Murder

The recent shooting deaths at Fort Hood, Texas, have been reported as an atrocity which has shocked and dismayed the military. Great sentimentality has accompanied the endless stories of this situation in the media. "A sentimentalist", Oscar Wilde wrote to Alfred Douglas, "is one who desires to have the luxury of an emotion without paying for it."

What does the military do? Some would say they are defending us. This is an atavistic piece of indoctrination, in my opinion. In fact, the incident at Fort Hood illustrates that the US military establishment is incapable of defending itself against lunatic violence. The business of the military is gun violence.

The high murder rate in the US, the highest among wealthy nations, reflects the commitment of American culture to violence as a method to resolve conflict. The US is a gun culture, a violence culture. Its media reflect this. Its politicians bow to it, whenever the question of gun control is raised. The NRA is perhaps the most powerful lobby in the US.

So, why all the hand-wringing and weeping when a lunatic shoots people at random? This reflects a deep immaturity in American culture. It reflects a culture which has lost its compass. It reflects a culture which is based on materialism and wealth-accumulation over quality of life and social equality. It reflects a culture where people will murder valuable, educated physicians to protect an embryo. It reflects a culture bullied by religions which promote hatred and rationalize the murder of those who disagree with them.

At the core of this breakdown of values in the US is the corruption of power by money. The ability of the NRA to prevent measures which would immediately decrease the murder rate in the US is simply wrong. The determination of the US government to continue to squander its human and economic capital in Afghanistan and Iraq to prop up corrupt regimes is a symptom of its own corruption. Corruption always enlists violence historically to maintain its power.

Practicing non-violence in a murderous culture is courageous. Responsible valor entails valuing human life over one's own personal interests or beliefs. Responsible patriotism entails a commitment to improve the quality of life for all citizens in one's country. Responsible parenting is teaching your children that violence is wrong, whether it is on a video screen or on a street.