Morning Jolt: Shoehorning Multiple-Causation Shootings into Single-Cause Narratives

On Saturday afternoon, after the El Paso shooting but before the Dayton shooting, New York Daily News opinion editor Josh Greenman observed, "It's never just guns. It's never just mental health. It's never just radical ideology. It's never just sad manhood. It's almost always a toxic combination."

We keep hearing the same kinds of anecdotes after a mass shooting. The details change, but the gist is the same. Often but not always, there's no father in the home. Often but not always, the shooter has few or no friends and nothing resembling a real support network. Often but not always, the shooter is unemployed or barely employed. Often but not always, the shooter has some mental-health issue, sometimes formally diagnosed, sometimes not. Often but not always, the shooter played violent video games. Often but not always, the shooter was active on extremist or Columbine-focused chat boards or had a noticeable interest in or obsession with previous mass shootings. Often but not always, the shooter has gotten in trouble in school or has been kicked out of ...

August 05 2019

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Shoehorning Multiple-Causation Shootings into Single-Cause Narratives Jim Geraghty On Saturday afternoon, after the El Paso shooting but before the Dayton shooting, New York Daily News opinion editor Josh Greenman observed, "It's never just guns. It's never just mental health. It's never just radical ideology. It's never just sad manhood. It's almost always a toxic combination." We keep hearing the same kinds of anecdotes after a mass shooting. The details change, but the gist is the same. Often but not always, there's no father in the home. Often but not always, the shooter has few or no friends and nothing resembling a real support network. Often but not always, the shooter is unemployed or barely employed. Often but not always, the shooter has some mental-health issue, sometimes formally diagnosed, sometimes not. Often but not always, the shooter played violent video games. Often but not always, the shooter was active on extremist or Columbine-focused chat boards or had a noticeable interest in or obsession with previous mass shootings. Often but not always, the shooter has gotten in trouble in school or has been kicked out of ... Read More ADVERTISEMENT Top Stories The Democrats Break Left Kevin D. Williamson The loopy nutters who once were on the fringe of the party are now closer to the middle, and the slightly less loopy nutters represents the dead hand of moderation and centrism. It's Time to Declare War on White-Nationalist Terrorism David French Law enforcement should pursue terrorists relentlessly. Policymakers should think creatively. And our nation's leaders need to focus on reconciliation and unity. Federal Judge Halts Trump Administration Policy of Denying Asylum to Those Who Cross Border... Mairead McArdle A federal judge on Friday ruled against the Trump administration's policy of denying asylum to migrants who fail to enter through a legal port of entry. ADVERTISEMENT Crush This Evil The Editors We are contending here not with another "lone wolf," but with the fruit of a murderous and resurgent ideology — white supremacy — that deserves to be treated by the authorities in the same manner as has been the threat posed by militant Islam. We Should Fear Free-Speech Curbs More Than Exposure to Racist Manifestos John Fund Restricting access to the rantings of mass killers only makes their writings a form of "forbidden fruit" -- all the more sought after because they are censored. Hiring Slows, Unemployment Holds Steady in July Mairead McArdle The U.S. labor market remained strong in July despite a slowdown in hiring, according to Labor Department data released Friday. ADVERTISEMENT WHAT NR IS READING The Smallest Minority: Independent Thinking in the Age of Mob Politics Kevin D. Williamson A dizzying tour through a world you'll be horrified to recognize as your own. With biting appraisals of social media, political hustlers, journalists and identity politics, The Smallest Minority is a defiant, funny, and terrifyingly insightful book about what we human beings have done to ourselves. LEARN MORE Photo Essays Crackdown in Moscow Hong Kong Protests ADVERTISEMENT Follow Us & Share 19 West 44th Street, Suite 1701, New York, NY, 10036, USA Your Preferences | Unsubscribe | Privacy View this e-mail in your browser.