Another mass shooting left 58 people dead in Las Vegas. This has been described as a massacre according to the US media. However, massacres have happened in the US prior to this mass shooting. The debate on gun control continues with no effective legislation being passed. The Obama administration made an attempt after the Sandy Hook incident, but was stopped by the pro-gun faction of the Republican Party. Under a Donald Trump administration, effective gun control will not happen. More shootings will occur in various part of the United States. It extends far beyond merely politicians failing to act. There are critical facts that are ignored when discussing the debate about guns. The lugubrious reality is that the US has a culture of violence that was part of its founding. It is rooted in its racial hatred and militarism, which has spread across the world. The only difference with mass shootings in America is the violence occurs within the community. The United States has no problem inflicting harm on many people to impose its will or achieve a foreign policy objective. The only problem now, is that the violence can no longer be controlled or directed in a managed way. Their also reveals a level of arrogance in reaction to such violence. Americans value their citizen's lives more than the people they invade, but when one of their own die it becomes a mass tragedy. The United States continues to cause death and destruction to the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, while aiding the conflict in Syria. It is unclear how many have died from US perpetual warfare, but it is most likely immense in number. It does not end with the Middle East; other countries are now being threaten with violence like Iran and North Korea. Many believe the violence of mass shootings is a modern phenomenon of violence. This is not true; violence has been a part of American culture. It also extends to America's other negative attributes such as political extremism, white supremacy, and American exceptionalism.
Mass Shootings are the products of racism, fear, and political extremism. The pro-gun movement became a political force starting in the 1990s. Militias began forming en mass during the Clinton administration in reaction to a changing political atmosphere. White men of the nation became more threatened by African American advancement and the increase in immigration. The civil rights movement, feminist movement, and the shifting demographics caused white America to arm its self more so to counter change. The National Rife Association grew more powerful in terms of its lobbying efforts, having more influence over Republican congressmen and senators. This pro-gun organizing was not about guns. It was a political maneuver and preemptive measure for far-right elements to reverse changes to the United States either by force or the threat of violence. Whites of America fear being in the minority. The belief is that some form of vengeance would be inflicted on them if their population were to decrease. The increase in hate groups, militias, and extreme tax protester organizations also show the far-right's contempt for the federal government. They see it as a force taking away their freedom and causing America to form into something it was not meant to be. To them America is a land that is for whites only. The African American, Asian, and South American people have no place in it. White supremacy is still policy in many areas of American society, but there are people who want to see the reversal of the very few gains that non-whites have made in the country. There exist men who are not satisfied that white privilege is eroding and they react with extreme violence. The average mass shooter in the US tends to be a white male. There are cases in which non-whites have been mass shooters such as the Virginia Tech attack. Even when white males do such heinous acts, they are given sympathy. They are either labeled mentally ill or they simply were driven to such acts out of hardship. When an Asian, African, or Hispanic person commits any crime their whole group is judged.
White supremacy protects even white criminals by giving them shorter prison terms or more leniency. It has been clear that justice is not equally applied in American society. Another problem that emerges is how fast political extremism can spread. Right-wing media outlets preach that the government is attempting to take away guns or attack Christian values. Donald Trump has also presented these conspiracy theories as fact to his followers. Hate groups for decades in their literature have presented the idea that America is headed to race war. They claim that America and Europe are victims of a "white genocide" because mass immigration is altering the demographics. These ideas are myths, yet they are effective at getting working class whites concerned about a change in population. This explains why Donald Trump got elected; the hatred of immigrants was a feeling that the majority of white Americans held in their hearts. It was not just working class white voters that got Trump into the White House. There were many Americans who just wanted to see any white person back in office. His election is significant, because it shows the triumph of far-right extremism and its ability to house various factions under one banner. Trump's weak response to the Neo-Nazi and Ku Klux Klan attacks in Charlottsesville Virginia. reveals he supports their views and so do more white Americans. Mass shooters may be more emboldened in a far-right political climate. Their is a reason why people who live in safe areas have many guns. Their intent is to kill. Hunters and legal gun owners are more so hobbyists with no political agenda. The NRA has a political objective and an economic one. There are huge profits to be made off of the sale of fire arms. Besides the economic incentive, their is the function of maintaining the status quo. Whites want to have all the power in America and when they see progress from another ethnic group the immediate reaction is violence. This explains why there is a movement to militarize US police. Police departments across the country are being armed with military equipment, went is meant for an army. This is to deter or stop possible rebellions against the oppressive system that many non-whites have had to live under. As long as the pro-gun movement is a political force more guns will proliferate in American society.
American militarism has contributed to the increase in gun violence. The United States glorifies violence by presenting the military's atrocities as humanitarian and heroic. Warfare is presented as a necessary part of the country's national security. Drone strikes or bombings are seen as actions that do not harm civilian populations. These falsehoods are a way to normalize violence and imperialism. Soldiers are told what they are doing is ethical or protecting the US.
