Episode 170

full
Published on:

6th Feb 2026

Why Do We Keep Blaming Guns Instead of Mental Health and Data?

Most gun violence comes from breakdowns in data, mental health support, and social media’s toxic effects. Education could shift the trajectory. Jerremy Alexander Newsome and Dave Conley talk with Steven Orr about rethinking gun control, confronting societal neglect, and how stronger mental health conversations plus better schooling can prevent future violence. Varied opinions clash, but the resistance to real talk stands out.

Timestamps:

  1. (00:00) Reform clips miss the point – violence isn’t just about guns
  2. (06:24) Rapid-fire forces honesty – education and mental health are the levers
  3. (08:45) Real lesson hits home – society avoids the hard conversations

Connect:

  1. Steven OrrInstagram | X | LinkedIn | Website

🌍 Connect with us: Instagram | YouTube | X

🎧 Listen to Episodes → Here

Transcript
Alex:

Steven targets the "family unit" and data blind spots in a stock-market

2

:

style exchange and Dave and Jerremy wonder

where's our "missing manual" for life?

3

:

Why would we expect connection in a world

that treats soft skills as optional.

4

:

Jerremy: At the very, very beginning

of this, the very onset of this,

5

:

the earliest stages of all of the

tracking, of all the data, of all the

6

:

theories, we need to start working

on the awareness of it in school, the

7

:

open conversation of it in school.

8

:

We need to find ways to address as

early as possible the loneliness,

9

:

the isolation that is going to

continue to happen in this country.

10

:

With social media, with technology, we

need to embrace and start changing the

11

:

dynamic of how kids are communicating

and having conversations in class.

12

:

Those are gonna be the big components

they're gonna have to change in order

13

:

for the gun control issue to change.

14

:

Because as Steven said, it's not an if or

this, it's not a that or this, but what

15

:

we, everyone always agrees on all the time

is that the education system is flawed and

16

:

broken and old and needs to be updated.

17

:

It, and it needs to be, and it needs

to be updated for where we're going

18

:

in 10 years or 20 years or 30 years.

19

:

Because this country's not going away.

20

:

America's never going away.

21

:

Are never gonna, guns

are never going away.

22

:

what is gonna change is, and what

hasn't changed is how teachers

23

:

and students are interacting with

themselves on the majority scale.

24

:

And that's the thing that's gonna have

to be updated so that kids, parents,

25

:

conversations, discussions, beliefs are

not only shifting and changing, but are

26

:

being updated and being tweaked and being

altered so that we can have a bigger,

27

:

prosperous, more illustrious future.

28

:

Dave: Look I agree with all of that.

29

:

I'm still stuck on the

amount of data, the amount of

30

:

surveillance, the amount of time.

31

:

Look, three planes are flown into

three buildings and $11 trillion

32

:

and seven broken countries, and

25 years later with millions dead.

33

:

And I'm telling you now,

I don't feel any safer.

34

:

We're talking about turning

this eye of sore on.

35

:

Onto, our kids and Americans.

36

:

And I'm like as much as we're trying

to solve the, make things better, and

37

:

the quote unquote, good of this is

like anytime that we put time, money,

38

:

and energy towards something, that's

also an opportunity for people to be

39

:

manipulated, people to be I dunno, I'm

feeling a little tinfoil hat, but like

40

:

I, and maybe a little libertarianism is

is rubbing into me, but I'm, like I, I

41

:

keep on seeing example after example.

42

:

The older I get is that maybe we

need to live with some of this

43

:

rather than try and solve everything.

44

:

Steven Orr: Oh, I will never live with it.

45

:

Dave, I'll tell you what's interesting

is, and I think that's why we have to

46

:

be loud and proud about this stuff.

47

:

So many people will say,

don't talk about gun violence.

48

:

Don't talk about it 'cause you

don't as a CEO of a company.

49

:

But, it's interesting you talk about

nine 11, but had we just stopped

50

:

those pilots that wanted to learn

and down in Marathon, Florida, all

51

:

they wanted to learn was how to fly.

52

:

They didn't care about

how to land the plane.

53

:

That

54

:

should have been red flags, right?

55

:

That could have stopped

at right then and there.

56

:

Over it'd been done.

57

:

We would've had nine 11, but the world

would've been different place than

58

:

today, than it ever would've been.

59

:

But we didn't.

60

:

It was it's never one thing

that causes the problem.

61

:

It's a myriad of things and

it's a cascading of things.

62

:

And it was when it spirals out of control.

