The Aurora Massacre: America and Guns

Published in Liberation
(France) on 20 July 2012
by Fabrice Rousselot (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Meredith O'Connell. Edited by Gillian Palmer.
How many deaths will it take before America initiates a serious debate on guns? With each new death, the situation is the same: some indignant outcries, and then all goes back to normal.

Today, America is the Western, industrialized country that counts the most civilian deaths committed by fellow civilians on Earth, and yet not a single politician has the courage to launch a national discussion in Congress on the availability of all types of guns across the country.

Of course, it's easy to turn to the Constitution's sacrosanct second amendment, which accords "the right to bear arms." But it's nevertheless important to recall that this "right" had been given to militiamen who were fighting the English...

The reality is that the National Rifle Association (NRA) is such a powerful lobby across the Atlantic that it's got most elected officials, Republicans and Democrats, in its pocket. In its day Michael Moore's film on the Columbine shooting really showed this.

Thus, this results in the arms debate being nipped in the bud before it even begins. Only yesterday morning, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg had the courage to call on Barack Obama and Mitt Romney to put in place "better control" laws on the sale of arms in the United States.


Combien de morts faudra-t-il avant que l'Amérique entame un sérieux débat sur les armes ? A chaque nouvelle tuerie, le scénario est le même: quelques cris d'indignation, et puis tout rentre dans l'ordre.

L'Amérique est aujourd'hui le pays occidental industrialisé qui compte le plus de massacres de civils commis par des civils sur la planète, et pourtant aucun politicien n'a le courage de lancer au Congrès une discussion nationale sur la disponibilité des armes de toutes sortes sur le territoire.

Bien sûr, il est facile de s'en remettre au sacro-saint second amendement de la Constitution, qui accorde "le droit de porter des armes". Mais il faudrait quand même se rappeler que ce "droit" avait été accordé aux milices qui luttaient contre les Anglais...

La réalité est que le NRA (National Rifle Association) est un lobby tellement puissant outre-Atlantique qu'elle a dans sa poche la plupart des élus, républicains et démocrates. Le fim de Michael Moore sur la tuerie de Colombine l'avait bien montré en son temps.

Le résultat est donc que le débat sur les armes est étouffé dans l'œuf avant même d'avoir commencé. Hier dans la matinée, seul le maire de New York, Michael Bloomberg, a eu le courage d'en appeler à Barack Obama et à Mitt Romney, pour mettre en place un "meilleur contrôle" de la vente d'armes aux Etats-Unis.
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