So white man racism is the strategy they are settling upon:
onehandle (34,547 posts)
White men have much to discuss about mass shootings
Imagine if African American men and boys were committing mass shootings month after month, year after year. Articles and interviews would flood the media, and we’d have political debates demanding that African Americans be “held accountable.†Then, if an atrocity such as the Newtown, Conn., shootings took place and African American male leaders held a news conference to offer solutions, their credibility would be questionable. The public would tell these leaders that they need to focus on problems in their own culture and communities.
But when the criminals and leaders are white men, race and gender become the elephant in the room. Nearly all of the mass shootings in this country in recent years — not just Newtown, Aurora, Fort Hood, Tucson and Columbine — have been committed by white men and boys. Yet when the National Rifle Association (NRA), led by white men, held a news conference after the Newtown massacre to advise Americans on how to reduce gun violence, its leaders’ opinions were widely discussed.
Unlike other groups, white men are not used to being singled out. So we expect that many of them will protest it is unfair if we talk about them. But our nation must correctly define their contribution to our problem of gun violence if it is to be solved.
When white men try to divert attention from gun control by talking about mental health issues, many people buy into the idea that the United States has a national mental health problem, or flawed systems with which to address those problems, and they think that is what produces mass shootings.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/white-men-have-much-to-discuss-about-mass-shootings/2013/03/29/7b001d02-97f3-11e2-814b-063623d80a60_story.html
So when liberals see blacks in the shitty of Chicago killing each other in greater numbers than GIs lost in Iraq they think to themselves, "That's just how those people are."
That's what the article says to me.
KG (23,070 posts)
2. it's often seemed to me there is a white male privilege undertone to the gun rights issue.
not surprisingly, the first few comments shown at the site totally missed the point of the editorial...
Otis McDonald
google him
raccoon (20,960 posts)
6. There sure is! If black men were committing the mass shootings, many Americans would
be saying that they all needed to be locked up.
Squinch (2,510 posts)
3. All white male dominated crimes get a pass. Don't see anyone going to jail
over that pesky "world economy destruction" thing either.
Honeycombe8 (17,220 posts)
5. I noticed and brought this up in prior posts.
Last edited Sat Mar 30, 2013, 08:25 AM USA/ET - Edit history (1)
I'm white and female. But I noticed who was doing the mass killings and wondered why that wasn't being targeted for study, at the least.
I also noticed that a number of them had been playing violent video games in the days leading up the mass killing. That should be looked at, as well.
By the same token, young black males do a lot of the one on one shooting in urban areas, so that should be (and has been) studied. Most recently, young black males intentionally and cruelly killed a white baby. If the reverse had been true, I wonder if people would be calling the perpetrators racists (if the young males are found guilty).
All these things should be noted and studied, without fear of being accused of picking on a gender or race, or anti-video games. A scientific study should include all the facts.
jimlup (3,993 posts)
7. Expectation
Last edited Sat Mar 30, 2013, 08:50 AM USA/ET - Edit history (1)
That's my hypothesis. For a white male in our society there is an expectation of privilege and domination. A deep hatred of society is at the root of these shootings.
As a white male, I'll say that I'm sure it isn't primarily things like "video games." Boys of all backgrounds have been playing shoot'em up games since guns were invented. Young men often go through an "angry" phase - I did. I didn't take it in the direction of violence towards others. At the root of it was deep frustration. Perhaps at the root of this was frustration due to expectations I had internalized and not achieved.
Just thinking while typing. Stillm as a white male, I think the article names an important elephant in the room.
Bluenorthwest (23,285 posts)
8. In the last 10 years, 29 mass shootings, 10 by shooters who were not white men. 19 who were.
78% US population is white, according to the census. Here is a list from Mother Jones, they leave out the DC Snipers, not sure why that is but they do.
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/mass-shootings-map?page=2
The Fort Hood shooter was American born to Palestinian parents, Nidal Malik Hasan. He's Arabic.
So, IOW, whites are under-represented so the OP is wrong as a premise. Which means the libs want gun control while brewing up racist animosity as a scapegoat.
NewJeffCT (35,522 posts)
15. I think a mass shooting
is defined as four or more shot dead at the same time/in the same incident. The DC sniper was more akin to a terrorist or a serial killer, as they were killed one at a time over a period of several weeks.
TRANSLATION: If the data doesn't support me, the data is wrong
datasuspect (25,363 posts)
9. have you been to chicago lately?
it's the wild west.
sure, it's not focused in one location, but there's plenty of blame to go around for everyone.
Robb (37,551 posts)
13. Gun enthusiasts point to Chicago, with its tight gun laws; but it's hardly the worst.
Note how many of the "winning" cities have lax gun law (Chicago's city rate is 11.6.).
I see another variable at play.
datasuspect (25,363 posts)
16. gun deaths aren't just a white male problem
- my initial point.
and yes, guns are outlawed in chicago. they have been for many years. it's open season for the thugs and the cops in chicago.
i don't have family members or close friends who live in any of the cities you listed, so it doesn't come up on my radar too much.
bonniebgood (207 posts)
10. I also believe that "sport" hunting should be banned. Sport hunting
desensitizes a person as well as violent video games. The need to see 'something or someone kicking, screaming and bleeding' is a mental problem.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022588261