63

:

And right now we're at a

point where we have to.

64

:

The fact that we even have to

have a podcast to talk about

65

:

this tells you where we are as a

66

:

country, right?

67

:

And to me, that's great.

68

:

And if we have to, it's great

and let's get it done right?

69

:

And let's just solve this problem.

70

:

Let's get Jerremy elected president

of the United States, right?

71

:

But when you look at this, these

problems, all of these triggers that

72

:

we knew could have been stopped,

nine 11 would never happened.

73

:

It never would've happened had we

had just said, oh, wait a minute.

74

:

These guys didn't wanna

learn how to land the plane.

75

:

And the guys that taught them how to

taught them a marathon, I guarantee

76

:

I'm saying, I bet you some of those

had guns, so guns didn't stop them.

77

:

When I look at the next level of

the future, how we're getting there

78

:

with the AI and how we interact

with each other social media side.

79

:

Social media's changed

over the last 20 years.

80

:

It used to be where most people

don't know this, but Facebook was

81

:

actually built outta bullying.

82

:

Mark Zuckerberg literally built Facebook

because he was tired of being bullied by

83

:

girls who didn't want rejected him because

84

:

of not dating.

85

:

Jerremy: Yeah.

86

:

Yeah.

87

:

Yep.

88

:

Steven Orr: The very bottom of the heart

of the guy who's writing the code for

89

:

the world of how we handle Instagram

and social media, that's a trigger.

90

:

Now today, he's happily married

with beautiful, kids and a good

91

:

life, and that's great, but

that's why he built it right.

92

:

And what it grew out of that, the

social media side of all of this,

93

:

and I'm very proud of Mark Zuckerberg

and I'm very proud of things.

94

:

But we're living in the future of Elon

Musk and Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos

95

:

because they're the ones riding the coat.

96

:

The ones with consciousness and really

wanna make a better place for America,

97

:

should be the ones writing the code

should be one that writing in the future.

98

:

And right now it seems that it's

narcissistic, that's controlling

99

:

the narrative of what's being

built and what's being controlled.

100

:

And our social media is literally

being controlled by narcissists.

101

:

Look at Fox Business,

look at homes It, right?

102

:

They've changed over

the la over the course.

103

:

Look at the narcissism of people

in general who are building things.

104

:

And I'm not scared to

say all of this, right?

105

:

I think it's, we need to understand

the root of the cause of problems.

106

:

So when you look at the next level of

all of this, look at the social media.

107

:

Are we putting on those

guardrails that need to happen?

108

:

If someone says, trigger words,

are we putting on the guardrails?

109

:

If someone says something in behind

the scenes that shouldn't be saying,

110

:

Hey, they're gonna blow something

up, or they're gonna do something,

111

:

we should take them seriously.

112

:

Because if we don't, then it's

on us as good people saying,

113

:

Hey, wait a minute, this guy said

he wants to blow up the school.

114

:

So we need to think about what

he said and why did he say it.

115

:

He may not he, he may be blustered

just talking, but we don't know that.

116

:

So let's find out and then

stop that before it happens.

117

:

And guess what?

118

:

Then there wouldn't be a school shooting.

119

:

Jerremy: Yeah.

120

:

Thank you Steven.

121

:

So you're gonna love this round

questions, 10 words or less answers,

122

:

and they all have a stock market

theme under them, because why not?

123

:

That's how you and I create our money,

and, it's fun and it's exciting.

124

:

All right?

125

:

Buy or sell the idea that

more guns equals less crime.

126

:

Steven Orr: sell?

127

:

Jerremy: What is the number one about

guns in America That everyone gets wrong?

128

:

Steven Orr: That guns kill people.

129

:

Not people kill people.

130

:

Jerremy: Love it.

131

:

What is the most undervalued solution

that nobody is talking about?

132

:

Steven Orr: Family unit,

133

:

Jerremy: There we go.

134

:

And if you could force every member

of Congress to watch one video or

135

:

read one chart, what would it be?

136

:

Steven Orr: Palantir, because that

chart is telling the world where

137

:

we're going that data is important

and how we're using that data.

138

:

Jerremy: Very nice, Steven, big

B, or it's always a pleasure, man.

139

:

Thank you for being so diligent and for

caring and for showing up in a large way.

140

:

And thank you always

for your support in me.

141

:

And thank you for reaching out on the

phone and talking to me relatively

142

:

frequently and just being an incredible

leader in the industry, being a great

143

:

husband, being a great community member,

being someone who cares not only about

144

:

politics, but the blending of politics

into the community, into the people around

145

:

you, into the online social stratosphere.

