Why the Aurora shooting won't likely change the gun control debate

Why the Aurora shooting won't likely change the gun control debate

There's no smart-alecky shit here. This is a real news analysis about something which should arouse your curiosity.

Here's what most people don't understand: after the initial shock wears off from the mass shootings in recent years, Americans increasingly favor LESS gun control, not more. Twenty years ago, 78% of Americans favored stricter gun control laws. After Columbine, Virginia Tech, and even worse incidents overseas (like the horrible tragedy in my beloved and once-tranquil Norway), Americans have steadily been changing their minds on this issue. The linked graph is self-explanatory. The percentage of people who favor stricter gun control laws has declined consistently, with only some minor temporary reversals. That percentage did go up slightly after Columbine in the 1999-2000 era, but soon resumed its downward path, and the trend was unaffected by Virginia Tech in the 2007-2008 period. The majority now stands in opposition to stricter gun control.

Why has this happened, although every tragic incident seems to produce some passionate public cries for stricter controls? Dude, don't ask me. I tell jokes and find pictures of naked celebrities, and I have never held a real firearm, let alone discharged one, so I'm not the guy to ask. I don't even have any opinion about whether the trend is good or bad, because I'm a shallow, superficial fuck who would rather not think about it, preferring instead to watch comedy films or to bury my head in a language textbook or an essay about 19th century baseball.

But it has happened, for good or ill, and the fact that it has happened is something to think about, assuming you're a lot deeper than I am.