Beijing Review – August 15, 2019

48 BEIJING REVIEW AUGUST 15, 2019 http://www.bjreview.com

ESSAY

Copyedited by Rebeca Toledo

&RPPHQWVWRGLQJ\LQJ#EMUHYLHZFRP

Frequent Mass Shootings

Leave Deep Scars on the U.S.

Mass shootings, which have become chillingly

common nationwide in the U.S., are once again

unveiling many deep scars, new and old, in U.S.

society.

At least 20 people were killed on August 3 amid

back-to-school shopping in El Paso in western Texas.

+RXUVDIWHUWKHPDVVDFUHSROLFHFRQĶUPHGWKDW

nine people had been killed and at least 16 more hos-

SLWDOL]HGZLWKLQMXULHVLQDPDVVVKRRWLQJLQ'D\WRQ

Ohio.

In less than 10 days, shootings occurred in South

Haven, Mississippi, Gilroy, California and Brooklyn,

New York, taking the lives of dozens of innocent

people.

All over the world, people are looking at the U.S.

and wondering what is going on. Why, time after time,

is the U.S. seeing such indescribable horror?

Again, frequent mass shootings are revealing the

inconvenient truths about U.S. society, with gun con-

trol being top of the list.

Gun violence, especially mass shootings, is such

DKLJKSURĶOHLVVXHWKDWHDFKWUDJHG\VSDUNVQDWLRQ

wide and even worldwide discussion, but is left in

the dust bin when things return to normal.

In the U.S., the issue of gun use is deeply inter-

twined with group interests, and calls for stricter gun

control are largely silenced by powerful parties and

blocs. Public opinion appears to be of little signifi-

cance in the face of interest groups.

Therefore, the discussion of gun control in the U.S.

has been formalistic, without any progress to push

the country to a safer situation where people can feel

relieved.

The reasons behind a growing number of social

problems in the U.S. are also creating conditions for

gun abuse.

For instance, the income gap between the

rich and poor continues to widen. Social tensions

have become more acute. U.S. society is gradu-

ally becoming fragmented, and some groups are

increasingly being marginalized. All these factors

may cause psychological problems among certain

people and eventually take a toll on U.S. society in

the form of different types of violence, including

mass shootings.

According to a report released by the U.S.

6HFUHW6HUYLFHUHFHQWO\LQWKHLUOLYHVLQWKHĶYH\HDUV

preceding attacks, most perpetrators had at least

RQHVLJQLILFDQWVWUHVVRUVXFKDVGLYRUFHMREORVVRU

homelessness. The report demonstrated that social

SUREOHPVDUHWKHPRVWVLJQLĶFDQWFDXVHRIVKRRWLQJV

in the U.S.

It is still under investigation whether the attacker

in the August 3 shooting in Texas was motivated by

racial hatred. U.S. media quoted the police as say-

ing that the shooting was related to “a possible hate

crime.” According to other media reports, the gun-

man published a manifesto which revealed he was a

white supremacy.

Even though the authenticity of relevant infor-

mation is still to be confirmed, rising racism and

LQFUHDVLQJFRQßLFWVEHWZHHQGLIIHUHQWHWKQLFJURXSV

are part of the reality of U.S. society as well as causes

of many mass shootings.

For instance, both of the attackers at synagogues

in southern California in April and synagogues in

Pittsburgh in October 2018 were white, and were re-

ported to be antisemitic.

All the above indicates that U.S. society is

haunted by dissatisfaction and hatred. The increasing

phenomenon of “shooting due to the slightest dis-

content” is worrying U.S. people.

Can heavy gunfire and loss of innocent lives

stimulate the authorities to face and solve various

problems in U.S. society?

What is certain is that the bloodbath in Texas

won’t be the last one if the U.S. Government fails to

solve social problems and turns a blind eye to ex-

panding social divergence and violence. Q

Rising racism

and increasing

conflicts

between

different ethnic

groups are part

of the reality

of U.S. society

today, as well

as the causes

of many mass

shootings

2QWKHĶUVWZHHNHQGRI$XJXVWWKH86ZDV

shocked by two mass shootings within 24

hours, in which over two dozen innocent

people lost their lives. Gun violence, which

happened occasionally in the U.S. over

the past decades, now happens at a high

frequency. People are worried mass gun

shootings will trigger a new round of social

problems in the U.S. A Xinhua News Agency

commentary on August 4 pointed out that the

shootings have caused deep psychological

wounds to U.S. society. Below are excerpts

from the commentary: