Last week I wrote a post about Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, an Uzbek national, who allegedly
killed 8 people and wounded 13 others along a bike path next to the Hudson
River in New York City. I entitled the
post, “New York City: Terror on the Hudson!” That title was apt, of course, not only because Saipov’s actions
terrified the New Yorkers he surprised by attacking, but because they met the
accepted definition of terrorism, U.S.A. style.
Four weeks prior to that post, I blogged about Stephen Paddock of Mesquite, Nevada, a
64-year-old American who opened fire from the 32nd floor of his Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino Hotel in Las Vegas, NV, killing 58, and injuring 527. Paddock used
several semi-automatic weapons, at least some of which he altered to fire like
automatics. From his high perch, he fired several hundred yards across Las Vegas Boulevard as singer Jason Aldean was in
the midst of his closing performance at an outdoor music festival. As noted at
the time, Paddock’s assault culminated in what is considered the deadliest of
it’s kind in American history, displacing the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting at the Pulse Night Club. I entitled the post, “Nightmare in Las Vegas: Another Episode of American Gun
Violence!”
There
were roughly four weeks between the Vegas and New York attacks, only five days
between New York and Sutherland Springs. That’s right, less than a week after
the country’s collective emotions were roiled by the New York City attack, the
largest in New York since 9/11, we were caught up in another horrific firearms
assault. Devin Patrick Kelley, a 26-year-old Texan, entered First Baptist
Church in Sutherland Springs, TX, and began firing, killing 26, and wounding 20
others. The point in elevating the time between incidents is not to suggest an
increase in frequency.
In
fact, there have actually been almost as many mass shootings (where four of
more people, not including the instigator are shot) as there have been days this
year. According to data
from the Gun Violence Archive, a not-for-profit organization that documents gun violence
and gun crime nationally, a total of 307 mass shooting incidents occurred this
year, as of November 5, 2017, the 309th day of the year. By comparison, there were 483 mass shootings in 2016. See statistics for other years here.
So, the
time spans between Las Vegas, New York, and Sutherland Springs is not the
aspect I wish to highlight. The point I wish to dwell on is one I mentioned in
the Pollard/Las Vegas post. The killing of any person by another is
unfortunate. The degree of misfortune is even greater when political theater seeps into
the situation. A quick look at these three incidents reveals that they are
viewed in starkly different lights. This appears to be especially true in the
case of President Trump. Now, I’ve already stipulated, any killing is bad. By
logical extrapolation, mass killings are even worse.
When faced with
responding to 585 casualties in Las Vegas, 58 of them deaths, the President
concluded that the perpetrator was a sick and demented man. When he had to
address the 46 casualties in Sutherland Springs, 26 of them deaths, Mr. Trump
said the issue is a mental health problem, not a gun problem. Absent any other element
of context, I think I could at least try to take those responses at face value.
However, when I
juxtapose Saipov’s attack, which did not include a real firearm, and consider
the Trump response, which was, in effect, “He’s an animal,” and “I would
consider sending him to Guantanamo,” I am mindful of the political dynamics
associated with how our country in general, and our President in particular,
deal with attacks differently, based on a political agenda, and, dare I say,
race, ethnicity, and religion.
Allow me to cut to
the chase. When a guy, even one who happens to be American and white, assembles
an arsenal, and uses it to systematically murder 58 people and wound 527
others…in America, he has exacted terrorism on the victims, and more broadly, upon our
country as a whole. The same thing applies to an American, even one who happens
to be white, who enters a House of Worship and mows down 26 people, several of them
children/infants. Individuals who conduct themselves in this manner committed
terrorist acts when they conducted those assaults.
Our President likes
to characterize himself as a counterpuncher. Undoubtedly, there are occasions
when what he does can be accurately described as returning fire against someone
who has personally attacked him. But there are also instances in which his
attacks are designed and scripted for political reasons and effect.
To say in one breath
that our justice system a laughing stock, and moves slowly, but then in the
next that he might send/support sending Saipov to Guantanamo, is not only
political, aimed at stirring up his base, but a classic case of being ridiculously
inconsistent and also counterproductive, based upon his own stated objectives. The
justice system has been incredibly effective at dealing with terrorists. It has an over a 90% conviction rate. However, Mr. Trump’s budget would take millions of
dollars away from the justice department’s terrorism fighting initiatives.
Moreover, for all his railing about how slow the justice system works, Guantanamo
moves at a snail’s pace, by comparison. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, principal
mastermind behind the atrocities of 9/11 resides there, still not having been
tried.
Trump’s propensity
to diminish the heinous acts of American mass murderers, relatively speaking,
while demonizing Muslims for their acts of terror is likely a manifestation of his
America First mantra, and a key plank in his quest to Make America Great Again.
It probably does bolster his support with his base. I won’t use this space to
assess their various motivations. At least I will not do so today. Suffice it
to say, however, If Trump and his acolytes used nearly as much energy to figure
out ways to decrease the volume of gun violence in this country, as they do
when a terrorist act occurs at home or abroad, I believe our domestic
tranquility would increase dramatically. He joined the classic GOP refrain
after the Vegas incident, claiming that was not the time to dwell on guns.
After Sunday’s Texas shooting, he offered thoughts and prayers, but declared
the matter not a gun problem.
The way things are
shaping up, it’s almost as though, as long as angry, or “ill” white men are
using guns to commit mass murder here in America, we are sworn to recognize
some sort of non-intervention manifesto. Ergo, here we are, recovering from...”Terror in Texas: Punctuating A Tough Week!”
I’m done; holla back!
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