We can start doing that by keeping in mind that correlations can be spurious and that ideologically knee-jerk reactions often can’t provide solutions.
