"Worst Mass Shooting in U.S. History..."

[[Note:  I wrote this a couple of days ago.  I've actually been seeing a lot of posts clarifying the erroneous claim that the Orlando Massacre was the "worst mass shooting in history."  That is heartening.

However, let's be clear: do not use the media's false claim obscure the fact that the Orlando Massacre was a horrific crime.  Do not try to say "Teh Gayz haven't really suffered".  Rather, realize that the Orlando Massacre is but one of many in a sad history of mass killings. But please do not allow the victims of these other killings be forgotten merely because they are more historically distant.]]

As expected, this country is intensely focused right now on the Orlando atrocity--and that's not just expected, it's probably a good thing.  It means that we're still human--when we mourn, when we struggle to make sense of tragedy.  I read a lot of thoughtful posts and blogs, and this has led many to deep thinking and re-thinking of positions.

Of course, there is also a lot of confirmation bias in what is posted.  As each new revelation comes forward, we try to incorporate it into our own worldview, and seek to understand how each fact builds up support for our political, ethical, and religious viewpoints and/or prejudices.

One unconscious statement that is present in most news stories that I read and many blogs:  "this is the worst mass shooting in U.S. History."  Some more cautious news stories say "worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history"--of course, there is some kind of understanding what date or event brought us to this "modern" era:  was it World War I?  World War II?  Vietnam?  The invention of the printing press?  No elaboration is given, no definition of what events constitute "mass shooting" and which ones are excluded in this definition.

For a grim exercise, I looked up in Wikipedia "List of massacres in the United States."  A pretty grim listing--and not yet updated for Orlando.  It didn't even have Columbine or San Bernardino.  Indeed, the last event listed was in 2000 when a "mere" five people were massacred in Wichita, Kansas.  So I'm not really sure why only certain massacres are listed in Wikipedia, why others didn't make the cut.  Helpful as ever, though, Wikipedia also links for events like Lists of Rampage Killers, School Shootings, Terrorism Deaths, Race Riots, and even the usually over-looked Indian Massacres.  Helpful categories for the Reaper's stat book.

There are some pretty famous events there--the Boston Massacre (5 dead), and the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre (7 dead).  Others that are less known, such as Bloody Island Massacre (60-100 dead)--an action of our own military in 1850.  Other events that are of special interest to certain people--the infamous Mountain Meadows Massacre in 1857 where some 100-140 settlers were killed by Mormon Militia under the flag of truce.  Or the horrible Fort Pillow Massacre when Confederate troops massacred 277 Union negro troops who were trying to surrender.

Maybe the categories of murder are somewhat muddy, but bearing mention is the Greenwood Massacre, a race riot in Tulsa resulting in the destruction of 35 city blocks of African-American residents, leaving over 10,000 homeless.  Official body count was 39, but other credible estimates are as high as 300.  And this happened in 1921.  Does this count as "modern", I wonder?

But the one event, for some reason, always comes to mind in eternal halls of shame in U.S. History: the massacre at Wounded Knee on December 29, 1890.  Over 150 Lakota men, women, and children were killed by U.S. Army troops.  Twenty-five soldiers lost their lives, many of whom were killed by friendly fire.  And for this atrocity?  Twenty Medals of Honor--our nations highest award for valor--were awarded.  (Proposals to remove these awards have fallen on deaf ears.  Bravely done, lads.

I do not wish to take away one tiny bit of mourning for the victims in Orlando.  But with the historical memory of goldfish and with a propensity to feel more deeply tragedy against those who look like us, we often silence the mourning of others.

What does it say about our society, our cultural memory, when we do not even remember the worst atrocities done in our country--and those atrocities done by our democratically-elected government itself?  What does it say if we are offended that someone would dare question the official narrative of the mass media?  "Don't bring up Wounded Knee--we're mourning now!"

Sure, let the victims mourn, and their families.  But those of us who sit afar off, who are touched only through the computer screen or looped video tape on 24 hour news, let's not turn this into an opportunity to think that somehow we are living in the Most Horrid Time Ever(TM) and Things Have Never Been This Bad(R).  We forget--how easily we forget!--the horrors that others have experienced--do experience--in our name.

If we are to respond appropriately to this atrocity, let us never distort the truth, never allow our emotion to overrule reality.  Recognize Orlando for what it is--and for what it isn't.