Problem Statement

Our children are the victims of school shootings by mentally ill (long term and recently radicalized) people who use various weapons often with large scale magazines. Assault type rifles, with high-capacity magazines are the weapon of choice, but not the most frequently used weapon. Adults on both sides of the debate have failed to agree on how to keep our children safe. They are embroiled in the broader argument of gun control vs gun rights. One of the results, of the non-partisan disagreement, is that the total societal cost of general gun violence and school shooting violence, in particular, is borne by victims and general taxpayers versus by gun owners, retailers and manufacturers. On a national level, there are an estimated 500 million firearms in the USA. Given this large quantity, it is hard to imagine that the Second Amendment is not being adequately defended. Firearms are improperly stored and wind up in the hands of Mentally Ill Violent People (MIVP) and children.
Instructions: Please complete this survey, not from any previous opinions you may have had about the larger picture of being pro or anti guns. Please complete the survey as though you are talking to Dr. Tim Kummer, a hospital emergency room physician. Dr. Kummer was the first physician on scene at the Annunciation School shooting. His testimony is referenced in the Resource Section of the website.

Minnesotans of any age can submit a survey. The only requirement is that you have a personal email as requested at the start of the survey. Please read the existing research and recommendations listed on the home page, as well as the entire survey before voting. Several survey questions include information that could impact your choices to other questions. Non-Minnesotans, please utilize all of the information on the webpages and view, but do not actually complete the survey questions, given current financial limitations. The survey numbers purchased should suffice for Minnesota and many of the laws are state specific. Hence, without additional money and effort to modify the questions for another state, you are asked to view but not actually take the survey.

Question Title

* 1. First Name

Question Title

* 2. Last Name

Question Title

* 3. Email Address:

Question Title

* 4. Zip Code

5. Background: Regarding the effort to equalize protections for our children and the Second Amendment, organizations promoting firearm rights have a significant advantage in terms of time. For instance, the NRA is 155 years old. Firearm sales, from years past, have resulted in approximately 500 million firearms that are currently existing in the USA. In comparison, grass roots efforts to Stop School Shootings are approximately 25 years old. Efforts to catch-up and equalize the importance of the Second Amendment, and our children's lives, can have more arguments than agreements. Many solutions can be community and family based with less legislation than frequently assumed. Eliminating assault weapons is only one of several solutions. Our arguing can stop real solutions from being implemented.

Question Title

* 5. VOTE: Before we can eliminate the school shooting problem, we need to stop look and listen. Let's eliminate the misinformation and lack of informed, honest communications around shooting problems and their causes. No one, except a school shooter, wants to see children killed. The issue is more complex than eliminating assault weapons.

6. Background: When the NRA was formed, infectious diseases were the leading cause of death amongst children globally and in the USA. Today, firearms are the leading cause of death for USA children. In addition, USA citizens own 46% of global firearms. Using recent firearm sales figures, the USA could possess 1 billion firearms in the next 30 years.

Question Title

* 6. Vote: Sportspeople and general citizens should tolerate new responsible firearm rules and procedures that honor the Second Amendment because their inconveniences are minor compared to their ability to save school age children.

7. Background: Most school shooters commit suicide or are shot by police at the end of their violent act. School shooters are mentally ill violent people “MIVP”. Using national guidelines, they number between 15,000 and 45,000 Minnesotans (1/4 to ¾ of 1% of total population). This targeted population can have hallucinogenic hospitalizations, PTSD, prior convictions, serious depression, internet or interpersonal raging. They may take psychotropic medications. MIVP people may have had their violent conditions either long term or were recently radicalized.

Question Title

* 7. Vote: MIVPs are not your average Minnesota hunter or gun enthusiast, and they are not like a criminal who robs a gas station. MIVP people need unique, but legal, methods to identify them and stop them from shooting school age children.

8. Background: Pre-Attack efforts with troubled youth have the least cost and highest probability of stopping school shootings.

Question Title

* 8. Vote: Scholarship awards should be developed for schools that develop best of class and improved programs to identify and assist troubled youth.

9. Background: Minnesota School Resource Officer proposals (Police on School Grounds) have mixed support. Studies can show that they reduce some forms of violence, weapon incidents, build trust and help de-escalate some situations. Other studies suggest that their presence is linked to increased student arrests, expulsions, suspensions particularly for students of color, and are too expensive.

Question Title

* 9. Vote: In the right situation, School Resource Officers can save lives and build trust amongst students and police. In the wrong situation, it can be financially prohibitive, impossible to do because every physical shooting location cannot be guarded by one officer, and it can create more problems for students of color. Implement wisely.

10. Background Red Flag laws are capable of being amongst the best and most cost-efficient methods of reducing school shootings and other gun violence. In 4 out of 5 school shootings, at least one other person had knowledge of a shooter’s plan but failed to report it.

Question Title

* 10. Vote: Enhance Minnesota’s existing foundational Red Flag Laws. If a potential shooter has a certain number of perhaps 2 or more tip line complaint reports, or raging internet writings, empower police to confiscate weapons without an initial judge review. Let the person who had the gun removed, petition the judge to get the weapons back. Too often our laws protect the criminal versus the victim. Red Flag Laws help us identify MIVP.

11. Background: Sandy Hook Tip Line is credited with saving the lives of over 1,000 students since the shooting in 2012.

Question Title

* 11. Vote: Compare Minnesota TIP Line (Crime Stoppers) 1-800-222-TIPS features with Sandy Hook Tip Line features for the purpose of making Minnesota Tip Line the best in the land.

12. Background: The Annunciation shooter’s violent plans were reduced because the church doors were locked during school mass.

Question Title

* 12. Vote: Implement cost effective building codes that require security cameras, access control systems, and emergency communication systems. Safety design can be a complex and expensive undertaking, but worthwhile in the end.

