Humanity, Wealth and Social Justice

In 2017, 112 were killed and 531 wounded in mass shootings in America, according to a chart published by Mother Jones and Times Magazine. (Deadliest Mass Shooting US History). The chart covers 35 years and in 1982 only 8 were killed and 3 wounded. 

Why is it important to record this? Probably because the NRA and US Government refuse to ban guns no matter how many news headlines make us feel unsafe. And the proliferation of social media where anyone with a connection to internet can broadcast their favourite theories - like this one, needs some facts for the balance.

Also because numbers seem to have authority over general perceptions.

But what does it mean for the future of our species? 

We are not about to become extinct - there are 7.6 billion of us on this planet. I can imagine (unkindly) some folks in their well funded think tanks congratulating the murderers for killing off some of the population without them having to pay for it. The victims of mass killing are usually poor and unknown. Not that war killed off rich white men - the front lines were filled with working men and boys. Vietnam, Korea, Iraq, Japan, Europe - the dead were mostly from the unknown mass.

And I haven't even mentioned the deaths from drug addiction, alcohol, cancer victims, diabetics, and those killed on the job.

Looking at it this way you can see why there might be a resistance to medicare for everyone, or safe work site legislation, or welfare, or investigations into food safety, or affordable homes.  You can see how effective capitalism has become in convincing the masses that we get what we deserve, and how easy it is to justify anyone's worth through economics.

Our political and social habits that value some for what they own or what they do has fallen to discredit humanity by broadcasting articles that show us in madness and despair, along with entertainment glorifying infantile rage, cruelty and violence. It's all a steady diet of blood and guts on screens and a mindless quest for getting to the top and shaming those that fail.

This is not a meritocracy or a democracy, and although many of us in the West have it much better than our ancestors did - every one  must ask what we are winning and losing and who is responsible for making the world better, if not all of us.