There has already been millions of words written about the massacre in Newtown, CT, but now that I have liberated my nose from my various medical textbooks, its my turn.
Let me start by saying that this is a tragedy that has left me devastated and numb. I don’t know any of the victims, I don’t have children of my own, and I’m generally a self-absorbed bitch, but this hit me hard.
I also want to say that I could not agree more with President Obama that something needs to change. This is not right, and people shouldn’t just shrug their shoulders and say “there’s nothing we can do…” Because even if that’s true (which I can’t imagine it is), it doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t try.
What I’m conflicted on is what, exactly, needs to change.
The easy answer, of course, is guns. There are too many, they are needlessly overpowered, and they are too easy to get. But – not to sound like a backwoods, militia, NRA member – the guns, themselves, are not the problem. It’s the culture behind them that is the problem. The culture of people who have backwoods militias and lobbyist groups like the National Rifle Association crying that the only answer is “MORE GUNS”.
Don’t get me wrong, Canadians love their guns too.
To hunt with.
There was a story that came out of Calgary this past summer that, I think so perfectly demonstrates the differences in mentality between Canadians and Americans:
A man and his wife from Kalamazoo, MI were in town for the Calgary Stampede. They were walking through a park in an upscale area of town when they were approached by 2 young men asking if they had been to the Stampede yet. The man wrote a letter to a Calgary newspaper lamenting the fact that, as a tourist, he was unable to bring his gun with him into Canada, and that he felt threatened by the dangerous encounter with the 2 ruffians.
The 2 young men were promoters handing out passes to the Stampede. But this man didn’t even give them the chance to explain, his automatic assumption was that these men meant him harm, and his first instinct was to reach for his gun.
But I don’t think that the gun-culture is the only problem. There also seems to be an overwhelming need to be “famous”. It’s no longer good enough to just live your life and be happy, now people need to be remembered.
To make their mark.
You see it everyday on reality shows – one person does something crazy and outrageous, so now anything less than that will render you insignificant. If you want to be the one everyone is talking about the next day, you have to do something MORE crazy, and MORE outrageous.
Phil and I were watching The Price is Right the other day, and Phil said to me, “Is it just me, or are the people on this show getting stupider and more annoying?” And its not just him, the people are getting stupider and more annoying. Because they need to outdo the stupid and annoying thing that someone else just did.
Or else they won’t be remembered and their lives will have been for nothing.
I guess it’s the same when your sad and depressed and feel your life has no meaning. It’s not enough to commit suicide and leave a note saying how everyone did you wrong; now you have to take a gun to work and shoot your boss.
But wait, that’s been done to death, so you go to a University or a high school or a playground and take as many innocent souls with you as you can.
Because, then they’ll remember you.
Where will it end?
I know it probably sounds like I am sitting up here in America’s hat, looking down on the States from my high-moose, and casting a wide net of judgement. And, ok, maybe I am a bit – but I know that Canada is far from perfect. We have our issues, I mean 30 million dollars worth of maple syrup was stolen from our national reserve in Quebec!
That is a crime that is, surely, uniquely Canadian.
There are definite and specific differences between my country and the US, and it will take greater minds than mine to figure out why. We have access to the same movies, the same violent video games, and the same outrageous reality shows. We get sad and depressed and hate our lives from time to time, and we can have guns if we want to too. We are so close to the US geographically, and yet our ideologies could not be farther apart.
I’m sorry if it sounds like I am painting every American with the same judgey brush; that is not my intent. I am blessed to have amazing friends from the States that are wonderful people, and whom I strive to be like everyday. Unfortunately, those people tend to be more quiet and subdued in their convictions, while the crazy-Yosemite Sam-worshipping motherfuckers are so much louder and insistent and have this insatiable need to always get their way.
Those are the fuckers that want teachers to carry guns and believe that the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.
I believe that the majority of Americans want change, that they are sick and tired of seeing innocent people get shot up, and I believe that change is possible. But if Obama really wants that change to happen, the first thing he needs to do is talk louder than those fuckers.
That’s all I got. What do you think needs to change?
