Why isn't the Mother's Day shooting a national tragedy?

[summer]

I didn't post it because I don't really see the point of discussing guns and violence anymore. The U.S. has no intention of doing anything about it, so I'm resigned to this being life. Our country can't have a reasonable gun control conversation. Our country is not willing to spend the time and money on addressing the social issues that underlie most of this violence, so *shrug*. But USA! USA! We're awesome, right?



Guardian

On 3 September 2005 – less than a week after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast – I began to understand that America cared little about what was happening in New Orleans.

I was an undergraduate at Davidson College in North Carolina at the time, worried out of my mind because my family in Mississippi was still without electricity and friends and family in New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast were still missing. The images of families stranded on rooftops were trickling in via news outlets, but it was obvious that the response from the government would be slow.

But it really hit me on 3 September. I was driving around and noticed all the American flags at half-mast. Because Supreme court chief justice William Rehnquist died.

At the time, the Gulf Coast death toll was rumored to be in the thousands with nobody knowing for sure. But flags stayed at full mast until a chief justice died. To me, this was a slap in the face to what was going on in New Orleans and a sign that the city just didn't matter to the overall fabric of the country.

Year after year, I watched the anniversary for Katrina pass while people gathered around flagpoles two weeks later to mourn the deaths from 9/11. Both were horrible tragedies, but only one seemed to say in the nation's consciousness.

Years after Katrina, I lived in Evanston, Illinois and learned about the warm weather massacres in Chicago that happen every spring break or beginning of summer where dozens of high school kids get shot within matters of hours. And how nobody seemed to care. Living in New Orleans and near Chicago has left me jaded to what America prioritizes or chooses to ignore.

So I shouldn't be surprised that the Mother's Day Parade shooting has largely been forgotten. On Sunday, shots were fired into a crowd during a parade in the New Orleans 7th ward. Police said they saw three suspects running from the scene.

This is the largest mass shooting in the United States where the shooters were still at large after the crime was committed. Think about that for a minute. From Columbine to Virginia Tech to Fort Hill to Aurora, all the shooters were either killed or apprehended on site. But the person or people responsible for shooting 19 Americans are still free.

So why am I allowed to go outside? Where's the city quarantine or FBI and Homeland Security presence for this act of "terrorism"?

Because this is an act of domestic terrorism right? Just because the alleged shooter was wearing a white tee and jeans does that suddenly make the shooting a gang-related affair? And we all know how irrelevant gang-related shootings are in America. The Mother's Day shooting is so irrelevant that politicians haven't even bothered to mention it to further their anti-gun agendas. If the shootings aren't even important enough for politicians to spin, then it's truly reached a black hole of irrelevance.

Did I mention the shooter is still on the loose? I have? Just checking. Police have released photos and video of one of the suspects, but he is still at large.

Now take a moment and imagine a Mother's Day Parade in the suburbs of Denver, a neighborhood in Edina or a plaza in Austin where bullets rain down on civilians and even hit children. I can't help but imagine the around-the-clock news coverage. And I can't help but think it's because most of America can identify with the fear of being bombarded with gunfire while just enjoying a parade in the middle of town. But America can't identify with being at a parade in the "inner city" where "gang violence" erupts. The "oh my God, that could happen to me" factor isn't present with a story about New Orleans or the Chicago southside.

But no matter where the incident occurred, the victims are still there. Victims like 10-year-old Ka'Nard Allen whose father was stabbed to death in October. Whose five-year-old cousin was shot to death at Ka'Nard's birthday party last May (Ka'Nard was also shot in the neck that day). He was also grazed with a bullet in his cheek at the Mother's Day parade. No matter what part of the country Ka'Nard is from, his story should linger in your heart.

But it hasn't because you haven't heard of him, and you've barely heard anything about what should be considered a national tragedy.

Unforunately, though, I've learned to redefine what constitutes an American tragedy. American tragedies occur where middle America frequents every day: airplanes, business offices, marathons. Where there persists a tangible fear that this could happen to any of us. And rightfully so. Deaths and mayhem anywhere are tragic. That should always be the case. The story here is where American tragedies don't occur.

