Here is something to consider Re: The MN Tragedy That I Can Almost Guarantee You've Not Heard Discussed

SissyBrandi19

Daddy's Little Sissy
Joined
Feb 19, 2025
Posts
337
BTW, what I'm going to say is entirely apolitical. I am not going to take a position that favors the so-called right OR left. I just want to perhaps introduce a concept that I am all but sure you will NOT hear discussed anywhere else, why? Because it favors NO agenda. Yet it is 100% true and factual. Anyone who knows me should know I like to joke around, but while I don't advertise this (because, why?) I am a practicing scientist and have been for over 30 years, and that is the basis for this post.

I'm going to begin by making a statement that on the surface may sound incredible, yet for anyone who reads this entirely AND has the ability to think (which is only about 20% of humans) will make sense. I can confidently tell you that the cause of the MN tragedy was not gun, was not being trans, and was not even any mental illness. I can hear is now, "How can you possibly know this? You have no insights into this person's thinking and motivations!" and while you are correct in that, in fact, none of those insights are necessary to my thesis. I don't need to know anything about this person in saying this - all I need to know (and I do) is the definition of "Cause".

In science, to be a "cause" something must satisfy two criteria - it must be necessary and it must be sufficient. For example, smoking tobacco does NOT cause cancer. There have been people who smoked and never got cancer, so it is not "sufficient". There have been people who have never smoked yet have gotten cancer, so smoking is not "necessary" either. So smoking fulfills neither of the two criteria for establishing cause. What we can say is that smoking tobacco is a predictor and can raise the likelihood of contracting certain cancers - no more.

Similarly, the "gun" argument is so silly to not even be worth addressing, but I will just say that at no time in history has a gun ever killed a human, as these are inert objects that require some human (or, in the very very odd case, dog) agent to use the gun. Objects cannot be a cause in this manner. Can you see that being trans cannot be the cause? Has every trans person killed someone? Not even close. Neither every gun owner and neither every person with a mental illness. None of these things - even in combination (mentally ill trans person with a gun) can be considered a cause.

In fact, as maddening and frustrating as it certainly is in these cases, here is the fact of the matter: Humans are incredibly complex. Let me restate that with more precision. The human brain, which I will posit is the cause of our perceptions, behaviors, thoughts, etc. is an incredibly complex entity, so much so that it exceeds the complexity perhaps of the entire physical universe. It may BE the entire physical universe (Bostrom, 2003). Because of the immense complexity of the human brain, the idea that we can somehow exert control over this thing we don't understand really much at all, is a fools notion. In fact, I think history has shown that attempts to do exactly this often have disastrous results. That is not to say we should not attempt to intervene and help people lead better lives, but to think we can or should "control" is silly. Here is another Hard Truth: Life is dangerous. Safety, while a very seductive concept, is not something that is possible to achieve, fully. I have often thought (as I have the ability and in fact highly enjoy "thinking") about the idea of Universal Truths - are there any such things? I think there is at least one: Every aspect of reality involves a trade-off. A purchase involves trading value (money) for value (goods/services). The very act of breathing is a tradeoff of CO2 for the mix of gases that constitute "air" (oxygen being the most important). The Laws of Thermodynamics all speak to the idea of trade-offs - matter is neither created nor destroyed, merely changed in form. In fact, sadly there is even a trade-off in the acquisition of knowledge! As we become more knowing, we lose innocence. That is perhaps the most tragic trade-off of all of them - this is not fact, this is my opinion.

So while being safe is something we all appreciate, to an extent, do not fool yourself into thinking you want a life of complete safety because you will have to trade something and that thing is the ability to exercise free will. Even then, you'll never achieve full safety. Now, it is so tempting for some to happily give away OTHERS freedom, "we need to make X illegal!" You want to be VERY careful about that. You may laugh and think "I don't care about THAT freedom and those that do can go fuck themselves". That level of non-thinking reactivity is tantamount to a form of suicide. The liberties YOU see as not having value others will disagree and anyone who can think (again, I know I'm speaking to only 20% of the population) will realize that it is probably the case that freedoms THEY hold very dear, others may see as garbage.

