"But as our politics becomes more polarized, even that learned cycle of helplessness has been replaced by a new post-shooting pastime. That new pastime is: Was this one of yours? Stewart played several clips of pundits speculating the political affiliations of different perpetrators. The guy is a rightwing Trump-supporting evangelical Christian, said one. He is a Biden supporter. Case closed, said another."
"Who the fuck cares? These mass shootings don't fit who honestly cares? neatly into our left-right paradigm. Mass shootings are probably caused by a complex fusion of mental health and access to weapons and attention-seeking, delusional nihilism married to an algorithmic underworld that sets these horrific acts in motion. I don't think any of these psychotic motherfuckers that are doing this are watching MSNBC, he added. I mean, I'm only judging from the ratings."
Political polarization has turned post-mass-shooting responses into a partisan guessing game that focuses on perpetrators' alleged affiliations rather than root causes. Media figures quickly speculate whether shooters are right- or left-leaning, using shootings as fodder for blame. Mass shootings stem from a complex fusion of mental illness, easy access to weapons, attention-seeking nihilism, and algorithmic online influences that incentivize violence. Simplistic fixes—such as policing language or attributing violence solely to political rhetoric—do not address deep-rooted societal problems. The partisan blame cycle obscures policy discussions on gun access, mental health care, platform accountability, and cultural drivers of violence.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]