Posted on by Californiacontrarian

Another Reason …

I get it! I get the basic argument of the left that gun control is the way to stop mass shootings. I think that for the most part, this argument is misguided, but I get it. (For the most part it’s an emotional response … “we cannot just do nothing; … we must do something!”) Unfortunately for this argument by the left, these mass shootings are not perpetrated by law abiding gun owners. As best I know, none of these horrific mass shootings have been carried out by a member of the NRA. Granted I do not own a gun, much less an AR-15, and I consider myself to be far from knowledgeable when it comes to guns. While I am not convinced that outlawing AR-15s will solve this mass shooting problem, nonetheless I do not understand why  an AR-15 is needed by a young person, especially a young male who has not turned twenty-one.

Today I read an article by Dr. Joseph Mercola which addressed some other possible reasons for mass shootings.

The following is a summary of Dr. Mercola’a take on this matter:

  • While many have bought into the simplistic idea that availability of firearms is the cause of mass shootings, a number of experts have pointed out a more uncomfortable truth, which is that mass shootings are far more likely the result of how we’ve been mistreating mental illness, depression and behavioral problems
  • Gun control legislation has shown that law-abiding Americans who own guns are not the problem, because the more gun control laws that have been passed, the more mass shootings have occurred
  • 97.8% of mass shootings occur in “gun-free zones,” as the perpetrators know legally armed citizens won’t be there to stop them
  • Depression per se rarely results in violence. Only after antidepressants became commonplace did mass shootings really take off, and many mass shooters have been shown to be on antidepressants
  • Antidepressants, especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are well-known for their ability to cause suicidal and homicidal ideation and violence

Dr. Mercola focuses on antidepressant-drug’s effect on society:

SSRIs can also cause emotional blunting and detachment, such that patients report “not feeling” or “not caring” about anything or anyone, as well as psychosis and hallucinations. All of these side effects can contribute to someone acting out an unthinkable violent crime.

In one review of 484 drugs in the FDA’s database, 31 were found to account for 78.8% of all cases of violence against others, and 11 of those drugs were antidepressants.

The researchers concluded that violence against others was a “genuine and serious adverse drug event” and that of the drugs analyzed, SSRI antidepressants and the smoking cessation medication, varenicline (Chantix), had the strongest associations. The top-five most dangerous SSRIs were:13

  • Fluoxetine (Prozac), which increased aggressive behavior 10.9 times
  • Paroxetine (Paxil), which increased violent behavior 10.3 times
  • Fluvoxamine (Luvox), which increased violent behavior 8.4 times
  • Venlafaxine (Effexor), which increased violent behavior 8.3 times
  • Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), which increased violent behavior 7.9 times

While Dr. Mercola points out that it is difficult to attribute all/most mass shootings to depression and the drugs used to treat depressive symptoms, it certainly is worth looking into, and I agree.

6/30/22

www.californiacontrarian.com

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