Can America Find Common Ground on Solutions to Mass Shootings?

Image from Unsplash

Sarah DeLena June 2, 2019

When it comes to mass shootings, everyone seems to agree that doing nothing is not the answer to stopping them - we obviously need to make a change, but how? There are a large range of topi

Entrepreneurs fostering new ventures outside of well-developed entrepreneurial ecosystems like Silicon Valley face significant challenges. These markets are unlike Silicon Valley, and they will likely remain so. That doesn't mean they can't nurture and sustain new businesses. In transitioning markets that lack abundant private sector financing, creative approaches from government officials, donors, and business leaders can fill the void to support entrepreneurial activity. Northeast Ohio (where Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University are located) has become a laboratory for such innovative solutions. During our time together in this course, we will explore some of these creative approaches to promoting regional entrepreneurship. Northeast Ohio has seen a massive infusion of government and donor resources for over ten years. In that time, Northeast Ohio has promoted regional development (including job creation and follow-on funding) through alternative methods of financing startups. It has not been easy. The region has made progress, but it remains to be seen whether it has struck upon an enduring formula. A dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem takes many years, even decades, to develop. Government policymakers and donors typically seek quicker returns on their support programs, which makes long-term support for entrepreneurship challenging. This course includes case studies and first-person testimonials from entrepreneurs who have launched products and services ranging from medical devices to LED lights to whiskey. You will learn how these entrepreneurs discovered and procured resources from various programs and intermediary organizations. You will hear from business people still in the process of developing their companies as well as those whose ventures have flourished. Our focus will extend beyond Cleveland to selected markets around the world, including Greece, Vietnam, Tunisia, Argentina, Rwanda and China. You will learn about international incentives and other supports available to developing startups and small businesses across the globe. This course examines how different communities around the world approach implementing strategies and methods to support businesses. I will ask you to reflect on how to apply the principles we learn to growing entrepreneurship where you live. The social interactive features of the online platform will enable students from around the world to share ideas and learn from one another. Most MOOCs rebroadcast professors’ lectures; this course is different. Don’t expect to see me standing in front of the camera, talking and lecturing every module. Instead, the lectures will be relatively short in length. They have more of the feel of an engaging documentary than a static classroom setting. ## __What type of person takes the *Beyond Silicon Valley* course?__ - Active and aspiring businesspeople in communities looking to initiate new startup ecosystems or bolster existing ones - Current and prospective entrepreneurs who want to learn about funding sources, risk management, and the lifecycle of startups - Professionals who work in government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, philanthropic institutions, and various private funds that fund startups - Anyone curious about how to create and grow startup ecosystems outside the major tech hubs - The principles Beyond Silicon Valley teaches have been drawn from and applied to startups worldwide, from small villages to megalopolises. You'll study success stories spanning the globe from Vietnam to Kosovo to Botswana. ## __What will you learn in *Beyond Silicon Valley*?__ - How and where startups can find funding to get their businesses off the ground - What role government can play in encouraging startups and a healthy startup ecosystem - How anchor institutions such as universities and healthcare systems participate in startup ecosystems - How nongovernmental organizations support startups - How to raise funds from venture capitalists, angel investors, and accelerators - How to navigate challenging periods in the startup lifecycle - The importance of mentoring in successful startups

In this course, participants learn core principles, concepts, and methods of continuous improvement and explore the history of continuous improvement efforts. In a series of lectures, Master Black Belt in Six Sigma Shane Wentz, Ph.D., enables learners to enhance, optimize, and stabilize business processes and to augment quality control through varied methodologies. Participants gain the skills and knowledge to reimagine internal processes, engage in advanced problem-solving, and empower employees. The course covers high-level foundational principles of Lean, Six Sigma, and DMAIC processes before diving deep into Lean Six Sigma methods. Learners will analyze the tools of process mapping, Kaizen (a continuous improvement method/tool deemed a prerequisite for Lean transformation success), Lean (a continuous improvement philosophy that emphasizes streamlined workflows and reducing waste), and the process improvement methodology driving DMAIC: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control.

Article continues here

When it comes to mass shootings, everyone seems to agree that doing nothing is not the answer to stopping them - we obviously need to make a change, but how? There are a large range of topics and factors included in the mass-shooting debate, but these two seem to be the most prominent and both contain points of common ground for Americans.

Gun Control

There is a struggle among Americans about the topic of gun control because of the Second Amendment, but a large number of people believe that improving it is the key to solving the mass-shooting epidemic. Those who are for advancing gun control say that gun laws should be stricter to avoid “gun-show loopholes," to stop people with domestic violence backgrounds getting their hands on guns, and to raise the purchasing age to counteract young school shooters. Investing in the improvement of gun control would also mean more rigorous background checks, which include researching a person’s mental health history and possibly the banning semi automatic weapons or “weapons of war."

Banning semi automatic weapons or at least making them very difficult to obtain is very much a point of common ground with Americans when debating about gun control - even if someone relies on a gun in order to hunt and feed their family, they have no need for a weapon that shoots hundreds of bullets in under a minute. After the Las Vegas shooting that killed 58 people and injured over 500 more, there has been a resounding consensus among Americans that a change must occur to keep these weapons out of the wrong hands.

Mental Health

Though already included as a red flag, mental health in background checks can also be a solution all Americans can get behind. There is a pattern, especially among school shooters, of the shooter having a troubled childhood. If funds could be invested in mental health programs that work to identify at-risk children in order to support them properly, it could make a difference in the number of mass shooters that America sees each year. There seems to be less heated debate (unlike gun control) among Americans about supporting programs that help broken homes and those with children who’ve faced tragedies - so this is another potential point of common ground for long-term mass shooting solutions.

Each week that goes by without America making a definitive change, another mass shooting happens. Step up and let your representative know they need to reach common ground on a mass shooting solution soon before any more lives are lost.