Update, 4/8/09: I greatly appreciate Mr. Ted Anthony's brief comment in response to the following post, available for reading at the end. His point about attempting (as a journalist) to explain something, vs. assigning 'blame' is a good one. They are "different exercises". --- Mr. D. Tails
(My 4/6/09 post:)From my reading of Mr. Ted Anthony's recent Associated Press 'Analysis' article (link)
"
Analysis: Negotiating a minefield of bad news" . (Or, perhaps an alternate title; "
Why are we killing each other?") :
The "analysis" primarily delves into the number and frequency of mass killings that are occurring in America, and possible causes.
Mr. Anthony covers American culture for the Associated Press.
Included (in the article) from Binghamton, N.Y.'s Press & Sun Bulletin newspaper was this item, which REALLY bothered me:
"The Binghamton newspaper, the Press & Sun Bulletin, seemed to acknowledge the resignation in a glum editorial Saturday that wondered if it was simply, sadly, and inevitably Binghamton's turn to give up a few of its people to the juggernaut.
"It is our turn to grieve and to rally in support of those whose lives have been shattered," the newspaper said. "And it's our turn to hug those in our own families and wonder how a quiet, rainy Friday in a peaceful place became the setting for such a nightmare.""
It's our "turn"....?!? But as terrible as that is, I'm forced to agree about a couple of aspects.... but only these: It's difficult to head off or stop a determined human being, bent upon killing others, who is armed and has some type of plan. Also, viewed from a probability and statistics perspective, if your country has millions and millions of people (of all sorts), lots of available guns, and little effective control of deadly weapons....(Please refer to my previous posts, starting here.)
Reading further in Mr. Anthony's commentary/analysis story, I get the distinct impression that he's also(?) asserting that there's not much anyone can really do (about such mass shootings), and that modern American society is much to blame. ("This is not an era of good feeling in the United States" (e.g., the bad economy, terrorism, Iraq, etc.), and "People are tense.") And, above all, that: "....we seem powerless to stop it all...."
I strongly dispute assertions of
utter "inevitability"
and powerlessness. To begin with, that sure is the ol'
"can do" spirit that helped make this country great (once):
Just throw up our hands and consign all(?) past and future (mass) killings with guns to "inevitability".... There most definitely are things we can try to do, starting as individuals, to at least reduce the numbers and to increase our own chances of surviving. Here are just two: 1) Take seriously any threats or 'talk' from friends, co-workers, or relatives, seeming to indicate that they may be taking or planning such actions. Too often, someone close to an eventual killer was seeing signs of trouble, but failed to act. Err on the side of caution: Report it to police, clergy and/or try to get professional help to them. 2) Perhaps learn some of the following tactics, in case the worst happens to you:
http://www.wikihow.com/Survive-a-School-or-Workplace-ShootingThough he may in part be referring to what the primary subject of his specific article is (going to be), I still can't really fathom the beginning sentences of the following from Mr. Anthony (emphasized):
"Put aside for a moment the debate over guns. This isn't about policy. It's about asking the urgent question: What is happening in the American psyche that prevents people from defusing their own anguish and rage before they end the lives of others? Why are we killing each other?"
This AP writer himself starts off his piece by going through a fairly lengthy list of past, multiple killings in the U.S. And then: "More than 50 people dead in the
past month in American mass shootings and their aftermaths." So, per Mr. Anthony (and everyone else
except the N.R.A.) we clearly have a crisis in this country with (mass) killings
with guns, but we're going to "put aside" a debate about guns? "And it
isn't at least in part, about
policy? How can any piece labeled 'analysis' of the issue totally omit these.....? That's one way to guarantee an assertion that we're all "powerless".
Once again (previous posts): Might not enacting/enforcing the following
policies (laws) at least help the U.S. regain some
control? Other "civilized" countries have not exhibited the awful degree of gun violence that ours has. Most feature serious controls:
"Close the gun show loophole, ban military–style assault weapons, and limit the bulk sales of guns that feed illegal gun trafficking not only to Mexico, but from one state to another here at home..... Weak gun laws (in the U.S.) lead to easy access to dangerous weapons."
Here's a link to CBS's Katie Couric, who asks for additional constructive (and necessary)
action. (After the dumb-ass commercial.) :
Watch CBS Videos Online
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