mwdegutis Loc: Illinois

Jonathan Pincus ~ March 5, 2018
A Wisconsin sheriff sounded off on what he believes to be the “root cause” of mass shootings in the U.S., and called on parents to discipline their children more effectively.

Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt penned a Facebook post arguing that a major cause of mass shootings may be a radical culture shift that has occurred in the U.S. over the years — a culture shift caused by weak parenting.

“Following every mass k*****g, I ask myself, what has happened to our society?” Schmidt wrote. “I also wonder what the solution is to ensure our families do not become future victims.”

The Wisconsin sheriff pointed out how “years ago, people would go to school and have hunting rifles in their vehicles,” but “mass violence in schools and other locations did not happen as in society today.”

He added that there is a “root cause” fueling the drastic shift that has occurred over the years, and that “there is no quick and easy solution” to stop it.

“It’s my belief that the root cause starts with our youth lacking basic sk**ls including respect for authority figures like parents and teachers, the ability to cope with conflict and the ability to handle rejection,” Schmidt stated.

Schmidt added that substance abuse and mental health problems are also a driving factor but noted that “it is imperative that we raise our children in a manner that instills respect for authority.”

According to Schmidt, every child needs to face “disappointment” at some point in his or her life in order to build character and develop a basic understanding of how to handle adversity.
Do you agree with Sheriff Schmidt that the "root cause" of mass shootings is a lack of respect for authority in children?

“While no one wants their child to ever be disappointed or upset, when they are young, they need to face conflict and disappointment and learn to resolve it appropriately under the guidance of adults,” the sheriff wrote.

He continued: “When youth are not taught how to handle difficult situations, they must find their own way to cope, which without guidance may be result in unhealthy or even dangerous future behavior.”

Schmidt explained that his motive behind penning the piece was not place blame. Rather, he said he hopes to start a conversation that could lead to an effective solution.

However, with gun control being the end-all solution touted by the left, he chimed in with his thoughts on the matter.

“Many have strong opinions about gun control but realistically gun control will do nothing more than place a very small band aid on a much bigger problem,” he stated in his conclusion.

And Schmidt may have a point. A Crime Prevention Research Center study that used data from 1950 through July 10, 2016 showed that 98.4 percent of mass shootings have occurred in areas where guns are banned.

The sheriff’s post received a lot of positive feedback on social media, according to The Washington Times.

One Facebook user wrote: “Very well said…….and maybe putting God and religion back in our life could help the situation.”

Another user thanked Schmidt for refraining from placing the blame on firearms.

“Thank you for recognizing the true problem and not just focusing on a gun control agenda like some of your colleagues around the country,” the user wrote. “Like you said, it is a very complex issue.”

Dr. Evil Loc: In Your Face

Nothing like a wop upside the head now and again to completely uncomplicate a situation, snowflakes need not respond, you wouldn't get it anyway.

Blade_Runner Loc: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

son of witless

None of these shooters have strong Fathers.

Betta

I agree wholeheartedly. I have been saying this. The problem is not guns. Never was. The problem is the effed up teens addicted to the internet, cell phones and social media. They are disrespectful, arrogant, mouthy, insolent...I could go on. I'd personally like to crack each one of them across the teeth then beat the ever living cowboy hell out of them. It is what they deserve and need.

Many of us here on OPP grew up back in the day where our bulls**t was not tolerated AT ALL! We need to get back to that and get control of our children. Throw to the curb crackpot child psychologists who shat out nary a child telling people how to raise kids. Listening to their BS advice look what we have now. These kids are freaking animals. No respect whatsoever for their elders, life or property. They are told if your parents frown at you call the police. Really?

Read an article a few years ago where a snot 14 year old cussed at her mother. Her mother smacked her. The girl called the police and the mother went to jail. I would have never let her make it to the phone. Her mother should have knocked all her freaking teeth out. These kids know no consequences for their actions. They walk around like they are grown and pay NO bills! Everything is provided for them yet their life is sooooooo hard. TOO DAMN BAD!

Had my generation EVER talked to our elders like these kids do today our asses would have got whipped. We never thought to do it because we knew what the end result would be, CORRECTION. You didn't walk away huffing, blowing, sucking your teeth, saying something smart ass to your parents, the neighbor next door, the teacher, whoever! Once you got your ass whipped for one thing you never did that again. We were taught if you mess up you WILL get worked out with a sting to your behind. Kids today BEG for it.

I had tons of cousins and neighborhood kids to play with. NONE of us were on Ritalin and other psychotropic drugs to control us. Our parents had the POWER OF THE BELT! They also had control. Worked like vitamins. I saw a 5 year old call his mother a f***er when she took a stick from him. She did nothing. Wonder what he calls her now. He would have got the ass whippin' of his life had he grew up back in the day. But, then back then he would never have said it.

PoppaGringo Loc: Muslim City, Mexifornia, B.R.

So true, Betta, so true.

debeda

All true. Especially the part about kids being told in school to call the police. But that also requires strong parenting. I remember when my second youngest (now 34) was about 12 or 13 was getting her butt hauled downstairs to clean up her cat's poop she was screaming to my youngest (now 33) "call the police". My response was " yes, call the police, maybe they'll take you away." Needless to say, she cleaned up the poop. Unfortunately everyone is so afraid of "the authorities " (with good reason mostly) that their instincts go out the window.