The public susceptible to mass media believes that the American soldier can do no wrong. When there are reports of extreme violence or violation of military law are exposed these are presented as rare occurrences. Atrocities are inflicted everyday by the US military in various countries across the world. Libya, Yemen, and Somalia have faced US interference. The role will expand and the US public will be convinced that such violence is humanitarian. More than the love of guns, Americans love war. The nation was founded by the murder and removal of Native American people including the enslavement of African populations. US history then proceeded to follow a pattern of expansion to the West. President James K. Polk believed in Manifest Destiny, an ideology in which America was ordained by God to expand. The US then fought the Mexican War gaining more territory. The conquest was being hindered by the question of slavery. It came to a halt with the American Civil War,but restarted with the Spanish American War. America with that war now was considered a global power. The US previously asserted dominance over Latin America through the Monroe Doctrine. This was extended by the Roosevelt corollary. Nations of Central America as well as Latin America were subject to US military intervention. America up until World War I operated mostly with in the Americas. That did not mean the US did not have involvement in other nations. There was a level of isolationism in regards to wider international affairs, more so during the interwar period. The US reversed its isolationist stance after World War II, becoming a superpower which it still is to this day. It has to be understood America does not want peace. Cold War conflicts such as Korea, Vietnam, and covert action in Afghanistan caused devastation to millions of people. Even after the fall of the Soviet Union, the United States continues to embark on perpetual warfare. The War on Terror has been used as a justification for US invasions. When analyzed from the context of international law most of these conflicts are wars of aggression. The US does not use diplomacy, rather a mix of intimidation and force. Now, the US has fallen into a cycle in which its industry is focused mostly on warfare. There is a powerful military industrial complex, which enables arms to be exported across the globe. The United States exports violence by being the biggest supplier of arms. Donald Trump wants to expand the US military and this is not for demonstration. Iran, North Korea, China, and Russia will be military targets of the United States. It seems that the US has a pugnacious nature and simply cannot cooperate with other nations. This desire to either kill or decimate functional states is tied to a culture of violence in American society.
There has been a culture of violence present in since its founding. The victims of this violence were those who were not of the favored ruling class of white male Christians. Maintaining that power was not just through force of arms, but ideology. They had to believe that violence was necessary and that certain groups deserved to have it inflicted upon them. Native Americans were savages in their view with no civilization. African Americans were not human and therefore could be enslaved. Dehumanization and racism created a system of acceptable collective violence. This phenomenon remains to this day. While individual acts of violence are not acceptable by law, collective violence becomes normalized. When a mass shooter kills people there is at least a level of condemnation. When police departments have officers that constantly shoot unarmed citizens there is little protest. The reason is that in American society collective violence from organizations or institutions is acceptable. Other dynamics involved in the culture of violence has to do with gun culture itself. Guns are presented as toys or an amusement rather than killing devices. The argument made by the pro-gun movement claims " guns do not kill people, people do" as a method to counter censure. The flaw with such a conviction is that the main purpose of a weapon is to inflict harm. An individual does not merely amass large amounts of guns without some form of malevolent intent.
Beyond the gun itself there is a real issue with violence. America is a country that loves war and weapons; it was only a matter of time when mass shootings become normal. Gradually, this is happening. The Second Amendment, which as been the argument for individuals to amass large amounts of guns has been misinterpreted. The Second Amendment was designed for states to have their own militias within the union. It meant that each state had the right to secure itself, but it does not stop individuals from owning guns. Understanding this from a legal standpoint is critical. The culture of violence has often been blamed on film, electronic entertainment, and television. These claims are ludicrous. Such acts predate these entertainment mediums and to say that if they did not exist there would be fewer murders is inaccurate. This does not explain America's violent acts such as lynchings and Native American genocide. While these were acts of the past, many are still subject to violence due to their race, religion, or sexual orientation. Hate crimes after the election of Donald Trump have increased. Since 2001 the level of Islamophobic attacks also reached higher levels. The alternative right and other far-right extremist groups are the culprits, but the violent acts are being done by individuals with no association to any group. Such acts of violence can be explained by environment and upbringing. The majority of mass shooters are male and their might be a correlation between ideas of masculinity with violence. Boys are taught to be more aggressive in American society and that violent methods are a legitimate means of solving problems. Being surrounded far-right rhetoric and being taught to hate certain groups contributes to the culture of violence.
America now in the 21st century is seeing the culture of violence that it was built on slowly causing a collapse. Crime has been enabled by the availability of guns and further complicated by issues of mental health. Criminally insane offenders can acquire weapons and gangs can easily arm themselves. Chicago has become a testament to the damage of gun violence. As the years progress gun violence will be come one of the nation's most challenging public health issues. The reason effective gun control with not happen is because guns and violence culture is a part of American identity.
The United States is not only facing decline globally, but domestically. Gun violence and mass shootings are slowly getting out of control. Simultaneously, there is a two party system that is struggling for relevance as it demonstrates that it cannot effectively govern. A Republican Party states that it strict on reducing crime favors the spread of fire arms, while a Democratic Party vacillates on gun control legislation. More people will die as long as no action or plan is implemented. It may not come from the government as long as it remains more divided. The United States may have to completely fall and be rebuilt into something different to fix the various ills of its society. American militarism and gun culture are too powerful a force in the nation's politics. The violence that has been spread abroad has comeback. American racism has also been intertwined with this violence. The obsession with guns and the notion they will be confiscated is rooted in white America's fear and hate of non-white ethnic groups. The hostility shows itself in the willingness for white gun owners to use their weapons against people they feel do not belong. As the political power of far-right organizations and hate groups grow, their is a mass backlash against civil rights, women's rights, and the US Constitution. The United States has reached a braking point in which society has become sick with hate, corruption, and avarice. Gun violence is a symptom of the disease, causing deterioration. If the United States wants to survive, there will have to be a radical change to its culture. The culture of violence will remain as long as whites want to cling to power. If this pattern of conduct continues, there will be no choice to solve it by methods that would be less civil or orderly.
