Saturday, December 15, 2012

Hot Irony

As always follows an horrific event such as the shootings in Newtown, public figures have got on their hobby horses and denounced whatever it is about our society they say causes such things.  I don't like political rhetoric in general, but I think it's even harder to take when used to exploit such tragedies.  Still, I suppose, it's a feature of democracy that legislation is easier to pass when there's a sense of urgency. Unfortunately, this can often mean we don't get the requisite deliberation.

I could mention a lot of talk, on the right and left, that came out almost automatically yesterday.  Let me concentrate on the statement of Senator Frank Lautenberg, not because it's so different from others, but because I happened to see it first.

Americans are sick and tired of these attacks on our children and neighbors and they are sick and tired of nothing being done in Washington to stop the bloodshed. If we do not take action to address gun violence, shooting tragedies like this will continue. As President Obama said, we must act now 'regardless of the politics.'

"Nothing being done in Washington to stop the bloodshed." As I've pointed out so many times I'm getting tired (and tiresome), crime in the U.S., violent and otherwise, has been on a significant downward trend for about three decades.  In fact, our murder rate is now less than half of what it was in 1980.  I don't know if Washington had anything to do with it, but something is happening somewhere.  While today isn't the day to celebrate the improved statistics, claims about a descent into violence should nevertheless be tempered with this knowledge.

"If we don't take action to address gun violence, shooting tragedies like this will continue." True enough.  Here's another true statement--If we take action to address gun violence, shooting tragedies like this will continue.

Then there's his and the President's line about going forward regardless of the politics.  Do I even need to comment?

4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

"when used to exploit such tragedies."

Its exploitation when someone has a natural reaction to a tragedy?

6:26 PM, December 14, 2012  
Blogger LAGuy said...

I'm not talking about the revulsion one feels, I'm talking about using a tragedy to push am idea forward one already has. Whether you're claiming we need to change our gun laws or put prayer back in schools, these people already feel this way and are ready to pounce on any tragedy to put forward their plans. They may feel it's a natural reaction, but it's also exploiting tragedy--they want to make their point while emotions are still running high.

6:38 PM, December 14, 2012  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

A politician's "natural" reaction to any crisis is to exploit it.

7:03 PM, December 14, 2012  
Anonymous Denver Guy said...

To make your point, think how gun-control advocates feel about NRA folks using such tragedies to point out that if even one person in the school (or movie theater) had and used a licensed gun to counter the shooter, how many lives would have been saved.

7:54 AM, December 17, 2012  

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