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*Trigger Warning: Gun Violence
As an outsider watching the repeated horror of mass shootings in the US, I get the sense that no one really knows what to do. There appears to be a fear of stepping on other’s rights from those deemed independents. This allows the entrenched positioning of those labeled conservatives who scream, ‘but they’re trying to take our guns!’
Those positioned in the middle, whom one would think to have the answers, appear to waiver. Asking for background checks and the non-issuing of semi-automatic weapons. Yet these mass shootings have been perpetrated by those with or without ID, or without semi-automatic weapons. In other words, AR15’s aren’t the real problem, identity is. Non-enforcement of laws already in place, is.
The sane civilian does not kill people in cold blood. What trance of insane thinking must be driving this killer to continue holding down the trigger as they see people screaming in terror and fear?
There’s a need to deal with the build-up of warped beliefs and distorted thinking in the minds of those who carry out mass shootings. Otherwise, they’ll continue to occur. The deeply entrenched ideas of blind patriotism and fervent nationalism seen across the US may need to fall away.
The fear of otherness within society must be taken into account. The desire to be a major player in the popularity contest culture of most US high schools is a real trigger. One that’s endlessly depicted in inane high school movies.
The idea that force and power, look like Bruce Willis, Jason Statham or more youthful equivalents, has to be owned. The messaging being that ‘white guys’ get a free pass when they’re defending what’s ‘right.’
It’s the warping of accepted norms, that amplify already exaggerated distortions in the mind of the white male, mass shooter. They’re clearly disturbed, but it’s the endlessly conflicted messaging around what it is to be a white American male, that their insanity draws on.
Own the conflicted messaging:
“We’re the greatest nation in the world.” Are you?
“A powerful male looks, acts, behaves dominantly.” Does he?
“The right to bear arms is a constitutional right.” Should it be?
And what happens when your highly distorted mind can’t cope with not being a part of the revered ‘in crowd?’
Disenfranchisement and the endless glorification of violence is a factor. The fact that this analysis is not equally applied to black males who shoot, doesn’t make it any less so.
War being seen as a legitimate solution to conflict, is a major issue. Consider how many veterans have PTSD whilst being spoken of in reverent tones as ‘our heroes.’ It’s a highly conflicted-message.
Then there’s the insanity that initially allowed lethal weapons to be included as part of the daily shop. Why was that, not nipped in the bud, bud?
Finally, the argument that it’s impractical to make free healthcare available to all. In light of a system that allows those with extreme mental health issues to fall through the cracks, this approach might need a rethink.
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Photo by Kyle Johnson on Unsplash