Are Mass Shootings an American epidemic? A Talk with Prof. Christopher J. Ferguson

On May 14, a Buffalo gunman shot and killed 10 people at a mall.

Have these incidents increased in recent years? Are such acts perpetrated primarily by right-wing extremists? Are Americans more violent than Europeans? What influence do gun laws have?

I put these and other questions to Prof. Dr. Christopher J. Ferguson from Stetson University in Orlando/Florida.

Prof. Ferguson is a forensic psychologist and successful non-fiction and fiction author. He has also done numerous studies on the connection between computer games and violence

Among others, he also published the great book "How Madness shaped History" in 2020. In it, Ferguson analyzes the mental health of famous government leaders, army commanders and presidents in history.

Show Notes

In the 71st episode of the podcast "the stoic pirate" I discuss the following topics with Prof. Dr. Christopher J. Ferguson:
- Have mass shootings increased in recent years?
- Do the majority of shooters have a political affiliation?
- Are mass shootings an American phenomenon?
- What influence do gun laws have?
- How could such mass shootings be prevented?
- The somewhat special political system of the USA;
- The problem of primaries;
- The mental health of heads of state.

The transcript of this talk as well as the German translation can be found on my webpage www.muellermathias.ch.

More information about Christopher J. Ferguson you find on his website: https://www.christopherjferguson.com

What is Der stoische Pirat?

Der stoische Pirat ist auf der Suche nach dem Schatz des guten Lebens. Er trifft auf seiner Reise auf philosophische, psychologische und politische Fragen. Die Absicht der stoischen Piraten ist es zum kritischen Nachdenken anzuregen und zu mehr Menschlichkeit, Grossmütigkeit und Zivilcourage zu motivieren. Die Piraten gaben sich nicht mit den herrschenden gesellschaftlichen Normen zufrieden, sie stellten in Frage und versuchten neue Wege zu gehen. Der Podcast richtet sich an offene Menschen, an Querdenker, an solche, denen die heutige Streit- und Diskussionskultur zu einfältig, rechthaberisch und politisch korrekt geworden ist.