Comment on We have had guns for 200 years but mass shootings only became common in the last 30. So what changed?

kleenbhole@lemy.lol ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

• Rediphile@lemmy.ca ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  The AR-15 was designed in 1956…

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  • kleenbhole@lemy.lol ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Not sure the point you’re making…

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    • EncryptKeeper@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      The point he’s making is that the title asks what changed to make mass shootings more commons “in the last 30 years” and you answered it by blaming the difference between guns today and guns 250 years ago, so he pointed out that there was at least a 30 year period where the guns of today were available and yet the mass shooting problem of today didn’t exist (1960-1990).

      That would mean that the cause of mass shootings today isn’t necessarily because we evolved beyond the musket.

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      • Hedup@lemm.ee ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        Were those assault weapons as easily aquirable then as it is now?

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      • kleenbhole@lemy.lol ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        Ah. My point was not to say that mass shootings are strictly because of advancements in firearm technology. Anyone who thinks it’s not multifactorial is a moron. But anyone who thinks the underlying technology isn’t fundamentally required for the phenomenon to occur is also a moron.

        I was only responding to the fact that OP said 200 years, and just from a practical perspective 200 years ago you just couldn’t do a mass shooting. If you ask me why we didn’t have mass shootings in the 50s through 70s that’s a different question that actually gets to the point of the matter. 200 years is such a long timeframe as to be silly. Might as well ask why people didn’t send bulk emails in the 20s.

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• c0mbatbag3l@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Semiautomatic weapons have existed since the early 1900’s and the AR-15/M-16 platform has been around for 80 years.

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  • kleenbhole@lemy.lol ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Sure but OP said 200 years ago.

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    • c0mbatbag3l@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Probably because they’re new and don’t realize how pedantic people can be.

      The point is that weapons capable of doing this have been available for much longer than the curve of mass shootings, so another factor is likely at play. The SKS, AR-15, and AK-47/Mak-90 have been on the market and owned by citizens of the US for decades prior.

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