Varying the words from an old spiritual, the Marx Brothers in “Duck Soup” sing’ We got guns, they got guns, all God’s chillun got guns”. These lyrics were only intended as spoof, but some of our eminent elected officials – they shouldn’t be called politicians, they have no policies, just need to be wanted and paid – have undertaken to follow the philosophical teachings of Groucho, Chico, Harpo, and Zeppo. In the wake of the Sandy Hook School massacre of the innocents, some public officials suggest dealing with the problem by arming teachers, or at least school Principals, so they can shoot the invaders who wish to slaughter students.
Think where the madness of this philosophy of guns is leading, and what it says about Americans. Thousands, yes, more than 4,000 killed annually by gunshot wounds in America, whereas in lesser countries, somewhere above 100. We have more people? Multiply it, be it by four, by ten. Doesn’t add up, except that we have, we crave, we love guns.
No?
Practically every television program deals with guns and killing. If the promotional out-takes do not include images of someone in military stance, turning quickly in this direction and that, pointing an automatic pistol, how interesting is the program going to be? Forget the fact that police and courtroom dramas, in order to fit neatly between commercials, are distorted from actual, acceptable police or courtroom protocol by members of the Writer’s Guild, reality and truth have little to do with it, in fact, only get in the way of good programming. As long as you mix in guns, a dead body or two, some serious sounding jargon, the production will air.
Films do nothing to portray reality either. Shoot-em-ups have machine pistols and assault weapons wiping out droves of people who die neatly, instantly, silently. People lying on the ground, moaning, cursing, crying for Mother as bodies bleed to death, pain would only detract from the spectacle and joy of the shooting and the killing.
And what about video games our youth – and not so youthful – watch. Death and destruction, dramatically delivered, without pain, without suffering. Blow someone apart spectacularly. It’s just a celluloid cell; there are no qualms, no consequences, nothing but exaggerated reality for the sake of enjoyment.
The writers and riggers (not creators) of this mayhem have ever to reach for more spectacular images to portray their carnage, else the gruesomeness depicted pales and becomes so yesterday.
Immersed in a continuum of blood and guts, on television, films, billboards on the way to school, television games after school, can anyone, especially youths whose minds are just being molded – no need to even mention those who feel bullied, paranoidal, neglected or derided – escape this brain-washing blood bath? Violence and mayhem has become part of our culture.
And in such a culture, guns become important. Without one, a person is just, well, just a person, armed with only a brain and a mouth, with only a forefinger and thumb to aim and say ‘bang’ . Not much power to eliminate the perceived tangles and taunts of life with ‘bang’. But with a gun, an automatic pistol, an assault rife, one feels powerful, significant, someone.
Guns don’t kill people, people do, we hear from the N.RA. Yes, but pointing finger and saying bang doesn’t leave bodies lying about tom asunder. Guns help.
We need these weapons to hunt, say some would-be hunters. The actual number of hunters on the road with dressed carcasses of deer on the hood has dwindled significantly in recent years. The youth of today aren’t interested in sitting in the cold woods, with a rifle, in order to kill a poor defenseless, gamey-tasting deer. They want to sit in front of a monitor with a Whopper, pushing the buttons of a 4G device, send twitters, meet on Facebook.
So what’s with the need for bigger and deadlier hunting assault weapons sitting in a closet, awaiting home invasion. To kill people! The only difference between the weapons that would-be hunters and the N .RA. argue for and the ones military personnel carry are a couple of round pieces of metal on which to hang a bayonet or connect a grenade launcher. The breech, the firing mechanism, the ammunition clip are all identical. So is the deadly, automatic fire-power. Do these hunters want to blow apart the deer with a fusillade of deadly fire? Are they looking to pit themselves stealthily against the cautious deer, or do they want to mutilate it with round after round.
There are those that say eliminate mental issues, not guns. Yes, mental issues have to be addressed. So do assault rifles! Mental health is a long-term problem which can not be addressed or eliminated by the stroke of a pen. Assault weapons can! Then, in the peace and calm of security, mental issues can also be resolved in a society of human beings and medical personnel, not terminators.