This is a clip of legislation being advanced in Congress to remedy the situation in the United States involving mass shootings, but encountering some pushback. This video demonstrates the continuing divide in American political culture and our democracy that tragically leads to inaction. This division and democratic rule are both core elements of US political culture. It is a common theme for a crisis to erupt, then outrage and calls to action to follow. Finally, public attention will turn to other things before a solution has been found due to roadblocks created by divisiveness. The momentum toward addressing the root cause(s) of the issue will grind to a halt. A third core political concept could also be the influence of the second amendment on the federal government, and the threats that actors like the NRA pose to the continued operation and well-being of our democratic system. The exercise of democracy on a national level poses a great challenge for a society when its people become ideologically split from each other. It creates environments where different factions become radicalized when they believe compromise is impossible or an existential threat to their cause(s). This in turn can make individuals feel comfortable advancing their cause through any means necessary, thus allowing for the potential use of violence and deadly force upon innocent people.
A strong example of the divisive political culture in the US involving gun laws was the George Floyd protest movement that rocked the US in 2020 following his murder by police. Although there had been a long history of gun violence previously which involved both police and normal citizens, this movement sought to extinguish it along with the systemic racism surrounding it. However, due to the sharp inability for liberals and conservatives to come to any sort of meaningful compromise/agreement, the movement stalled and largely faded away. Today there have been few substantial steps forward toward resolving this issue, and gun violence in certain regions has even seen a marked increase.
5 Questions:
-What are some off ramps/solutions for situations where the public is incredibly polarized?
-How do we effectively promote national unity among all political factions when a true threat to our democratic system emerges?
-How does the current political climate around gun laws affect you personally?
-Do you think this state of impasse will improve?
-Is the second amendment problematic to our society or is it more beneficial?
I thought this assignment was interesting to complete, due to how it made me think about the partisan divide we have in the U.S. and its continued challenges. I enjoyed looking into this topic although it is rather dark given the current circumstances we as a nation are in. This practicum is a good assignment, it sparks debate and the need to take a closer look at things we may have only briefly skimmed over in the news.