Brunswick Beacon, 06.01.23
Like the Pilgrims, President Kennedy called upon America to be “a city upon a hill,” a shining beacon of hope for all the world. Every president since Kennedy has honored American exceptionalism. Except Donald Trump.
“I don’t like the term,” said Trump. “Look, if I’m a Russian, I don’t think it’s a very nice term. We’re exceptional; you’re not.” Trump often says America is no better than Russia. When Bill O’Reilly called Putin “a killer” Trump asked, “do you think our country is so innocent?” When Joe Scarborough said Putin kills journalists and political opponents, Trump said, “our country does plenty of killing also.” Trump defended Putin against American Intelligence and said “the greatest threat to Western Civilization today is not Russia. It's probably, more than anything else, ourselves.”
Trump Republicans might think America is no better than Russia, but they do think it’s exceptional in one way. They think it’s exceptionally crazy.
America has suffered 246 mass shootings this year, 73% of the global total. We have just 4% of the world’s population, but 46% of its privately-owned guns. More guns produce more gun deaths.
MAGA Republicans ignore those facts. Instead, they blame mental health, ignoring still more facts: mental illness contributes to only 4% of violence, and America’s mental illness rate is similar to that of other countries. If they really believe mental health is to blame, why did 193 MAGA Republicans vote against the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and its $2.35 billion for mental health services?
Despite the recent epidemic of mass shootings, MAGA Republicans keep making it easier to get guns. NC’s Republican-controlled legislature just let shooters buy handguns without pistol permits.
It's said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” MAGA Republicans keep flooding America with guns while it’s drowning in blood from gun violence. They seem determined to prove their point all by themselves: America really is the craziest place on Earth.
Rich Cooper
Leland
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