Sunday, July 17, 2016

Is The U.S.A. going Off The Hinges?

For many years I have been a friend of the U.S.A. But it is getting harder and harder to maintain love and understanding of what actually happens across the border. Mass shootings and brutal violence is increasing nearly from day to day. Political unrest and people’s dissatisfaction with the situation in Washington, political hate rhetoric from the GOP and their open acknowledgement of radical groups are gaining ground daily.
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Tragic events are taking place all over the country
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The reasons are several, but open racism and religious extremism seems to be the main illness the country is suffering from. There is racism to coloured people, racism to Muslims, and racism to Mexicans. Religious extremism combined with a deep distrust of government and racism has caused violent groups to gain traction.
Police has come into a squeeze and is now the declared enemy of many people.
But there is another main problem which, combined with the above mentioned, we do not have in Canada:  300 Million weapons in private American hands and a guaranteed right of gun-ownership by the 2. amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The vast amounts of existing guns and easy access for purchase have made the daily life and duty for U.S.-police officers the most dangerous job in the world. I will explain that by using a simple example:
Handguns are not generally allowed in Canada. The number of issued licenses are extremely low measured against the overall population.
Therefore when a Canadian police officer of the RCMP stops a vehicle, he or she has no reason to fear to be shot at. Consequently, he/she has not to be on high alert when approaching a stopped vehicle.  In the U.S. all a driver has to do is reaching for registration and insurance papers from his glove box and he is running the risk to be shot. If the driver happens to be a coloured person the risk is even higher.

We all know that the right of owning guns is not gonna be changed in America. What CAN and MUST be changed is racism. I have already seen the first postings on social media where people express their fear that America is seeing the beginning of a modern civil war, and that has precisely been my own impression for quite some time. Consequently, we have decided that we will not  undertake long-distance travel to the U.S. anymore. Already
travel advisories for the U.S. have been issued by several countries. Traveling in the U.S. has become a safety issue. If nothing else this should bother most Americans. It sure bothers us, for we like to live in a peaceful country.

13 comments:

  1. The media loves to fuel any negative action by adding their bias and it grips the minds that allow the negativity to flow through their brain cells. When I traveled to Washington DC the first time, I hid in my motel room because I was reading about all the murders in the newspaper. When I later did a 2-week work detail, I decided not to imprison myself; didn't read the newspaper and took advantage of their beautiful subway system to see as many sites as time would allow. We have friends scattered all over the country right now and they are enjoying their "bucket list." Don't let fear prevent you from enjoying your retirement. Come on down!

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  2. I agree with our friend Bev on this one when she says 'don't let fear prevent you from enjoying your retirement'. When Kelly & did ranch sitting near Douglas Arizona years ago friends back home were concerned for our safety being so close to the Mexican border. Not once did we ever feel threatened or concerned in the 4 years we were in that area for a few months each winter. At times reality can be much safer than media would have us believe.

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    1. Al, I agree, but what's going on along the US-border to Mexico is peanuts compared to what happens now in the U.S. And I suspect that this is only the beginning.

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  3. So, we're coming off the hinges, we racist bunch of gun-toting, hatemongering crazies, are we? Al and Bev are correct; you are watching entirely too much TV and seem to enjoy way too much bashing your neighbors down here. I hope you are a happy and well-adjusted person and not, as you seem, one who sees a troll under every bridge. Come on down; I have plenty of guns, and I'll protect you from the shooter you seem to see behind every cactus.

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    1. Mike, I do not even own a TV but I do like to keep me informed about what's going on in the world. So I read 3-4 national and international newspapers every day and I stay away from Fox News.

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    2. As for Mike, the "plenty of guns" he owns are far more likely to be used to kill himself or members of his own family than to protect anyone from "shooters". FBI gun stats show that 66% of gun fatalities in the US are either suicides or killings of family members. Some protection!

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  4. Welcome to the World of Social Media CRAZZZZZZY .....

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    1. I's not the social media there is something wrong with. It's what happens in your country.

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  5. Peter,
    I share your concerns with the unrest and devisive issues that we face here in the U.S,however these issues are not just happening in the U.S but happen global wide. There is just too much hate and inability to get along with our fellow man. We never have had real peace on earth since the beginning of time....but we have to keep trying!

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  6. Rick, I agree about general unrest in the world, but as a Canadian I am neighbour to the U.S. We live less than 3 miles from the U.S.-border and though everything is pretty quiet in the State of Maine, I cannot deny what I am reading about the U.S. But yes we have to keep trying to get along with our neighbours. I have many personal friends and even family in the U.S. I know that Americans would love nothing more than enjoying peace and prosperity in their country. But it seems that there also are a lot bad people who want to exploit others and spread their hate around. Right now America is a split country and it seems that the rift is right across the middle. I hope that I live long enough to see America whole again. It says "UNITED STATES", so I guess the people also should be united in their strive to peace and prosperity.

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  7. The 'God of America' is the 'Gun'. It seems the majority of Americans are more than willing to see their children, other family members, friends and neighbours slaughtered by crazies wielding AR-15 weapons of war. It will take many more horrendous slaughters of innocent people to make Americans agree to even simple, sane gun restrictions like not being able to sell assault rifles to terrorists (but, they can't fly on airplanes); background checks etc.

    The "good guy with a gun" mantra of the NRA has also proven to be false as over a dozen armed police officers have been mowed down in recent days by "bad guys with guns". Having a gun was supposed to prevent these kinds of slaughters right? What happened?

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  8. That's putting it pretty bluntly, but I'm afraid I agree with you. I'd say the same for parts of continental Europe, especially France.

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    1. How can it be put in a less blunt way, when the reality is so harsh? Sometimes one must use a sledgehammer to split the wood. And yes, you right about central parts of Europe, except that handguns are not common property there either.

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