Peter Dreier at The Nation writes—We’re Raising a Generation That Views Mass Murder as Normal:
Since the Sandy Hook massacre, there have been at least 2,178 mass shooting incidents—defined by the FBI as indiscriminate rampages in public places that kill or wound four or more people—resulting in at least 2,458 people killed and 9,119 wounded.
Yet even this understates the level of gun violence. Mass shootings get the most media attention, but they are a sliver of America’s gun problem, which includes domestic violence, gang killings, and accidental shootings. Last year alone witnessed 57,383 incidents of gun violence that resulted in 14,771 deaths and 28,236 injuries, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Among the victims were 669 children under 11 and 2,850 teenagers age 12–17. This year so far, 8,963 people—including 2,233 youngsters under 18—have died in gun-related incidents. Mass shootings account for 112 of the victims of this year’s epidemic of gun violence. (These numbers exclude gun-related suicides).
This generation of American teenagers has been traumatized by regular occurrences of mass murder. That is why the students with my daughter on Tuesday night were so frightened. Sarah had to steel herself not to panic so she could help calm the youngsters in her custody.
Around the world, young people confront war, hunger, displacement, rape, and other traumatizing experiences. But the impact of gun violence is uniquely devastating. The victims of America’s plague of gun violence include not only the dead and injured, and their families and friends, but also the rest of society. The collateral damage is the prospect of an entire generation living with the fear that anyone can be the target of random violence. We have normalized massive child trauma because we have allowed racists and psychopaths to easily obtain guns, including military-style assault weapons.
Even though a significant majority of Americans support tougher gun laws, their voices have been drowned out by the National Rifle Association. A new USA Today/Ipsos survey found that 67 percent of Americans—including 79 per cent of Democrats and 59 per cent of Republicans—think the Senate should pass the House bill to tighten background checks. A new Politico survey found that 70 percent of all voters—and 55 percent of Republicans—support a ban on assault-style weapons.[...]
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QUOTATION
“Strong, responsible unions are essential to industrial fair play. Without them the labor bargain is wholly one-sided. The parties to the labor contract must be nearly equal in strength if justice is to be worked out, and this means that the workers must be organized and that their organizations must be recognized by employers as a condition precedent to industrial peace.”
~~Louis Brandeis, The Curse of Bigness: Miscellaneous Papers of Louis D. Brandeis (1934)
TWEET OF THE DAY
BLAST FROM THE PAST
At Daily Kos on this date in 2008—Worst Judgment Ever:
Seeing even Zombie Newt Gingrich be unearthed, this last week, certainly added a bit of the surreal to the House Republican non-debating debate on behalf of yet another corporate giveaway. Just when you think they're one clown short of a circus, ta-dum: they deliver that one last clown.
Food for thought: the last eight years have seen numerous acts of terrorism, here and elsewhere, two wars, a catastrophic hurricane, floods, multiple violations of law by officials in government, confirmation of actually occurring global climate change, children's toys contaminated with ingestible lead, and a collapse of the mortgage market that has had nationwide housing and banking impacts. To name a few.
During this time, I believe there have been only two circumstances that have riled Republican congressmen enough for them to demand returning to Washington during a recess. The first was done so that 535 legislators plus the President of the United States could play collective doctor to Terri Schiavo based on a videotape and the pronouncements of Senator Bill Frist.
The second was to stage a mock debate on the floor of the House to demand new lease giveaways to oil companies during a time of record profits. After ending the previous session by blocking almost all other energy legislation.
So... there you go, I guess.
On today’s Kagro in the Morning show: A man with rifle and body armor got himself arrested at Walmart. So… was he an open carrier, or terrorist? Tunes are changing! Harry Reid: Kill the filibuster. Nadler: It's an impeachment inquiry. Russian interference opens the door for Iran, Saudis & others.