I am copying and pasting a comment I left on another blog that best describes my feelings about this tragedy…and the American view/way towards guns/violence in general. People (not all) have changed over the years…and yes, seemingly have gotten louder, stupider and more narcissistic. And it’s not just on the Price is Right. : ) Here is what I wrote on the other blog:
“This tragedy has knocked the wind out of my sails. Many people here is the USA say it is less about gun control and more about mental illness (whether from depression, anger, etc) that cause these tragedies. I think it is both. A few weeks ago, after another mass killing, I read an editorial that made the point how Great Britain passed laws making it difficult to own assault rifles after the 1996 school shooting there (Scotland). Guess what? There hasn’t been another one whereas, here, it is becoming a weekly event.
The images (this particular blog had photos of young kids at a gun show aiming/looking at guns to buy–a lovely family outing American style) you show should make people think twice about what we allow ourselves, our kids, to view as acceptable–whether it be the decision to own guns or to allow excessive violence be a part of entertainment choices (movies, video games). I have also read that branches of the military use violent video games to desensitize soldiers about killing. If it works on adults, why wouldn’t it work with children/teens who are far more impressionable?
I am amazed by how acceptance of violence (in entertainment) has changed since I was a child. We weren’t allowed to even pick up a stick and pretend it was a gun while playing…nor did we own squirt guns. My parents made it perfectly clear to us that guns were designed to be instruments of death–whether done so offensively or defensively.
Sorry for the long comment but now we are also seeing the images/photos of all the beautiful faces who died last Friday so it is very hard to not have an opinion on this.”
I “get” what you are saying in your post and as an US citizen, I am not offended at all.
I think we could learn a thing or two from Japan. This article really shows what every person should strive for: http://articles.cnn.com/2011-03-16/world/japan.cultural.order_1_tsunami-food-and-water-hot-soup?_s=PM:WORLD
We need to think what would it be like if a natural disaster hit? Would we be helping each other, sharing our resources and coming together for the greater good? Or would we be happy we have the right to bear arms to help us pillage and steal from one another? Do we ignore the sick and hurting? Do we eat and have plenty while the child next to us cries because they haven’t? Now take away the natural disaster and apply that to everyday life. How do we behave and expect of others in everyday things? I want to be with the first group of people who would have my back as I would theirs.
I remember talking to a friend in Europe and about how in some Nordic countries they leave their babies in a buggy outside for some fresh air/natural light. Aren’t they afraid of their children being stolen? No she responded and who would ever do such a thing! Exactly. I felt in some ways embarrassed to have even thought such a horrid thing. What did that say about me asking such a question? The thought of such actions is not in their society’s moral fabric. It shouldn’t even be in anyone’s mind. It is not even be a question raised aloud because people should have and expect a basic understanding of what is wrong and right, of themselves and others.
That the question of owning a gun being a basic human right is blasphemous! I don’t understand how guns in a same sentence with human rights could even be thought much less spoken. THAT is not a HUMAN right. Putting blame on mental illness? Our society needs to be taking care of one another, the sick, the healthy, the hungry, etc, not blaming. Blaming in itself is selfish, taking the responsibility off you and giving you a way to opt out of being a responsible human being. What a waste of time and resources. Time to wake up and expect more from yourself and of others around you.
What can we do? We can start by striving to be better human beings. Courtesy and respect and that we don’t behave in a selfish matter. Teaching our children the same actions & that we must speak up against anyone who doesn’t uphold BASIC human rights. Sounds so simple but if people did this everyday, we wouldn’t even have these questions because it would become norm to never having to think them much less speak them.
Impossible Utopia? Look at that Japan article again. Then, start expecting more of everyone around us, starting with ourselves.
Well put and thank you for the article reference. One thing I just wanted to clarify in my comment (after reading yours), I am not blaming “mental illness” as the reason behind these acts. As you pointed out, it comes down to being better human beings which would translate into better everything–including better care and attention to those who may have to deal with mental health issues. And, as we sadly know, not everyone who has shot a gun at another human is mentally ill.