Yesterday, a young man with mental problems drove to a primary school in Newtown, Connecticut with two handguns and a military assault weapon. He went into two classrooms and killed 20 children, none older than seven years. He also killed six adults, including the school's principal.
Two days earlier, right here in Portland, Oregon where we live, another mentally disturbed young man opened fire in a shopping mall filled with Christmas shoppers. Just months ago, yet another unbalanced fool killed a bunch of people in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado.
America is the murder capital of the world. Something over 30 men, women, and children are killed in acts of violence every single day in this country, many with guns. Why? Why is mass murder a particularly American brand of insanity? To me, it comes down to three things: inadequate care for mental Illness, lax gun control, and cultural signals that celebrate violent behavior. Probably a lot of people would agree with that assessment. It's doesn't seem like rocket science.
It would be easy to blame the National Rifle Association for the gun mayhem that plagues our society. The NRA certainly is culpable to some degree. Wayne LaPierre, the sociopath that runs that organization, is an extremist to the core. He wields the considerable political power of the NRA like a club to intimidate politicians who open themselves to even the slightest possibility of reasonable gun regulation. Why is LaPierre and why is the NRA so seriously reactionary when a poll indicates that three of four members of the NRA are open to thoughtfully applied gun control? I believe it comes down to this: Wayne LaPierre's first loyalty is to the firearms industry, not to the NRA's individual gun owner members. LaPierre is most interested in keeping markets open and unencumbered for guns and ammunition. NRA members need to stand up and demand new leadership. The NRA should be representing member rights, not those of businesses that profit selling assault weapons, and hollow-point ammunition, and oversized cartridge clips.
Another big problem: inadequate care for mental Illness. States have traditionally carried the burden for public oversight of mentally ill people. These days, too many people suffering from schizophrenia and other mental diseases are left to fend for themselves. Since the 1980s when Reagan Republicans began their 'smaller government' drumbeat, states have found themselves with ever less money and political will to take care of those with mental illness. These days, people who are indigent with mental troubles often end up on the streets. If the states don't provide adequate support and oversight of people with mental illness, who will? Who protects the public from the kind of mayhem a schizophrenic individual with a gun can unleash on society? So many of these mass murder situations are caused by people who should be under closely monitored care. Conservatives have squeezed the life out of government programs designed to deal with this kind of societal threat. Instead of pissing away money on aircraft carriers and other weapons systems we don't need, we need to rethink our public funding priorities, focusing on the things that affect the life of every citizen. I have no problem paying a bit more in taxes if it means nut cases capable of mass murder will get adequate treatment before they resort to violent acts of insanity.
Violence is an intoxicant in our culture. From the sports we play on athletic fields to the games we play on our computers and iphones, the lesson we learn is that survival is about destroying your opponent. I'm not sure there is much that can be done to insulate people against violence in sports and entertainment. What we can do a lot better is teach our children important lessons on conflict resolution...ability to compromise...willingness to see issues from the perspective of others...recognizing that violence has no place in solving real world problems.
As citizens, we bear ultimate responsibility. When important issues are on the table, we have an obligation to inform ourselves. We can't do what too many of us are doing; that is to allow ourselves to be swayed by the propaganda and bullshit arguments from special interest groups like the National Rifle Association. You don't look to the fox for answers about how to guard the hen house.
At the end of the day, we depend on the politicians we elect to provide leadership. Mass gun murder must not be tolerated. A proper and concerted political response is required. Nothing less should be accepted. President Obama needs to show some spine and step up. Our Senators and Congressional delegates need to step up. They need to ignore the NRA's intimidation game and do what's right for society. If they fail us, they need to be replaced. We need to support candidates for office that will do the right thing. It's on us, all of us, to make sure every effort is made to protect children from being victims of senseless gun violence.
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