PeterS

[quote=mwdegutis]


Well narcotics are illegal everywhere so I guess we are suppose to outlaw booze too? As for your respect for authority--you cons spit on government continually plus teachers and education too. That's a huge chunk of authority that our children have to subjugate to. You cons spit on them every chance you get so why do you expect your children to be any different than you?



The Las Vegas shooter was 63, the Texas Church shooter was ex military, the Florida shooter was 19 and an orphan. Then we have the San Bernardino shooters and the Pulse shooter who were Muslim. Remember from those two you wanted to ban all Muslims. Does your 'lack of respect' hypothesis apply to that one too? Then there was the Colorado shooter that opened up on a Planned Parenthood Clinic. I guess that's better than bombing one--lack of respect too? And remember the University of Texas shooter who shot from the University Tower? He was ex military and a trained sniper--a damn good shot too!

Now if you ask me, the number one reason people turn into mass shooters is mental illness and the ease at obtaining semi automatic weapons. I mean, other nations raise children in the same conditions as we--Europe and Canada in much more liberal conditions than ours--and mental illness is the same so either they are much more effective in treating mental illness than we are or the ease in obtaining semi automatic weapons by the mentally ill leads to the bulk of our mass shootings...

Texas Truth Loc: Behind Enemy Lines

Good response but the suggestion unfortunately has been left out of society like other things. Too many single parents. Too many young people having kids and then not wanting to be responsible for the children. I believe another problem is children watching their parents do drugs on a regular basis in front of them so it is ingrained in the children from an early age so dysfunction becomes the norm. Yes a child out of hand could use a good slap in the head but in a lot of cases it's the parents that need a good slap in the head. And a lot of these people want to blame everything and everybody around them. Talk about being irresponsible. I have mentioned to people over the years that everybody should go to some form of basic training after leaving High School, or maybe does basic training need to happen during school so everybody comes out with the same productive mindset. We had one person get separated in basic training. He got sent home on day 2

son of witless

The Las Vegas shooter was an anomaly. Most of the school shooters fit a pattern of young males with no strong father in their lives.

Dr. Evil Loc: In Your Face

Day 2? Must have been a real doozie!

debeda

Well it used to be that navigating school and getting the grades to pass was a sort of "basic training". Or at least your performance and grades meant something. Now it's more about participation trophies and being passed so you can be age appropriate or some nonsense. Part of life is learning how to succeed and how to fail. And when you DO fail to dust yourself off and redouble your efforts. And that success or failure is all on you. Seems personal responsibility is dying off. Kids can't learn it if their parents don't have it, and their parents maybe are young enough that they didn't learn it either. So sadly we're at least 2 generations out from most people having a good sense of personal responsibility and counting
Not all people, of course, but the percentage seems to be growing.

77Reaganite Loc: Athens, GA, United States

Many people have forgotten that it was Bill Clinton signed a law prohibiting parents from spanking their children in public maybe we might want to revisit this law and abolish it. I'm not condoning spanking it's every parents choice but with these kids today who think they can get over on whoever they want and say wh**ever they want to adults without fear of reprisals needs to stop. They should bring back paddling in schools hell I got paddled at school and then came home where my Father spanked my ass as well believe me I didn't get in trouble at school the rest of the year I got spanked a lot for not doing what my parents told me they didn't play if you didn't do what you were told you were punished and I'm glad they disciplined me it taught me respect for my parents but for people in general these kids today have been brainwashed into believing that their parents are their friends not their parents that's because the schools believe your children are wards of the state and they don't belong to the mother and father. The government has gotten to big for it's britches and someone needs to knock them down a peg. I feel sorry for the mother's who have to raise boys into men because they can't show their sons how to be responsible men. Even though my parents were divorced my Father was always an integral part of my life he taught us how to treat a woman and how to respect humankind. Sure I acted up but paid severely in the ass for it my dad was common sense take no crap parent he was firm and strict but he had to be he didn't do it because he h**ed me he did it so I would learn from my mistakes so they didn't get me into worse trouble as I got older like going to jail or prison. My advice to parents discipline your children they'll thank you for it when they get older.

bahmer

Same thing with the NFL black players who blame the cops for their screw ups. If you obey the police chances are you come out OK. Run when they shout stop and you may not like the results.

PeterS

And if you look at mass shooters there is a greater common denominator with mental illness--and this would include most school shooters including this last one. Are you saying that a single parent caused mental illness or are you trying to ignore mental illness and just focus on that which you deem more liberal?

That wonderful sheriff of yours ignores what is the principle cause to focus on the outliers. That's all wonderful but as I pointed out there are countries that are far more liberal than we are and don't have near the problem with have with mass shootings--and this would even include terrorism. That right there should tell anyone who is objective that their finger pointing at liberals is going to be off base. Take the guns out of all those mentally ill hands and mass shooting is no longer a problem. But so long as there is a way they can get assault style rifles the problem is going to exist and no amount of liberal h**e will change that--though h**e you certainly may...