Barrett Rainey's Second Thoughts

There’s an anger in this country. An anger just beneath the surface that bursts out in mass killings, fights aboard commercial aircraft, on cruise ships, in movie theaters, on our streets – just about everyplace.

A “service” called Gun Violence Archive keeps track of mass killings and defines such acts as the “shooting/killing of four or more victims in a single incident.” Just one incident.

So far for the year, we’ve had about 360 incidents. That’s incidents – not deaths. To put that in perspective, remember the Las Vegas shooting of about two-years ago totaled 60 dead, more than 400 wounded. In GVA’s bookkeeping, that’s one incident. One!

GVA’s tally for mass killings in 2021 is 50% higher than the same time in 2020. And 75% higher than 2019!

Here’s a number dealing with anger that’s really startling. To date, there have been more than 7,000 incidents of passenger violence on our nation’s airlines. People that had to be restrained or sat on by other passengers and/or crew. Or, a flight diverted.

Over the last year or so, I’ve witnessed more than a dozen acts of public anger just in my daily routine. We live in a 55+ retirement community of some 29,000 souls. You’ve got to go no further than a local grocery store or self-serve gas station to see people “acting out,” as teachers call it. Seniors. Folks who’re supposed to be “taking it easy” in their senior years.

Recently, while grocery shopping, I stopped to open a freezer door to get some ice cream. As I bent over, a very senior woman – with an unmistakable New York accent – pushed her grocery cart into my posterior and loudly told me to “Hurry up.”

I straightened up, turned toward her, and could feel an instant anger – far more than such an incident should create. I gave her a mean stare and said nothing. I said nothing because I quickly realized my over-sized anger and was afraid I would say or react more harshly than the occasion warranted.

Possibly being deprived of our normal activities by Covid. Being forced to spend more time alone or with only immediate family for so long. Could be constantly living with the fear of being infected. Of being sick. Or dying. Or worrying about someone in our family for the same reasons. Having to create so many changes in so much of our lives. Such things can work on our psyches.

Add to that a coarsening of our culture that’s found nearly everywhere and in nearly every activity. You see – and hear it- all around. From the street to the TV to the computer screen or in “normal” conversation. You can blame it on lots of things – movies, TV, (un)social) media. Even if we’re able to ignore it, the effects of foul speech, bad drivers breaking the law (and common sense), crowds at public events screaming obscenities or you being confronted by singularly unreasonable people – there’s an unchecked anger in our society.

We’re seeing continued – and often irrational – anger in our politics. Yes, Trump can be blamed for unleashing a torrent of lies and divisions for five or six straight years. They were tough years. But, anger and division were present long before him. He just fed what was there and used both as weapons. He capitalized on the existing divisions and made new ones.

Even Mike Pence was roundly booed at a Conservative event as he tried again and again to deliver a speech. Several attendees later told media reps Pence was “not Conservative enough” for their liking. Pence? “Not Conservative enough?”

Anger and division are not new. Whether talking about the Civil War, World Wars I and II, Korea, Viet Nam. We managed to get back together despite divisions caused by such events. Our union has been a resilient one and we’ve been able to recover.

But, those difficult times – and many others – mostly came from outside our nation’s borders. They took place somewhere else. We tried – as much as possible – to keep ourselves separate and apart. Now, we’re facing internal divisions, being stoked by right-wing politicians, far right-wing media and determined, willful ignorance. Where truth and accuracy are unknown and unwelcome currencies.

We’re witnessing the destruction of a national political party by deliberate deceit and lies, fostered by someone who has a dictator complex and wants to “rule” rather than serve. And that division isn’t a clean divide – it’s a fracturing. Many smaller groups. Further divisions.

Some wise – and some not so wise – voices believe we are in danger of losing our Republic. In danger of seeing an end to democracy. They see the divisions and the splintering going on everywhere as “the beginning of the end.”

Maybe. Could be. But, I think not. At least, not yet.

We’ve got what’s shaping up to be the most important national election in the last 100 years a few months from now. The results of that off-year citizen polling will tell us a lot about our national status. Which is why it’s so important.

And, there’s another pulse checking two years after that. The presidency will be at stake on the ballot in 2024.

Those two events – supremely important events – will tell us a lot about the direction we voters want to go. They’ll be good indicators of the strength of our democracy. They’ll tell us more than the doom-sayers.

Those speaking of the end of our Republic may be right. Could be.

But, I think not.
 

Share on Facebook Both comments and pings are currently closed.