“When will they ever learn,” sang the great old American folk singer Pete Singer in one of his classic songs,’ Where Have All The Flowers Gone’.
An American police officer runs to latest mass shooting incident in that gun-happy country.
My answer is they, in America, will never learn, not when it comes to gun violence in their country. As an outsider looking in, I’ve come to the conclusion that this country can and will sustain any amount of gun-related violence, as long as it makes for engaging cable TV and especially so long as it protects it protects its sacred second amendment right to bear arms at whatever bloody cost.
So this brings me to the big news on all of the American cable channels on this September 16th day – that of the “mass shootings” as America’s President Barack Obama described them at a federal naval facility in Washington, D.C. The cable channels in the U.S. ran on about this non-stop since the first word of the shootings got out around 9 a.m. and continued for hours to call it “Breaking News.”
At the risk of sounding a bit callous for those and their families who have died in this latest American gun massacre – at least 13 dead as I bang out this and many others injured – this is not “breaking news” in America any more. It is old news, and it seems like it is getting to the point where the bang-bang-bang of the semi-assault weapons the wackos in that country carry into these scenes of carnage have become nothing more than background noise.
Indeed, these mass shootings occur over and over again in this country and all they seem to do is make one of America’s most powerful lobbies for the manufacturers and sellers of guns, the National Rifle Association, that much stronger. After the mass shooting of six-year-old children in a school in a sleepy little town in Connecticut last December, the sale of guns, even among people in that community, went up. The NRA line that America is safer if even more Americans own guns was fulfilled once again.
The current U.S. president, Barack Obama, has had a habit of going to these scenes of mass gun shootings where he gives a good speech on the need for more responsible gun laws across the country, and where he hugs the families of the victims. He will likely do so again around the carnage at the navy facility in Washington, D.C., but in the end nothing ever materializes around laws that better control the sale of guns in that country. Following the mass shooting of little children in the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, Obama and the U.S. Congress could not even find their way to passing legislation – supported by more than 80 per cent of Americans, according to polls – to require background checks on gun purchasers, for Christ sake! As recently as a few weeks ago, two Colorado legislatures, both of whom had a record for approving tighter gun ownership laws, were voted out of office with the help of NRA money funding their demise.
One can only come to the conclusion, once again, that America is a gun-happy country that will support the right to bear arms at virtually any cost. Unfortunately, Canada lives next door and our police forces in Toronto and elsewhere have reported that the majority of the guns smuggled in and involved in violence here come from the United States. So Canadians are paying for America’s love of guns too.
And as for Pete Seeger’s lyric, they will never learn. It will happen again and again and again in that country, and all it will result in is the sale of more guns because, as the NRA, says, the more guns that are out there, the safer Americans will be.
And unfortunately, there appears to be enough Americans who believe it.
(Niagara At Large invites all those who dare to share their first and last name to share a comment on this post in the space below.)
Niagara At Large 
The irony, for those who consider owning assault rifles etc. represents freedom, is that the U.S has virtually become a police state, with NSA warrantless surveillance, NDAA legislation to arrest and detain indefinately without warrant, Homeland Security, politicians bought and paid for, illegal wars, huge National Security State budget and secrets, diversion of huge amounts of money for armaments/surveillance industry, mercenary army. It’s no longer the land of the free.
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perhaps it is not learned to make light of it…but maybe like the gingham dog and the calico cat…all the gun ‘fanatics’ will just “eat each other up…”
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It seems to me that Obama was pretty shaken by this latest example of gun violence. Let’s hope he can do something about it.
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During the 503 days between the Trayvon Martin shooting and the Zimmerman Verdict…
19,865 Blacks were KILLED by OTHER BLACKS
The United States ranks 3rd in Murders throughout the World.
But if you take out Chicago, Detroit, Washington DC, and New Orleans, the United States is 4th from the bottom for Murders.
These 4 Cities also have the toughest Gun Control Laws in the United States.
All 4 are also controlled by Liberals.
…and aren’t we glad that Ontario has such exemplary gun laws so that Toronto citizens are protected from gun violence?
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Once again, Doug. Spot on. It is not “breaking news”. It is so tired and old, the old song that “guns don’t kill people, people kill people”. I fear they will never learn. This after having spent some 5 wonderful years in Boston in the 60’s, having a son born there, with great friends there. We left to return to Canada on my request, as I could not stand to live in a country that killed Martin Luther King and Bobbie Kennedy (whatever one may have thought of them) in one year. I was done. Take me home, country roads, take me home to Canada where I can no longer live in fear. Well, I guess I do. Fear of this non-inclusive federal government that cuts all things cultural. But that is for another rant. I digress.
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mass shootings have happened in so many states – not just “liberal” ones…in the last 30 years; Florida, Calif, Washington, N.Y. Conn., Minnesota, Wisc., Colorado, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, N.& S. Carolina, Kentucky, Illinois, missouri, Nebraska, Virginia, Utah, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Mississippi, Mass., Hawaii, Oregon, Arkanas, Michigan, Iowa, Oklahoma, …. and many other killings or killers are known to their victims, (the killers who just conveniently have a gun handy in a moment of rage.)
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Statistics such as the ones used by the commentator above are both inaccurate and misleading, and they lend themselves not only to misperceptions, but also to prejudice and racism. First, the number is wrong. It’s more like 11,106 . Second, most murders are intraracial, since most murderers know their victims, and are from the same geographical location. Third the incorrect number cited does not include murders involving other races, an important omission, which creates misleading impressions. Statistics are regularly used as propaganda to mislead and divert. Without context, they are at best useless.
http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2013/jul/17/tweets/look-statistic-blacks-and-murder/
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Thank You Mark and you are spot on as Usual.
Yes Statistics are regularly used a propaganda tool especially by the callous NRA to mislead and divert the social conscience and compassion of the American People, A sick scenario but we do have people in Canada who are not much different than the bigots and racial discriminators in other lands..’
Once again Thank You Mark and Doug.
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It seems some here are viewers of FOX and SUN “news”. Blame the Liberal “loons”. Guns kill. That is what they are made for.
Americans who are indoctrinated by the NRA are morons. NOBODY needs a Bushmaster. When are these mass killers usually overpowered? When they need to reload. Stop selling guns that shoot a round a second. Handguns in your home for personal protection or hunting guns are all that is necessary under the 2nd amendment if you insist it is a “right”.
The 2nd amendment is antiquated and obscenely ridiculous. It was designed for the time of muskets which took a long time to reload and were ludicrously inaccurate. Fine then, let every man woman and child have a musket. It was also designed for a different society.
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Linda
I usually agree with you, in fact I rarely ever disagree and I certain stand shoulder to shoulder with you on this sentence taken from above
The 2nd amendment is antiquated and obscenely ridiculous. It was designed for the time of muskets which took a long time to reload and were ludicrously inaccurate.
I recently wrote an article with basically the same truth and was severely ostracized by what could only be short sighted red necks in the employ of the NRA.
Thank You Linda and I agree it is TRUTH and many do not want TRUTH
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