146

:

You are a force for good, sir.

147

:

Thank you for your time.

148

:

Steven Orr: I appreciate all those

kind words, Jerremy and Dave.

149

:

And when I look at my own self as time,

I always go back to one statement.

150

:

It takes a village to raise.

151

:

We have to understand that

we're not alone in this world.

152

:

And that every action and reaction

that we create is also a positive

153

:

or negative for the world.

154

:

A day doesn't go by, that's.

155

:

Someone thanks me for mentoring them and

I didn't even know that I mentored them.

156

:

And sometimes we don't always

see what our actions do.

157

:

And so when I look at other people

around the world, it's your actions that,

158

:

that define you, not just your words.

159

:

Jerremy: Yes.

160

:

Thank you so much, Steven.

161

:

I'm sure we will have you

back to get in the future.

162

:

You rock.

163

:

Steven Orr: Thanks guys.

164

:

Jerremy: All right.

165

:

DC Dave Conley, we had

a returning guest on.

166

:

We Love some Steven.

167

:

We love all of our guests.

168

:

We love all of our guests.

169

:

First, returning guest.

170

:

Dave, what did you learn in that

discussion with Steve Big B or.

171

:

Dave: I think with, Steven is, he's so

wicked smart and I feel like whenever

172

:

we hit up one of these hard issues.

173

:

And there's a lot of energy around it.

174

:

And I think there is a lot

of like sides on this one.

175

:

There's a left to, there's a right,

there's a take all the guns, there's,

176

:

my rights, there's tyranny, like people

will throw around a lot of words and.

177

:

When you drain all that energy out of it

and be like, Hey, this is what's going on.

178

:

And I think we started this with that.

179

:

It's look, a lot of this gun violence is,

almost all of it is men and young boys.

180

:

All of this is suicides and happening in

urban settings and poors, poor people.

181

:

Like as soon as we start saying, this

is where we need to put our political

182

:

energy, and oh, by the way, we are not

putting any political energy on it.

183

:

We're not talking about gun violence

at all, and it is an epidemic.

184

:

So I, I think when you get somebody

like Stephen here, what I learn

185

:

is that people do wanna have smart

conversations and people, do have great

186

:

solutions, and they're just right there.

187

:

And we just have to drain a little

bit of the emotion out of things,

188

:

which I think is everywhere.

189

:

Like the keyboard warriors are everywhere.

190

:

As soon as we start talking about

things, then people are like,

191

:

yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

192

:

Yeah, we could do that.

193

:

Yeah, that's possible.

194

:

Like we, we get back into the realm

of possibility again, and that's what

195

:

I learned from Steven every time.

196

:

Jerremy: Yeah.

197

:

Yeah, man.

198

:

Having those big, fun, cool,

powerful conversations.

199

:

What I learned, number

one, was that you have a.

200

:

Gun toting Second Amendment man,

who's yeah, I think there should

201

:

be some additional laws around gun

ownership, and I'm okay with it.

202

:

I think it makes sense because

I'm willing to concede those the

203

:

obligations for what I want to do.

204

:

I'm okay to concede certain.

205

:

What you, what some people could

call infringement of freedoms into,

206

:

alright, for the greater safety and

for to make other people feel safe.

207

:

I'm down for that.

208

:

And what all of that means is,

Hey, my name is Jerremy Newsom

209

:

and I can't drive or semi-truck.

210

:

Why can't I drive a semi-truck?

211

:

There's more rights that come with it.

212

:

Why?

213

:

Why do more rights come with a semi-truck?

214

:

They're larger.

215

:

They're fa they're not faster, but they

are much more powerful and they can

216

:

potentially cause a lot more damage.

217

:

A semi jackknifes in a, on an interstate.

218

:

Runs over 15 cars versus just

two or three, and now the entire

219

:

interstate is backed up for

hours causing a whole impediment.

220

:

Why can't I drive this in my truck

without a commercial driver's license?

221

:

That's why they're, they have

more perpetual motion ultimately.

222

:

Okay.

223

:

So we can do and implement

the exact same thing with.

224

:

AR fifteens with semi-automatics

with these huge submachine guns.

225

:

I have.

226

:

I recently went to a gun range,

but it was out in the middle of

227

:

absolutely nowhere in Nevada.

228

:

It's two hour drive from my house,

an hour through the desert, and

229

:

we shot these huge, incredible,

like 50 cow, like it was amazing.

230

:

But the facility, has licenses.

