Melbourne writer and activist Steven Katsineris shares his thoughts on the Orlando Massacre.
My deepest heartfelt sympathy goes out to those suffering
horrible loss or injury after the sad news of the terrible shooting massacre in
Orlando, Florida. And the tragic killing of young singer Christina Grimmie shot
dead days previously in Orlando on June 11.
Another man was also arrested with a cache of weapons, ammunition and
explosive-making materials in his car on his way to attend the L.A. Pride
festival in West Hollywood. He has well-known conspiracy theorist views and
has a long record of violent gun incidents.
It is absolutely terrible that some people have such
hateful and extreme racist or religious or homophobic views and feelings. But
that they are then able to get easy access to automatic or semi-automatic
weapons to turn their sick anger into deadly mass murder is immoral. For those
who put forward the blame on any particular religion, race or creed, they
should reflect on the fact that many of the past mass shootings in the USA like
that in June last year in Charleston at a church that killed its pastor and
eight of its black congregation was carried out by a white racist extremist.
A mass shooting incident is where four or more people are
killed or injured. In 2015, there was more than one mass shooting a day in the
USA resulting in the deaths of 475 people and the wounding of 1,870 people.
There have been 133 mass shootings in the USA so far this year, 13 of those in
Florida, with the death toll of 207 killed.
Over 30,000 people are killed each year in the USA in gun
violence incidents. Unfortunately in the USA, the right to have high-powered
military weaponry, even those with mental illness problems is more important
than the right to go about your life in peace without fear of being gunned down.
I wonder when the USA will and wake up to the reality of the madness their
society has created and perpetuated with this gun culture and realize something
drastic must be done to curb this insanity.
No doubt guns are a problem and should be banned. But it is also important to frame these types of murder with the origin of hate and bigotry. Hate that is nurtured, allowed, unchecked in: families, elected officials, schools and faith based communities. The murders in Charleston, in a church, was an assault on the African-American community.The murders in Orlando, in a gay club, was an assault on the gay community. These killers did this because their hate and bigotry was unchallenged by their cousins, aunts, brothers workmates and religious leaders.
ReplyDeleteGay people are thrown off buildings in Syria, hung in Iran and shot in Orlando. Instead of focussing on their methodologies, they should instead look at the ideology behind these acts. But they wont, because being a progressive these days has become a measure of how much barbarity you can excuse. I wish guns were legal in the UK (as long as the State remains armed), it would condition citizens to be skeptics of their governments.
ReplyDeleteOh but sometimes you cant buy gay themed cakes in the UK,so I guess we all have our hands dirty .Cake mix or blood, there isnt much difference.
ReplyDeleteThe US has a 'bought congress' and has had this for some time, so commonsense on the issue of firearms with regard to their 'Second Amendment' rights is a non starter.
ReplyDeleteThe National Rifle Association along with weapon manufacturers invest large amounts of cash in politicians to vote in their favour. The idea of 'democracy' in the US is nothing more than an illusion.
There will be NO action on private gun ownership in the US and many, many more mass shootings in the future.
It would make sense to tighten up on gun permits. But the bloke who did the Orlando shooting was in secrity of some sort and his dad was a long term CIA source. Remember also police officers in the USA are shooting people for fun regardless of being live on dash board camera while doing it. It may have big buildings and a national ego even bigger, but the USA is a country built on hate and division. Ethnicities congregate together for safety and support there, as indeed they do elsewhere, but with greater necessity in the USA. Has there ever been a time when it was at peace?
ReplyDeleteLarry,
ReplyDeleteNope, it has always been a nation of/at war. Gun permits are handed out like confetti with not even basic checking in some areas.
I was in the US a few years ago, went into a 'Wall-Mart' HUGE supermarket type store and two things struck me. The shopping trolleys they use are enormous..
And they had a 'sporting' section where you could buy just about every firearm imaginable.
What the absolute f*ck does a civilian need with an AR15 anyway? or a .50 cal rifle? It is not for hunting as there would be nothing left of the animal with those weapons.
Utter madness.