Guns, civility, and community

Guns.

The Rt. Rev. Edward J. Konieczny, Bishop of Oklahoma (Episcopal), who is a former police officer, wrote in the Thin Line between God & Guns:

"We need a reasoned conversation about existing privacy laws that protect the mentally ill but too often fail to protect our law enforcement officers and our citizens. We need conversations about movies and video games that desensitize our children to the effects of violence. We need conversations about loopholes in the laws that allow the sale of weapons at gun shows and by private dealers without proper background checks."

The Bishop gets it. But we don't just need gun control, we need a comprehensive dialogue about violence. But it isn't just the mentally ill who use guns inappropriately. Guns are used to criminals, by people in alienated relationships, in drive by shootings, and in other incidents. 

Contrary to what an otherwise sane mental health practitioner told me, violence is not a symptom of mental illness. Adam Lanza to the contrary, the mentally ill are more likely to be victims. They just don't make the news. 

Neither can they be easily detected nor confined "non-punitivly" to facilities & told "you will take your meds". While it may be true that we could free up resources by reforming our drug laws (decriminalize marijuana), the prison industry has a powerful lobby. Also, there is no royal road to mental health. Also, there we have the presumption of innocence in this country. Take away my rights--yes, I have a mental illness--and they can take away yours.

One thing the Bishop talked about in a recent panel at Trinity Episcopal Church this past Sunday was how we need less distrust of each other. We need better community. We need a dialogue on guns and violence. We also need civility.  Heinlein said that rudeness is a sign of a collapsing civilization--ours. He's right. 

I am part of one of the most civil Internet communities--the Gunroom (devoted to, among other topics, the works of Patrick O'Brian). While we shy away from religion and politics, it is necessary to discuss them--albeit not there. 

We need to discuss the causes of violence: poverty, disenfranchisement, incivility, cats (just checking to see if you were still there), and whether we are good stewards of what we are borrowing from those who come after us. The rich need to help the poor by more than throwing money at them. See the earlier episode about giving.

What is civility? Politeness and the small courtesies are just a start, though a good one. What is the answer? I don't know. Let's talk about it.