Week 5 A04 Lohitashwa Garikipati

Week 5 Blog Post

            Serial killers are an old trope in literature. However, in recent years, they have become more and more common in society. Part of it is the easy access to guns in the USA, and the other part of it is rising social tensions due to changes in social power and structure. Hamamoto’s article, “Empire of Death, and the Plague of Civil Violence,” explores the various facets of acts of mass murder and violence. In the paper, the case of the Texas Tower massacre is discussed, and it highlights the need, in my opinion, for greater gun control. An ex-army sniper was able to purchase a gun and proceeded to use a sniper rifle to shoot 15 people, 2 of which were his wife and mother. It is clear that having guns so accessible to anyone, regardless of their background, is a potential danger for civilians. However, not all cases are simply desires for violence, but are actually racially driven. Hamomoto points out examples that include the Holocaust, African slavery, and the destruction of Native American cultures and civilizations. The KKK is a perfect example of a modern day violent group that discriminates based on race as well. And in America with guns being so easy to buy in America, chance for domestic violence to occur increases drastically. What can we do to instead promote better safety in the US? Some possibilities include harsher gun laws as well as better background checks on people buying guns.

Citation:

1. Mamomoto DY. Empire of Death, and the Plague of Civil Violence.

2. When Faced With Workplace Violence. Monster Career Advice. https://www.monster.ca/career-advice/article/when-faced-with-workplace-violence. Accessed February 4, 2019.