Monday 2 October 2017

Sad of heart

I am saddened beyond words at the senseless violence that occurred in Las Vegas yesterday. The dead will feel pain no longer but their families and loved ones will have to bear the burden of this terrible crime for the rest of their lives. Likewise the wounded, their friends and families, the first responders, the medical staffs at dozens of hospitals, and other concert goers just out for a fun night of entertainment will all be dealing with the demons of Sunday night for years to come.

And for this to happen in Las Vegas, “America’s playground”, where thousands of visitors were peacefully enjoying an outdoors concert, makes it even more troubling. People go there to have fun, not to be indiscriminately slaughtered by some madman with a grudge and a few thousand rounds of ammo.

We may never know what set Stephen Paddock off on his murderous rampage, but one sad fact is that while he was possibly the most successful mass murderer in modern US history he has plenty of company. 9 out of every 10 days, somewhere in the US, there’s a mass shooting (defined as having 4 or more victims). That’s more than 1500 events in the past 5 years.

That such a great country, populated by intelligent, caring people, can foster an environment where so many think the answer to everything is to pick up a gun and start shooting, frankly baffles the rest of the civilized world. And for politicians, even in the blood-soaked shadow of such a horror, to seriously consider a further loosening of already weak gun laws, is unfathomable to any person of sound mind. And yet it happens again… and again…. and again…

There’s a saying that a doctor who treats himself has a fool for a patient, but in this case, for this particular sickness, only America can and must treat itself. And for all my friends and family members in the US I can only hope they finally recognize the cancer within and take the political actions necessary to start the recovery.

7 comments:

  1. Unfortunately, mass shootings are becoming the norm in the USA. It saddens me that the legislators down there don't have the guts to do the right thing and stand up to the gun lobby and change their loose gun laws.

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    1. Sadly they are the norm. And while a majority of citizens (from both parties) support stricter laws the NRA is just too powerful politically.

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  2. Definitely a sad day indeed. It has become so frequent now it really doesn't surprise us. It did at first having lived in British Columbia for 25 years, but you get hardened to it, and that is sad.

    I'd be all for a gun ban or at a minimum regulations and banning the larger ones. No civilian, and I mean no one, needs to own an assault rifle.

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    1. This sort of violence has become normalised, which is really depressing. And praying for the victims clearly doesn't work so some sort of regulation, accompanied by a ban on assault rifles, is the absolute minimum. But the politicians have to be held accountable before any of that will happen.

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  3. I have to completely agree with you David. For most countries outside the U.S, it's completely baffling why no meaningful action is ever taken. The history of the right to bear arms is recognised, as are the vested interests at stake. However, to not do something tangible to stop this happening borders on criminal. The rest of the world simply scratch their collective heads.

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    1. In this one regard the political forces on the right are in total denial (and deep in the pockets of the NRA). Sad and disgusting actually.

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  4. It was said the other night on CNN that no gun laws would stop mass shootings. Individually that may be true, but no other country in the world has laws as loose as those in the US, and nowhere else is there such a torrent of carnage occurring month after month, and year after year. 58 lost their lives in a day in Las Vegas, and 58 more were killed by guns in Chicago in the previous 28 days.

    Public morality and responsibility is at an extremely low ebb there. And to think that they are led by an immoral imbecile threatening unthinkable violence almost daily is sickening.

    Politicians there end every-single-speech asking God to bless their country yet none will endorse a movement to prevent murder.

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