Firearms A Virus in the Lifeblood of America

By: Michael_T_Bucci

Several weeks ago on a Friday, Americans were shocked awake by a mass massacre in Aurora, Colorado. Two weeks after, on a Sunday, Americans awoke to a sequel played-out at a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin. These are dubbed "mass murders" by law enforcement, the politicians and media. The Sikh massacre on the fifth of August was quickly labeled of a "domestic terrorism-type", with no supporting evidence given by the FBI. One comment left by a poster at Reuters pointed out that while this rampage occurred and received media-wide coverage, five murders were committed in Chicago that very morning and received little media coverage. Anyone who lives in or near an urban center in America knows the truth about underreported murders.

While the topic of gun control will continue to remain moot and untouchable by politicians, the fact remains that mass murdering in America by firearms infested its bloodstream many years ago. According to an ongoing tally kept by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, the United States is experiencing an average of around 20 mass shootings each year. Since 2005, the Brady Campaign says that these events are occurring, at least on some scale, in remarkable numbers (RT). The Aurora incident was the sixth mass shooting in the month of July alone.

British and Europeans ask this author to explain America's fixation on guns. "I'm not qualified to answer that question," I reply, "I don't own a gun, I own a pen."

As most Americans are beginning to suspect, their country is in a stage of "breakdown"—no different than what overcomes a traumatized individual. We are living through unpredictable times with little or no roadmap; with a President and Congress that are arguably incapable of providing honesty and selfless leadership; with a State Department, intel community and military that throughout the world is flexing its muscles to full-spectrum, overtaking sovereign nations, inciting confrontations with Russia and China; a President who has betrayed every principle and every promise made to his constituents, is eroding Constitutional safeguards, has launched an era of terror-by-drones into the world (soon over America too?), is continuing to expand Bush-Cheney's "endless wars" as scripted by a shadow government of neocons, think tanks, financiers. corporatists and the Pentagon, maintains and approves a Tuesday morning checklist of assassination targets, excuses Wall Street criminals but allows "Occupy" kids to go home maimed by rubber bullets if not with criminal records; we have professional hate-mongers who are multi-millionaire propagandists elevated to star status on radio, TV and the pulpits (when they are not vying to be President or the Pope of Religious Right) —never held accountable for their incendiary rhetoric by any branch of government or the mainstream media; we have a movie and "entertainment" industry intent on projecting images of hate, violence and war into the imaginations of the general public, particularly the young; a media that is preparing the population for global warfare; a GOP overtaken by right-wing extremists and a submissive Democratic party willing to betray its own values in order to be aligned with power brokers in the shadow government and on the Street. Can it be stated that VIOLENCE is in the life-blood of America? Along with systemic corruption, it is a virus that now will kill anyone anywhere.

But mostly we have a Titanic called the free market economy that is half underwater from blows dealt it by the most reckless and lawless in finance capital. And while the billionaires grow richer on money made from money, the people are taught to blame their neighbors, blame ethnic or religious groups, blame victims of the system rather than their perpetrators, blame the worker for outsourcing jobs, blame the elderly for stealing tax money, call the indigent and homeless immoral parasites; are taught how to turn blaming into anger and anger into HATE so that "you", the people, will "just keep dancing" in the ship's ballroom to the beat laid down by demagogues and political opportunists who all the while are busy outside climbing into the ship's few lifeboats, with none reserved for you. (Quite a master plan, Mr., Mrs., and Rev. Fox.)

No, there is no leadership in power today or to be found anywhere on the horizon that offers any solution other than bitter herbs of austerity, fear, pain, punitive retribution and the utter destruction of human welfare (called society).

Violence is a virus in the bloodstream of America, and is why Americans are fixated on guns—pro or con.

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Having said this, it must also be said that a majority of Americans are not violent and condemn acts of mass-violence such as occurred at Aurora and the Sikh Temple (no matter how they express it), and this includes those from every political, social and religious viewpoint. If the country continues to move into greater turbulence however (exacerbated by economics and its political agitators and instigators), the prospect for reasonable dialogue and rational problem-solving becomes distant (it has already faded). Leadership that people are denied today from the top must be assumed and maintained tomorrow BY THE PEOPLE THEMSELVES, otherwise they will invite tyranny to do it for them. Are they capable? Are they willing? Is there time?

If people remain in their center and refuse to join forces with any individual, group, political leader, party or movement that encourages hate and destructiveness toward others and the society, the center of the nation will hold; while the forces wishing to pull the society apart will recede and deflate. If that seems impossible or improbable to achieve, you have a good grasp on the challenges ahead; for at no point in my 64-year history has America been so close to disintegration of the type that is followed by despotism.

Withdrawing from lending to destructive and nihilistic forces, which today are overtaking the land, is the only sane and rational option during a period of awakened confusion (the present), and during later periods of chaos and social upheavals (likely). Should these periods occur, they will be encouraged, exacerbated and underwritten by the very political and economic opportunists who are seeking your support today.

Be alert. Be vigilant. Be rational. Be non-aligned. Be wise. Be alive.
A great Karma is sweeping America . . . because America set it in motion.

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PS: My deepest sympathies go to the victims in Wisconsin, their families, and religious community. As Sikhs, they themselves would never have killed a fly.

By Michael T Bucci

Michael T Bucci is a retired public relations executive from New Jersey presently residing in New England. His essays have appeared at The Market Oracle. He is the author of nine books on practical spirituality including White Book: Cerithous.

© 2011 Copyright Michael T Bucci - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

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