The head of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says he fears that a drumbeat of mass shootings and other gun violence across the United States could make Americans numb to the bloodshed, fostering apathy to finding solutions rather than galvanizing communities to act.
Director Steve Dettelbach’s comments to The Associated Press came after he met this past week with family members of some of the 18 people killed in October at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston, Maine by a U.S. Army reservist who later took his own life.
He said people must not accept that gun violence is a prevalent part of American life.
It’s chilling talking to Americans about gun violence.
They are well past any early desensitization.
And they definitely accept gun violence as a prevalent part of their lives.
Citizens from other countries are truly horrified if you posit the idea if a mass shooting to them, especially involving children.
American responses range from “look, the thing is…bullshit false rationalization they don’t understand” to “I know, it’s fucking bullshit!” followed by a shake of their head and a shrug of their shoulders.
Those are the extremes. Usually it’s just an exasperated sigh.