Many people talk about "drugs" being bad. Of course, they are non-thinkers so not even able to have a conversation with, but here's another fact that may be surprising to some: One of the most addictive drugs known to man is sugar. Yep. Sugar meets all the definitional requirements of a drug and is a highly addictive substance. So what if Those On High were to, ohhhhh, ban sugar? Not just processed sugar, ALL sugar. No alcohol, no carbs...nothing. Eggs and steak and water. I'm not an expert in nutritional science but I'll bet one who is could make a very good case for how many deaths could attributed to sugar, how so many lives could be extended and saved, yadda yadda. I'm saying the case for "safety" could be made. I'm not making it!

I think many probably are aware of the quote on safety and liberty that is attributed to Ben Franklin and if not I can paraphrase it enough to capture the meaning and it says "Those who wish to sacrifice liberty in the pursuit of safety deserve neither safety nor liberty." This is true on so many levels - safety is Utopia. Do you know the definition of "Utopia"? It's not a "perfect society" even though that is what you may read, because sadly the true definitions are being replaced with "popular usage" definitions. Utopia is actually an "impossible state or place" and the idea of having a Utopian society is predicated on not taming human nature but really the abolition of evil itself. Can we rid the world of evil? No. Nature is evil...to eat an animal must kill. This kind of goes back to the idea of trade-offs.

I hope you can see I made good on my promise. I have not elevated nor demoted any political ideology or any ideology whatsoever. Well, let me take that back a bit - I absolutely demote any ideology that is not logically coherent so yes, the "blame the object" thinking (or non-thinking, as it were) I have zero tolerance for. I do not suffer fools and for that I will never apologize or bend the knee. The fact of the matter is that if you want a failsafe solution, I don't know what to tell you but I can tell you that the USA is a country that highly values liberty more than safety. That is a fact and is very evident in the founding documents. Not all countries share this and if someone is a resident in the USA and thinks safety is far more important than liberty I can kindly suggest that emigration is legal and moral and even a viable option they may wish to pursue. I would also suggest that control is a seductress that few can deny and MANY will come in the wake of these things promising safety but...trading fore that, liberty and while that may appeal to some on an emotional level, anyone who can both think and has any understanding of history and authoritarian governments will tell you that is a very dangerous and regrettable trade.

One last thought and it's not mine but I heard this (long ago) and it rings very true: Your rights...are MY responsibility. That means as well MY rights...are YOUR responsibility. Trade-offs. Everyone loves to talk about their rights, but absent personal responsibility? Nobody - not one person - will have any rights at all. So if you enjoy having rights? Show that by acting responsibly. Now can I get back to pretending to be a stupid slutty bimbo? This "thinking" stuff...it's fucking difficult, sometimes! I mean I like it but...portion sizes!
 
Yeah. I ain't got time to read all that. :)
That's fine, this is not required reading, and I applaud the honestly of the lazy. Odd thing to announce, like so many TikTok videos, but hey...you're honesty is commendable. In fact, you are SO honest, I am going to petition you for Sainthoo...whoops...I see I am too late!
 
That's fine, this is not required reading, and I applaud the honestly of the lazy. Odd thing to announce, like so many TikTok videos, but hey...you're honesty is commendable. In fact, you are SO honest, I am going to petition you for Sainthoo...whoops...I see I am too late!
Can you re say it in 2 sentences? :)
 
That's fine, this is not required reading, and I applaud the honestly of the lazy. Odd thing to announce, like so many TikTok videos, but hey...you're honesty is commendable. In fact, you are SO honest, I am going to petition you for Sainthoo...whoops...I see I am too late!
Yeah. I ain't got time to read all that. :)
Congrats. You succeeded in making me agree with SA.
 
Congrats. You succeeded in making me agree with SA.
1) I cannot be held responsible for anyone's inability to have an attention span of any significance. 2) This is not required reading and nobody said it was. 3) Congrats on being lazy but isn't the proper forum for such self owns TikTok? 4) There is an 80% chance you are not the intended audience.
 
