There are always some very good and very bad parents and will always be so. These will do their part no matter what the laws. It is the large number of those, in the middle, who are struggling with their lives as it is, that make the difference in the dominant culture. A too 'prosperous' society easily lets immature, almost adults escape any sort of desirable parental control at 18 or earlier. Most minds don't mature sufficiently, until the early twenties and that too after a bit of struggle with adult, responsible society, with a support system of family to pick them up a few times. It is time to get back to some of the best features of the old ways.
Society has reached a tipping point - the state's take over of the children (perfectly justified in cases of clear, consistent abuse) to protect their rights has a downside, in the case of the struggling middle or poor socioeconomic class. The parents will give up their responsibilities, along with their traditional rights over children - this used to last well into their twenties in the past and with good reason. The state's system to protect abused children is not in good shape in most places - it has become a vast bureaucracy, often adding to the long term problem of youth alienated from the society, lacking empathy. The violent, disrespectful popular youth culture promoted in movies, games and culture as 'entertainment' really cements attitudes to shocking violence as 'fun'.
Not guns, but the social attitudes are the real problem. It is not possible to keep technology or arms or guns out of reach of a determined crook or a determined youngster in their teens. They can be quite focused on anything they choose. The gun laws in the USA are enshrined in the constitution for a very good reason and defines one of the best spirit of that country - its origin, sustenance and the reason for its rise. The effects of the gun laws bred a culture that has also brought it great strength and character over a couple of centuries. IMO, the positive effect of the gun laws of the USA is as follows. It developed a culture of polite, smooth and sophisticated, respectful-yet-watchful style of greeting and interaction even with strangers, not knowing from which direction or where the first or next bullet would come from in case of a first threatening or false move. It helped make physically weaker people fearless. The practice of the win of calm reasoning over muscular might (guns were the equalizer in the USA) is a great contributor to the rise of the USA domestically - its economy, innovative, hardworking culture.
These shocking random acts of gun violence in schools and public places is more recent and comes mostly from those who are far removed from the best of the American spirit and the spirit of its constitution. These are people who are outcome of a degenerated portion of the cultures - whether they are local or illegal immigrants. These are disturbed individuals who have fallen through the cracks of a broken social culture - that was once a small minority, but has grown in numbers greatly.
The society in the USA needs a change - in my opinion, not in the fundamental gun laws but in the attitude towards violence in their popular culture. That is the only way to address this issue. Making more law abiding and well-intentioned people even more helpless in the face of an armed offender is the opposite of what needs to happen. Quick social change in culture is hard - but achievable - if people want to be honest, admit the real problem, throw out petty, divisive politics. That does not seem an easy task in today's toxic sociopolitical climate in the USA or in most places for that matter!
Copyright (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2018
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