Stop the killing

I'm aware this is a road trip blog, but I want to take a minute to address the recent tragedies in Florida and Nebraska. My condolences and prayers- our condolences and prayers- go out to Sean Taylor's family and friends, as well as the families of those killed in the horrific mall massacre in Omaha. I want to draw attention to a very topical, and well written piece by David Aldridge from the Philly Inquirer in response to Sean Taylor's death. I also want to add a piece I wrote in response to it. I hope you'll read both, say a prayer (I'm not even religious, but it can't hurt) and think about what can be done to stop this violence.

Tomorrow, I'm hoping to have my full Voodoo Fest re-cap, as well as a few thoughts on New Orleans. Until then, take care, and I hope everyone has a safe, enjoyable weekend.

David Aldridge's article in the November 29th Philadelphia Inquirer

In regards to Sean Taylor’s death, David Aldridge wrote a fantastic piece in the Inquirer today. I only have one problem with it: Aldridge addresses his article to black men. Painting this problem as a black problem, or even specifically a male problem, serves only to reinforce the idea that what is good for one group of Americans might not be for another. It reinforces the misconception, held since this country‘s beginning, that the interests of blacks and whites do not necessarily coincide; that they are somehow different.

While the facts of the matter are, yes, young black men are dying at an alarming rate, classifying them as black ignores the bigger problem. Young Americans are dying at an alarming rate, and not just overseas in the misguided and tragic Iraq war- they are dying here, on our own soil, on our own streets and in our own homes. This is not a black problem. Nor is it a white problem. It is an American problem.

That it has not been painted as simply a black problem allowed for an astounding degree of apathy. Because this string of violence has been painted as a “black“ problem, it has allowed the mostly white hunters in central Pennsylvania to turn their backs on gun laws, to fight diligently for their right to “bear arms” because, well, it isn’t them or their children dying. Because this is only a “black“ problem, it has allow the, mostly, white representatives in our state government to waffle and dawdle on gun control legislation. It has allowed them to ultimately acquiesce to the demands of the NRA, pressured by losing money, and most importantly, votes. Instead of enacting change, our government stands idly by while citizens of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania die every day at the barrel of a gun.

And painting gun violence as a “black” problem has allowed America to write off such tragedies as the Virginia Tech massacre last April, and the mall shootings in Omaha this past week, as isolated incidents. Because America views gun violence as a “black” problem, we’ve been able to ignore the fact that violence- and especially gun violence- is a national problem, and one that grows worse with each inner city child killed, each state legislature loosening gun control laws, and each absurdly violent sport that gains popular attention (mixed martial arts, ultimate fighting, etc…)
America has a problem with violence. We glorify it, and we excuse it. We don’t see anything wrong with someone wanting to buy more than one hand gun a month (a law in Pennsylvania that would limit hand gun purchases to one a month was recently defeated in the state legislature). We ignore the mounting death toll, and all too easily pass it off as a “black” problem, or an isolated incident. That such a respected journalist as Aldridge plays into this is unfortunate. That this has not been painted as an American epidemic has allowed white suburbanites like me to sit on my couch, and shake my head while watching Sportscenter, to bemoan the tragedy of such a young man like Sean Taylor dying…and then to zone out while watching LeBron throw down his next dunk ten minutes later, even while my brothers around the country die.
No, this is not just a problem for blacks. It is a problem that should concern whites and blacks, those in urban America and those in rural America, democrats and republicans. This is an American problem: our children, our friends, our husbands, our brothers, our heroes, and our sons are dying in our streets. And we have done nothing to stop it. We have sat idly by while our fellow man suffers and dies. I am as a guilty as the next person. But now I‘m tired. There is no place in a civilized society for automatic weapons. The second amendment was written at a time when even the most skilled marksmen could only fire three shots a minute; automatic weapons were not even thought technologically possible. The second amendment was written when America had no standing army or police forces, when the American frontier was wild and unsettled and dangerous. The times have changed. The second amendment is outdated and obsolete, and those who defend it are contributing to the deaths of thousands of Americans every year. When will enough Americans open their eyes, open their mouths, and demand that the killing stop?