Paraphrased: Guns are deadly tools. But it's our Right as Americans to own them. Being Trans is irrelevant. As a country, we pride ourselves on personal liberty, even if that means things can be dangerous.

Drugs get mentioned. And sugar. I can buy the notion that sugar is a drug because it is indeed addictive. It seems irrelevant to the main topic though. Safety issues aside, sugar ain't going anywhere.

I like my Rights. I like having Rights that I will probably never need. But it's nice to know they're there. And until they're repealed, people wishing to restrict them can kindly fuck off. I say this as an American that has never discharged nor owned a firearm. I do drive an assault vehicle almost daily though. Thankfully, it has never started up on it's own and mowed down anyone.

Europe is nice, so I'm told.

I can confidently tell you that the cause of the MN tragedy was not gun, was not being trans, and was not even any mental illness.
I am definitely curious on what you think was the cause.
 
The cause of this cannot be attributed to guns, being trans or mental illness. Safety comes at the expense of liberty so be very careful how you approach this trade-off. Rights only occur in the presence of responsibility.

Better?
See. You didn't need to write a book. :)
 
1) I cannot be held responsible for anyone's inability to have an attention span of any significance. 2) This is not required reading and nobody said it was. 3) Congrats on being lazy but isn't the proper forum for such self owns TikTok? 4) There is an 80% chance you are not the intended audience.

Look, I don’t like you.
And don’t take it personally, but I just can’t stand women, gays, blacks and minorities who vote against their autonomy and vote for those more than willing to subjugate their rights. Did you vote for Harris in the last election? If the answer to that question is no then you fall into the category of one of those people I just stated because it’s funny how it is one political party that lines up up against all those rights.

PS. I hope that you do take it personally that I really don’t fucking like you.
 
Quoted for posterity. :)

lol. You crack me up.
Here lemme give it a try:

SA: I wouldn’t fuck Rory with a 10 foot pole.
Me: So Rory would only fuck your nasty, syphilis ravaged cunt with a pole offering a safe distance of 10 feet?

How was that? Do I get a nanny state trophy for my efforts? GTFOH
 
lol. You crack me up.
Here lemme give it a try:

SA: I wouldn’t fuck Rory with a 10 foot pole.
Me: So Rory would only fuck your nasty, syphilis ravaged cunt with a pole offering a safe distance of 10 feet?

How was that? Do I get a nanny state trophy for my efforts? GTFOH
I'm not the one thinking about fucking Rory. Lol. :)
 
The cause of this cannot be attributed to guns, being trans or mental illness. Safety comes at the expense of liberty so be very careful how you approach this trade-off. Rights only occur in the presence of responsibility.

Better?

The cause can be attributed directly to current political ideology combined with mental illness.

The effect was that some brainwashed nutball decided to grab a gun and go shoot up a school.

Safety is based on my ability to defend myself and my family. That comes from having the liberty and the freedom to do whatever is necessary to carry out that defense. Anything that gets in the way of that isn't safety. Thinking that it is, is a political narrative.
 
TL/DR: Usual crap from the NRA handbook. Your liberty to protect yourself from the boogymen at Walmart is more important than my liberty to come home.

Ignores the fact that countries where only the criminals have guns are far, far safer than those where everyone is armed.
 
🙄

The reality is, the shooter presented as a social “outsider” / outcast with borderline personality features & attention seeking behavior (I suspect the shooter was NEVER officially determined to be transgender by a psychiatrist, nor treated with hormone blockers, etc) who also had easy access to ridiculously overpowered weapons with ridiculous ammo capacities & capabilities (and there may have been some animosity toward their mother over her deep involvement with the BAPTIST CHURCH / school, so they decided to punish their mother by attacking the object of her affection/ attention - affection and attention that the shooter may have felt was being "stolen" from them).

The shooter also presented as being influenced by / under the influence of online psychological programming from a malign group or individual (there are hallmarks of a Russian psy-op present in the Russian gibberish scrawled on the shooters “war materials”, and the verbal Russian salute in one of the recordings - the racist shit is practically gratuitous- as is the mention of Trump).

