There's been another mass shooting. Are you wondering which one I'm talking about? Does it matter at this point?
Discussions of gun violence in this country are wearing me down.
The disconnection between what I see and feel and how people talk about the issue publicly makes me hopeless most days. I try to understand, and speak up periodically, but this is one area where I don't believe anymore I can have any impact. It's beyond depressing.
When I stuck my neck out at bit the first time I decided to voice my thoughts about the gun issue in this country, I was moved to do so by a mass shooting only a few miles from my home. I was out-of-state at the time, and showed the draft to my mom who told me I needed a line explaining what specific event I was referring to. I hadn't clarified "which" mass shooting in my first draft because it was a topical post and I felt as if everyone would know what I was talking about.
Now I wonder if it ever mattered.
I'm tired of inaction. I'm tired of frustrating Facebook chatter and recycled slogans. I'm tired of wondering why the worst possible thing that could be happening in this country in epidemic proportions--the violent deaths of innocents every single day--is regarded as just something that happens here.
I'm tired of this and this and this and this and this and this and this and this and this and this and this and this and this and this and this and this just being run of the mill stories anymore. Shocking for barely a moment before we move on to sports and weather, even though, strangely enough, there are parts of the world where any one of these incidents would be considered horrible beyond belief and become a cause for change.
I'm appalled that I've reached a point in being tired that I read a story about two people with concealed carry permits shooting one another to death on the road and my first reaction was, "At least they just took each other out."
I'm tired of some very vocal people offering only more guns as a solution. As if more guns could have helped a 3-month old baby from being shot in the face.
I'm tried of people dodging possible solutions by holding up different problems, playing a shell game of blame as if guns have nothing to do with any of it. I'm tired of people who think it's ridiculous that we "try something." Why not? It can't get worse. And if it does we try "something else."
I feel as if I can only share so much of what I've learned and what I think and that it goes nowhere. I'm tired of spinning my wheels on something so important.
I can only imagine how tired the families of the [insert mass shooting of your choice here] victims are.
Yes, Kory. To all of it.
ReplyDeleteIf Newtown wasn't enough to force change, you have to wonder what would be.
ReplyDeleteIt is frustrating to read stories about shooting. I am convinced that this involves so many things. It seems that the more we watch, the more the Media covers shooting, then the more there is shooting, and more aware we become. For example; I thought Columbine School shooting was the "gateway" to violence with guns, then I realized that the history of shooting went very far back beyond Columbine school shooting (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_shootings_in_the_United_States)
ReplyDeleteWe simply became more aware of violence with guns in public institutions because of media and its coverage. Unfortunately, because of this, this also encouraged other individuals, with severe mental health issues or conditions or history of violence, to want copy-cat what had happened.
I am not blaming just media because there is so much more involved. There are more factors that have led to increased violence with guns.
I am curious, have you seen Michael Moore's film called Bowling for Columbine? You really should watch it. He brought up a lot of valid points that you have to think about, and explore the angles that are offered. There is also a comparison of other countries to US with gun violence that is maddening. Very good film (even if you don't align or agree with his political values, it's still good). He basically addresses why gun violence is not being spoken about, and why it is not being resolved.
I did see (the poorly titled in my opinion) Bowling for Columbine, and I thought the best section of it was the animated sequence in the middle. I think it highlighted the tradition of fear based decisions that our country tends toward. Most of the people I know who own guns imagine death and mayhem around every corner.
DeleteI think you can rightly blame the media for part of the problem. There are many studies that show the negative effects on society of broadcasting violence in the news the way we do. My husband and I had an interesting discussion about it after Sandy Hook, because the coverage did not seem disproportionate to the tragedy to me, but he insisted that it was fueling the problem and making another such incident more likely. I'm not sure how we address it in this age of everyone being able to report everything instantly. If there is a market for tragedy and the media doesn't take advantage of it, regular people will fill the void.
We certainly need improved mental health services throughout the country, and especially in Milwaukee. We need more positive outlets for trauma release, anger and resentment - ways to communicate and work out aggression. I had just finished a program with second graders at MPM the day of Sandy Hook, and for the life of me I can't see how anyone could kill children. I shouldn't have to worry about how to handle an active shooter in my workplace, and individuals shouldn't feel alone, hopeless or compelled to make a statement via a massacre.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. There are so many people who go undiagnosed who have few options beyond some form of self-medication that makes things worse. Our focus too often is to punish people when it's too late or to sweep problems under the rug. More resources need to be allocated toward getting people proper help and treatment because it benefits us all.
DeleteFeeling very much the same Kory. Thanks for the words :)
ReplyDeleteYup. Sad. Praying for peace daily. Trying to love my neighbors. I can't think of anything else. Not that nothing else occurs to me, just that eventually the logic takes me back to loving my fellow man - regardless of the destructive ways they sometimes act on their fears. It's a hard row to hoe some days.
ReplyDeleteAmen. Amen. Amen.
ReplyDeleteI agree. With everything that you said and most of what the other commenters said. I'm just so tired of it. And so afraid it will get much, much worse before it gets better.
ReplyDelete-Lisa