Menace

 “At some time or other in life, everyone finds themselves at an important crossroads and must tackle their fate head-on.” Varlam Shalamov, Sketches Of The Criminal World

Menace is at my feet this evening. That’s not the puppy’s real name, not yet, though it would be appropriate. Since my mother-in-law bought her from a woman in LA, the Shih-Tzu pup has answered to Martini, Chula, Cali, Calliope, Xochitl, Sweetums, Lil’ Mama, and Jessie, the latter being my mother-in-law’s choice, which she’s sticking to even though the entire family hates it. Not long after getting the pup Mother-in-Law had to have hip replacement surgery and that curtailed her ability to care for her new charge. We have the baby. I call the puppy Menace because she’s always getting into things, gnawing on power cords, having the occasional bodily accident on the rug. She likes to eat her own shit and will wolf it down in the blink of an eye. Menace has learned that people often drop food in the kitchen, little morsels, crumbs, and if quick enough she can snatch a treat. At this very moment she is sitting by the open back door, chewing on one of my Adidas slides. Tipping the scale at about two pounds, she’s a playful, schizophrenic ball of brown and white fur. The tip of her tail is white. We’re all infatuated with her, though I will be glad when she stops nipping at my toes.  

How can people be happy when life’s so shitty for so many? How can life be so beautiful and so ugly at the same time? Dealing with contradiction is part of the human condition. The cruelty of America often stuns me, though it shouldn’t because our history as a nation overflows with it. We’re not unique and hardly exceptional, except when it comes to the number of savage gun deaths we tolerate year after year. Atlanta and Boulder have joined the club. Columbine, Las Vegas, El Paso, Sandy Hook, Charleston, Orlando, Parkland. Too many places to list because in this American culture mass shootings happen so often they no longer shock. The motives for the killing sprees in Atlanta and Boulder are not entirely clear; young men with serious problems and easy access to killing equipment. 

To operate motor vehicles in this country we require that people have drivers licenses and insurance in case they hit something or somebody. There are tests, written and performance, and fairly strict rules of the road that must be followed after the license is issued. Licenses can also be revoked. This system works reasonably well, although an argument can be made that too many people still die each year in automobile accidents. But the point is that collectively we accept drivers’ licenses as a necessary, reasonable method of ensuring we can all enjoy the privilege of driving with a measure of safety. But when it comes to guns we require very little. Why? Well, one reason is that gun ownership has become -- was deliberately made to be -- a deeply contested, hot-button political issue, a litmus test for conservatives. The GOP and the NRA were a marriage that worked to make gun ownership a third-rail of American politics. After every mass shooting that I can recall, the NRA immediately mobilized its might and pressured Congress to do nothing -- and Congress complied. The 2nd Amendment has been twisted like a pretzel, out of all proportion to its meaning and the context of the time when it was written. The men who wrote the Bill of Rights could not have imagined the lethal weaponry ordinary people would one day find easy to get their hands on. Semi-automatic pistols, assault rifles with extra large magazines. My friend in Michigan knows firearms better than I do, and can quote make, model, velocity, types of ammunition, the whole catalog. I don’t own any firearms, never have, but I respect my fellow citizens’ right to own rifles, pistols, and shotguns, whether used for sport or protection. I have no problem with people owning firearms for these purposes. But I think buying and owning a firearm should require some effort, a few hoops to jump through before a permit to purchase and own is issued. Is a background check or waiting period that unreasonable? Guns are a public safety issue and only the State has the power to regulate them. Regulation isn’t foolproof or failsafe, nothing ever is, and as soon as the government declares something illegal, whether alcohol or heroin, some enterprising, cunning people will find a weakness to exploit and make money supplying the forbidden to willing buyers. 

The gun manufacturer’s lobby is another reason no real action is ever taken; the making and selling of firearms is big business. 2020 was a record year for gun sales. 

The NRA isn’t the potent political force it once was, mired in corruption and bankruptcy proceedings, but the arguments it pushed remain articles of faith among many conservatives, and the likelihood of any sensible legislation emerging from Congress is slim. Republicans will employ the usual scare tactics, accusing Democrats of wanting to take away everyone’s guns. Debate will run in circles and no matter what measures are proposed, they are certain to die on the floor of our dysfunctional Senate. This sick process will repeat after the next mass shooting. Our political “leaders” protect the right to bear arms more vigorously than they protect the welfare and safety of citizens. 

In national polls a majority of Americans favor stricter gun controls, a trend that has been consistent for years. But if there’s one thing our political system excels at it’s ignoring the will of the majority. The next mass shooting is coming to a city, town or hamlet near you. Ready your thoughts and prayers.