13. Background: The overwhelming percentage of handgun violence happens in Minnesota's urban areas.

Question Title

* 13. Vote: Mayors should look for actions to take that reduce gun violence in their environments via education programs, local laws, school programs, special taxes, licensing regulations, storage requirements, trying to make it illegal for anyone under age 25 to own a hand gun, and implementing unique Red Flag Laws versus relying upon statewide or federal laws to do so.

14. Background: A high percentage of school shooters had been radicalized on the “dark web” that drew them into acts of rage.

Question Title

* 14. Vote: Negotiate with“big tech” internet provider companies to offer antivirus and family monitoring software as part of their base subscription package. Applications should allow parents to set notification parameters that monitor Dark Web and/or related Virtual Private Network (VPN) activity. Alerts could go to parents/police about suspicious dark web traffic and/or make them inaccessible for children.

15. Background: In general, the frontal lobe of a young male, does not form until age 25. The frontal lobe regulates interpersonal relationships and social situations. It is the largest area of the brain and impacts problem solving, judgement, personality, self-control and impulses. The percent of our population between 13 and 21 is approximately 10% of the total. Using this percentage and the MIVP % in question 5, there are approximately 1,500-4,500 MIVP youth in Minnesota. The average age of a school shooter is 17.

Question Title

* 15. Vote: People, under the age of 25, should not be allowed to purchase firearms. This should apply to every firearm except bolt action rifles and shotguns.

16. Background: The Geneva Convention, Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons and other organizations prohibit frangible bullets because they are too humanly destructive in actual war. Frangible bullets break apart upon impact. Frangible bullets are generally legal for purchase, possession, and use in legal activities like range training and self-defense in Minnesota.

Question Title

* 16. Vote: Frangible bullets and high-capacity magazines should immediately become illegal across Minnesota cities and the entire state.

17. Background: Although there are federal immunity laws for gun manufacturers (Protection of Careful Commerce in Arms Act-PLCAA), (there is precedent within Minnesota to have victim recovery funds that are paid by the industry. The Contractor Recovery Fund was created in 1994 to compensate owners or lessees of property who suffered losses due to fraudulent, deceptive, or dishonest practices. Minnesota laws and manufacturer background checks, do not guarantee that MIVP's will not commit violence after undergoing a background check and purchasing a firearm.

Question Title

* 17. Vote: Similar to the way the existing Contractor Recovery Fund receives money, a Gun Violence Recovery fund should be established that receives monies from gun manufacturers and retailers so as to pay back the total societal costs of gun violence approaching $6 billion versus asking the general tax paying public to cover these costs.

18. Background: The Minnesota Senate proposed legislation in 2023, with Senate Bill 1723, that would begin putting the cost of shooting violence on the shoulders of people using these weapons via gun liability insurance. Traditional insurance premium setting considerations such as licensee's age, personal history, and the specific weapon they are insuring would make assault type weapons more expensive and increase the general cost of gun ownership. This would ultimately reduce the financial cost of gun violence to all taxpayers.

Question Title

* 18. Vote: The Minnesota House and Senate should finish work on Senate Bill 1723 and it's House version that would use insurance to begin putting the cost of shooting violence on the shoulders of people using these weapons. Traditional insurance premium setting considerations such as the licensee's age, the licensee's history, and the specific weapon they are insuring would make assault type weapons prohibitively expensive and increase the cost of all gun ownership. This would ultimately reduce the financial cost of gun violence to all taxpayers by paying claims to victims via the Crime Victim's Recovery Fund and the Department of Public Safety by crediting general litigation, incarceration and other total societal costs.

19. Background: Eleven states and Washington D.C. have differing bans on assault weapons. Recommendations referencing assault weapons uses Minnesota’s legal definition of a military weapon (i.e. semi-automatic, automatic, and assault weapons but in greater detail).

Question Title

* 19. Vote: Minnesota should implement complete or partial bans on military weapons and not designate any automatic weapons as sport weapons.

20. Background: Voting your personal beliefs is the best way to express your desires about how to Stop School Shootings.

Question Title

* 20. Vote Opinion: You can make a difference today by the following:

a) Only shop at stores that endorse Stop School Shootings recommendations.
b) Share and ask your friends to read the https://www.StopSchoolShootingsUSA.com website and take the survey.
c) Email your prioritized recommendations to state representative using the list at the end of the survey, and
d) Vote in general elections for candidates that support your opinion on Stopping School Shootings.

Other General Survey Information Requested

Question Title

* 21. Vote: I believe that Minnesota citizens will agree that Stop School Shooting USA proposals do not violate the constitutional rights of either pro-gun or anti-gun enthusiasts. Hence, I believe Minnesotans will no longer tolerate political proposals that do not solve school shootings.

Question Title

* 22. Vote: If the Stop School Shootings need additional money, I would be interested in helping.

Other Demographic Questions:

Question Title

* 23. Gender

Question Title

* 24. Age

Question Title

* 25. Would you consider yourself to be Pro Gun, Anti Gun, or No Preference

Question Title

* 26. Primary Political Affiliation

Question Title

* 27. Highest Level of Education Completed

After filling in your survey information, make sure you have answered all of the question, then select Next. There are two options for submitting your survey to a political representative. First, Stop School Shootings USA will publish findings to Minnesota political representatives on a bi-monthly basis, and you don't have to do anything. The second option is that you can send you individual survey to your political representative by yourself. Actually, sending your survey will require a manual step using your personal email or traditional US Mail. At the end of either sending your personal survey slide or when you have completed everything, please select done. If your survey fails to close when you select done, one or more questions are most probably lacking an answer. Please look for these and re-try.

T