If it’s not too early for some perspective regarding the horrible shootings in Newtown, John Fund has a very important column on the facts about mass killings. The three main points are these:
- Despite the impression one gets from the wall-to-wall media coverage, mass killings in the U.S. are not on the rise. In fact, the high point was 1929.
- The majority of mass shooters are mentally ill (as was the case in Newtown).
- Nearly all mass shootings take place in gun-free zones. There has been only one exception since 1950.
If we are to contemplate legislative action in the wake of this atrocity, we need to keep these facts firmly in mind.
UPDATE: More on the non-rise in mass shootings.
UPDATE (July 2015): Updated the link.
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