".....to lower the gun killings although not by much unfortunately. There has to be a solution to this. Anybody here have an idea?

Solution is a change in social mores, primarily starting with families raising better citizens. The pandemic locked down most of a population, already stressed with the fun of daily trying to get by, at any economic level. After 15 months of a pandemice, we had a three month period where it looked like we were staring to emerge from it all. Now, its variant is surging among us, primarily among the vaccine non-believers, but others have contracted it as well. Add in job loss, benefits cut/loss, eviction notices, late car payment notices, overdue utility bills, and not knowing where your child's next meal is coming from while schools are out of session, and we have an angry, frustrated pop. ready to explode, wanting to yell, scream, rage on. We Americans, in the same boat as billions around the world with this pandemic, are acting out with our guns. Questions?

 No substantial changes to public education. Another new approximately 180-day school year; roughly 50-minutes classes, resulting in less than six actual classroom hours daily; attended by students who do not like to read, cannot put their electronic devices away, and most of whom do not really seem motivated about their lives, nor curious about the world around them; and so American students will continue to trail in the international rankings of school achievement. 

Meanwhile, six countries have their students attending 200 days-plus, and two more countries are at 190 days-plus. Why can't we add at least three weeks, 15 days, to our academic calendars? Fewer staff days, fewer and shorter holiday breaks, etc. Some districts are starting up tomorrow, as early a starting date as ever, and yet there is little improvement in graduation rates and international standings. 

We continue, as a nation, to improperly fund public education through property taxes, thus ensuring that those in poverty remain stuck with sub-standard facilities and resources. If we are to greatly improve this wonderful nation, lower the violence, increase the love, add to our accomplishments, we need to totally over-haul our national approaches to public education. 

Meanwhile, get ready for another ho-hum year. But your school's football team will be important, eh?