😳 😑 🤬

Bottom line:

The shooter was NOT a Democrat, and it is highly unlikely that they were legitimately transgender (See also: The Colorado nightclub shooter); more like an easily manipulated disturbed ammosexual who was angry about their life, and jealous of the BAPTIST CHURCH their mother was devoting a significant amount of time & attention to that should have been reserved for them - so they were an easy mark for online radicalization).

It is what it is…

😑

We. Told. Them. So.

🌷
 
Well I'm glad other people have summarized this nonsense even though I got more than halfway though that crap before wondering if it was copy paste cus it feels like I've read that before. Of course maybe its just that every time there is a mass shooting I get to read or listen to a very, very similar speech. It happens wo wearily often that I've pretty much got it memorized.

I wish posters like this and HisArpy would just admit we don't give a shit. We have such a problem with guns that its hard to pretend to be surprised about it this time around. Its true no gun has ever jumped off and shot someone without a human being around. I constantly hear people talking about being responsible gun owners for self defenese. Defense against what? ICE? Cus here's the thing responsible gun owners don't seem to just keep their weapon at arms reach. I've seen people running five or ten minutes late for work magically unable to get their keys in the door or in the car as they start shaking. You're telling me that when someone kicks in your door and starts shouting and waving a gun around you're going to have the proper state of mind to open two safes, load your weapon and get to him before he gets to you and your family? BULLSHIT.

If your gun isn't at arms reach its not for self defense.

There are TONS of laws infringing on your rights to bear arms so lets please start talking like adults about the subject.
 
Well I'm glad other people have summarized this nonsense even though I got more than halfway though that crap before wondering if it was copy paste cus it feels like I've read that before. Of course maybe its just that every time there is a mass shooting I get to read or listen to a very, very similar speech. It happens wo wearily often that I've pretty much got it memorized.

As is the counter offensive from those who would ban guns. The rhetoric is old, stale, and exists for the sole purpose of someone getting their hands on the grift.

I wish posters like this and HisArpy would just admit we don't give a shit.

You might not care but I do.

We have such a problem with guns that its hard to pretend to be surprised about it this time around. Its true no gun has ever jumped off and shot someone without a human being around. I constantly hear people talking about being responsible gun owners for self defenese. Defense against what? ICE?

ICE isn't the bad guy. You know who is? The Nightstalker, John Wayne Gasy, every rapist EVER, illegal TdA gang members who take over apartment buildings, Bloods/Crips/other gangs who terrorize the public, Child Predators, and more.

That you would equate the police with being the bad guy shows that you have no idea what kind of harm evil can do.

Cus here's the thing responsible gun owners don't seem to just keep their weapon at arms reach. I've seen people running five or ten minutes late for work magically unable to get their keys in the door or in the car as they start shaking. You're telling me that when someone kicks in your door and starts shouting and waving a gun around you're going to have the proper state of mind to open two safes, load your weapon and get to him before he gets to you and your family? BULLSHIT.

These people you've seen; do they have guns and practice with them? Are they proficient with self defense techniques? Or are they like most who rely on their phone to save them when evil comes calling?

What's obvious here is that you don't have any real knowledge or experience with people who are serious when it comes to self defense. Instead you take the worst of the worst liberal latte lover and project their incompetence onto every gun owner.

If your gun isn't at arms reach its not for self defense.

The law in most states prohibits carrying a gun and having it within reach for most people. So, while the gun may be for self defense, the law renders it inaccessible. And yet you blame the gun owner for not having it to hand.

There are TONS of laws infringing on your rights to bear arms so lets please start talking like adults about the subject.

Adults don't blame their tools for poor craftsmanship. They don't blame their neighbors for wanting to be safe. And of course there's that problem whereby the laws you support, and which infringe, are arguably illegal in the first place.

In sum, you blame inanimate objects and then use those things as the basis to unlawfully oppress your neighbors and rationalize it by saying they made you hurt them.


The longer version of the above debate is that the 2nd Amendment's language is clear and unambiguous where it states that it is a Right of the People. DC v. Heller made it clear that this Right belongs to the individual AND it tossed the entire narrative that it only applies to active militia (ie; the National Guard) while on duty. NYSRPA v. Bruen tells us that only those laws which were in existence at the time of the founding are the ones which can limit 2A Rights. Which gets rid of the "living document" and "today is different" arguments.

