In a
country where too many are content to relax in the belief that it is
the world’s best, it is outrageous to read, or tune into,
news outlets, to learn, on a daily basis, of yet more killing and
wounding of innocent humans by one or more deranged, usually white
male, humans.
We
can be grateful where in many cases our police, risking their own
lives, rapidly rushed to the scenes to limit the slaughter – but
this is not enough, nor the solution.
One
example in a long string of crimes came on Sunday, 04 August, 2019,
when headlines in the morning newspaper reported that 27 had been
killed and 26 wounded yesterday in a busy shopping area in El Paso,
Texas, by a lone gunman who was taken into custody. I had barely
finished reading the paper, that also included details of another
local murder, when I learned that 9 more had been killed and 27
wounded on Sunday, just 13 hours later, in Dayton, Ohio. This time
the police arrived within a minute to kill the shooter whose victims
included his own sister.
This
makes 251 mass shootings in 216 days so far in 2019. 2016 also saw
more than one mass shooting per day. All told there have been over
8,000 dead and 17,000 wounded in mass shootings, defined as 4 or more
deaths per incident, not including the shooter. Sufferings are
multiplied many times over by all the friends and relatives.
In
the same time period Canada suffered one mass shooting and Mexico
three.
Much
of the blame is hurled at President Donald Trump whose rhetoric and
actions are hostile to the environment, to immigrants, and to humans
not of the wealthier classes.
The
White race, dominant in Europe, Western Russia, North America, and
Australasia, has contributed much it can brag about, but it does have
its share of dangerous faults such as a history of massacres of and
thefts from indigenous tribes plus slavery of humans considered
inferior. Improvements have been impressive, but they remain a work
in progress.
Blessed
by geography, the United States has created a world-leading country,
providing many benefits for humanity, Currently embracing other
cultures, it can boast of millions of its citizens striving for a
better world for all.
But
it also shelters many thousands who worship Greed and are indifferent
to the sufferings of other citizens, be they soldiers in far-off
conflicts or poorly-rewarded common workers. Some fear their world
of dominance is eroding and they must fight back. An
easily-available assault rifle is the cheapest means of broadcasting
their anger while presidential rhetoric convinces them they have
backing at the highest level.
So,
banning assault weapons is an obvious first, and popular, step.
After each shooting there has been a fervent call for federal
gun-control action. A
poll of registered voters shows that 93% would support universal
background checks for all gun buyers. Some
states, impatient with federal lethargy, have imposed their own
restrictions.
So
far the gun industry has been successful in fighting meaningful
lasting
controls.
Actually, mass shootings are profitable for them as gun sales
increase after each.
And,
we can extend this cancer to the world where an unscrupulous few
employ Fear and Hate to surpass Love and enhance Profits.
Temporary
as it might be, our species has evolved on a planet that offers
beauty and contentment in exchange for Care and Co-operation. The
failure of many of us to recognize, and react to, the many threats,
especially global warming, leave us with a mere 12 years to take
the actions vital to avoiding
our demise.
While
corrective actions on gun control are vital and long overdue, it is
futile to concentrate on them without including the other threats to
our survival. We
do need to heed the cover-the-waterfront proposals of such
presidential candidates as Berni Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
Ye
Olde Scribe
