By: Surjit Singh Flora
At least 10 people, including a police officer, have been killed in a shooting at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado. The incident has shocked people across the United States — one of several high-profile mass shootings in recent weeks.
According to sources, the accused has been taken into custody. Yet the situation there remains tense. These incidents that have taken place in different places are extremely tragic and disturbing. Many of these incidents are also related to racial violence.
The state of California has seen an increase in hate incidents against Asians. According to the data released in this regard, the Hate Reporting Center 1,691 reports of anti-Asian discrimination in California between March 2020 and February this year. Across the country, from March 19, 2020 to February 28 this year, 3,795 incidents of anti-Asian racism have been reported at the Center.
These include reports ranging from verbal abuse to physical abuse and denial of services due to being Asian. About 44.56% of these reports were related to California. The figures show an increase of 1,116 incidents in California between March and July last year. The Center has received 503 reports of anti-Asian discrimination in the first two months of 2021. The new study on discrimination against Asians comes in the wake of rising anti-Asian discrimination and violence in recent months, especially in the Bay Area. Last month, members of the California Assembly passed the Stop API. 1.4 million has been allocated to help the Hate Center and other incidents of anti-Asian discrimination.
At least eight people have been killed in a shooting at three massage parlors in the US city of Atlanta. All the victims were women of Asian descent. A 21-yearold man was taken into custody after the incident.
The situation in the United States has been tense since the recent elections. Capitol Hill was attacked by a mob on January 6, that kills five people, just two weeks before the new US president, Joe Biden to be sworn in.
Security on Capitol Hill was then beefed-up during Joe Biden’s swearing-in ceremony. But today, even after two months, these incidents are not stopping and every day one or another massacre is being heard.
What is the motive behind this has not been revealed yet? There have also been racial attacks on people of Chinese descent in recent days, during which many lives have been lost.
UNO China has accused the United States of discriminating and spreading hatred. Earlier, during a high-level meeting between the US and China in Alaska, China had expressed its displeasure.
US Ambassador Thomas Greenfield had said that slavery was present in every corner of the globe and racism was a challenge. Security forces in the United States have arrested a gunman outside the official residence of Vice President Kamala Harris.
Washington police have taken him into custody and are prosecuting him. US President Joe Biden has strongly condemned the recent incidents, especially the attacks on Asians, and expressed deep sorrow.
Joe Biden has issued strict instructions regarding the shooting. “I’m issuing strict orders to control gun culture,” he told the White House. I am ready to take the toughest possible steps to end gun violence. As President, I will use all the resources of my authority to protect the citizens of my country.
Eight people were killed in a shooting in Atlanta last week. Biden added that he was going to ban assault style weapons and high-capacity magazines. That’s what I did when I was a senator, this bill was passed. We will pass this bill again and rectify the shortcomings created in it.
This will enable us to completely ban gun culture.”
He asked the Senate to pass the bills as soon as possible, which would address the issue of gun culture and assault on assault weapons.
“Such incidents are unbearable in the United States,” he said. Every means must be used to prevent them. It is the first time in the United States since the November 3, 2020 election that a president has not conceded defeat, and until the end he has been accused of rigging the election. As a result, tensions in the United States continue to rise.
There are no restrictions on the carrying of weapons in the United States. Licenses for all types of weapons are easily available here. It would not be an exaggeration to say that America is the home of weapons.
In fact, the United States is the world’s largest arms supplier. It is just as easy to buy weapons here as it is to buy goods from the market in the usual way. Getting a firearms license is not too difficult. It can be said that everyone is free to bear arms here.
People carry weapons in almost every home. This attitude is not very good. It would be better if the open arms market was controlled. Weapons should be released only after a thorough investigation and due process. It is strictly forbidden to carry weapons, especially on the mentally ill. There have also been occasional calls for gun control.
At times, there have been joint demonstrations against the weapons by various organizations. But no government has taken any drastic action against it so far.
Strict steps need to be taken to get a huge country like the United States back on track. Such laws should be enacted to curb such incidents.
