I don't have any good answers, to be honest. But laws will never compel 300 million people to adhere with exactness. There's close to 400 million civilian-owned firearms in the US alone (more firearms than people). 400 million is such a devastatingly large number. We can do background checks more thoroughly, but I'm curious as to what percentage of the firearms used in mass-shootings were even obtained legally? A lot of stores limit how much ammunition you can buy. Perhaps background check on ammunition as well? But even then, you can still obtain that illegally, as well. And you could just as well produce your own bullets. I don't know. It sucks. I'm all for putting in deterrents. But that can only do so much.
I agree with you and other posters that say mental health needs to be addressed. I read that close to 1 in 5 Americans is suffering from some form of a mental illness... We're talking about 60 million people or so right there. Yikes. Also, think our entertainment values have deteriorated quite a bit over the years. Teens are fed sex, drugs, and violence through tv, movies, and video games all day, every day. Parents need to step their game up and be more invested in what their kids are doing and watching.
When someone is hurting, what do you do? Give them a hug, right? That's kind of what the prayer is like. And we are hurting for them. We are crying with them. But we can't magically fix the problem. No one can. We pray that those suffering can still see some light, and still feel a glimmer of hope. The reality is, neither you or I, or any law will ever be able to control 300 million people. That part sucks. God doesn't expect you to be able to control people. Free will is something He will never take away. You cannot control people. You can love people, you can provide mental health support, you can raise families with good values, you can reach out to neighbors and co-workers that may seem emotionally distant... but you cannot force people to do the right thing.
Believe me, I'd much rather have a barrier on the steep, narrow road alongside the mountain - instead of having an ambulance at the bottom of the mountain trying to patch things up when someone falls off the cliff. I'm all for deterrents. But gun control is infinitely more complicated than putting up a single barrier. It's a complex issue that sadly doesn't have a simple answer.
Prayer may not be your way to deal with tragedy, and that's fine. But don't dismiss other people's beliefs because you think the effort is futile. You seemed to indicate a belief in God, however. Do you not remember that Jesus prayed to God when he was suffering (Mat 26:39)? And he prayed for others when they were suffering (Mat 19:13, John 17, etc)? You gain strength from prayer. You gain perspective. You are communicating with a divine being. You also gain a lot when you pray for others - you increase your capacity to love, and I think others often feel that love when prayers are sent their way. It's not a futile effort.
