With each new instance of a mass-shooting or an otherwise “unjustifiable” gun homicide, the media is filled with pleas for “gun control,” without ever addressing the underlying issue – our culture of violence. I don’t know if the proposed [weak] gun control measures would result in some minor reduction in bullet injuries or not, but they certainly wouldn’t result in any major changes if not accompanied by a cultural shift away from the idea of “legitimate” violence.
Although fantasy violence pervades our entertainment industry (movies, TV, video games, books, etc.), the fictional violence is not causal – our implicit endorsement of real-world violence is the root problem. Propagandists have won the war of words in convincing us that any form of violence can be “good” or “bad” (and which is which can switch), depending on your perspective.
Law Enforcement vs. Criminal Acts, Enhanced Interrogation vs. Torture, Collateral Damage vs. Victims, Preemptive Strike vs. Invasion, Enemy Combatants or Insurgents vs. Soldiers or Freedom Fighters, Regrettable Death vs. Murder. These are all terms which can be used to legitimize (e.g., Law Enforcement) or de-legitimize (e.g., Murder) the use of extreme violence.
If the act of shooting a person with a gun, not in self-defense, but perhaps while that person is fleeing, can be considered “legitimate” in some circumstances (e.g., because of your profession in “law enforcement” or “soldier” or because of your situation as a “freedom fighter”), then is it so surprising that some people will mentally extend that legitimacy to their own circumstances?
And it’s not just authoritarian violence that we accept, we also accept and participate in extreme violence against our fellow sentient beings, in regards to the imprisonment, dismemberment and slaughter of animals as if they had no more ability to feel pain than do rocks. And likewise the indentured servitude (sometimes overlapping with slavery) of human beings in resource production, such as cocoa farming. Unseen animals and unseen humans, we treat them all as if they were mere criminals, ruthless insurgents, terrorists or unlucky residents in a foreign land that our military happens to be attacking.
It’s true that guns+bullets are efficient killing machines, as are bolt-guns and butcher knives, but it’s people who are violent, and it’s we who are complicit in daily acts of violence against our fellow creatures, human or otherwise. To earn peace and safety, we need to say no to all forms of extreme violence, whether they be by the authorities, industry or by lone individuals. If we can consistently oppose violence, then we can evolve towards peace and dramatically reduce the incidence of violent tragedy. Go vegan, oppose military and police brutality, buy ethically sourced goods.
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Homicide Assist
Gun Explosive Propellant
Too Legit To Quit?
As for the previous federal “Assault Weapons Ban” that pundits and politicians are talking about reinstating, it seems pretty toothless to me, as it did nothing about hundreds of thousands of existing assault weapons in private hands (nor did it ban their use by military or police), which means they were still obtainable/usable by many. Also, it didn’t restrict sale of “non-assault” guns, which can obtained on impulse in several states with no checks or license required, and of course any gun may be used in a deadly assault, even if a mass-murderer might need to reload or switch guns slightly more often.