The news media has a saying: “If it bleeds, it leads.” The saying points out that people will tend to pay attention to when something horrible happens to other people. Certainly, this has something to do with why the mainstream media plasters anything labeled a mass shooting all over the place. It’s because people pay attention.
Not surprisingly, most people who pay attention to the mainstream media (which is probably most Americans) believe that the world is getting worse, that gun violence is up, and that mass shootings and horrible actions of that kind are becoming more common. But is that true?
The research says, no, it’s not. Nancy Harty writes,
Research by of University of Illinois professor has revealed a surprising trend about mass murder in the United States.
Contrary to what you might think, mass murders are not on the rise, according to computer science professor Sheldon Jacobson.
Jacobson said there were 323 such killings – in which four or more people are killed in one incident – between January 2006 and October 2016. The mass killings appeared to be evenly distributed over that time, meaning their rate remained stable over the past decade, and did not spike during any particular season or year.
“The data doesn’t lie. The rate of these events just is not increasing as the perception is given in the media. This is just what it is,” he said.
The professor used a decade’s worth of data from USA Today that was cross-checked by the FBI. He said his analysis also found public shooting sprees like the Las Vegas massacre are not the most common type of mass killing.
“Family mass killings are over three times more likely to occur than a public killing. So what we just saw in Las Vegas is actually not the most common type of mass killing.”
So, the data says that mass shootings are not increasing (if you’re new to this site, you didn’t see that coming, did you?) and that the most common types of mass shootings are family shootings. Now, the article doesn’t specify whether family shootings are primarily murder-suicide situations or whether they are things like “honor killings” or some combination of both or something else entirely, so it’s hard to clarify the cause of the situations there.
What does seem clear, though, is that, contrary to most media outlets and anti-gun politicians, gun control doesn’t appear to be anything that would prevent these horrible things from happening.
Regardless, you can now say to your anti-gunner friends that, despite their hysteria, mass shootings aren’t actually happening more often.
As far as mass killings, it is the media that turns the terrible events into movie projects. All through history they have occurred, but only when they are headliners, as they often are now, does the larger public become involved, if only in their own living rooms. Unfortunately, less is done if the people involved vary in skin color, are ethnically different, differ in lifestyle, are routinely shunned, etc., etc., and are not valued or understood for any manufactured reason.
The current acting head of the central government is largely responsible for serious divisiveness, and uses this to his perceived advantage. His continual lack of courtesy, acceptable standards, obvious lack of morals, and realized power, encourages chaos and lack of established humane control. All of the fore mentioned issues spread like chicken pox did, and are considered “license to kill.” This only means a loss of civility of any type that fits the moment, and including a considerable decline to standards unknown to very young children without proper supervision. The increased knowable and newly acceptable presence of racism, is one more example of loss of the conviviality of the mix of humanity for which this country was proudly known. It’s more than timely and necessary, that the raging baggage and ignorance of the head and his lot comprising the current administration are curbed and removed in order for this Country to mend and return to the decency that underlay what was a great, not perfect, USA. The Statue of Liberty still stands, and can again Welcome the Free World, when our government itself is no longer ill. (There was no need to bring in the issue of gun ownership.That was/is not the cause of the currently perceived crisis of increased murders. That can be laid at the front door of the White House, and copies with the gavels in both in the puppet theaters of the Congress.) Tsk tsk! Now I feel better, at least until tomorrow morning!
Are you sure you did not miss a socialist/leftist talking point? You speak of divisiveness, I strongly suggest you step back to the last administration for a valid example of the most divisive president in the history of the country.
However, I feel strongly that there are many staged shootings and choreographed responses. The LE needs crimes to happen and they love to play pretend soldier and heros. Imagine the abysmal mindset of those willing to stage such onerous charades to manipulate their unwanted agendas into society. Feinatein alone weaves bills contrary to constitutional provisions and she gets her way and we laughed at. This is a great report but we are still at war here at home in a culture conflict.
The media and the government-spinning it out for those vulnerable tired hard working folks relaxing on the couch and trying to make sense of it all.
Mass killings are getting more attention for long periods of time and seem to be promoted by the media. It is TRUE that an armed citizen STOPS crime daily but that fact gets ignored except, maybe, by the local paper. Simple acts of kindness cannot be sensationalized for weeks.
Mass killings are of interest to a lot of readers. It sells news. Simple as that.
Evil begets evil … From third world bloody underhanded overthrows & takeovers to looting, arson, and paid mayhem of alleged malcontents in Ferguson … To fabricated cop stories to a former government criminal tied to a slick 50 murder count … And we have several leftist billionaires in our midst that should be ostracized & deported for dozens of criminal acts as well …
The frequency seems accelerated but could be the media’s anxiousness to promote sensationalism above all other attributes including most especially truth &/or accuracy in reporting … EVERY “newsroom” has predetermined agendas …
The left really wants us all unarmed so they can loot & pillage UNENCUMBERED
Only criminals will not obey the law if guns were made illegal criminals will own everyone of us because they will have the same unregistered weapon they had before the law look at Chicago LA or NY toughest gun laws in the Nation and the most gun violence Australia murder increased after gun control laws put in place without personal protection police can’t help or protect you remember we call them after the the deed is done so folk’s as citizens we must protect our selves and that is second amendment and conceal carry police happen after you are shot not before protect your life and family
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