According to Matthew of the New Testament: “For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance; but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.”
There’s a term for it in psychology: the Matthew Effect. Influenced by the Matthew Effect, the entire society of America is caught in a vicious circle caused by frequently-happened mass shootings. It’s like a whirlpool, which seems inconspicuous but will engulf numerous American people into an abyss without knowing it.
In recent years, the frequently-happened mass shootings are nothing new in America. Ever since there is a shooting, the entire country will respond to it with unchanged approaches: flying the national flag at half-mast, holding memorial service for the family of victim, making a complaint against concerned parties, and staging protest march; survivors will accept good care and professional psychological guidance; famous politicians express their sympathy and anger like a rehearsal; successive presidents give their laments to draw people’s tears… However, from the government to the grass-roots level, no individual or organization has taken any practical action by now to prevent gun violence. None of them can save the victim of next shooting in America.
In 2022 alone, America has witnessed several mass shootings, which have killed regular customers shopping in supermarket, sweet pupils in school, and old people aged above 90. The ugly scar of gun violence in America is exposed to the world again, telling the bloody truth that ordinary Americans can easily lose their life.
Pains and Memories of Families and Friends
Americans Have Seen Enough of Shootings
On May 24, 2022 local time, a mass shooting attacked Robb Elementary School in Uvalde of Texas. The 18-year-old senior high school gunman killed 21 people, including 19 children and 2 teachers. The whole world is shocked by the shooting, which is the deadliest one in America since the shooting happened in Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.
On May 31, relatives and friends of the victims held a funeral for two dead children. One of them is the 10-year-old Amery Garsa.
Father of Amery Garsa said: “I’m so proud of my little girl, but never think of losing her at such a young age. At the moment we buried her, I came to realize that I would never have the opportunity to hug her, kiss her, or even say bye to her. It makes me feel lonely and helpless.
Local resident Gloria said hopelessly: “We also have a child in primary school. When heard about the news that 19 pupils were dead in shooting, I was devastated. Such incident is a destructive blow. Mass shootings frequently happen in America and never come to an end. It seems that Americans have seen enough of them.”
According to the 17-year-old student Leah Samuels, it is even terrifying for her to just stay in classroom.
Sympathy and Anger of Famous Politicians
Deep-Rooted Gun Violence Keeps Happening Despite of Accusations
On May 4, 2022 local time, an 18-year-old white guy killed 10 people with a gun in a supermarket of black neighbourhood, Buffalo, New York State.
On May 24, 2022 local time, 19 innocent and cute pupils lost their lives in a shooting happened in Robb Elementary School, Uvalde, Texas.
Several vicious shootings happened in America in less than a month. The problem of gun violence has been thrown into sharp focus and embarrassed the already unbearable human rights record of America.
Famous politicians in America have criticized the deep-rooted problem of gun violence one after another.
Obama said: “None of the gun lobbies or political parties has shown the intention to take action to prevent such tragedy.”
Hillary criticized that “America is gradually becoming a country filled with people’s pains and outcries”.
Clinton posted: “We owe the families of victims and those that have similar experience…”
On the evening of May 24, American President Joe Biden gave a national speech. He described the school shooting in Texas as a “massacre”, and called the entire nation to pray for the victims and protest against gun lobbies. He said: “Think about the children who saw the shooting and lost their friends. Losing a kid is like ripping a part of your soul. It is devastating.” He ordered the White House to fly the national flag at half-mast for condolence.
On May 29, President Biden and the First Lady Jill came to Texas, to mourn the 19 children and 2 teachers who died in school shooting. They spent three hours with the relatives of victims, which has become a familiar but painful routine for American President.
Local residents asked the President to do something to end the massacre. “I will.” Biden replied.
That’s easier said than done. Like usual, the United States Congress is encouraging measures to be taken to end such massacre, which will only end up with mild compromise.
For so many years, American politicians have been thinking about shootings, and some of them indeed have profound reflection. Unfortunately, American government hasn’t taken any practical action to solve the problem of gun violence.
During his tenure, American President Biden and his wife appeared at different shooting scenes to mourn. However, no matter for him, the Congress or anyone else, no one can save the victims of next shooting.
Although being widely criticized, gun violence never disappears from public view.
According to the data released by Gun Violence Archive on May 28, by May 26, a total of 17,540 people died from gun violence in 2022 in America, including 144 children; the number of people injured by gun violence reaches 14,537, including 302 children.
