Like everyone in America this weekend,
I am struggling to understand why these horrific acts of violence are
occurring, and why no one in government seems to be able to suggest
even the tiniest step toward addressing them. Unlike many of my
friends, I can't make up my mind about a solution. For them it seems
to be a simple decision. I can't seem to get there, so I'm trying to
organize my thoughts here, in hope of clarifying the issue for
myself.
On one hand, I am seeing my “liberal”
friends posting statistics pointing out that European countries that
have strict regulations of guns have lower per capita gun deaths. On
the other hand, I have “conservative” friends that point out that
dis-arming of populations has been the first step to establishing
totalitarian regimes in many other countries. To me, neither of those
examples means anything when dealing with the gun control issue in
the US, but it does illustrate the basic divide in political thought
in the US, and why our federal government can no longer govern
effectively on any of the key social issues of the modern age. Yes,
if we make guns illegal, only criminals will have guns. Unlike the
UK, the guns are already out there. Only a nation-wide house-to-house
search could rid this country of guns, and we can all agree, that is
not something we want. And yes, no one needs a high-cap assault
weapon to hunt deer, and yes, most gun deaths occur in the home. All
of these things are true. So where does that put us?
A few facts about school shootings in
America: school shootings have been occurring in US schools since
there have been schools in the US. Of course, killing technology has
advance exponentially since Matthew Ward shot Schoolmaster Butler
with a flintlock pistol in Louisville, Kentucky in 1853, and high
capacity automatic weapons have made the outbreaks of violence
increasingly horrendous. Another fact- in most cases the throughout
history, the shootings have been premeditated acts of mentally ill
individuals. In many, if not most cases, the individuals committed
suicide after the killings.
Other factors: In most cases,
historically, the weapons used in these cases were legally obtained.
In most cases the shooters were white males from average households.
In recent cases, many of the shooters have been treated for mental
conditions with prescription drugs, and many have been avid players
of violent video games. These factors are all far to vague and
subjective to really take into account. Although I suspect that in
recent cases, the violence in our entertainment, and the over-use of
drugs, most of whom list “suicidal thoughts” as a side effect
right on the box, I'm going to set those aside. I think they are
symptoms of a much bigger cultural problem.
Let's go back to the two undeniable key
factors of the situation- guns and mental illness.
Gun Control- This country was founded
by the gun. It is linked to our history- who we are as a nation, for
better or worse. For some, it is a symbol of their self-sufficiency,
or their distrust of government. I understand both of those. I think
this explains why, despite the fact that per-capita gun ownership has
steadily fallen since the 60's, support for the right to own a gun
has increased. In the back of most Americans mind is a deep-rooted
fear that maybe, someday, they will need one.
On the other hand, most everyone agrees
that a less violent society is what we need to strive for- one where
we don't need to worry about being robbed, raped or enslaved in a
police state. It comes down to another bigger cultural problem- What
IS freedom, really? What happens when your “freedom” collides
with my “freedom”? Okay- back to bigger cultural problems again.
Mental Illness- Government funding for
mental health services are dropping rapidly, despite the increased
need for those services in these difficult times. Insurance companies
won't pay for them either, unless you have an expensive, premium
policy. How are parents with sick kids supposed to get help? Shit,
again, back to huge cultural problem.
Okay, so I'm back to square one, just
like our government. Unlike, the government, I am not willing to
accept that somehow legislative band-aids will create a solution. The
popular Einstein quote says that Insanity is doing the same thing
over and over again and expecting different results. I don't accept
that a government of, by and for special interest groups like the
NRA, big Pharma and the Insurance lobby can fix this problem.
Finally- Let's be clear about what a ban on guns will and won't
due. It will prevent the random killing of 10-20 innocent, mostly
white, middle class people each year. It won't prevent illegal gun
violence, most of which is committed with revolvers and shotguns and
happens in lower-income and minority communities, due to poverty and
bad drug policies. It also won't lead to a loss of personal freedom
or the US becoming a police-state- that is happening despite
individual ownership of automatic weapons. I don't see the President
crying publicly over all of the suicides of people who can't get
adequate health care, or the innocent children killed in drone
strikes. I think we have a way bigger problem here, and freaking out
over the same old hot-button social issues won't do jack-shit.
