In the absence of any other hook to hang your hat on, there was no doubt that the slaughter in Vegas would immediately become a “we need to have a discussion” about gun control by people who knew nothing about guns. This was a given. But what about people who made their bones on other issues? Were they to be left out of the discussion?

There was Harvard’s newest darling, Shaun King, connecting dots that no rational person could see.

Bet you didn’t know that, because you looked to the killer’s motive, his goals, to figure out whether this was an act of terrorism. But look at those sweet numbers, the retwits and likes (and those were from yesterday, so there’s a good chance a few more geniuses have embraced this deep thinking), and you can easily see why Shaun King has morphed from Daily News pundit to Harvard scholar.

That Shaun King turned this into whiteness is nothing surprising. That’s his gig, without which he would have to get a real job. But not only was the killer white, but . . . dare I say it, male. And that opens another door to the twisted mind.

Now, I’m not a psychiatrist. And I don’t know much about the Vegas shooter. I’m just a guy who studies mental health.

Like Shaun King “studies” law.

Boys in the United States — just like all human beings — need touch, caring, warmth, empathy, and close relationships. But as we grow up, most of us lose those essential components of our humanity.

What’s worse: we have no idea how to ask for those things, or admit we need them, because we’re afraid it will make us look weak.

Somebody doesn’t feel very good about himself, and like anyone who suffers from the “spotlight syndrome,” assumes that his “lived experiences” speak for the rest of us.

But do you have confidants? Do you have male friends who you can actually be vulnerable with? Do you have friends whom you can confide in, be 100% yourself around, that you can hug without saying “No homo,” without feeling tense or uncomfortable while you’re doing it?

For many men, the answer is “no.” So, we spend our time posturing instead.

From an early age, we have an unhealthy ideal of masculinity that we try to live up to. Part of that ideal tells us that Real men do everything on their own. Real men don’t cry. Real men express anger through violence.

Somebody is definitely projecting.

Any slight from someone you care about can feel emotionally traumatizing. After enough rejections and feeling like an outcast, you begin to believe that people are just cruel and not worth the effort. You perceive people as threats.

So you’re angry, perceive people as threats and have violent urges? Seek help. You know nothing about the killer, but you know exactly how you feel. It’s no more a crime to be mentally ill than it is to have cancer, but it’s nothing to celebrate either. If these thoughts of violence are running through your head, then you need therapeutic care.

As for the rest of us, there are a lot of people in this country. A lot are white. A lot are male. We somehow manage to make it through our lives without doing physical harm to anyone, no less committing mass murder. This isn’t a white guy thing. This is your problem. Fix it. That’s what men do.

The good news is that you, as an individual, can make a difference.

Reach out to someone who you think could be lonely, and invite them to do something fun together. Keep inviting them. Build trust, and confide in each other. Set the example by being a safe and supportive person to be around.

Oh wait. This isn’t about you, but about what you’re selling.

Charlie Hoehn is the author of Play It Away. He has spoken on the topic of mental health at the Pentagon, U.S. military bases, universities, and TEDx. You can get his books for free at CharlieHoehn.com.

So King is selling whiteness and Hoehn is selling mental illness. How great that there’s a mass murder they can turn into a marketing opportunity. Make coin, guys. Let no tragedy go to waste.

H/T Stephanie West Allen