Violence in America: My Two Cents

The massacre of 49 and the wounding of 53 human beings at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando shocked the nation. The news media has been busy showing us frame by frame the faces of those who lost their lives, the horror of those who survived, and the suffering of family members and friends. A grief-stricken nation stands frozen in front of the tube, powerless, unable to make sense of this terrible tragedy. Expressions of solidarity, tears, and anger have followed.

Years ago a well-known politician suggested that no crisis should go to waste and to take advantage of crises to advance political agendas. 

It did not take long for our politicians to get on the tube and promote their viewpoint, dispensing their “wisdom” while professing their horror. 

A squalid scene at best, and unwelcome sideshow at its worst!

The Politician’s Modus Operandi

We have seen examples time and again during the past 75 years of fruitless and ill-conceived solutions to grave national ills. The favorite solution? Pass a law and problem will be solved.

• Let me share some examples: Poverty has reached an undesirable level. Solution? Let’s pass a law outlawing poverty. Problem will be solved. After spending trillions of dollars to solve the problem, some 60 plus years after the Great Society’s war on poverty, we now have a higher level of poverty.
• The drug problem has reached epidemic levels and something must be done to combat it. Solution? Let’s declare war on drugs. Let’s pass tough laws to deal with those who traffic or indulge in drugs. Problem solved. Flash forward to our full jails, an unsustainable level of incarceration, and an increased use of drugs.
• We cannot tolerate terrorism on our shores. Too many horrible incidents have scarred the nation. Solution? Let’s declare war on terrorism by tightening our anti-terrorism laws. Problem solved.  Since 9/11 the number of terrorists incidents has actually increased everywhere domestically and overseas: Paris, Brussels, United Kingdom, Egypt, Turkey, Russia, and so on.
• Upward to 30,000 Americans are murdered annually. We cannot tolerate this and we must do something about it. We are tired of one minute of silence, lighting candles, and delivering flowers. Solution? Let’s outlaw all heavy weapons such as machine guns, bazookas, automatic rifles, hand grenades, etc., and problem will be solved. Let’s make buying guns more difficult. Of the 30,000 deaths, only 600 have been attributed to the use of heavy weapons.

Framing the Issue

I find it interesting how our two main political parties are framing the issue behind the massacre in Orlando.  The Right tells us that it is the result of our failure to contain terrorism and our lackadaisical approach to the ISL threat. The Left tells us that it is the result of easy access to guns. The latter advocates strong laws making it difficult for potential murderers to get their hands on guns. The former advocates the obliteration of ISL and its sympathizers.

I see these two positions as one-eyed strategies. A better solution might be to do both. No group in our political spectrum owns a comprehensive solution. Politicians tend to frame issues mainly to gain political advantage and not necessarily to solve the nation’s problems.

Passing laws, in my view, is the first, not the final step. The first step too often treats the symptoms. It makes people feel good, a needed bromide, but in the end we have little to show for our efforts. We need to understand the root causes for these issues and take the necessary steps to resolve them over the long haul.

Some Statistics

Professor James A. Fox, a Northeastern University criminology professor, has compiled data of mass shootings during the past 40 years. A mass shooting, he defined, is four or more casualties. He tells us that since 1976, 3,712 Americans have died as a result. 

The number of mass shootings from 1994 to 2004, when federal law banned assault weapons, did not decline. That is why the law was allowed to expire. The mass shootings in Paris, Brussels, London, and San Bernardino occurred in states where guns are banned.

A recent YouTube video identified 53,030 victims as a result of gun violence in 2015 to:

·      330  -- mass shootings where 4 or more people were involved

·      6      -- terrorists/hate attacks

·      2      -- Islamic terrorist attacks

·      96    -- bars, parties incidents

·      83    -- gangs, drive-by shootings

·      68    -- domestic disputes

·      54    -- lone wolf/unknown cause

·      12    -- armed robberies/home invasions

·      11    -- drug related shootings

In addition to guns, bombs and hand grenades have been used to kill and mutilate innocent bystanders.

Is there a common denominator? Yes, it is hate!

Where Do We Go From Here?

In time of crisis, we need strong leaders, leaders capable of rallying the population toward common sense solutions. It is not a time for speeches, filibusters, and other political slight-of-hand tricks.  Local communities need to get involved beyond decrying the incidents, lighting candles, and holding one-minute of silence ceremonies.

The price we are paying in human lives is way too high to sit back and kick the ball down the field hoping that somebody else will solve the problem.

There are many root causes behind this systemic level of violence … easy access to guns and terrorism might be two. Multiple causes require multiple strategies!