Next we take those 4 words; right of the people, and see what they mean in context of the time of the founding. When we do this we see that there's the 10th Amendment which states:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

This, to put it simply, means that those powers which aren't given to the Federal Government belong to the States and the Federal Government cannot govern or limit the powers of the States. It also says that those powers which aren't given to either the Federal Government or the States are held by the people. Accordingly, the States cannot govern or limit those individually held powers.

The logic isn't all that difficult to understand once you get the unlawful political ideology out of the picture. The 2A text says the Right to Keep and Bear Arms belongs to the people. Heller says that it's an individual Right not connected to militia service. The 10th Amendment says that this is a Right reserved to the people since the power consists of an enumerated Right of the people. And finally, to ensure that it is understood that this is a Right Of The People, there are 4 words prohibiting the government from limiting that Right; Shall Not Be Infringed.

So, every gun law out there which restricts the ability of someone to keep and bear arms for the purpose of self defense is unlawful. And that's what you want to continue to impose on your fellow citizens - MORE unlawful conduct and laws.

And then you tell us it's for our own good when the reality is that it isn't. It's for your cowardly nirvana where innocent kids at school can be killed by members of the same cowardly society you believe in.

In the end, real adults don't blame others for their fears. Real adults don't abuse others and then tell their victims that they made their abuser hurt them. Real adults understand that individuals are just that, individuals. They understand that some individuals are better plumbers or carpenters and that you don't point to one whose skills lie elsewhere as an example of incompetence in an area of skill they aren't engaged in at that moment.
 
As is the counter offensive from those who would ban guns. The rhetoric is old, stale, and exists for the sole purpose of someone getting their hands on the grift.



You might not care but I do.

There are no serious talks about banning guns. We talk about "Sensible gun control" which while I'm not certain it would do anything no serious person talks about taking guns or banning guns. That's just you being dishonest if we're straight. Nobody who isn't seriously pushing to reduce the number of guns in America, to seriously start working on mental health and yes income and wealth problems gives a single shit. You can pay lip service but that's all it is until you start voting for people who will take some action.


ICE isn't the bad guy. You know who is? The Nightstalker, John Wayne Gasy, every rapist EVER, illegal TdA gang members who take over apartment buildings, Bloods/Crips/other gangs who terrorize the public, Child Predators, and more.

That you would equate the police with being the bad guy shows that you have no idea what kind of harm evil can do.

ICE is absolutely the bad guys at this point. That doesn't make the rest of those people good but you named a handful of individuals. Then rapists which. . .man isn't there a list that would probably at least give us an idea of who we should start looking at more closely that would include rapists? Whenever I see someone take it easy on rapists its always a right winger. I don't remember the name but about ten years back a woman was raped, dropped in a dumpster and the judge basically let him walk because it would be a shame if we fucked up his swimming career. I didn't see the Right Wing coming out to support Me2

ICE are absolutely the bad guys. Cops are an issue too but we cannot lump all LEA as the same because they simply are not.

These people you've seen; do they have guns and practice with them? Are they proficient with self defense techniques? Or are they like most who rely on their phone to save them when evil comes calling?

What's obvious here is that you don't have any real knowledge or experience with people who are serious when it comes to self defense. Instead you take the worst of the worst liberal latte lover and project their incompetence onto every gun owner.

I do actually have real knowledge of people who at least claim to be serious about self defense. I find they are mostly blowhards. I've never seen them train first hand but I'm not even brushing up against the worst incompetence of gun owners. Rather their unrealistic beliefs on how they will get to the weapon in a timely fashion.


The law in most states prohibits carrying a gun and having it within reach for most people. So, while the gun may be for self defense, the law renders it inaccessible. And yet you blame the gun owner for not having it to hand.



Adults don't blame their tools for poor craftsmanship. They don't blame their neighbors for wanting to be safe. And of course there's that problem whereby the laws you support, and which infringe, are arguably illegal in the first place.

