A nation of (potential) killers

In the past few years, some Americans have begun asking about just what horrific mass shooting would move the needle on gun safety. Well, I have been wondering, anyway.

I am forced to make this observation: there is nothing that will be enough. No one massacre. No particular school shooting of children. No "knocked on the wrong door" outrage. No raw numbers of shooting and deaths and maimings. 

Guns are the number killer of American children, as new statistics show, but many states and many individuals simply accept those appalling deaths as a cost of "freedom." Leaders throw up their hands and claim there is nothing that can be done. 

"It's a mental health problem!" many exclaim, while offering not a single program that might actually address such issues. And no discussions about why the U.S. contains so many damaged people are allowed. No discussions of the overwhelming numbers of weapons can be shared. 

America is armed to the teeth and ready to fire at almost any provocation. And our TV and movie choices routinely offer spectacular murders, exhibit almost no remorse or guilt, and provide only the fleeing satisfaction of the "bad guy" being killed by the avenging guns of "good guys."

Many legislatures in Angry White People states are actually making it easier to own guns and many don't require as much as a training course in gun use for people to be packing. We haven't gone that far in Colorado yet, but even with Democrats firmly in control of all levels of state government, a bill to stop new sales of automatic weapons failed just this week. 

Ironically, the bill was killed early in the morning of April 20, the 24th anniversary of the Columbine HS massacre.

No matter what any of our fine leaders may claim, we really don't value children's lives as much as guns. Oh, they'll offer those pointless "thoughts and prayers," as will many of our pious neighbors who love their own children and grandchildren so much, or so they say, while continuing to support MORE weapons, more bullets, more danger. 

Douglas County, home of comfortable but aggrieved white people, elected a Democrat in 2022... a huge surprise. But he was one of the three Dems on the legislative committee who killed the attempt to limit assault weapons. He said he has promised his constituents that he would not support "more" gun laws. Mostly, he just wants to be reelected, I guess. In the end, he's just another gun worshipper.

Innocents are being shot -- and some killed -- every day in the "land of the free." Many, many more simply turn their guns on themselves. Strangers fire wildly at anyone they don't know or that randomly show up at their homes. 

And in place after place, the common refrain from the survivors is "this is not who we are."

But it is.