231

:

Business licenses.

232

:

I went through and I asked

the owner like, what type of

233

:

like restrictions do you have?

234

:

And you're like, oh man, they're

in, they're incredible restrictions.

235

:

They're awesome.

236

:

Like he was very ha he was excited

about how difficult it was in a way

237

:

to run his business because he goes,

no one in their right mind should have

238

:

an arsenal like I have personally.

239

:

There's no need for it, right?

240

:

We I'm here to create entertainment.

241

:

Like he was very aware.

242

:

Of what he creates and what he's doing.

243

:

He has a tank, he has

a flame thrower, right?

244

:

And there's so many restrictions

that he goes through and so many

245

:

forms he fills out on the regular.

246

:

And he also says he's very careful

what he has to say on social media.

247

:

He's very aware of what he has

to post and things of that nature

248

:

because he has so much weapons on him.

249

:

The aspect that Steven brought up to.

250

:

That I also really understood

to be relevant was, again, just

251

:

some type of update, some type

of check, some type of wellness.

252

:

Hey, every 10 years someone's life

is gonna change dramatically, right?

253

:

You got fired, you got promoted,

you got divorced, you got

254

:

remarried, you had a kid, you had

two kids, 10 kids, eight kids.

255

:

You have, you want, what's your.

256

:

Lifelike 10 years later, and to get a no,

a new gun license, you just have to simply

257

:

pop in and let's do a wellness check.

258

:

Let's have a conversation.

259

:

So these are these discussions that kind

of go back and forth as saying, Hey,

260

:

those who want more control, who want more

yeah, who want more laws and restrictions

261

:

around guns, we will give those to you.

262

:

Do I actually think

that's going to decrease?

263

:

One V one gun violence and or public MA

or masculine shootings, I don't think that

264

:

those small, tiny changes are going to

impact the bottom line, and that is what

265

:

Steven was really just nodding against

head about when I started discussing.

266

:

What I have always felt is

probably gonna be the main

267

:

root issue of almost any major.

268

:

Problem in this country that

affects humans directly is

269

:

the educational component.

270

:

And as I started going through

the discussion, and I always have

271

:

where the more we realize that

the future is rapidly changing.

272

:

And it's never going away.

273

:

Once we get something as a country

it doesn't just oh, sorry, I forgot

274

:

that we shouldn't have done that.

275

:

We shouldn't have given you social media.

276

:

We shouldn't have given you the internet.

277

:

It isolates people.

278

:

It bullies people, okay?

279

:

That's not ever changing.

280

:

Call of Duty is never going away.

281

:

These are the, these are things that

are just aren't going to happen.

282

:

We're not gonna take away movies,

and we're not gonna take away

283

:

things that individuals can watch.

284

:

Now what we can do is require parents

to be a part of school systems.

285

:

Not a lot, Dave, not all the

time, but require mom and dad to

286

:

show up, require children to go

through meditation practices and

287

:

conversations of discussions.

288

:

Heart openings, deliberations, discussions

of who is right, who is wrong, why

289

:

create tension, create turmoil, create

animosity, create this tension in a

290

:

classroom, and then show children how to.

291

:

Settle into the tension, how to release

the tension, how f to have it all.

292

:

Okay.

293

:

Where you can still have disagreements

and it's absolutely fine to have

294

:

a disagreement and still love

someone else Wholeheartedly.

295

:

How you've been married.

296

:

I'm married.

297

:

How many times did you look

at your spouse and go, I whoa.

298

:

We ha we have tension right now.

299

:

And now we get to have a conversation.

300

:

And I'm not gonna physically alter

have an altercation of any kind.

301

:

We're going to discuss,

we're going to have this deep

302

:

embodiment of love and protection.

303

:

And you know what, dude, that

took me a long time to self-learn.

304

:

It did.

305

:

But these are the changes that can

easily be made because there's certain

306

:

things that are never going to go away

in this country, and guns is one of them.

307

:

Guns is are never going to go away, ever.

308

:

And we can have certain restrictions and

we can give the party that really feels

309

:

like, yes, that's what we need to do.

310

:

But what the data shows is not that.

311

:

The data shows that very clearly as the

majority of the deaths are coming from.

312

:

A very certain select population, and

that generally is because of veterans,

313

:

and that is generally because this

country is a war bound world policing.

314

:

Monolith that just wants to have all

the oil imaginable for ourselves.

315

:

And it is evident to me that both the

NRA and the VA are 100% failing their

316

:

core customer, their core population

that they are focusing on, that they're

317

:

trying to uncover, they're trying to help.