American tragedies don't occur on the southside of Chicago or the New Orleans 9th Ward. They don't occur where inner city high school kids shoot into school buses or someone shoots at a 10-year old's birthday party in New Orleans. Or Gary, Indiana. Or Compton. Or Newport News. These are where the forgotten tragedies happen and the cities are left to persevere on their own.

So, once again, New Orleans will survive. And move on. Because, really, we've been here before.

[summer]

Especially all of this. This is the truth. Two Americas.


American tragedies don't occur on the southside of Chicago or the New Orleans 9th Ward. They don't occur where inner city high school kids shoot into school buses or someone shoots at a 10-year old's birthday party in New Orleans. Or Gary, Indiana. Or Compton. Or Newport News. These are where the forgotten tragedies happen and the cities are left to persevere on their own.

So, once again, New Orleans will survive. And move on. Because, really, we've been here before.

[taffy]

I'm on a trip and have layed over in 4 different cities...Chicago, Baltimore, Phoenix and Houston and the shootings in NOLA have been on the news in each of those cities.

[KateAggie]

Honestly, and maybe this makes me a jerk, once I heard no one died, I just thought "whew," and moved on. The only thing I can think of is a bad pun--they really dodged a bullet.

So yeah, I guess I'm to used to hearing about motherf$&@% shooting people, so when there are no deaths I breathe a sigh of relief and move on.

[dorothyinAus]

It's certainly covered well in Australia. It was the lead story on a day when focus would have otherwise been on the forthcoming Australian Federal Budget. We've had updates daily -- as the third or fourth story, though I suspect now that a suspect has been arrested, it will die down.

I'm a NOLA native, and my suspicions about the nature of the shooting were confirmed when speaking with my parents who still live there. I'm not saying it should not be a national tragedy, but there is far more going on than the media will ever cover.

[hellfreezesovertour]

Plus, you know, racism.

[otowngirl]

May 16, 2013 6:44:16 GMT -5 hellfreezesovertour said:

Plus, you know, racism.

Barack Obama does not care about black people!

[iammalcolmx]

Did I mention the shooter is still on the loose? I have? Just checking.
Police have released photos and video of one of the suspects, but he is
still at large.

I was first going to quote what summer did because that struck a nerve with me. I would also like to talk about this as well. People aren't talking because they are most likely afraid to.

[heyjude]

I'm not sure why this isn't terrorism.

[ttt]

May 16, 2013 8:35:17 GMT -5 heyjude said:

I'm not sure why this isn't terrorism.

Terrorism is using violence to intimidate people for a political reason. I don't think there's any indication the shooting was anything but someone being a scumbag

[darnkatz]

I've literally had people say to me that they don't care about what happens in Chicago because it could never happen to them. Because they don't live in 'the ghetto.' Fucking assholes. I just retort that YES, it can. My husband was held at gun/knife-point in a wealthy neighborhood, mugged, and beaten. It can and does happen. But besides that, who doesn't care about children being shot every damn day? Or finding guns on the sidewalk? Apparently, most of America doesn't. Sometimes, I really hate humanity.

[heyjude]

May 16, 2013 9:10:15 GMT -5 ttt said:

May 16, 2013 8:35:17 GMT -5 heyjude said:

I'm not sure why this isn't terrorism.

Terrorism is using violence to intimidate people for a political reason. I don't think there's any indication the shooting was anything but someone being a scumbag

And the reason here was just to use violence to intimidate people for no reason?

[heyjude]

After Boston we called it terrorism before we even had a suspect or a motive.

[ttt]

May 16, 2013 10:49:58 GMT -5 heyjude said:

After Boston we called it terrorism before we even had a suspect or a motive.

True. But there aren't a lot of reasons to set off bomb in crowded public places besides terrorism. It's clearly targeting the general public as opposed to targeting a specific person without regard to bystanders. In the case of this shooting, it's unclear whether he was shooting at a particular person and just happened to shoot lots of other people or what.

It's also the same reason that the Sandy Hook shooting wasn't terrorism. It was horrific, to say the least, and it caused terror, but terrorism is using violence and fear towards a political goal. There was none of that involved. Someone shooting up innocent people because they're mad at the world or because they're mentally ill or because they were trying to shoot an enemy and just didn't give a crap who else they killed, none of those things are terrorism.

[heyjude]

I think this is disturbing racial semantics.