Odd how the 2nd Amendment states "shall not be infringed" but it is very much infringed. With good fucking reason mind you but the argument of shall not be infringed falls apart when you acknowledge that various laws make it difficult for most people to arm up. And if we look state by state and not Cities (pretty much all cities are blue) its pretty fucking clear that gun laws do in fact work.

Nobody blames their neighbors for wanting to be safe. We argue that the safety gained by infringing on certain rights outweighs any potentional benefit.


In sum, you blame inanimate objects and then use those things as the basis to unlawfully oppress your neighbors and rationalize it by saying they made you hurt them.


The longer version of the above debate is that the 2nd Amendment's language is clear and unambiguous where it states that it is a Right of the People. DC v. Heller made it clear that this Right belongs to the individual AND it tossed the entire narrative that it only applies to active militia (ie; the National Guard) while on duty. NYSRPA v. Bruen tells us that only those laws which were in existence at the time of the founding are the ones which can limit 2A Rights. Which gets rid of the "living document" and "today is different" arguments.

Next we take those 4 words; right of the people, and see what they mean in context of the time of the founding. When we do this we see that there's the 10th Amendment which states:

We not only already established that the rights have been infringed and will continue to be infringed. So you can kinda drop that nonsense. As written the law applies only to the federal governments. States are free to do as they please and you know better than I do there isn't really a consistent rhyme or reason as to when they do and when they don't. It is (At any random time in recent history) 9 individuals who make a decision
This, to put it simply, means that those powers which aren't given to the Federal Government belong to the States and the Federal Government cannot govern or limit the powers of the States. It also says that those powers which aren't given to either the Federal Government or the States are held by the people. Accordingly, the States cannot govern or limit those individually held powers.

The logic isn't all that difficult to understand once you get the unlawful political ideology out of the picture. The 2A text says the Right to Keep and Bear Arms belongs to the people. Heller says that it's an individual Right not connected to militia service. The 10th Amendment says that this is a Right reserved to the people since the power consists of an enumerated Right of the people. And finally, to ensure that it is understood that this is a Right Of The People, there are 4 words prohibiting the government from limiting that Right; Shall Not Be Infringed.

So, every gun law out there which restricts the ability of someone to keep and bear arms for the purpose of self defense is unlawful. And that's what you want to continue to impose on your fellow citizens - MORE unlawful conduct and laws.

And then you tell us it's for our own good when the reality is that it isn't. It's for your cowardly nirvana where innocent kids at school can be killed by members of the same cowardly society you believe in.

In the end, real adults don't blame others for their fears. Real adults don't abuse others and then tell their victims that they made their abuser hurt them. Real adults understand that individuals are just that, individuals. They understand that some individuals are better plumbers or carpenters and that you don't point to one whose skills lie elsewhere as an example of incompetence in an area of skill they aren't engaged in at that moment.

The Heller decision was simply incorrect. It stands as law until/unless it gets challenged again and I don't expect to see that day but the Founding Fathers were not fond of using more words than needed. Every word they use is intentional.

They aren't unlawful, they are Unconstitutional and I've made clear on many occasions the document is fucking outdated and I don't much care what dead men think. So you can save that tripe for people who think people are better than we are by merit of being dead and thus unable to debate the point.

No real adult would ever do that though. Call it a cowardly Nirvana if you like, we can look state by state or country by country and know that Nirvana does exist. It works. You just don't actually give a shit.
 
There are no serious talks about banning guns. We talk about "Sensible gun control" which while I'm not certain it would do anything no serious person talks about taking guns or banning guns. That's just you being dishonest if we're straight. Nobody who isn't seriously pushing to reduce the number of guns in America, to seriously start working on mental health and yes income and wealth problems gives a single shit. You can pay lip service but that's all it is until you start voting for people who will take some action.

This is an outright lie. Banning guns is the number one agenda item on the Democrat platform.

With the Democratic National Convention taking place in Chicago, Ill., this week, the party has released its 2024 platform ahead of the event. Within its pages are some concerning statements about our Second Amendment-protected right to keep and bear arms.

