American Gun Crime -When Stats No Longer Cover It

Posted on by under education, guns, History, Law and justice, Political commentary, Re-blogs, Social commentary

In response to my latest post about mass shootings and the gun lunacy in the U.S., our good friend Roger has written this post with a song that is both haunting and Roger’s adaptation of the lyrics are ever-so spot-on. Thank you, Sir Roger … for caring more than many in our own government care.

Writing Despite Computers and Programmes

weeping-statue-of-liberty

Pity help us but here’s a lot of killing going on in the world, most of it to do with wars and inter-communal violence. The USA however seems to be particularly afflicted with random civilian on civilian gun death. Anyone who reads this post will already be familiar with the statistics so let’s not dwell on those. Let’s consider the avoidable tragedy and random mass killings.

I was going to attempt a socio-analytical overview of an opinion as to why this is happening, but the images of more death innocents who were not protected by large numbers of their gun owning community as the NRA would have you believe should be the case just made that difficult. Instead something else, deeper took hold:

Playwright Alan Plater and folk singer Alex Glasgow collaborated on a play (well more like a review) titled ‘Close The Coal House Door’. With dialogue and songs…

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15 thoughts on “American Gun Crime -When Stats No Longer Cover It”

  1. Great minds think alike Keith. Here is my comment I left on Roger’s blog, slightly edited for Jill’s blog:

    Love your version, Roger, but I think it could have painted even more colourful pictures, but that is just me.
    I don’t want this to happen, but the USA needs a huge tragedy like Senghenydd or Aberfan to knock some sense into them. There has to be a limit to what people are willing to put up with. Even the Las Vegas shooting a few years ago was not big enough! How big a tragedy will it take to make Americans stand up and fight back?
    This next comment is bound to be unpopular, but why is it the shooting of children that is always brought up to tug at our emotional heartstrings? Oh, I understand children are “innocent” and cannot defend themselves, but especially in mass shootings the victims all were innocent, and unable to defend themselves. And every adult that dies is potentially the father or mother of a small child or three, with the result that children are left orphans, or without two parents. Are those not tragedies too! Aren’t THEIR LIVES RUINED TOO? Do they not deserve our outrage even as killing children brings outrage?
    What sickens me is American media. These have been almost 150 mass shootings in the USA this year last count, I think someone said, but how many are not hitting the national and international news! Why not! Because the NRA don’t want people to understand in their bones how epidemic gun violence is. Over 10,000 gun deaths since New Year’s Day? That is not a number to be ignored, or laughed at. Yet the NRA and gun manufacturers don’t want the information IN PEOPLE’S FACES. Why not?
    I am sick of hearing about gun violence anywhere, including here in Canada, but the sheer volume of gun deaths and injuries in the States is beyond belief. THIS IS INSANITY GONE BERSERK!
    And no one does anything but think, talk and pray… Or in real words, THEY DO NOTHING!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Well, 22 years ago we had 9/11 … what I consider a “huge tragedy”, and rather than pulling this nation together as I had hoped in the first few days, it further divided us by causing renewed hatred for people from the Middle East and people of Islam. It spawned conspiracy theories that still make the circuit even today. It expanded the mistrust of “other” that had already been brewing. So no, I don’t think a major disaster will do much more than increase the great divide. I don’t know what it takes, but I don’t want to be around to find out, if it is going to involve the deaths of hundreds of thousands, or the destruction of wildlife and nature. I don’t pray, I do talk, I do write, I don’t march and protest physically, but I do what I can with my own limited resources. No, it isn’t enough, and yes, I AM angry, but … I’m only one old, broken down person. Others are taking up the mantle, slowly but surely. Do I think it will turn everything around? NO. Do I think it might bring about some gradual change? Time will tell.

      Liked by 1 person

      • It is a uniquely American problem, and it has to be solved by angry Americans voting and protesting. It appears to me that there are just not enough of them who care about the children being killed to change anything.

        Liked by 2 people

        • I think most people care, but they are afraid to step outside their comfort zone, to make waves. And with voting rights being taken away from us in droves, that isn’t likely to be a viable solution. But you’re right … we have to somehow make our voices heard, if it means a tax revolution, a nation-wide strike, or … something!

          Liked by 2 people

  3. Thank you again Jill for the re-blog.
    I am still waiting for the loudest portents of guns to journey to meet with the parents of dead children and grieving families of slain adults to explain how this is regrettable and tragic…..however….And then put their case (on film of course)

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Jill, I wrote the following on Roger’s post. Keith

    “Roger, well written and deployed. When children’s blood is spilled so easily and when the living children are frightened to go to school, that should be the gravest of problems deserving far more than thoughts and prayers. I recall former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who passed within one week of a mass shooting tangible gun governance changes.

    Please forgive me one statistic that amplifies the above. The rate of children gun death in the US exceeds the cumulative rates of children gun deaths of the top 22 wealthiest nations in the world. I normally do not like to curse in print, but that is “damn disgrace” that American lawmakers should be ashamed of. Full stop. There are no ifs, ands or buts.

    We need to demand our legislators to do something. And, that does not mean following the awful and inane precedent of the Tennessee General Assembly who expelled two lawmakers for protesting of all things, gun deaths in their state. Their action is beyond the quoted reference above.

    Keith”

    Liked by 2 people

    • Yes, I just saw your comment on Roger’s post. And you’re right … sometimes you just have to get angry enough to call a spade a spade, or this a damn disgrace, for it truly is one of the biggest disgraces of this nation.

      Liked by 1 person

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