A Love for Guns and Money

487

November 30, 2014

Published in La Razón
(Bolivia) on 10/28/2014
by Editorial (link to original link to original)

Translated from by Stuart Taylor. Edited by Helaine Schweitzer.

Every so often in the United States, the issue of killings by civilians, usually males of various ages, equipped with firearms resurges. The latest incident involved a 15-year-old student who, last Friday, opened fire on his classmates while they were having breakfast in the school cafeteria. Two teenagers – one female and one male – died in the attack in Washington state, and three others were severely wounded. Subsequent to the attack, the disturbed teen took his own life.

In the past 20 years, there have been 24 similar tragedies. Each time that this type of incident occurs, the world asks itself how a democratic country such as the U.S. can continue to freely sell firearms, taking into account the high probability that they will fall into the hands of disturbed people, psychopaths and criminals, both in North America and beyond.

Well, as you might imagine, the motivation is money. This is the only way to explain the fact that the dangerous business of guns sales is booming, considering that the main beneficiaries are looking to commit crime rather than to defend themselves. We have the National Rifle Association to thank, an organization whose influence over the realm of Republican power is blatantly obvious.

Cada cierto tiempo, en EEUU se reedita la noticia de matanzas protagonizadas por civiles con armas de fuego, generalmente varones de diversas edades. En esta última ocasión, el viernes pasado un estudiante de 15 años decidió emprender a tiros contra sus compañeros mientras desayunaban en la cafetería de su colegio. Producto de este atentado, en Washington, murieron dos adolescentes, una mujer y un varón, y resultaron gravemente heridos otros tres. Además, el trastornado joven se suicidó luego del ataque.
Cada vez que ocurren este tipo de incidentes (en los últimos 20 años se han contabilizado 24 tragedias similares) propios y extraños se preguntan cómo es posible que en un país democrático como EEUU persista la venta libre de armas de fuego, tomando en cuenta que la probabilidad de que caigan en manos de personas perturbadas, psicópatas y criminales (dentro y fuera de Norteamérica) es muy alta.
Pues, como es de suponer, por la angurria del dinero. Solo así se explica que un negocio tan nocivo como es la venta de armas, cuyos principales beneficiarios no son quienes buscan defenderse, sino quienes buscan delinquir, goce de tan buena salud; y ello gracias al auspicio de la Asociación Nacional del Rifle (NRA), cuya influencia sobre las esferas de poder republicanas es más que evidente.

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