This epidemic of mass tragedies is enabled by the most effective means of control the Right has: paranoia, the tireless chase to control people of color, and the demonization of change
I have so many thoughts and feelings about this topic and they're all a jumbled, tangled mess. I just know that I feel defeated and, I don't see change happening. Nothing has changed since Columbine. Small steps have been made and then Rs just tear it all down. Let's see if Biden changes his tune on bipartisanship.
It is crazy-making that there's really nothing to add to this. The arguments won't go anywhere with those for whom 2A is a fanatical religion. I do believe they will eventually lose because the voting numbers will be overwhelming in the long run but it is going to take too long and how many people will die or suffer in the process?
For me it was Sandy Hook Elementary and nothing changed. That was it for me, I learned then that nothing would ever change regarding gun laws in this country.
At the roots of this is also America’s embrace of violence in general as well (rape, domestic violence, world domination and reverence for anything military, obsession with revenge, gaming etc) and how prevalent the glorification of violence is in entertainment. This take is controversial, but I truly do believe we are creatures of influence. We learn language through mimicry and relate through mirroring. It seems silly to deny we are hardwired this way.
And now our continual and ever increasing online presence has seemed to unleash an amplification of an inability to be wrong about anything ie an egotistical need to dominate (You mentioned this about Trump on the Weekender and it really hit me how it appears to be an inherent part of our culture now, and part of why people actually admired Trump. It’s become a sickness.).
I take solace in knowing that statistically the majority of Americans want gun control laws, just as I know the majority of Americans do not want fascism, it's politics that has prevented so many changes that Americans want. The next few years will be telling and this new administration will have to 'rise to the occasion', otherwise I fear we are doomed.
Thank you for pointing out the majority of Americans see and understand these problems, and truly want things to change. I need to hold onto that knowledge when things appear so bleak.
And I share your fears about where this country might go if the Biden administration is too passive, especially on voting rights and in the Senate. I think we need to start making lots of noise about this and let our frustrations be known to reps etc.
One of my first jobs outside of undergrad I worked for an expat newspaper overseas and my editor was British. She'd been a journalist close to the Scottish town where a man went into an elementary school and killed 15 children and one teacher in 1996. She described to me what it was like to be in the newsroom as the calls came in, and what a relief it was -- how much *sense* it made -- to ban handguns after that.
We did not. Because they banned guns. I mean, you can still own them for target shooting and hunting but have to keep them locked up at a club I think?
I was just thinking today about the fact that little to no mass shooters have been women and here's this story. Wow. Growing up, I didn't want to be an American. I've always wanted to live in another country. As a child, it was Ireland. Part of this is the innocence of being young and able to dream. I literally cannot leave this country. I can't even leave the state I live in. Let us know if you decide to cut that knot, Jen. x
I truly hope you get to! My grandfather always said we had some "Scotch-Irish" which, even though I've read up on it, I still don't get. But, my strongest dna comes from Norway (my grandfather on my mother's side was 100%) and English. It would be cool to do a 23 and me type thing someday. I'm basically very white.
I have so many thoughts and feelings about this topic and they're all a jumbled, tangled mess. I just know that I feel defeated and, I don't see change happening. Nothing has changed since Columbine. Small steps have been made and then Rs just tear it all down. Let's see if Biden changes his tune on bipartisanship.
It is crazy-making that there's really nothing to add to this. The arguments won't go anywhere with those for whom 2A is a fanatical religion. I do believe they will eventually lose because the voting numbers will be overwhelming in the long run but it is going to take too long and how many people will die or suffer in the process?
For me it was Sandy Hook Elementary and nothing changed. That was it for me, I learned then that nothing would ever change regarding gun laws in this country.
At the roots of this is also America’s embrace of violence in general as well (rape, domestic violence, world domination and reverence for anything military, obsession with revenge, gaming etc) and how prevalent the glorification of violence is in entertainment. This take is controversial, but I truly do believe we are creatures of influence. We learn language through mimicry and relate through mirroring. It seems silly to deny we are hardwired this way.
And now our continual and ever increasing online presence has seemed to unleash an amplification of an inability to be wrong about anything ie an egotistical need to dominate (You mentioned this about Trump on the Weekender and it really hit me how it appears to be an inherent part of our culture now, and part of why people actually admired Trump. It’s become a sickness.).
I take solace in knowing that statistically the majority of Americans want gun control laws, just as I know the majority of Americans do not want fascism, it's politics that has prevented so many changes that Americans want. The next few years will be telling and this new administration will have to 'rise to the occasion', otherwise I fear we are doomed.
Thank you for pointing out the majority of Americans see and understand these problems, and truly want things to change. I need to hold onto that knowledge when things appear so bleak.
And I share your fears about where this country might go if the Biden administration is too passive, especially on voting rights and in the Senate. I think we need to start making lots of noise about this and let our frustrations be known to reps etc.
All truth, masterfully spoken. Again, thank you.
Oof.
One of my first jobs outside of undergrad I worked for an expat newspaper overseas and my editor was British. She'd been a journalist close to the Scottish town where a man went into an elementary school and killed 15 children and one teacher in 1996. She described to me what it was like to be in the newsroom as the calls came in, and what a relief it was -- how much *sense* it made -- to ban handguns after that.
I remember so vividly when that happened. I was 20. I also remember we didn't hear about a mass shooting like that in Scotland ever again.
We did not. Because they banned guns. I mean, you can still own them for target shooting and hunting but have to keep them locked up at a club I think?
Yes. They did ban guns.
I was just thinking today about the fact that little to no mass shooters have been women and here's this story. Wow. Growing up, I didn't want to be an American. I've always wanted to live in another country. As a child, it was Ireland. Part of this is the innocence of being young and able to dream. I literally cannot leave this country. I can't even leave the state I live in. Let us know if you decide to cut that knot, Jen. x
I truly hope you get to! My grandfather always said we had some "Scotch-Irish" which, even though I've read up on it, I still don't get. But, my strongest dna comes from Norway (my grandfather on my mother's side was 100%) and English. It would be cool to do a 23 and me type thing someday. I'm basically very white.
No Hungarian for me, add a little French and Dutch, and yes, we probably are related! ;) way way back