Positive Sociology

I grew up in California, and didn't have any firsthand experience with guns until I was 30.  I didn't grow up in a military family and wasn't "packing heat" as a kid.  In fact, before moving to Philadelphia, most of my gun knowledge came from gangsta rap music and/or Xbox 360 games like Call of Duty. COD introduces the mass public to guns In this respect, my time in Philadelphia was quite eye-opening.  I first became interested in guns while talking with gunshot victims at the University of Pennsylvania hospital.  Many of the victims I met had guns and/or were looking for ways to get guns.  Although some were able to get guns via legal channels (i.e. at a store), others had criminal marks that prevented them from buying guns the legal way.  Through their experiences, I learned about the sometimes not-so-subtle ways in which racial profiling unfolds at gun shops; I also learned about the underground economy for guns; and I also gained insights into the ...

My Facebook feed has been filled with postings about the tragic shooting at Episcopal High School in Jacksonville, FL.  Even though I didn't know many people or families from Episcopal, the news of this shooting cuts especially close to home.  I went to high school at the Bolles School, which is located across the street from Episcopal HS.  Even though I'm sitting at my desk in another country (Toronto, ON), a big part of me will always consider Jacksonville a "second home."  Tonight, my thoughts and prayers go out to families suffering in the wake of this tragedy. CNN reports that Shane Schumerth, a 28-year old former employee at Episcopal HS, shot and killed Dale Regan, the school's headmistress.  Reports suggest that Schumerth was fired today.  After learning of his termination, reports say that he returned to his car, grabbed a rifle, and then killed Regan, before killing himself. Reports are really thin at this point, but the reporting makes me th...