The Perched Eye blog is near 14 years old, from 2009 with President Obama's election. Our focus has been eclectic ... the styles and directions of American politics and culture, with an occasional comment on the impact of new technologies. Our observations sometimes attract a critical eye, but the 'pen' remains unblunted.
America, Guns & Pesky Six-Year Olds
This is written to again lament America’s dis-ease about guns and gun control. And about its children. And about America's tendency to misdirect ‘blame and shame.’ And, once more, about Guns. Who is at fault? Certainly not the NRA. But let us make up our minds - 'what matters a few kids (and some teachers and school staff) wasted by gunfire when it comes to preserving our right to own guns,..as many as we want. That is American 'Freedom.'
Today, January 20, 2023, a six year old first grader at the Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, shot its teacher …supposedly over a classroom disagreement between the two of them. RawStory reposted the shooting details to which this writer responded with several comments, one of which is pasted below:
GUNS & 6-YEAR OLDS — A TOXIC MIX (RIGHT??). (RawStory.com)
Let’s be clear. ‘America’ shot elementary teacher Abby Zwerner. A six year older, “the young man” shooter (police chief description), was then “held in custody” by police…? That doesn’t even make sense for two critical reasons. Since when is a six year old a “young man”? Two, “in custody” — does that mean jailed? Cuffed and chained? Was the six year old ‘read their rights’ to remain silent…and, for a child still learning to read, what would that even mean in a sane culture?The answer to all questions and concerns is “GUNS” and lack of gun control! Got to get rid of guns or 6-year olds…America’s top-o-the-head first choice wouldprobably be to get rid of 6-year-olds as a sacrifice for “Freedom” …whatever that means.
There are many follow-up comments in the RawStory piece to the descriptors and viewpoints expressed by the Newport News police, reporters, and town officials.
But first, should America be proud of how one of its six-year-olds handled a gun so well...ie, without shooting itself first or wounding others ('secondary casualties' in combat terms). I think not!
Almost universally, the comments express the usual sorrow for the victim(s) and about the general lack of gun control, especially now in Virginia under the open-carry-favoring Republican governor Youngkin. And even greater concern and amazement is expressed in how ‘distanced’ and unfeeling are some media (and police) handling of a child who came into possession of a gun, knew how to use the gun…and used the gun to express a child’s disagreement with an adult. (I read only one dissenter who did not express sensitivity for the child shooter.)
America has a problem with guns. But the child (not a “young man” as the police chief describes it) learned to use the gun from many examples on American TV that depict gun use as an appropriate way to show anger.
We shouldn’t be surprised that the child learned how to pull the trigger —by watching American TV broadcasts - a 24/7 stream of violent, blood-spilled mayhem delivered raw to all ages. (Did the child hold the gun horizontally ("OG" style) while pulling the trigger?
America’s (mis) handling of its guns is a global disgrace. We lack an adult-level sensibility about our guns and confuse our right to own as many guns as we want with a child’s misunderstanding of “Freedom.”
As for the unfortunate child ‘perp’ — let’s pray for it now that the system has apparently gotten hold of 'it' ...and let's hope that the police and ‘justice’ system have better sense than to mete out ‘just’ punishment of a child by condemning the child to a term in the local ‘Juvi’ center. A six-year-older would not survive well under that ‘treatment’ (to say the least.)
But meanwhile, on the 'bright side', America now has the excuse to add a new, money-making fetish and cultural topic to make even more graphic and shocking TV series (and profit)— a new fetish, “Kiddies Toting Guns’. Or even new clothing lines — ‘Kiddie Jumpers with Gun Pockets’. America stumbles forward, eyes always focused on the prize regardless (more moola). This is progress.(?)
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