I was on campus when the first mass murder school shooting happened

Federalist:

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So What Changed in the Last 60 Years?

Contrary to the usual gun control talking points, the basic killing potential of firearms hasn’t changed over the years. For example, in 1966, Charles Whitman, the so-called “Texas Tower Sniper,” used a low-capacity bolt-action rifle to kill 14 people and wound 31 others before he was killed by the police. This was the first widely publicized mass civilian casualty event, and it sent shockwaves throughout the country.

Despite the tremendous publicity, Whitman’s insane act spawned no copycats. It wasn’t until 1999 that the Columbine High School shooting started the series of regular albeit infrequent school killings. But why now are children slaughtering other children in our schools?

Could it be the widespread breakdown of the family? A number of the school shooters came from broken homes with no stability or meaningful parenting. Are such children particularly susceptible to being desensitized to death and carnage by the violence-pandering entertainment industry?

The amount and graphic nature of violence in homicidal-themed video games, movies, television, and music lyrics have increased to previously unimaginable levels. While this has resulted in huge profits for the entertainment industry, what is the effect of this new pornography of violence on our children, especially on those without countervailing parental guidance?

What about the number of children being medicated with psychotropic drugs? These medications come with warnings about possible side effects such as suicidal ideation, abnormal urges, and depression. Could these very profitable drugs be part of the problem?

What about the publicity given to the shooters? Nonstop coverage of school shootings and their horrendous aftermaths may be good for ratings and circulation, but should the news media be in the business of making a profit by inspiring and motivating potential copycat killers?

The Real Special Interests Lawmakers Need to Confront

The gun control advocates say enough is enough and that something must be done. I agree. But, given its history of failure, it is apparent that the answer lies not in passing yet another useless restriction on firearms. It is time to face up to the fact that the problem is deep-seated, complex, and requires a societal examination of conscience.

Thanks to the multi-million-dollar entertainment industry, we are marinating our children’s brains in a toxic brew of graphic death and violence. Thanks to the pharmaceutical industry, too many of those children are being inappropriately dosed with drugs that impair their ability to rationally respond to life’s challenges. Both industries control vast fortunes with which they can purchase influence in Congress and state legislatures. They command battalions of lobbyists and experts who stand ready to defend their interests and to point the finger of blame elsewhere.
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I got out of class 30 minutes early and walked across the main mall at the Univesity of Texas on the way back to my apartment.  By the time I got there, I could hear the gunfire and the slaughter was underway.   At the time, I was only weeks away from going to Marine Corps OCS.  Whitman had also killed his mother and his wife before his shooting spree. 

I had been on the observation deck of the UT tower before and it gave clear lines of sight all around the area and the walls were thick Illinois limestone.  An Austin policeman eventually made his way up to the tower from inside and shot Whitman.  The sheriff's deputy on the scene at the shooting in Florida was apparently not up to the task of confronting the killer.

I do think that we need to take a look at video games and movies that desensitize people to killing.  We did not respond to Whitman's mass murder by outlawing bolt action rifles.