Thinking like a madman

The new mayor of Chicago, Lori Lightfoot (It was weird to see her name listed on the sign at the Chicago Skyway entrance), stated that all the recent mass shootings can be blamed on the rhetoric proposed by the current administration but that is not true.

There are three thought processes among those who have grabbed an assault rifle and went out to shoot people.

Kill anyone (Aurora and Las Vegas): The idea behind these is to go to or near a location where a bunch of people are, load up, and shoot everyone there. These are planned to coordinate with a loud and noisy event like a rock concert or a movie to delay people reacting to the situation and to increase the number of killed and wounded.

Kill those at a specific location: (Sandy Hook and Dayton): Most school and workplace shootings fall under this category. The idea is to gain access to a location, find one specific target or group and open fire. Since the Dayton shooter was attempting to access a night club, it seems likely that he had a problem with that location or those there.

The rhetoric of the current administration generally does not influence the actions by those in the two categories but definitely fit into the third one.

Kill specific people: (Orlando and El Paso): The idea behind these is to find a bunch of people whom they believe deserve to die because of what they are (be it based on skin color, ethnic heritage, religion, or sexual preference) and kill as many as possible sacrificing yourself to make the world a better place.

Those who have decided to take action have left explanations about their decision and in those have stated they are following supporting the current administration or used phrases that are similar to what those in the current administration use. These shootings definitely fall directly on the administration.

As I have stated in other posts, trying to remove the desire or opportunity to kill many (which many in the current administration want to do) would require far more dramatic changes than just making it more difficult for people to get the required equipment.

One further point. All those who have gotten an automatic weapon and used it to kill many have one thing in common. It is not upbringing, income, age, or personal status. It is having a weapon which can fire dozens of shots before any police can respond.