In the News June 12

People in the U.S. Oppose More Police Powers and Demand Their Rights Be Upheld

U.S. Mass Killings and Government Refusal
to Address the Problem

There have been more than 250 mass shootings in the U.S. since January this year. As of June 8, 38 such shootings have taken place since the May 24 Uvalde, Texas killing of 19 children and two teachers. This is not a country with the moral authority to give lessons to others about democracy, peace or human rights. Biden and various Democrats and Republicans are trying to wish away this problem of U.S. society, making all kinds of noises pro and con gun control but not addressing the problem seriously.

Certainly, the 1,049 racist police killings in the past year alone and ending them is not discussed. Indeed, Biden is calling for police departments to be provided with more automatic weapons and for their further militarization using federal COVID funds. Besides all the dimensions of the problem which are not discussed, there is no mention either of ending the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and CIA’s funding and arming of the drug cartels and gangs.

Every effort is made to blame “evil” individuals and divert from the whole culture of state violence, revenge and racism — a main source of individual acts of violence. In Canada, Prime Minister Trudeau also responded to the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas by letting the role of the state off scot-free when he said more control of handguns is necessary.

It is reported that there are 393 million guns in the U.S., about 120 for every 100 people. The gun industry makes billions of dollars every year, including providing weapons to the Pentagon and police departments. The gun merchants pay both Democratic and Republican politicians to ensure their interests are represented.

None of those with positions of power and privilege provide solutions to the mass shootings which are becoming ever more frequent and devastating. Congress and the President use executive orders and laws that serve the billionaires while paying lip service to social problems and demands of the people to stop funding wars and police and fund social programs, health care and education and their rights.

As a result of determined efforts by the people to hold government accountable for slavery and present-day racism California’s Reparations Task Force for Black Americans was established. It has issued a 500-page report that calls for reparations for enslavement of millions of Africans in the U.S. for almost 400 years. It documents in great detail the racist laws, crimes and their justification that continue today. For example, a report from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System for 2020 notes that the median Black household wealth was about $24,100, while the median white household wealth was approximately $188,200. Structural racism against the descendants of enslaved people continues. Calls for reparations are gaining momentum.

This issue of In the News provides news and analysis of the mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York to assist readers in looking at these devastating events in a manner that helps orient thinking things through. In the coming days In the News will also carry reports on the California report calling for reparations and the International Tribunal where a panel of international jurists found the U.S. guilty of genocide.

TML Daily, posted June 12, 2022.