American Fascism Isn't Going Away
Saturday, June 11, 2022
Friday, June 10, 2022
Gun Violence as a Symptom
The recent mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas is about as horrific as it gets. It was far from the first school shooting and will certainly not be the last. Once again we find ourselves in the same situation as every mass shooting; profound sadness and shock, blaming guns, poor security / police response, lots of hot air about gun control vs. Second Amendment and at the end of the day nothing changes. I think we are far beyond effective gun control measures. That ship sailed fifty or sixty years ago. The problem is only a symptom of something much bigger.
I've written on guns before (here) and things have only worsened. With our national legislature in the pocket of gun makers, gun sellers and a plethora of other like-minded lunatics, we cannot get even minimal reforms, much less anything approaching a solution(s). It is a much deeper problem than high capacity magazines, AR-15's or no limits on ammo. You see, it's too late for bans and other "you cannot have that" solutions. There are more guns than people here. And no, the government cannot "take your guns." It is logistically impossible. The point is, guns are not going away. I think real solutions are only possible by doing something Americans hate, looking in the mirror. Let's start to peel the onion of gun violence.
Our "winner take all" society is sick, very sick. How else to explain Sandy Hook and nothing changes afterward? Some in the gun crowd scream mental health! Are they wrong? Sure, I'd say if one shoots up a school, church or grocery store, they have some severe mental health issues. Let's go deeper. Why? Remember we gutted mental healthcare back in the '80's. It's hard to get care for mental wellbeing. Good luck paying for it in this healthcare system! And then there's the stigma. Good luck finding work afterward. "But we cannot afford it!" So screams the Party of Deregulation and tax cuts for the rich. Let's dig deeper.
What can cause the mental illness that leads to mass shootings and other violent crimes? Well, we basically have to reform ourselves from top to bottom. The crushing effects of late stage casino capitalism come into play. Here's a link for a deep dive. Basically, if you're poor, it's your own damn fault. If you fail and you are rich enough, Uncle Sam will not let you fall. The economy is rigged like a casino that cannot lose money (Donald Trump not withstanding). We live surrounded by debit traps of all sorts; credit card debit, medical debit, car loan debit, mortgage debit, student loan debit, rent, utilities and so on and on. Yes, there are jobs but many pay too little to even afford necessities much less give some breathing room. We are not dying of starvation but the cheap food comes with new costs all their own- feeling like shit all the time and poor long term health outcomes like heart disease and diabetes. So far our response to these things has only made the situation far worse and more dangerous. Come along- we got more digging to do.
Instead of making changes to reduce suffering, the powers that be have only doubled down to keep the rigged game going. No job? No future? No hope? Lonely? Sad? Depressed? It's the blacks' fault! It's the Chineses' fault! It's the Mexicans' fault! It's the Muslims' fault! It's the liberals' fault! They are stealing your country. You must FIGHT back! Get your guns while you still can (They want to take those too!). Guns make you powerful. Guns make you a man. Don't be weak! Arm up and FIGHT back. Don't be weak. These dangerous sentiments resonate with hopeless and powerless people being crushed under the weight of American Capitalism. Add to all of this our ever increasing isolation. Gone are the union meetings, neighborhood activities, many clubs and associations that used to bring different people together. Mass shootings are only one symptom. We also see more suicides and other "Deaths of Despair."
Mixing guns with fascism, toxic masculinity and Christian extremism is proving to be deadly. The culture has grown so toxic mass shootings are just another Wednesday afternoon. They are American as Baseball, apple pie and napalm. So how do we reverse course? Can we? We start by bringing people together. Find stuff / create stuff to get involved in! For Fuck's sake turn off the computer, put down the tablet or phone, give the social media a break! Do stuff with people. Don't leave people out. Rebuild a sense of community. Alone time in echo chambers feeds bad things. To the gun bros- stop fetishizing firearms! Have fun at the range. Learn and teach how to hunt safely. Guns are tools, not status symbols. Yes, gun violence is fixable. Real solutions will take time. So can we? We have too.
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