The Elephant in the Room
First, let me state one critical fact – EVERY OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRY ON THE PLANET HAS FIGURED THIS ONE OUT. The United States is the only country with the chronic problem of mass shootings.
A few points:
- Do we have mental health problems? Of course, but so does every other country.
- Do we sell violent video games? Yes, but so does every other country.
- Do we have violent television shows and movies? Yes, but so does every other country.
- Do we have a breakdown in the family unit? Yes, but so does every other country.
- How about churches? Are our churches shrinking? Yes, but they are doing the same in other countries.
So what’s the difference? Why do we have such a wrenching problem with mass shootings? The difference is the omnipresence of guns.
The US is awash in a tsunami of guns that is drowning our country and the lame gun laws we manage to enact are designed to fail to protect our society from people who have no business owning a gun. As a country, the US is 4.4% of the world’s population, yet we own 42% of the world’s guns. Let that sink in. Our homicide rate in the US is over 300% that of the average of the rest of the OECD.
The problem here is obvious. The solution is simple. The population of the US is not crazier, or more evil than other countries’ populations. The only factor that makes our country an outlier is the overwhelming presence of guns. Guns can be easily acquired in private sales with no background check. Guns are trafficked by the millions. The NRA has successfully stifled research into gun violence, has kept the ATF hamstrung in enforcing existing laws, and has even prevented the electronic tracking of guns from being done.
The real crime here, besides the massive murders of innocents, is that committed by our elected representatives who have taken hundreds of millions of dollars from the NRA and other pro gun industry lobbyists to keep us awash in guns.
That’s the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about.
I think a case could be made that US citizens ARE more evil than others.
But that doesn’t weaken your point.
1That’s why at a time like this, I’m relieved that I now live in the UK. It was bad enough back in South Africa, where there’s also a gun problem (see Oscar Pretorius, and many more) – but even there, it didn’t reach these proportions.
US, my heart aches for you.
2“The population of the US is not crazier, or more evil than other countries’ populations.”
I think we can quibble about this.
Until about 20 years ago one could make a statement like this and be more or less accurate, but since the advent of 24/7 RWNJ propaganda outlets, things have changed radically.
Now, IMO, we have large demographic groups that are closer in lunatic mindset to those fanatics active in Rwanda, the Middle East, Cambodia, or whatever.
As you state, mix this type of induced insanity with too easy access to very lethal weapons, and this chit happens.
(disclaimer, I’ve owned and used firearms of all sorts since I was about 8y/o, never improperly used them, and will continue to own and use as such.)
3But we do talk about it. We talk about it every time there’s a mass shooting, which means we get plenty of opportunities. (We’d get more, but a lot of mass shootings don’t even get past the local news these days.) The problem is that our talking about it doesn’t do dickweed.
The solution to the problem is replacing 293 people on Capitol Hill. Here’s an essay about that, but Mama had better not click on it because the writer is not subtle about expressing her anger on the subject.
4https://www.facebook.com/palefenix/posts/10213658201677008
I’m not sure who this “no one” is who doesn’t want to talk about it. There’s plenty of talk by all of us who hate this but no action by those who have the power to do something and won’t.
5Rhea,
6Great post on Facebook!!
This is a sad, bedraggled, outworn commentary on the same old thing . . . . guns and the people who just have to own them. I think we are ‘way past the point of doing anything about this problem. I would like to see guns confiscated and one gun allowed to each family and that only if they can swear to one of a few actual needs for it Demilitarize our domestic police forces. Provide excellent mental health care.
We are probably no crazier than people in other countries. And real mental health care is an issue in other countries as well. But like healthcare of any kind here in this country, gun ownership supports a huge industry of people and companies who don’t wish to give up their place at the financial table. It would take more balls than any senator or congressman/woman we have possesses to turn that tide. Just look at the shameful attempts to take even the most mediocre health care away from the people who need it the most. What a bunch of cowardly sheep with their hands out for the money from their blackhearted supporters.Pfui !
7Rhea, superb post. The writer is absolutely correct. The 49% of the electorate can stop atrocities like the one in Vegas by VOTING! Why do you think the corrupt republicans don want heavy voting? Why do you think that the evil people who bankroll the GOP donate so many millions? The republicans know exactly what they are doing. Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan traitor trump and the others are evil, soulless nonhumans who only care about and worship greed. The NRA fulfills that by shoveling money at GOP congressional candidates in both houses.
8Rhea, you rock. I am not reading about our President anymore. I am resisting where I can and putting my energy into electing folks at the local, state and national level who will have the courage to commit to gun control.
Thanks.
9For a cheerful note:
Isn’t that special?
10I’ve heard people say that they will no longer vacation in Mexico because it is so dangerous there. My guess is, our Mexican neighbors are saying, “No way will we vacation in the US – it’s too dangerous there.” Aaaaaand they would be right.
Rhea – love the term “dickweed” – useful, elegant, terse.
11Thank you, Rhea … I shared that to my Facebook page, as well.
12As I have stated elsewhere … all of the thoughts, prayers, kneeling, calls, emails, petitions, etc., etc. will do nothing as long as those who CAN continue to DO NOTHING!! Everything falls on blind eyes and deaf ears! Why? Because they don’t give a shit!!
The only thing that will work is to VOTE and to VOTE BLUE and hope even those folks do give a shit!!
And then there is culture. My husband came from a family who had been in the country since the Spanish held so much of it. That means they were in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 (where one of them never returned), the Civil War, San Juan Hill, WWI and WWII plus Viet Nam. All of them brought home a “souvenir” firearm. Then there is the family lore that goes something like this: great-gray-great grand-daddy was lucky he had his trusty musket with him when he was able to make sure the (panther, robber, fill in the blank) never got him. The idea that it was better to have armaments than not was passed along generation to generation. Necessity of weapons was prioritized over the responsibility that came with them.I know Europe has had centuries more of war than we have. I wonder how they handle the tales they tell their children about great-great-great grand-daddy. If we could start by not handing down those tales, we just might be at least a little better off.
13John Cornyn said attempts to prevent the lessening of controls on silencers is “disgusting.”
Final sentence in today’s Houston Chronicle editorial:
“It’s time to let Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz know that protecting innocent citizens is more important than protecting the gun manufacturers’ profits.”
14Hmmmm. I wonder how police unions feel about legalizing silencers.
15Investigators recovered “numerous electronic items, additional five handguns and two shotguns and a plethora of ammunition” at a Reno property owned by Paddock. They had previously found 23 guns in the shooter’s hotel room in the Mandalay Bay resort, 19 at his home in Mesquite, Nevada.
How many guns do you need?
16As for that crap “now is not the time to talk about it” re: the latest mass murder, then the same excuse can be used for nuclear war, the economy, Russian interference in our elections, and any number of other things. Its one hell of an empty and artless excuse to get out of hard work. If the pols don’t want to talk about it at any time, then they should just pull their tents and vamoose, dammit!
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