Hermann Goering was right about what it takes to mobilize a nation. According to statistics from shootingtracker.com, 2015 has had almost as many mass shootings — defined as incidents in which four or more victims are shot — as days in the year: 355 in total. And the year is not even finished.
I said it before and I will say it again: this is a pandemic problem. In fact, it can be reasonably asserted at this time that it is a health risk.
And how does one go about addressing health risks? Naturally, studies are done to determine the cause and provide the information necessary to take measures to reduce the risk. No reasonable person would ever deny that research and the gathering of information for the purposes of better understanding things is a good idea.
But Republicans are not reasonable.
An article from June of this year in Politico stated that “The House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday rejected, 19-32, an amendment from top Democratic appropriator Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) that would allow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study the underlying causes of gun violence.”
Ever hear the one about doing the same thing and expecting a different result?
The idea that we have leaders in this country so entrenched to their party ideologies that they will not even let someone study the root of a problem makes them the quite possibly one of the largest problems we have.
I digress.
Listen, it finally happened. I wondered if it would, and it did. In the wake of the killings at a Planned Parenthood, I was a bit downtrodden at the repetitiveness and scope of these crimes, but I grieved momentarily for the people involved.
Then word of San Bernadino hit the newsfeeds just as I was driving in to do my regular guest spot on the Kate Dalley Show, and you know what? I did not even grieve. Not for a second. Not because it was not a horrific tragedy with a huge and senseless loss of life but because I am at last conditioned to the idea that this is how it is going to be. It is not going to change. I did not grieve because in my mind I was preparing to go on this largely right-wing, fundamentalist, conservative talk show and hear an almost sickening regurgitation of the same bullshit I have heard after every one of these shootings.
And dare to ask them what they think the solution is and you will get “More guns! Arm teachers! Arm flight attendants! Hell, arm little kids, our enemies do it. Kill ’em all!”
Oh, that it were that simple.
In the annals of American history, I fear that this will be a chapter where we were more divided than we have ever been.
I don’t know if some of these shootings have been terror-related, and neither do you for that matter, but I will tell you this, and you had better pay attention.
There is a stark and haunting difference in the response to terror from 2001 to now. When we were attacked on that fateful day in September, our enemies saw what was tantamount to the infamous “Sleeping Giant” effect. In a matter of minutes, there were not Republicans or Democrats. Their were just embattled, traumatized, seriously pissed-off and united Americans.
But when the notion comes up now as with the shooting in San Bernadino whereby it has been suggested that it was at least encouraged but ISIS, there is little unification but instead division. And over what? Guns.
Do you see where I am going with this? We’re being lead exactly where a would-be enemy could best hurt us — that is, being lead to maintain a divided house. And a divided house will not stand.
Accept at face value that terror is at the root of this violence and you are courting more legislation likened to the Patriot Act, which stripped more of your civil liberties with the stroke of a pen in a single day than most of you know. And it was done with eyes wide open.
Perhaps Hermann Goering said it best at at the Nuremberg trials:
“Naturally the common people don’t want war: Neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” (My emphases.)
For the briefest of moments, set aside, if you are able, your political affiliations and re-read that quote.
Sound familiar?
See you out there.
Great piece, Dallas. I am not yet done grieving when I hear of these horrific incidents. I grieve for the victims and their families and even more for the future of our country and the world if something isn’t done to end this hatred and violence.
We are being led to maintain a divided house.
By whom? Our leaders? Who are they? The Administration? The House & Senate? Mass media – everyone with a printing press or an Internet connection? Probably all of them. All are telling us that we are being attacked by someone, by “them” – physically, socially, culturally, economically.
No wonder there is such division – who to trust and why? Shooting Tracker says there have been 355 mass shootings this year. Mother Jones says the number is four. USA Today says the number is 18. It all depends on what definition and data base you use which is driven by your agenda. Using the definition of the Congressional Research Service and the FBI the number is probably in the high 20s or low 30s.
Why trust the CDC to do a disinterested job of studying gun violence – they are part of the same administration that decided the Fort Hood shooting was workplace violence. The same administration that says it is safe to admit 10,000 Syrian refugees because they will be fully vetted – presumably by the same people that vetted the female shooter in San Bernadino.
Of course the solutions from the callers on the Kate Dalley show are absurd. So what are the solutions? Ban firearms that have pistol grips and flash suppressors? Some measure of gun control seems to be the only solution Obama and the Democrats on Capitol Hill have. The Republican solutions are no better. Trump is just plain scary.
Perhaps at this point in time there simply are no solutions that can be implemented because of the distrust and division. Or worse, perhaps we are moving to become as Germany was pre-Hitler.
I still think what I suggested in my letter to the editor (Own a gun own the responsibility) is a good place to start. People may not agree but I don’t here any other suggestions that don’t include trying to disarm the law abiding citizen. It may not be a total fix but it’s a start. We have to do something.
I have never, never heard a good response from an anti-RKBA advocate why the obvious axiom that attempts to control to firearms will only affect law abiding citizens is wrong.
“Um and aargh, um and aargh, um”, was all he told me
I’m catching beriberi and I’m feeling so low
“This is much too good for the people” he said
I said “don’t people have minds of their own?”
And it’s better that you agree
In this best of best industries
I was in the midst of a dream
I felt like shouting something obscene
A man appeared, he had a beard, he had a dog right at his feet
I said, “My song?”, he said “it’s long, it’s got no balls”, I said
“that’s neat, but it took me thirty years to write”,
He said, “your image is incomplete”.
…………………………………