So why do these shootings happen so often in the United States?

[Link]

Last time I checked there are no shootings in place that have no guns.  I learned this even before I got an advanced degree.

[Link]

The rotten culture of course.

In the Netherlands you can legally pay a woman to have sex with you and legally do illicit drugs while partaking of her services... they don't seem to have the mind boggling number of shootings we have.  Is drug dealing and prostitution your idea of a culture we should all aspire to?

Japan has a neglible number of shootings compared to us.  Here is a picture of a Japanese vending machine that sells the used panties of school girls.

I do think that most gun control should be done locally...

Good idea.  It's working out well in Chicago.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Almost 10% of the guns found in Chicago came from Mississippi!  Good luck with making a dent with just local laws.

[Link]

Are you claiming that the only things wrong in a culture can be drugs and prostitution? While I don't like either, I think I made pretty clear that I am sympathetic to Progressive Realist's view that America's self-indulgent and isolated citizenry is a potent contribution to gun violence.

I think regularly abusing drugs and visiting prostitutes constitutes self indulgence.  Yet the Netherlands doesn't seem to have the same shooting issues as we do.  Ever wonder why?

Are you seriously claiming that Japan's culture is decadent?

They have school girl used panty vending machines.

[Link]

Well, I guess I'm not one to throw an entire culture away because of a silly vending machine.

No one is "throwing an entire culture away."  Your hyperbole enforces the assessment your argument is invalid.

The vending machine is a canary in the coal mine.  Can you think of what it would take to install such a machine in any American community?  Do you think by normal community standards it would be considered totally okay or decadent?

Continue on with your Kulturkampf.

You need to look up the definition of that word.  I don't think you know what it means.  Merely making a factual statement about the existence of something in a particular country does not constitute a "struggle."  Whatever Japan is doing in this regard seems to be working for them.  Frankly the whole point of mentioning Japan was to say maybe we should honestly examine what seems to be working in countries that are doing far better than us with this gun garbage.  How that is a "struggle" is something you will have to explain.

[Link]

Link makes a good point that visiting prostitutes and taking drugs would do a lot to curb gun violence.

That may have been your point but it certainly wasn't mine.  My point was I am sick of hearing about how all these other things are problems when other countries have them and they don't have a bunch of mass shootings.  Instead of looking at "decadence" first why don't we look at guns and them move outwards from there.