  • “Democrats will establish universal background checks.”
  • We will once again ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.”
  • “Democrats will end the gun industry’s immunity from liability so gunmakers can no longer escape accountability.”
  • “We will pass a national red flag law to prevent tragedies by keeping weapons out of dangerous hands.”
  • “And, because the gun violence epidemic is a public health crisis, we will fund gun violence research across the Centers for Disease Control [sic] (CDC) and National Institutes of Health (NIH).”

https://www.americas1stfreedom.org/...democrat-party-platform-say-about-gun-rights/

I could go on and paste the quotes from notable Democrat leaders who specifically say that, yes, they're coming for our guns.

So, whatever else you decided to post after the above I didn't read because you PROVED with your first paragraph that you're willing to LIE and misstate facts in order to push your false narrative.

The REAL FACT is that we have a RIGHT to keep and bear arms. NOTHING you can say or do will change that unless/until you repeal the 2nd Amendment.

Good luck with that.
 
BTW, what I'm going to say is entirely apolitical. I am not going to take a position that favors the so-called right OR left. I just want to perhaps introduce a concept that I am all but sure you will NOT hear discussed anywhere else, why? Because it favors NO agenda. Yet it is 100% true and factual. Anyone who knows me should know I like to joke around, but while I don't advertise this (because, why?) I am a practicing scientist and have been for over 30 years, and that is the basis for this post.

I'm going to begin by making a statement that on the surface may sound incredible, yet for anyone who reads this entirely AND has the ability to think (which is only about 20% of humans) will make sense. I can confidently tell you that the cause of the MN tragedy was not gun, was not being trans, and was not even any mental illness. I can hear is now, "How can you possibly know this? You have no insights into this person's thinking and motivations!" and while you are correct in that, in fact, none of those insights are necessary to my thesis. I don't need to know anything about this person in saying this - all I need to know (and I do) is the definition of "Cause".

In science, to be a "cause" something must satisfy two criteria - it must be necessary and it must be sufficient. For example, smoking tobacco does NOT cause cancer. There have been people who smoked and never got cancer, so it is not "sufficient". There have been people who have never smoked yet have gotten cancer, so smoking is not "necessary" either. So smoking fulfills neither of the two criteria for establishing cause. What we can say is that smoking tobacco is a predictor and can raise the likelihood of contracting certain cancers - no more.

Similarly, the "gun" argument is so silly to not even be worth addressing, but I will just say that at no time in history has a gun ever killed a human, as these are inert objects that require some human (or, in the very very odd case, dog) agent to use the gun. Objects cannot be a cause in this manner. Can you see that being trans cannot be the cause? Has every trans person killed someone? Not even close. Neither every gun owner and neither every person with a mental illness. None of these things - even in combination (mentally ill trans person with a gun) can be considered a cause.

In fact, as maddening and frustrating as it certainly is in these cases, here is the fact of the matter: Humans are incredibly complex. Let me restate that with more precision. The human brain, which I will posit is the cause of our perceptions, behaviors, thoughts, etc. is an incredibly complex entity, so much so that it exceeds the complexity perhaps of the entire physical universe. It may BE the entire physical universe (Bostrom, 2003). Because of the immense complexity of the human brain, the idea that we can somehow exert control over this thing we don't understand really much at all, is a fools notion. In fact, I think history has shown that attempts to do exactly this often have disastrous results. That is not to say we should not attempt to intervene and help people lead better lives, but to think we can or should "control" is silly. Here is another Hard Truth: Life is dangerous. Safety, while a very seductive concept, is not something that is possible to achieve, fully. I have often thought (as I have the ability and in fact highly enjoy "thinking") about the idea of Universal Truths - are there any such things? I think there is at least one: Every aspect of reality involves a trade-off. A purchase involves trading value (money) for value (goods/services). The very act of breathing is a tradeoff of CO2 for the mix of gases that constitute "air" (oxygen being the most important). The Laws of Thermodynamics all speak to the idea of trade-offs - matter is neither created nor destroyed, merely changed in form. In fact, sadly there is even a trade-off in the acquisition of knowledge! As we become more knowing, we lose innocence. That is perhaps the most tragic trade-off of all of them - this is not fact, this is my opinion.