318

:

'cause it is a money grab.

319

:

It is wildly inefficient.

320

:

And those, in my personal opinion,

would create much more impactful change.

321

:

That's what I learned.

322

:

Dave: I'm a hundred

percent with you on this.

323

:

I I feel like the one thing that we

know would work, we're doing none of,

324

:

and that is like having the equivalent

of health class, like having mental

325

:

wellbeing not only for yourself but also.

326

:

For others around you.

327

:

And I don't know if it's touchy

or what, like I know when we

328

:

were talking to teachers they

were like, no, man, increasingly.

329

:

Those things, just having recess or

having art class or having, any of

330

:

those extracurriculars, like they're

treated as optional, and I think

331

:

we're, at least I'm saying that.

332

:

Yeah.

333

:

For gun owners, I'm with

you a hundred percent.

334

:

There needs to be heavy

duty education going on.

335

:

You know the laws of these things.

336

:

When to use a gun, how to use a gun.

337

:

It's not just going to the range

and learning how to shoot it.

338

:

It's also the responsibility

that goes with it.

339

:

Along with that, recognizing both

for you and for gun owners in your

340

:

life when they are struggling.

341

:

When I unexpectedly lost my wife after 13

years of marriage, and like one day she

342

:

was there and the next day, she was gone.

343

:

I had the wherewithal and also

people around me and my friends and

344

:

family were like, okay we're taking.

345

:

We're taking all the

alcohol out of your house.

346

:

And I'm like, okay, great.

347

:

And we're gonna make sure that, you don't,

spiral into, something really bad here.

348

:

So we're gonna, there's a, there

was a rally around me, which, it.

349

:

It took some time because, something

tragic and crazy had happened, but

350

:

I had smart people around me, and

I don't think everybody has that.

351

:

And I think increasingly, like

we are in a, a fractured society

352

:

that, that these are, problematic.

353

:

So going back and teaching people

from a very young age be like,

354

:

okay, these are some things that

you know are your responsibility as,

355

:

a human being in your human body.

356

:

Not only for yourself, but also for

the people around you to be like, these

357

:

are things you gotta watch out for.

358

:

And.

359

:

And teaching that,

360

:

Jerremy: yep.

361

:

Dave: just having meditation, but

it's also Hey, there's a social aspect

362

:

aspect

363

:

Jerremy: Yes, dude.

364

:

Dave: of living that is just gone.

365

:

And we're not asking the

government to be a nanny here.

366

:

We're just saying live in society.

367

:

There, there is hey the, we don't

get a manual when we are born.

368

:

There is no, there is.

369

:

There's no book that we get and

it's you pop out and you're like,

370

:

okay here's how human works.

371

:

No, we are, we're just expected

to know and we don't have that.

372

:

Like I think there's, that manual

is missing and that's something

373

:

that we need to put back in people's

hands to be like, Hey, there,

374

:

this is what this is all about.

375

:

Jerremy: Beautiful.

376

:

Beautiful.

377

:

You're, yeah, exactly.

378

:

Always.

379

:

You always just drop mics.

380

:

Dave,

381

:

mic dropping machine.

382

:

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,

friends and family, dedicated listeners.

383

:

Thank you.

384

:

Thank you for tuning in.

385

:

This has been another episode

of Solving America's Problems.

386

:

Please tag us solve USA Pod

on X and solving America's

387

:

Problems podcast on Instagram.

388

:

You may notice we have started

creating more social media content.

389

:

Shout out to our boy Dave Conley

for getting that done in such

390

:

a beautiful and eloquent way.

391

:

Also, if you have.

392

:

Two thumbs or any other finger

or any other ability to click

393

:

a phone or computer mouse.

394

:

Hit us with a five star

review and share this episode.

395

:

Subscribe to all our future

episodes because Dave and myself

396

:

are going to be solving all kinds

of America's problems in:

Show artwork for Solving America's Problems

About the Podcast

Solving America's Problems
Solving America’s Problems isn’t just a podcast—it’s a journey. Co-host Jerremy Newsome, a successful entrepreneur and educator, is pursuing his lifelong dream of running for president. Along the way, he and co-host Dave Conley bring together experts, advocates, and everyday Americans to explore the real, actionable solutions our country needs.

With dynamic formats—one-on-one interviews, panel discussions, and more—we cut through the noise of divisive rhetoric to uncover practical ideas that unite instead of divide. If you’re ready to think differently, act boldly, and join a movement for meaningful change, subscribe now.