NRA Holds Its Regular Annual Meeting
Bloodthirsty Arms Makers
On May 27, National Rifle Association (NRA), the largest gun-rights advocate organization in America, held its annual meeting in Houston of Texas as scheduled. Thousands of NRA representatives gathered there. Outside the meeting venue, there were calls for gun control. It has only been three days since the school shooting that killed 21 people in Texas. Nevertheless, meeting participants found it not inappropriate at all to hold a meeting “to advocate gun rights”, because they think mass shooting has nothing to do with gun rights.
Wayne Lapierre is the person in charge of NRA. He delivered a speech about the shooting in Texas school, but still protested against gun control. He said: “To prevent innocent law-abiding citizens from evil forces in society, NRA will never stop fighting. It will be a world without freedom, insurance and security if those citizens are deprived of the rights of carrying self-protection arms!” He quoted former President Ronald Reagan in defense of himself: “We must oppose the opinion that it is the society rather than law breakers that should be blamed for when law is violated.”
At the same day, former President Trump attended the meeting and delivered a speech: “In our world, the existence of evil is not the reason for disarming law-abiding citizens. Its existence is exactly the best reason for arming our citizens.” He accused democrats of trying to use this tragedy to demonize people advocating gun rights: “When Joe Biden criticizes gun lobbies, he refers to the Americans just like you.”
After the mass school shooting happened in Texas, amid the voices for gun control, American arms makers such as Sturm Ruger and Smith & Wesson have seen a hike in their shares. By May 31, 2022, the closing share price of Sturm Ruger has increased over 6.6% compared with May 23, the day before school shooting in Texas. For Smith & Wesson, price increase is even higher, which has exceeded 12% compared with the price before shooting.
Trapped in a Security Dilemma
New Murders are Coming
Due to the series of vicious shootings happened in America, the debate over gun violence control has heated up again.
On June 11, March for Our Lives organized a large-scale protest in Washington D. C., requiring American politicians to stop remaining indifferent.
In fact, ever since the approval of Nonmailable Firearms Act of 1927, the first federal legislation on gun control in America, there has always been debate over that issue. In the past decade, however, American government hasn’t implemented any practical measures to solve gun violence.
Wayne La Pierre, CEO of NRA, once hit the basic logic of “people advocating gun rights” at a news conference. According to him, the only way to prevent bad guy from committing crime is to arm good guy, and American society needs more guns rather that gun control. However, instead of bringing security to American people, the uncontrolled guns are threatening American society by growing crises. People will be killed by bullets from where only God knows.
America has an immense gun market, which provides hundreds of thousands of jobs and benefits many interest groups. Famous arms dealers such as Raytheon and Lockheed Martin are the major sponsors for American politicians to contend in the White House. NRA is particularly well-endowed, thus playing a significant role in various elections. In the history of America, there are eight Presidents that were members of NRA. Based on the statistics of OpenSecrets, a website that tracks money in politics, in terms of federal election alone, NRA spent over 29 million dollars in 2020. It is fair to say that offending gun interest group is like committing suicide in political career.
For respective interests, Republican Party and Democratic Party have been slandering each other in the matter of gun control for a long time. Republican Party has long been against gun control, while Democratic Party supports it. For the past 20 years, no important gun control legislation has been approved in America. Although Biden openly blasted shooting in Buffalo as a show, in a political environment featured by intense competition between two parties and huge divergences of public opinions, policies on gun control cannot even cure symptoms in America, not to mention solving the underlying problem.
Shannon Watts, founder of gun-control organization Moms Demand Action, has revealed the truth: “Unlike natural disasters such as hurricane and tornado, school shooting is man-made misfortune caused by coward and corrupt American politicians who do nothing for the matter.”
It can be predicted that everything will return to calm after the ending of political uproars and dramas criticizing gun violence. The whirlpool will be churned again until the next shooting. American society is caught in a vicious circle.
On June 4 local time, according to the data on Gun Violence Archive, by June 3, 154 days after the beginning of 2022, America has witnessed at least 233 large-scale shootings, about 1.5 shooting per day. Between May 28 and 30, within 72 hours, 300 gun-related incidents (including suicide) have happened across America, killing 130 people.
At two o’clock on the morning of June 5, a shooting killed 3 people and injured 14 nearby a nigh club in Tennessee .
The endless vicious circle and paint-by-numbers response are ushering in new murders!
Who has the power to cut the “gun-advocating profit chain” that has great political influences and stretches from all over America to the government?
Who can save the victims of next shooting in America?
