On the Tragic Events in Las Vegas
I cannot believe what has happened in Las Vegas. At least 59 dead and 520 wounded. It is the largest mass shooting in U.S. history. It is horrible, tragic, and my thoughts and prayers are with the victims.
While it is not my first reaction, I do think a reaction along the lines of "We need gun control" is legitimate. I don't think it is all we need, and I don't think it will tap into the source of the problem, but I do think it is a legitimate reaction - to hate a weapon that allows an individual to kill and hurt over 570. It is a legitimate reaction to despise something that can do that. And I think that, to block this natural gut reaction is not a good thing.
Though it is too soon to say, I also wonder about it being a politically-motivated attack. I had no idea why someone might target a country music festival, until someone online pointed out that Republicans are assumed to attend those festivals... That's true.
In any case, there is a discussion right now about why the shooter does not fit the profile of most mass shooters, and reporters keep asking the question, "Why? Why do these mass shootings keep happening? Why here?"
Personally, I think there is something in the air in the U.S.. I didn't notice it until I traveled to Europe years ago. Overseas, I experienced a kind of sigh of release, a letting go, a just being. Each time I returned to the U.S. after my time in Europe, I always felt like I was being placed back into a frantic or frenzied atmosphere. I always hoped I wouldn't sink back into it, as though it is part of the norm, but I am sure I have. Other people who have traveled have said the same thing: Just being and being with friends and family is good enough in Europe. It is not so here. You have to do SOMETHING, and you have to do it better than anyone else.
In addition to this, we do not have anything in place that helps the collective. We do not guarantee maternity or paternity leave to new parents. We do not have required vacation time. We do not have universal healthcare, and we do not have universal higher education. We do not have anything in place that will assist the elderly (like public transportation specifically for the elderly). We do not have anything in place that helps family members when one of those members is sick and requires transport to various doctor appointments, sometimes 2-4 times a week (if I had not helped take my father to his appointments when he was sick, it would have cost $50 one way for each trip). All of these things, by the way, are available in most countries in Europe. The point is that if we continue to ignore a societal well-being, we won't have societal well-being. We should not be each other's competition. We should be each other's community.
In the U.S., instead of safety nets, it's all on you. You, you, you must do all of the above. The individual must fight for survival. There is no helping the collective. There is no collective. You're not supposed to think of them. You're supposed to think of you. Purify this into its most extreme form, and there's no knowing where it leads.
While it is not my first reaction, I do think a reaction along the lines of "We need gun control" is legitimate. I don't think it is all we need, and I don't think it will tap into the source of the problem, but I do think it is a legitimate reaction - to hate a weapon that allows an individual to kill and hurt over 570. It is a legitimate reaction to despise something that can do that. And I think that, to block this natural gut reaction is not a good thing.
Though it is too soon to say, I also wonder about it being a politically-motivated attack. I had no idea why someone might target a country music festival, until someone online pointed out that Republicans are assumed to attend those festivals... That's true.
In any case, there is a discussion right now about why the shooter does not fit the profile of most mass shooters, and reporters keep asking the question, "Why? Why do these mass shootings keep happening? Why here?"
Personally, I think there is something in the air in the U.S.. I didn't notice it until I traveled to Europe years ago. Overseas, I experienced a kind of sigh of release, a letting go, a just being. Each time I returned to the U.S. after my time in Europe, I always felt like I was being placed back into a frantic or frenzied atmosphere. I always hoped I wouldn't sink back into it, as though it is part of the norm, but I am sure I have. Other people who have traveled have said the same thing: Just being and being with friends and family is good enough in Europe. It is not so here. You have to do SOMETHING, and you have to do it better than anyone else.
In addition to this, we do not have anything in place that helps the collective. We do not guarantee maternity or paternity leave to new parents. We do not have required vacation time. We do not have universal healthcare, and we do not have universal higher education. We do not have anything in place that will assist the elderly (like public transportation specifically for the elderly). We do not have anything in place that helps family members when one of those members is sick and requires transport to various doctor appointments, sometimes 2-4 times a week (if I had not helped take my father to his appointments when he was sick, it would have cost $50 one way for each trip). All of these things, by the way, are available in most countries in Europe. The point is that if we continue to ignore a societal well-being, we won't have societal well-being. We should not be each other's competition. We should be each other's community.
In the U.S., instead of safety nets, it's all on you. You, you, you must do all of the above. The individual must fight for survival. There is no helping the collective. There is no collective. You're not supposed to think of them. You're supposed to think of you. Purify this into its most extreme form, and there's no knowing where it leads.
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