Too Much Credit Given To The Tool

We live in a reality of action and reaction; cause and effect. This leads us to misunderstand the role of tools and actions. Far too often people credit (or blame) the tool for the action rather than the actor.
Below is a retort to common situations where the tool is blamed for the effect of the action...

Nobody was killed by guns.
No houses were built by hammers.
Nobody was saved by surgery tools.
Nobody who hanged themselves was killed by a rope.

We hear these logical fallacies often: It is the President's fault, it's your fault, it's their fault, it's because of guns, it's in God's hands, it's because of  this or that.

All the while the only thing accomplished is a passing off of personal responsibility. By "personal responsibility" I don't only mean the self (although self-accountability is a form of personal responsibility), but also the blame we assign to something arbitrary to the committer of actions. For example, a great many people blame all Muslims for the acts of Islamic extremists, they blame guns for the acts of murderers, they blame the alcohol for their buffoonery, they blame the President (scapegoat/figurehead) for the effects of a broken system.

Often the person is overlooked and we search for some factor that played a part in their actions, and there are external factors, but those external factors may have different effects on different persons. We can see this in experiments where results are not conclusive.

• Some tests show that heavy metal music kills plants. Some tests show that heavy metal music helps plants grow. Heavy metal cannot be blamed entirely for bad actions.
• Some Muslims study the Koran and (along with political influences) become violently radicalized. Some Muslims study the Koran and become vessels of peace. Islam cannot be blamed entirely for bad actions.
• Some people take LSD and go insane. Some people take LSD and become enlightened. LSD cannot be blamed entirely for bad results.
• Some people use guns to commit murder. Some people use guns for self-defense, sport, or hunting. The gun cannot be blamed for it's actions or use.
• Some people eat chocolate and experience bliss. Some are allergic and almost die. Chocolate cannot be blamed entirely for death.
• Some people use a hammer to build a house. Some people use a hammer to beat someone over the head. The hammer cannot be blamed entirely for the malicious intent.
• Some people are rich and become greedy. Some people are rich and practice philanthropy and charity. The money cannot be blamed entirely for the greed of the individual.

Truthfully, we can change the battery of a car a hundred times, but that will never fix the broken transmission.