Office Hours: What accounts for American exceptionalism in gun violence?

My aim in Wednesday’s Office Hours is to allow us to share deeper thoughts and assessments about what’s happening and why, inspired by current events. Which gets me to today’s topic, which I’d like to ponder with you.

Last Friday’s assassination of Japan's former PM Shinzo Abe was shocking not just because it was a seemingly politically-motivated murder, but because gun violence is so rare in Japan. Last year Japan suffered a total of 1 gun death, compared to over 45,000 in the U.S. A deadly shooting in Denmark also drew attention last week, but such an occurrence is a rarity there, too, with well under 100 Danish citizens dying from gun violence in any given year. Obviously, the United States has a larger population than either Japan or Denmark, but even controlling for population size, America’s rate of gun violence is off the charts relative to other nations.

So here’s what I’d like your thoughts on: The world's other countries all have mental health issues, violent video games and movies, and multiple doors on their schools. What accounts for the American exceptionalism in gun violence? (I’ll chime in later today.)