Apr 24, 2023 3 min read

Let’s have serious thought not just talking points

There is no diplomatic way to critique some of the recent letters to the editor.

John Quayle and Rick Simmons both make arguments that may have “common sense” appeal but fall flat under scrutiny.

Quayle opined on transgender people and referred to them as disturbed. I’m more concerned with the obvious lack of knowledge that might lead to such opinions. Quayle stated, ” ‘Nonbinary’ is just a made-up term….”. This is incorrect. Science shows that there is far more variability in gender than Quayle suggests. There are genetic conditions that are not binary, such as Turner’s Syndrome and Klinefelter Syndrome. Furthermore, there are neonatal conditions, usually hormonal, that are not as strictly genetically determined, which lead to what is called ambiguous genitalia. This usually results in infant gender assignment based on a variety of factors.

I’m not saying these conditions are reasons for individuals being transgender. Rather, things are not as simple as Quayle asserts.

Another oversimplification is Quayle’s observation that a gun is just a tool and is no more responsible for shootings than a fork is responsible for overeating. A variation of this argument is that a gun is just one way to harm others, and someone intent on doing harm can just choose another weapon.

Thankfully, most people have internal barriers that inhibit aggression against others. However, guns appear to break down such barriers. Research shows that the mere presence of a gun in situations increases the likelihood of aggression even if the gun is not available to the aggressor. Other research has shown that it is easier for humans to to be aggressive when there is physical distance between them. It’s easier to kill untold numbers of people by dropping a bomb from 20,000 feet than to kill a single person with a knife. Guns can kill from a distance and this fact helps break down one of the barriers that most people have against harming others.

Finally, both Quayle and Simmons state that the issue with mass shootings is mental health and not guns. It has the appearance of a statement of causality, but is ultimately a circular argument: You must be mentally ill to shoot a person; you shot a person, therefore you are mentally ill.

The reality is that most shooters don’t have a formal diagnosis prior to the shooting. One could counter by saying that shooters weren’t diagnosed yet because of inadequacies in our mental health system. Given that the U.S. has far more shootings than other countries, the circular argument posits that the U.S. has a problem with mental illness far beyond other countries. This isn’t the case.

These issues are serious and deserve serious thought and deliberation rather than meaningless talking points.

John Moretti

Claysville