Tag: murder

Red States Have Higher Murder Rates than Blue States

Buck Banks

40%

“Republican politicians routinely claim that cities run by Democrats have been experiencing crime waves caused by failed governance, but a new study shows murder rates are actually higher in states and cities controlled by Republicans,” Yahoo News reports. “The study found that murder rates in the 25 states Donald Trump carried in 2020 are 40% higher overall than in the states Joe Biden won.”

A European Perspective on Our Mass-Killing Problem

Buck Banks

The regularity of mass killings breeds familiarity. The rhythms of grief and outrage that accompany them become—for those not directly affected by tragedy—ritualized and then blend into the background noise. That normalization makes it ever less likely that America’s political system will groan into action to take steps to reduce their frequency or deadliness. Those who live in America, or visit it, might do best to regard them the way one regards air pollution in China: an endemic local health hazard which, for deep-rooted cultural, social, economic and political reasons, the country is incapable of addressing. This may, however, be a bit unfair. China seems to be making progress on pollution.

— The Economist

Obama Responds to Murder of Steven Sotloff

Buck Banks

Whatever these murders think they’ll achieve by killing innocent Americans like Steven, they have already failed. They failed because, like people around the world, Americans are repulsed by their barbarism. We will not be intimidated. Their horrific acts only unite us as a country and stiffen our resolve to fight against these terrorists and those who make the mistake of harming Americans will learn that we will not forget and that our reach is long and that justice will be served.

— President Obama, quoted by McClatchy News Service, on the beheading of journalist Steven Sotloff.

NRA Points Out That Shooters Aren’t Shooters Just Because They Shoot Someone — Thanks, NRA!

Buck Banks

Leave it to the National Rifle Association to define propaganda in a video that could be the poster child for propaganda. The NRA thinks the news media, or “entertainment,” should not call murderers “shooters” if they shoot a gun and thereby kill somebody. Unless, I suppose, the media starts differentiating between shooters, stranglers, stabbers, bludgeoners, electrocuters, poisoners and vehiculers.

And who knew there was something called “NRA News?” Is it “media” or “entertainment?” It’s not very entertaining, but then again, it’s not exactly reportage, either.

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