So while being safe is something we all appreciate, to an extent, do not fool yourself into thinking you want a life of complete safety because you will have to trade something and that thing is the ability to exercise free will. Even then, you'll never achieve full safety. Now, it is so tempting for some to happily give away OTHERS freedom, "we need to make X illegal!" You want to be VERY careful about that. You may laugh and think "I don't care about THAT freedom and those that do can go fuck themselves". That level of non-thinking reactivity is tantamount to a form of suicide. The liberties YOU see as not having value others will disagree and anyone who can think (again, I know I'm speaking to only 20% of the population) will realize that it is probably the case that freedoms THEY hold very dear, others may see as garbage.

Many people talk about "drugs" being bad. Of course, they are non-thinkers so not even able to have a conversation with, but here's another fact that may be surprising to some: One of the most addictive drugs known to man is sugar. Yep. Sugar meets all the definitional requirements of a drug and is a highly addictive substance. So what if Those On High were to, ohhhhh, ban sugar? Not just processed sugar, ALL sugar. No alcohol, no carbs...nothing. Eggs and steak and water. I'm not an expert in nutritional science but I'll bet one who is could make a very good case for how many deaths could attributed to sugar, how so many lives could be extended and saved, yadda yadda. I'm saying the case for "safety" could be made. I'm not making it!

I think many probably are aware of the quote on safety and liberty that is attributed to Ben Franklin and if not I can paraphrase it enough to capture the meaning and it says "Those who wish to sacrifice liberty in the pursuit of safety deserve neither safety nor liberty." This is true on so many levels - safety is Utopia. Do you know the definition of "Utopia"? It's not a "perfect society" even though that is what you may read, because sadly the true definitions are being replaced with "popular usage" definitions. Utopia is actually an "impossible state or place" and the idea of having a Utopian society is predicated on not taming human nature but really the abolition of evil itself. Can we rid the world of evil? No. Nature is evil...to eat an animal must kill. This kind of goes back to the idea of trade-offs.

I hope you can see I made good on my promise. I have not elevated nor demoted any political ideology or any ideology whatsoever. Well, let me take that back a bit - I absolutely demote any ideology that is not logically coherent so yes, the "blame the object" thinking (or non-thinking, as it were) I have zero tolerance for. I do not suffer fools and for that I will never apologize or bend the knee. The fact of the matter is that if you want a failsafe solution, I don't know what to tell you but I can tell you that the USA is a country that highly values liberty more than safety. That is a fact and is very evident in the founding documents. Not all countries share this and if someone is a resident in the USA and thinks safety is far more important than liberty I can kindly suggest that emigration is legal and moral and even a viable option they may wish to pursue. I would also suggest that control is a seductress that few can deny and MANY will come in the wake of these things promising safety but...trading fore that, liberty and while that may appeal to some on an emotional level, anyone who can both think and has any understanding of history and authoritarian governments will tell you that is a very dangerous and regrettable trade.

One last thought and it's not mine but I heard this (long ago) and it rings very true: Your rights...are MY responsibility. That means as well MY rights...are YOUR responsibility. Trade-offs. Everyone loves to talk about their rights, but absent personal responsibility? Nobody - not one person - will have any rights at all. So if you enjoy having rights? Show that by acting responsibly. Now can I get back to pretending to be a stupid slutty bimbo? This "thinking" stuff...it's fucking difficult, sometimes! I mean I like it but...portion sizes!
I get your point, humans are complex, and no single factor like a gun, identity, or mental illness is strictly the “cause” of a tragedy. True enough.

But that doesn’t mean these factors are irrelevant. Mental illness can increase risk, and access to firearms can amplify that risk dramatically. It’s not that the gun or the condition acts alone, but together they can make dangerous outcomes far more likely. Ignoring that is like refusing to wear a seatbelt because driving itself isn’t the only cause of accidents.

Complexity doesn’t mean inaction. Thoughtful interventions, treating mental illness, regulating access to lethal tools, can reduce predictable harm without sacrificing liberty. Recognizing nuance isn’t weakness; it’s how responsibility meets freedom in the real world.
 
Back
Top