Americans must concede that they tolerate gun violence. Every attack with a gun of any kind raises concern and even angst. Nothing, however, is ever done about gun violence. That gun violence continues lies at the feet of every American Citizen. Australia and Great Britain, two very similar cultures, have banned guns. Of course there will be violators. But consider this:
Gun deaths per 100,000 in 2017-
Australia .93
United Kingdom .23
United States 10.94
The US ranks 31st among developed nations in least domestic gun deaths. The US has about 350 million citizens; this means there is likelihood in 2018 of 32,000 domestic gun deaths.
The only solution, short term, is to elect Federal and state candidates to legislatures on a single issue vote. Even a single issue election cannot guarantee changes in gun laws as long as elected officials float in a sea of corporate cash.
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Gun culture is embedded in US culture much as it is in Australia. Geographically, the US lacked organized government in the early days so self defense was an issue. Then, as pioneers moved westward, they chose to live in large areas where government control again was absent, thus making it necessary to protect one’s self. Unfortunately, this freedom to protect one’s self was glorified in the twentieth century.
Back in the day, when a citizen took the responsibility to defend against threats, the attitude was that each of us was augmenting the government in its duty to protect its citizens. Again unfortunately, the attitude now is that one owns a gun to protect themselves from the government.
One can lay incompetence at the feet of legislators who did not increase gun control as conditions warranted. One must also ask, “Who elected these legislators?”
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The Second Amendment to the Constitution, proclaiming ‘the right to bear arms,’ is one of many examples that the government founded in 1778 suffers from entropy. In many ways, our government doesn’t fit the reality of the 21st century. Let’s examine the Second Amendment as an example:
The North American territory was a literal battleground at the time our founding fathers decided to break away as a colony and member of the British Commonwealth. There were the North American Indians – a Trumpian adversary. There were the French and Spanish still claiming rights to most of the North American continent and certainly there were the British who didn’t give up until 1812. Even as late as after the Civil War, brigands roamed the countryside performing robbery, town piracy and terrible violence on homesteads. Think of William Quantrill and Jesse James.
The founding fathers came to two conclusions. First, because the geography was so expansive, the new nation could be invaded from anywhere on the continent. It was decided in the spirit of the Minutemen in New England that all citizens had the right to bear arms – thereby allowing faster organization of resistance anywhere an invasion may begin. The second conclusion was that there was no government presence in most of the continent; citizens could not be protected. The solution again was that every citizen had the right to bear arms.
While not a complete answer, the lower classes have returned to self survival not because of the absence of government but because of the presence of a government that expects them to take care of themselves. In their view, we dare not take their guns; guns are for self survival against the government and the Constitution says they have the right to bear arms.
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All this history and speculation aside, citizens have forgotten that our responsibility in a nation espousing democratic freedom is that each of us shares loyalty to our fellow citizens that freedom will be assured through our democratic right to vote.
REFERENCE SECTION
554,000 – The number of homeless people in the U.S. — 193,000 of whom have no access to nightly shelter, and one percent higher than 2016. It’s the first increase in the homeless population since 2010. [The Associated Press]
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Maternal Mortality Is Rising in the U.S. As It Declines Elsewhere
Deaths per 100,000 live births:
For complete NPR article, see: https://www.npr.org/2017/05/12/527806002/focus-on-infants-during-childbirth-leaves-u-s-moms-in-danger
Ancient Mariner