America: A History of Violence

It is an undeniable fact that the unrestricted sale and purchase of guns are responsible for the most destructive and tragic incidents in the 21st century. Domestic terrorism is a real and growing problem. Proving this fact is simple: no other nation in the world experiences mass shootings like America. However, violence is nothing new in the United States. Our 246-year history is fraught with violence and celebrated in movies, television, video games, and novels.

Our national anthem praises war. Thousands of books celebrating our nation’s heroes in multiple wars, John Wayne movies in the 1950’s, and hundreds of movies and television shows praising acts of extreme physicality in multiple ways, celebrate violence in support of national security and the defeat of communism, socialism, and other “isms” which are opposed to what are perceived as American principles.

Our leaders in government, movie stars, and national figures who influence the lives of others praise violence for various reasons. It is justified when aligned with the emotions of revenge, anger and hatred. However, reality is that the reasons are often ambiguous, misleading, or based on blatant fallacies.

It is an undeniable fact that the history of the United States is a history of violence, often leading to wars. If our government is honest, America has not won a war since WWII.

Professional wrestling is choreographed violence. Cage fighting is street fighting legalized for profit. These televised acts of violence make heroes out of thugs who seek dominance over others for profit. Is this what you think of as actions supported by the ethics and mores of America?

I am not condoning gun violence by any stretch of the imagination, but gun violence against innocent Americans, domestic terrorism, is the extreme version of daily life in America in the 21st century. It is encouraged by our politicians who profit from violence committed by Americans on Americans. When mass shootings occur, gun manufacturers and gun sellers experience increased profits. When the profit, the NRA gun lobby profits. When the NRA profits politicians receive additional campaign funding.

Long ago, mental health professionals determined that the use of a gun to harm or kill another is the easiest form of violence because it is “impersonal.” Taking the life of another without close, physical contact removes the basic concern for the life of another human being, and cancels reasonable thought about the repercussions for the victim’s family, as well as his or her own life. The target of their anger when a gun is involved removes the realization that you might take the life of another human being.

In an article for U.S. News, Moustafa Bayoumi offered the ultimate description of how extreme violence has been accepted as normal in America.

[Do most Americans realize how steeped in violence this country is? So far this year, there have already been 27 school shootings nationwide and we have only just reached June. Move beyond the perimeter of a school and you’ll discover that there have already been 213 mass shootings in 2022. To put that in perspective, that’s about three mass shootings for every two days.

But American violence isn’t limited to mass murderers. As we remember the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis two years ago this week, we should also reflect on the fact that police shootings killed 1,055 people in 2021, as reported by the Washington Post. This was a record number since the Post began its tally in 2015. The United States is a large country, but American police kill civilians at much higher rates than any wealthy nation, more than three times the rate of Canadian and Australian police and almost 30 times the rate of German police.]

The primary responsibility for government at any level is the protection of its nation’s people from violence, and security for everyone. This is where our government has failed since its beginning. In the late 1800’s through the early 1900’s, at least 2,700 Black men and women were murdered by hanging without a trial or any other legal action by local or state governments.,

Okay, you might be asking, “what can we do to change the atmosphere, the acceptance of violence in our beloved country?” My answer is “nothing.” We can teach our children the truth, that violence in any form, including unwinnable wars, is futile. Only the wealthy invested in the tools of war profit. Those who fight the wars and their loved ones at home suffer from the devastation of armed conflict. This is the limit of our abilities, to preach the fact that violence is never the solution, nor the end of conflict. Only our government, religious leaders, teachers and others with power over us can take the necessary action needed to halt the loss of innocent lives in America.

Governments create wars, and the worst of governments accept and deny that violence in their own countries is a serious problem.

Over 246 years America has become the most violent country in the free world, and the current threat of domestic terrorism is directly attributable to the failure of our politicians in Washington. The solutions to this problem are simple and in-line with the meaning of the Constitution. However, our country places the profits of corporations ahead of the safety and welfare of our people. Doing the right thing is but a memory in Washington. This is a beginning, not the end. Remember, this is your country, not theirs. Make your focus the return of compassion, understanding, and acceptance to our country, and teach the same to your children and grandchildren.

Op-ed by James Turnage

My nine novels are available on Amazon’s Kindle

Sources:

The Guardian: America is steeped in violence. And the roots of that violence go deep

Daedalus: The Story of Violence in America

Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Joe Flood’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License