Aug 30 2007
America and Violence
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By David Truskoff
8/30/07
“America is, by far, the most violent country in the world when measured against comparable, industrialized nations. Violence is deeply rooted in our society and has become woven into the fabric of the American lifestyle. A culture of violence has emerged that invades our lives at every level, from our most intimate relationships at home to our schools and work environments. For many of us, violence has become an acceptable strategy for solving conflict, exerting power and control, obtaining possessions, and satisfying emotional desires. Moreover, violence has itself become entertainment, glamorized in the behavior of both real and fantasy heroes.”
—California Attorney General Daniel E. Lungren
Attorney General Lungren made that statement back in 1995. The situation has not improved. It has, in fact, become much worse. There have been 202 homicides in the city of Baltimore alone this year, (2007) The city is headed for at least 300 murders this year. Those are murders alone. It does not include the hundreds of non-fatal shootings.
On any given day in America one can turn on the television set and watch Kick Boxing, women boxing, extreme fights (where anything goes– biting, kicking, punching and knees to the groin) There is also a daily fair of so called wrestling (where grown men break metal chairs over the backs of their opponents and perform other insane violent acts.) Add to that the films such as the one that was on while I was writing this piece. I left it on because I was too busy to shut off the set after the news and it was so resonant with what I was writing about. The film was entitled “Wyatt Erp”. In the movie men are shooting men in scene after scene. If you do not want to watch a movie, there are many violent detective stories that include all kinds of murder and mayhem for you to enjoy.
After they watch the movie, Americans can turn on the local evening news and see how many fellow Americans were shot, knifed or simply killed by other means in their community. That of course is followed by the death count from Iraq.
It is true that violence is inbred in Americans. It is part of our tradition and culture. We revel in the stories of the Wild West and the horrendous Civil War. We play World War Two movies over and over. Actors who were never in the service glamorize over emphasized violence in “the Longest Day,” a movie about the Normandy invasion. It is played on movie channels along with many other war movies all too often.
Do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that violence belongs to Americans alone.
I remember one day when I was speaking to a convention of church youth groups about the Civil Rights struggle in America. During the question period one young woman said,” I am afraid to go downtown because they (meaning Blacks) are so violent.” I lost my composure, for which I later apologized. “You mean like that (N) (I used the forbidden N word) Hitler who was responsible for the deaths of millions of innocent people? Or that (again the N word) Truman who dropped the atom bomb and killed 70 thousand people in one day and then a few days later did the same thing again?”
No, we Americans do not have a corner on violence. No race or ethnic group does, but we have made a religion of it. We have poisoned each generation with it and allowed the mass media to ridicule those who oppose it. We have made it into the most profitable product that we create. Like sex, violence sells. One can not watch an American football game without seeing the joy a “great hit” brings to the announcers. The “great hits” are played over and over interspersed, of course, with commercials. Violence sells.
Two subjects that American politicians dare not touch without risking burned fingers are gun control and of course the plight of the Palestinians. Both of these subjects are guarded by the most powerful lobbies in Washington and a political career can be dashed on the rocks by supporting the Palestinians, who are suffering from the American intercourse with the Israelis’ violence (who came by their brand of violence suckling at the breast of the American military complex), or by calling for gun control to protect Americans who are also suffering from their own violence.
US Children are ten times more likely to die from gunfire than in 25 industrialized nations combined. For young black males in the US guns are the leading source of death…In 1995 one in 12 students reported carrying a firearm or some other weapon. In 2004, 81 people were shot dead every day in the US according the US Center for Disease Control. 29,569 were killed by firearms that year. Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also reveal that every day; nearly eight children or teens are killed by gun violence in America which adds up to about 235 each month.
Where did they get the guns? That is the question gun control advocates continue to ask, but it is like trying to find an acceptable answer to the so called Middle East crises. Everyone knows the answer, but no one can apply it. Let’s just dream for a minute. The answer to the gun lunacy can be simple. Guns, in particular hand guns, are used to kill people so the US government should take over all gun manufacturing businesses that make huge profits from the gun murder rate and see to it that only the law enforcement people and the military have guns. Why do any others need them?
There was a time, not too long ago, in England when even the Bobbies didn’t carry guns, but since the huge influx of illegal weapons they are now forced to carry them in order to protect themselves and the general public.
The gun nuts still parrot “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.” No, people with guns kill people more often. They will also quote from the Second Amendment to the Constitution “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” June 21, 1788.
The small country of 1788, when much of the population had to hunt for food and many still worried about Indian wars, was a much different place than the three hundred million divided population of present day America.
The second amendment should have been amended before the Wild West became so wild. For decades cowardly politicians have never been able to rewrite it so that it will really protect the people. After demands by law enforcement agencies who have found some of their men outgunned by outlaws (protected by the second amendment), the best they could do is try and control military assault weapon being used by criminals. They even failed in that.
Oh my, how the Neocons will scream. Take over an American business? That is socialism they will say. No, it is common sense to save the children and in turn save the nation. It might even inspire the United Nations members to demand weapons limitations. Of course, the merchants of death will also join the chorus and scream that it is Marxism being promoted by the dangerous Peace people.
Contributed by Isha Khan, who can be reached at
The Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Bill is tied up in congress because it is tied to a gun rule. The NRA is not happy about PTSD suicidal veterans not being able to get their hands on guns. Imagine that!
I agree, in fact USA is a violent society. One can see inside USA society all kinds of violence - since soft to hard violence. Seems that only trough violence one can win.
Movies industry makes the rest - gives the oniric elaboration.
Thanks.
Criminals do not obey gun laws. Even if every firearm in civilian hands was destroyed over night and new manufacture was outlawed, this country would have new firearms out on the street within a month. Any Machinist worth his job can manufacture a working prototype with a mill and lathe. The only thing that would have been achieved is to create a lucrative black market.
Gun Laws only disarm the law abiding citizens. Last century millions of innocent people were murdered by their own goverment. Nazi Germany had mandatory gun registration and all it did was to disarm the Jews so that the Gestapo would be safer during the rounding up process.
I strongly agree with Chris..gun control is people control. If we examine the history of colonial America for example, the earliest arms control originated in Lima, Peru in 1538; it served to disarm free Blacks in Spanish colonial territories; the English colonial administrations followed suit in the 1640,s. Thus gun control had nothing to do with the vaunted ‘drug dealers’ of the ghetto. If we look at post-Civil War America, we see that gun control reared its ugly head again in the South via arms control aimed at subordinating newly ‘freed’ Black slaves and white indentureds (Army-Navy Acts). Again, the aim of these decrees was to subordinate the poorer classes to arbitrary authority. The 20th century has seen the development of the most inane and stupid gun legislation. For example, the National Firearms Act of 1920 in England and America in 1934 respectively, had more to do with governmental fears of another October Revolution taking place on their soils (the Anti-Labour/Anti-War Movement in England in 1920 and the Bonus Army Marchers of 1934 in Washington D.C.) than the infamous ‘gangsters’ of this period. My point here is that when the government wants to disarm a particular socio-ethnic group, fear , which is orchestrated and diffused via corporate media; serve to galvanize the larger society to demand a measure of ’safety’ from none other than the same government that will eventually disarm everyone. Remember, governments use the most odious elements of society to promote agendas and moreover, the definition of crime is determined by the politics of the day. The most horrific atrocities have been committed in the name of ‘public safety’ and ‘protecting children’. As Public Enemy said “Don’t believe the hype”!