The terrible news from Las Vegas, Nevada this morning about the domestic terrorist who gunned down hundreds of people at a concert was staggering to anyone with a conscience. As I write this the reports are that at least 58 have died and up to 500 were injured as one man, armed with as many as 23 weapons, stood at the window in a hotel and shot the people on the ground.
These kinds of events just keep happening and the politicians keeping saying that we must pray for the victims and that we all must stand together and that the national flag will be lowered to half-mast. But nothing is ever done to deal with the tragic reality that it is just too damn easy for anyone to buy military-style weapons on the open market.
We don't yet know much about the alleged shooter or why he did what he may have done. Obviously he could have been mentally unstable in some way or he could have been a patsy like Oswald. Many in the crowd claimed there were multiple shooters. Some videos show white gun flashes from lower floors in the hotel. Others claim that gun shots were also fired inside other hotels. See more on these serious questions here
But the bigger issue is that the very core of America's soul is violent - the fabric of our nation was woven together with strands of violence. The slaughter of the Native Americans; the brutality of slavery and the Civil War that resulted from that evil economic institution; America's long empire building military rampage to steal land from Mexico and to expand into the Pacific; endless wars and our current carnage in Syria and Yemen today; Trump's 'fire and fury' threats against North Korea.
Let's be perfectly honest about this situation - the US on a weekly basis kills and wounds hundreds of people around the world with its 'full spectrum dominance' as the Pentagon has been turned into the military arm of corporate globalization.
At public schools across this nation kids are trained to shot rifles in Junior-ROTC classes getting them into the 'right frame of mind' to enlist and head off to the Middle East or Africa to kill other (mostly) innocent human beings on behalf of a corporate agenda to steal land and natural resources.
So praying for the victims and their families (yes please do) will not end this madness that is buried deep inside our hearts and minds.
We've become a killer nation. We worship violence and the weapons systems that carry our violent spirit around the world. Our nation will continue to see these kinds of domestic terror events until we look deeply into the mirror - each of us - and repeat these words, "My name is America and I am addicted to violence, weapons production, and endless war."
Our collective American soul has demons locked inside and we need a national 12-step program to help us remove this violent curse. The politicians will never lead us to a proper healing - it can only come from the people themselves and it seems most Americans are not yet ready to admit our addiction or the need for our healing.
Until that day comes the prayers won't be enough.
Bruce
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