(I'm not in any way calling you a racist TTT)

[ttt]

May 16, 2013 11:08:22 GMT -5 heyjude said:

I think this is disturbing racial semantics.

(I'm not in any way calling you a racist TTT)

Why do you say that?

What would be your definition of terrorism?

[ttt]

Incidentally, did we discuss that he's now been caught?

www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2013/05/mothers_day_shooting_suspect_w.html

[heyjude]

Because its a black person targeting black people with a gun. Not terrorism because he couldn't possibly have a political motive. Because he's just a another black dude being bad.

If he had olive skin or a name like Muhammad it's of course terrorism and not just another bad dude doing bad things. He has a reason!

I think the way we categorize and talk about this stuff is racially coded.

[sushi]

Ttt is pretty spot on with her definition. Terrorism has to have a component beyond just killing people.

[downtoearth]

This is terrible to say, but we are about 40+ years into the "War on Gangs" and people have lost interest. I'm guessing that in about 30 more years, we'll all lose interest in the "War on Terror" also.

It's not that it doesn't deserve attention, it's that we don't know what attention to give it now? Are gang-related violent acts going down? Not really. Are good sons and daughters still going into gangs instead of school? Yes. Are random violent activities still killing people? Yes. Would gun control help? We don't know. Do most Americans feel connected to it? We don't think so - NIMBY.

[gpw]

I think we all know the reason and just don't want to say it.

I think it was NitaX that said it in another thread... if it's black people doing things like this, it's gang violence and there's a "won't happen to me" or "this is what happens in cities that have black majorities."  If it happens in white suburbia it's something bigger because the media makes it bigger.  It's no different than seeing all the blonde, white women who get abducted/killed/raped/what have you but rarely seeing the same reported about black women like it somehow only happens to white women.  No, it's just that the media cares more, or perceives that its viewers will care more.    

It's racism.  Full stop.  

[orangeblossom]

It's quite simple, the perpetrators and victims are black.

[heyjude]

May 16, 2013 11:41:17 GMT -5 orangeblossom said:

It's quite simple, the perpetrators and victims are black.

It is so painfully that simple.

[gpw]

May 16, 2013 11:41:17 GMT -5 orangeblossom said:

It's quite simple, the perpetrators and victims are black.

so much more succinct and to the point than my post!  

[NitaX]

May 16, 2013 11:41:17 GMT -5 orangeblossom said:

It's quite simple, the perpetrators and victims are black.

Right. They kill each other all the time. No biggie. Move along. Nothing to see here.

[sushi]

May 16, 2013 11:44:45 GMT -5 heyjude said:

May 16, 2013 11:41:17 GMT -5 orangeblossom said:

It's quite simple, the perpetrators and victims are black.

It is so painfully that simple.

it's why we don't care. That part is simple. But it's not why we don't label it as terrorism.

[heyjude]

May 16, 2013 11:51:17 GMT -5 sushi said:

May 16, 2013 11:44:45 GMT -5 heyjude said:

It is so painfully that simple.

it's why we don't care. That part is simple. But it's not why we don't label it as terrorism.

I disagree.

[sushi]

May 16, 2013 12:00:29 GMT -5 heyjude said:

May 16, 2013 11:51:17 GMT -5 sushi said:

it's why we don't care. That part is simple. But it's not why we don't label it as terrorism.

I disagree.

It's not really subjective. Political motive is an essential part of the operational definition.

Now, if you were to argue maybe there is a political motive here but we don't bother to even look because it's just blacks guys doing what they always do, I'll listen to that argument.

[ttt]

May 16, 2013 11:51:17 GMT -5 sushi said:

May 16, 2013 11:44:45 GMT -5 heyjude said:

It is so painfully that simple.

it's why we don't care. That part is simple. But it's not why we don't label it as terrorism.

I agree. I think the terrorism debate is a red herring. Every act of violence worth caring about doesn't have to be terrorism.

[heyjude]

May 16, 2013 12:14:45 GMT -5 sushi said:

May 16, 2013 12:00:29 GMT -5 heyjude said:

I disagree.

It's not really subjective. Political motive is an essential part of the operational definition.

Now, if you were to argue maybe there is a political motive here but we don't bother to even look because it's just blacks guys doing what they always do, I'll listen to that argument.

See what I said above. We assume there is not a political motive because its just another black person killing black people.