So, another heart breaking mass shooting has happened.

I will try to explain why there will be more and the origin of such behavior. For nearly three decades now we have allowed our children to play first person shooter games. Through what is called operant conditioning the natural propensity and resistance to killing another human being is destroyed by repeated and realistic killing of as many bodies or people as possible. In the game Grand Theft Auto, you can obtain a prostitute, have graphic sex, decide to bind her, then kill her escaping in your car running down as many people as possible while shooting at law enforcement. This is disgusting. Points are racked up by body counts. Extra points are given for head shots.

Adam Lanza who shot and killed 4- to 6-year-old children at Sandy Hook played Combat Arms. He racked up 83,496 kills with 22,725 head shots. Now completely well trained in killing and ready for something more, He took his mother’s unsecured rifle and shot his mother four times in the head before departing for the school. Mr. Lanza shot a 6-year-old 11 times. Columbine’s shooters Klebold and Harris were avid gamers. 99 percent of shooters are gamers. There is even a game called School Shooter. What parent would let their children play this?

There is a book about this loaded with facts that show that this is the cause. It is written by Lt Col. Dave Grossman. The book is called “Assassination Generation”: Video Games, Aggression, and the Psychology of Killing. It is on Amazon along with his book “Stop teaching our kids to kill”. Buy it, read it, and talk about it to no end. Bring this into present day awareness to others. Just because you think your kid would never do that as every parent thinks, why let them play and learn how to kill? Research what games they are playing. Raise greatness, not trained assassins.

You cannot stop a problem until you understand it. Understanding this type of operant conditioning and how it changes a person will be the first step. There is no immediate solution to an active shooter. Except to take them down as fast as possible. Banning a certain gun type is only a knee jerk reaction toward false safety. The shooters will equip themselves with another firearm if by some chance they happen to even follow legal bans in place. Adam Lanza had four different firearms on him at Sandy Hook. Gun bans will not work. Magazine capacity bans will solve nothing. Attempting to evaluate someone’s mental health will always fall short.

Go back to the start of this social change. Get the book Mr. Grossman writes. Chapter 9 shows what you can do. And if you decide to carry concealed, and are willing to stop an active shooter in the name of saving innocents, do it right. Study what happens to the human mind and what will occur when the animal brain takes over to protect life and safety. Don’t just put a gun on your hip and think you are prepared. You are wrong and you will fail. Don’t let the bad guy win. Mr. Grossman’s books “On Killing” and “On Combat” are essential tools to read for the concealed carry person dealing with moral issues regarding killing someone. These books have also shown to be a large asset for law enforcement and our military personnel in doing the most difficult job out there.

Keep guns locked up at all times period. That includes in your vehicle and your home when you go to work. Take a look at what games your kids play. And be safe.

AL TEMPLE

Priest River