Quote:
Originally Posted by MartinSE
Well, right idea, but, in my humble opinion, wrong cause.
The rest of the world also watches TV and Movies and plays silent video games. No other country has had one 20 school shootings this year.
But, it is our society, our culture. I agree. Guns are not the problem, they are a symptom and an easy solution for those looking to express their anger, frustration and to get some token of notoriety.
Some think the breakdown in American Society is a result of the Bible being taken out of "our lives". I disagree. I think it is that until around the 1970's single wage earners could make living wage to support their family. Today that is pretty much gone. In most families both parents (or the one parent) have to work. Often far more than 40 hours a week just to get by, no chance of "getting ahead". Prior to the 70's most parents focused on making a better life for their children - that included good work ethic example, some that loved them around all day to give comfort when they needed it, and an optimism that some day they kids would have better live than they did.
For MOST families today, that is not the dream, the dream is now, to be able to buy food and medication. To be able to pay the rent, not have the electricity turned off. And HOPE to god they don't get called in to the school to get the kid and take them home, because that is lost time at work and the chance they won't make it to next pay day - again.
Then add in all the anger and hate spewed by media and people look for someone to blame and which ever side the find closest to their beliefs that latch onto and begin hating the other side.
We USED to be Americans. Now we are one of two sides and it is out patriotic duty (we are told 24 hours a day) to HATE the other side.
That I believe to be the root cause. The loss of hope for a better future.
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I partly agree. About 1975(and on) things economically started going south in the US (and hope gradually went south). Tax breaks and tax brackets began to favor the wealthy at the expense of the poor and middle class. Recent tax changes favoring the wealthy 1% did not even throw a bone to lower-class taxpayers. After 1975 the average person ACTUALLY
lost money even if their wages stayed the same - due to loss of spending power, due to inflation. Not until about 2010 did average workers start to get small wage increases that moved them slightly ahead of inflation. And today due to Russian war aggression and Chinese Covid stupidity, the US is, likely, moving toward a DEEP recession and high inflation.
.........Before 1975 parents would always say that the NEXT generation would be better off than the last. After 1975 that could no longer be said! Today the US has the 1st world's most significant wealth disparity by far. US upward mobility is less than the UK. US health care outcomes (like birth fatalities) are ranked about 30th in the world.
........Face it folks........we are NOT the world leader that we were in the 1950s. We just remember it that way - the good old days of true US supremacy.
........Part of the cause of the US today leading the world in Mass murder IS the slow decline and today's disappearance of the middle class. And outsourcing to China to max out profits for greedy corporations was NOT very patriotic. Now we are so stupid that we can't get the parts we need from China to finish building US cars. The US allowed labor Unions to all but disappear. Funny, they seem to work in Germany, where management and the workers cooperate with each other. There are a lot of factors that have weakened the US middle class.
...........Up until recently, the US always was PROUD of its STRONG middle class.....no more. A strong middle class gives a country maximum STABILITY. The weak middle class and unresolved racial issues tear at the fabric of the nation. For further proof of instability look at the HUGE increases in US suicides and drug overdoses. The US has the highest wealth disparity in the world AND the highest, by far, amount of GUNS circulating in Civilian hands, AND WE may have the highest amount of dangerous drugs circulating in society and among young people. It seems LOGICAL that those factors would equate to more MASS MURDERS.
.........And, Oh yes, we DO lead the world, by far, in MASS MURDERS!