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I don't have much to say about the shooting in Connecticut. I'm not capable of saying much; when I first heard about it I...I cried, for long awhile. I didn't know what else to do. That said, I have seen a lot of discussion--through Facebook, Twitter, and NPR--about what has happened, and some of the things being said has made me deeply frustrated and uncomfortable.
I have seen a lot of warnings about not politicizing what's happened. That's important; it's a terrible, cruel thing to use suffering as a springboard to push a political desire. That's unforgivable.
But there's a huge difference between expressing anger at the fact that a very disturbed person had easier access to guns than to health care, and using what happened to draw attention to specific political figures or platforms.
Getting angry because deadly weapons are easily obtainable = not a political statement
Getting angry because mental health care is not easily obtainable = not a political statement
Responding to those kinds of statements with an accusation of 'politicizing the tragedy?'
Frankly, I find that mentality to be far more unsettling and inappropriate.
I have seen a lot of warnings about not politicizing what's happened. That's important; it's a terrible, cruel thing to use suffering as a springboard to push a political desire. That's unforgivable.
But there's a huge difference between expressing anger at the fact that a very disturbed person had easier access to guns than to health care, and using what happened to draw attention to specific political figures or platforms.
Getting angry because deadly weapons are easily obtainable = not a political statement
Getting angry because mental health care is not easily obtainable = not a political statement
Responding to those kinds of statements with an accusation of 'politicizing the tragedy?'
Frankly, I find that mentality to be far more unsettling and inappropriate.
