Nothing ever changes, despite harrowing statistics, despite far less death in countries with stricter controls, despite endless anguish. Are any of us safe going to school, the grocery store, a game or a concert? No, we are not.
My conservative friends explain that ours is “gun culture”. Why? Is that excuse enough? Is it enough for the loss of even one life lost? No!
Dan's remarks are short, in the style of digestible, if unpalatable, truths. One arrested me:
Mass shootings are part of our American identity.
No matter how hard I try to shake the truth from that statement, I can't. The details of the incident, which took place in what's known in Los Angeles as "Chinatown", where the Taiwanese manager of a hotel I used to frequent in LA once sent me with his brother to collect air tickets he had kindly arranged for me and where I experienced a frisson of exotic "otherness" and kindness that excelled beyond even the kindness of the rest of LA's ethnic mix, are related in The Guardian newspaper under a curious category headline, which reads "Guns and Lies".
That is thought-provoking. Because that, too, seems to be a part of the American identity.
I am a few days late reading this column. I really appreciate Dan’s poignant poem. Lots to think about.
What I am thinking about is not popular here in the US. But I need to say it because only a few of the 500 plus comments touched on it.
"Mass shootings are part of our American identity."
My concept of this statement is: Collective mass murder is our identity.
There have been very few years in my 67 years of life that this country has not been involved in a conflict or a war. More recently our “wars of choice” have killed millions of people and displaced many millions more. These are people who for the most part are kind, care for their families, and work hard. Their lives are being destroyed by a superpower empire on the march. I shudder every time I hear someone say to these new breed of soldiers/mercenaries, thank you for your service.
This country was founded with lofty ideas but since day one has been violent and has glorified violence. It is the major arms dealer in the world, selling to both sides in conflicts. Although controversial, it dropped two atomic bombs killing hundreds of thousands of civilians in a defeated country on the verge of surrender. And now the US is in a proxy war with Russia and is consistently raising the stakes of a nuclear conflict by supplying more and more sophisticated weapons, instead of pushing for a negotiated peace. This is insanity.
So whatever motivates a person to pick up a weapon and shoot innocent people, I am not
even surprised anymore. Just very very sad. Our country needs a complete reboot. Then one day I would be proud to say, “Peace is part of our American identity”.
I think if everyone involved themselves in addressing the real issues underlying the war in Europe, rather than claiming it's not 'their problem', it would have ended by now. This unfortunate travesty is only a microcosm of the mass undeserved deaths that are occurring in Europe.
Why, why, why. Why in the supposedly most forward country in the world, are we dealing with this? Or not dealing with this. I know it's only time before it hits in my hometown. What is wrong with us?
“How this stacks up globally: Regular mass shootings are a uniquely American phenomenon. The US is the only developed country where mass shootings have happened every single year for the past 20 years, according to Jason R. Silva, an assistant professor of sociology and criminal justice at William Paterson University.
The US has the highest firearm homicide rate in the developed world — about 4 per 100,000 people. That’s 18 times the average rate in other developed countries.”
Beyond tragic. *sigh*
Sad, and well said. We have come so far, yet dropped so low.
Highly coherent, quite good and sympathy. Raising voice.
“shock & grief”
“tight knit community”
“grieving process”
semiautomatic weapon
stockpiled weapons & ammunition
blah
blah
blah
Nothing ever changes, despite harrowing statistics, despite far less death in countries with stricter controls, despite endless anguish. Are any of us safe going to school, the grocery store, a game or a concert? No, we are not.
My conservative friends explain that ours is “gun culture”. Why? Is that excuse enough? Is it enough for the loss of even one life lost? No!
Dan's remarks are short, in the style of digestible, if unpalatable, truths. One arrested me:
Mass shootings are part of our American identity.
No matter how hard I try to shake the truth from that statement, I can't. The details of the incident, which took place in what's known in Los Angeles as "Chinatown", where the Taiwanese manager of a hotel I used to frequent in LA once sent me with his brother to collect air tickets he had kindly arranged for me and where I experienced a frisson of exotic "otherness" and kindness that excelled beyond even the kindness of the rest of LA's ethnic mix, are related in The Guardian newspaper under a curious category headline, which reads "Guns and Lies".
That is thought-provoking. Because that, too, seems to be a part of the American identity.
I am a few days late reading this column. I really appreciate Dan’s poignant poem. Lots to think about.
What I am thinking about is not popular here in the US. But I need to say it because only a few of the 500 plus comments touched on it.
"Mass shootings are part of our American identity."
My concept of this statement is: Collective mass murder is our identity.
There have been very few years in my 67 years of life that this country has not been involved in a conflict or a war. More recently our “wars of choice” have killed millions of people and displaced many millions more. These are people who for the most part are kind, care for their families, and work hard. Their lives are being destroyed by a superpower empire on the march. I shudder every time I hear someone say to these new breed of soldiers/mercenaries, thank you for your service.
This country was founded with lofty ideas but since day one has been violent and has glorified violence. It is the major arms dealer in the world, selling to both sides in conflicts. Although controversial, it dropped two atomic bombs killing hundreds of thousands of civilians in a defeated country on the verge of surrender. And now the US is in a proxy war with Russia and is consistently raising the stakes of a nuclear conflict by supplying more and more sophisticated weapons, instead of pushing for a negotiated peace. This is insanity.
So whatever motivates a person to pick up a weapon and shoot innocent people, I am not
even surprised anymore. Just very very sad. Our country needs a complete reboot. Then one day I would be proud to say, “Peace is part of our American identity”.
This is so heartbreaking. What has happened to the USA? How is this possible?
Summa cum laude. Greatest praise.
I think if everyone involved themselves in addressing the real issues underlying the war in Europe, rather than claiming it's not 'their problem', it would have ended by now. This unfortunate travesty is only a microcosm of the mass undeserved deaths that are occurring in Europe.
Why, why, why. Why in the supposedly most forward country in the world, are we dealing with this? Or not dealing with this. I know it's only time before it hits in my hometown. What is wrong with us?
You forgot about the endless stream of “thoughts and prayers” from Washington.
And another just now. (Probably could be read everyday and be true.)
The saddest part — it IS part of our American identity. We seem to be the only country who can’t come up with a solution.
🥲😡Let me just refer to this -
“How this stacks up globally: Regular mass shootings are a uniquely American phenomenon. The US is the only developed country where mass shootings have happened every single year for the past 20 years, according to Jason R. Silva, an assistant professor of sociology and criminal justice at William Paterson University.
The US has the highest firearm homicide rate in the developed world — about 4 per 100,000 people. That’s 18 times the average rate in other developed countries.”
"Our politics don’t allow progress." And thus the insanity is summarized.
Insight!!! Another name for Mother Nature ---KARMA🥴