Santa Rosa, CA
October 3, 2017
by Rich Scheck
Another tragedy involving gun violence has struck America. The urge to confiscate
weapons and limit the availability of guns is understandable.
But our country needs to come to grips with the deeper issues underlying our history
and relationship to violence.
We used force to conquer the indigenous people and steal their land. We relied on
slavery to help build a mighty empire. We have been engaged in endless wars of
expansion across the planet and succeeded in imposing Pax Americana on much
of the world. https://stateofthenation2012.com/?p=76259
Our culture is saturated with images of violence as John Whitehead describes in detail:
http://rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/mass_shootings_the_military_entertainment_complexs_culture_of_violence
Whether or not the tragedy in Las Vegas on Sunday was a false flag attack (I think it was),
our politicians and spiritual leaders need to step up boldly and define the problem clearly.
We need to stop these endless wars, most of which are based on lies. We need to switch
our priorities from policing the world and manufacturing weapons to dealing with the long
litany of problems here at home regarding the general welfare of the American people.
Everyone knows this and yet nothing is done. We even elected a president who gave
voice to the felt needs and frustrations of the disaffected millions who long for a better life.
But Trump has opted for the Washington consensus expressed by the two-party tyranny
to rely on military force rather than truly putting America First as promised.
So it really isn’t about the guns. As Whitehead articulates so precisely: if you truly want to
stop the gun violence we need to “stop the worship of violence that permeates our culture!”
What is there to say after that?