I’m not surprised anymore. My heart still sinks every time the headlines appear, but I know the epidemic will fail to die down under Trump’s presidency.
I’ve adamantly stuck to the the belief that people shouldn’t have access to weapons. Not just weapons of mass destruction, but weapons of any sort under any circumstances, including personal protection. There’s no valid reason for civilians to be armed – the notion is simple. Those who are armed for protection set the tone for others: that guns are an aspect of everyday life. This not only gives others the incentive to carry, but it also exacerbates the likelihood of such weapons being used mindlessly in confrontation. Violence in humans is a given, and with guns in the mix, it’s inevitable that their use will be frequent and unnecessarily fatal.
Trigger-happy cops have ravaged the country, and continue to do so, targeting people of colour, namely black people. Despite their racism being apparent, front and centre, action is never taken against them. The number of black people dying needlessly will only grow, as the power instilled in these so-called ‘authority figures’ continues to skyrocket. A black man will be thrown to the ground and beaten mercilessly, and most likely killed, but a white terrorist will be carefully handcuffed and lovingly walked away.
I’ll be straightforward here. Almost nothing about the USA depicts a welcoming environment to me. Notably, the very basis of the USA being ‘founded’ and developed into something great is a blatant lie; the land wasn’t founded, but stolen, and its false sense of pride that’s so deep rooted in its cishet, white people is deeply alarming. Terrorism and white supremacy are growing, or rather being unearthed, rapidly, and I don’t blame anyone living there for feeling raw fear on a daily basis. It’s become so normalised to witness a mass shooting and have to carry on with life as if it never happened – Trump’s pathetic condolences and tweeted prayers do nothing but slap the families of victims in their face. His refusal to take appropriate action and ban the existence of weapons is what’s giving these terrorists a voice. They’re being given a platform, the tools and the wayward guidance to carry on assaulting and murdering at will, and far too many innocent people are paying for this with their lives.
I struggle to think of the USA ever setting their weapons down willingly. The glorification of mass murders, subtly endorsed by their president, is consuming the most foul people. Of course, these white men are routinely let off with a mere slap on the wrist under the pretence that they’re mentally ill, which I find atrocious and offensive, and the cycle continues.
I find that I have very little to say on the matter sometimes, because I fail to understand why Americans are so attached to violence. Their patriotism, based on a web of theft and lies, doesn’t alarm many people at first, until you realise how much white supremacy is embedded in the bullshit. White power has become their identity, and savage violence and hatred their tongue of choice, yet they continue to prevail. Despite numerous valid reasons to do so, Trump hasn’t been impeached. Despite the blatant love for murder and terrorism growing, violent people are free to carry on. Despite guns being misused in every single instance, no ban is in sight.
My heart aches for every person needlessly killed. I wish genuine action would be taken, but the cowards are only holding on tighter to their guns. I fear something more violent may manifest from these shootings, and the thought terrifies me. It baffles me to hear people defend a tyrant like Trump, and his vicious associates, claiming he’s making great changes. Any ‘great changes’ are immediately nullified by the expansion of violence and white supremacist ideologies. Any changes are useless, when innocent people are slaughtered on a regular basis.
Zack