Quote Originally Posted by HughC View Post
If I read the US stats correctly the majority of gun related deaths are suicides and hand guns the favoured weapon in all instances. Mass shootings are percentage wise very small, again hand guns feature prominently. There are also stats that break down down race , gender, socio economic background etc. On a cursory take mental illness , people with a violent past and substance abuse seem to feature highly ( hardly surprising...). All of which are issues that can (possibly) be addressed with earlier intervention to reduce the risks. It would appear reducing gun access to certain people and addressing the underlying problems would reap benefits.
I would like to see a study involving the effects of the "treatment" of ADHD and young men shooting up schools (and a movie theater).

I grew up in rural Missouri. We went to school with rifles and/or shotguns prominently displayed in the gun racks of our pick-up trucks, as we were off hunting before and/or after the school day. We didn't have any mass shootings for some reason.

ADHD's popularity as a (mis)diagnosis rose to prominence in the U.S. in the late-80's. Strangely, this malady seems to affect young men in the U.S. much more than anywhere else in the world. We have experimented with Ritalin, Adderol and a whole host of pharmaceuticals on 2 generations of children.

My son was "diagnosed" with ADHD when he was 6. The "diagnosis" was made by his 1st grade teacher. She was 25, had no children of her own, and clearly didn't understand what happens to 6 year old boys when you only give them one 15 minute recess after lunch. I told her as much, and my son (now 20) remains fine and ADHD-free.