Violence in the U.S., Violence in Spain

This morning I read an article in our local newspaper about a moderate increase in crime in the province of Malaga in 2016. This got me thinking about violence and how it compares between the US and Spain overall. It occurred to me that the simplest, and perhaps most indicative, comparison would be the homicide per 100,000 rate. So that's what I looked up. Well, as it turns out, I couldn't find definitive statistics for 2016, so I went back to 2014. In the US, the rate was 4.5/100,00, the lowest rate since 1963. (That's according to the FBI.) For Spain, the rate for 2014 was 0.7/100,000. That's a very big difference. And for some historical perspective, note that for the U.S., the 4.5 rate marks a historic low, while a comparable rate in Spain would be considered scandalously high! Spain is, indeed, a generally peaceful place. The Institute for Economics and Peace ranks Spain as the 25th most peaceful country in the world on its Global Peace Index for 2016, well ahead of the U.S., which ranks 103rd (out of 163 countries studied). It's strange, isn't it?, how so many American politicians love to refer to the U.S. as the "greatest country in the world!" It baffles the mind how a reasonable person could reconcile such a low standing with regards to violence with status as the world's "greatest country".

I do not believe Americans and Spaniards are particularly different with regards to violence generally. Our educational outcomes are similar, as are many other social, economic, and cultural dynamics. The obvious difference is that the U.S. is drowning in firearms. In terms of gun ownership, the U.S. is, yes, without a doubt, the greatest country in the world. No other country can remotely compete when it comes to our insaciable obsession with possessing instruments of death. The rate in the U.S. is estimated at 112 firearms per 100 inhabitants. Over one gun per person!  (And most of the people I know don't own any guns, so just imagine...) Spain ranks 59th in the world, with an estimated rate of 10.4 firearms per 100 inhabitants. In sum, gun ownership in the U.S. is approximately ten times what it is in Spain. No need to think this one too hard: the homicide rate in the U.S. is much higher than it is in Spain because in moments of rage it is so much more likely that an American can simply grab a gun and fire away. That is far less likely to happen here.
The relative rarity of gun violence in Spain has obvious benefits in terms of general well being. People have many worries, many troubles, but being randomly shot at is certainly not one of them. And imagine how this impacts policing! Spaniards do not fear the police, in large part because Spanish police are not trained to fear being shot at, and as a result their general demeanor is tremendously more relaxed than that of the typical American cop. And of course, there is the whole issue of the militarization of American policing, with the military style gear that results in great intimidation of the citizenry and constant aggressive posturing. The image above is simply not part of the Spanish landscape. It's a true shame Americans have accepted this. 

American Carnage

Carnage is an impactful word. Generally speaking it's a word we like to avoid because what it evokes is violent and ugly. And it's about us, our dead, mutilated bodies. Our very flesh. And thus it was so striking that Trump infamously used the word in his inauguration speech. During the campaign, it was evident that Trump was a fear monger. Who would have guessed that such embarrassing behavior would continue unabated after the election? Well, since Trump's personality is so painfully and transparently on display on a daily basis, it probably should have surprised us very little. Or not at all. Three days ago a "radical Christian terrorist" massacred six people in a mosque in Quebec. No tweets from Trump. Not one. No condolences. Yesterday a machete-wielding tourist was killed at the Louvre in Paris when he tried to attack a police officer. No others were seriously hurt. And yet, Trump tweeted this:

 President Trump Retweeted

Donald J. Trump ‏@realDonaldTrump  17h17 hours ago

A new radical Islamic terrorist has just attacked in Louvre Museum in Paris. Tourists were locked down. France on edge again. GET SMART U.S.

37,939 replies36,516 retweets133,007 likes

First of all, it's a lie: the Louvre was not attacked; rather there was merely an attempted assault on a police officer, who was unharmed. Much more importantly, note the alarm, the totally irrational reaction. A hate-filled nutcase gets himself killed in Paris. There is nothing to be learned here in terms of improving our national security. No reason, really, for any politician to tweet about it. But it's another opportunity (they are limitless) for Trump to dial up the alarm. The Muslims are attacking everyone. Be afraid! I will save you! It is a dark, dark fantasy. Back in reality, Muslims who are justifiably nervous about the security of their mosques: you don't count. Your lives don't matter. You're not one of us. That's the message we get from Trump. I do not say this lightly: never before has such an unhinged, unprepared and dangerous man occupied the White House. Yes, indeed: get smart U.S! Get this man impeached and out of office before it's too late.
It is Trump himself, of course, who is sewing American carnage. His narcissism is violent ad dangerous. (How about that little detail that the bully retweets from the POTUS account his own nonsense posted a little earlier on his "real" account.) The bully has worn no clothes for quite a while now. He is pathetic. But no fearing the bully. Stand up. Embrace the weak, the unprotected. Let's keep working to heal American carnage. The bully must go.