Sunday, June 13, 2021

Four Mass Shootings Over Weekend-Early Detection Necessary

Mass shootings are horrific and perplexes leaders on how to address such issues. There are likely many environmental and political factors that contribute in some way to such situations but they will be hard to nail down precisely what is causing what.  That doesn't mean we don't have some ideas on potential solutions but that we should continue to explore methods of resolving mental health service deficiencies and putting in place better strategies to allow for early detection and intervention.

A few of those considerations might be... 1.) We don't have a grasp of mental health help in this country, 2.) Research on deterring potentially violent individuals in the non-prison population is lacking, 3.) Finding a balance between gun rights and safety needs (..and yes I hunt sometimes.), 4.) how the online chatter is radicalizing some people (I actually saw someone radicalize their social group through social media to cleanse their community. It only takes one or two individuals to rally their base.) , and 5.) how economic shifts and concentration of wealth may influence people's perception of fairness. 

With 39 people injured and 6 dead we are being forced to address this issue. Understanding why and how it is becoming a problem is helpful. It takes researchers time, money, and resources to find solutions. They also need officers, investigators to provide accurate data. Much of that will depend on the skill of the forensic team, their ability to discover/understand wider factors, and in turn sharing information with researchers and policy makers to create better policies (We should have stronger connection between researchers and law makers who are striving to improve their evidence based management skills. I listened to a couple of overly boastful politicians and I'm not sure they know what evidence based management is. One could read  Evidence-Based Management 🤔🤷.)

I was sort of thinking of a way to help thwart extremism and violence before it gets out of hand. Early intervention is easier if people have access to trained mental health counselors that can provide an evaluation and alternative solutions . To me, one of the ways to deter such individuals is to help them early in the process and in turn give them better methods of dealing with problems (reducing their frustration)if they occur again (Side note: Constant negative political rhetoric and conflict can lead to devaluing people and inadvertently prompt others on how to think/act toward others they disagree with. I believe its important for politicians in Michigan to find a mutually agreed upon way of dealing with extremism, violence and hate. 

Certain aspects of our society glorify violence in a way that sometimes leads to related behaviors as a preferred solution over other conflict resolution strategies (i.e. perpetrators often use violence to control their environment in a negative way because its the easiest tool available.). My idea is about flagging/coding the early signs and precursors to such behaviors early may help us understand the situation better and in turn provide live testing of solutions. 

If we can help people find better methods of dealing with internal angst and in turn making positive life choices we may not have such a problem. It may be possible to deter "hot heads" from becoming violent and/or costing significant tax resources (i.e. unnecessary incarceration) when the problem could have been solved earlier in their derailment. Michigan Hate Crimes Coding and Solutions.

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