The analytical framework laid out in Progressivism: A Primer on the Idea Destroying America is extremely useful for explaining the formulaic reaction of progressives to mass shootings.

Keep in mind that progressivism is a kind of self-imposed mental disability wherein the progressive convinces himself, without evidence or logic, that government action is the solution to all human problems and therefore becomes blind to any evidence that government itself may be the culprit.

Also, keep in mind that in order to distract attention away from prior progressive government failures, the progressive instinctively resorts to a set of pre-determined non-governmental or societal scapegoats to be blamed for any new problems that come along. Progressivism: A Prime... James Ostrowski Best Price: $8.99 Buy New $10.95 (as of 08:30 UTC - Details)

What is rarely realized, even by non-progressives, is that blaming innocent scapegoats for problems created by government is a pernicious form of hate speech!

So, in the South Carolina tragedy, before all the relevant facts are known, progressives have already trotted out: white racism (which for all practical purposes means white people!) and private gun ownership, among other scapegoats.  Although the presence of the Confederate flag on government property is technically a government policy, in the present controversy, the flag primarily serves as an alleged symbol of white racism, thus allowing progressives to aim their furor at a non-governmental target.

Ironically, while progressives are doing a victory lap on the flag issue, the Confederate flag issue actually shows the failure of progressivism to achieve social harmony among diverse groups.  Democracy creates winners and losers in every one of its policies.  When the predominant view was that the flag was hoisted in honor of brave Confederate soldiers or in opposition to federal omnipotence, the minority who viewed the flag differently were forced to endure the majority’s decision.  Now, the former majority is forced to endure the majority’s edict that deems them racist “redneck” haters.  Each side will now look at the other as a threat to their culture and values.  Thus it is that the progressive’s beloved democracy creates not harmony among racial, ethnic and religious groups, but continuous and escalating conflict.  This point is explored in detail in my book.

A phenomenon I identified a few years ago and spelled out in the book, “liberty reduction as a form of grieving,” is ongoing with the President calling for reducing the liberty of innocents to own guns. Government Schools Are... James Ostrowski Best Price: $3.96 Buy New $4.99 (as of 09:05 UTC - Details)

On the other hand, no progressive government policies may be discussed as possible contributors to this tragedy.  There has been zero or little note taken of these possible factors:

1. The failure of a law restricting guns at church to stop the shooter.
2. The deterrent effect of that same law on the victims as it requires specific consent by the church to carry a concealed weapon.
3. The deterrent effect of handgun licensing laws in South Carolina.
4. The ban on open-carry in South Carolina.
5. The fact that the government takes people’s money and usurps tremendous power and promises to keep people safe and yet provides little actual protection in advance of crime as in this case.
6. The fact that the perpetrator was able to freely access the church from a government-owned street on which the state allows any and all criminals and terrorists access. That is, the state guarantees the right of the most dangerous criminal or terrorist in the land to come right to the edge of your property.
7. Whether the shooter was under the influence of state-approved psychotropic drugs prescribed by state-licensed professionals. Please Stop Helping Us... Jason L. Riley Best Price: $1.39 Buy New $10.68 (as of 11:40 UTC - Details)
8. The fact that the shooter was, after years of “preparation for life” at government school, unemployed and aimless.
9. The fact that the shooter may have been riled up by his recent felony drug arrest. The progressives invented the war on drugs. Violence breeds violence.
10. The fact that the shooter attended government school for many years and thus the state itself helped shape his mindset, character and values and subjected him to the pro-drug culture common in government schools. See, Government Schools Are Bad for Your Kids, Chapter 3, “The Best Drug Store in Town.”
11. Finally, the fact that progressives promised us that if their various policies and programs to improve race relations and improve the social and economic welfare of African-Americans were enacted, that enormous progress would be made. In 2015, it is obvious that they have failed and that race relations are getting worse and large segments of the black community are stagnating or declining and in despair.

The self-imposed mental disability of progressivism is very destructive.  It prevents progressives from properly analyzing the underlying causes of social problems, blinds them to the role of government in generating such problems and, finally, it encourages them to find innocent, non-governmental scapegoats to blame for the problem of the day and to engage in hate speech against them, subjecting them to the risk of violent retaliation.

The fact is that people who differ from each other in many ways do get along in the free marketplace but not in the government-place where government and politicians divide people into winners and losers and play various groups against each other in the pursuit of power.  All over the world and in the United States, the state system has failed and is failing to bring peace and harmony among different racial, ethnic and religious groups.  Only liberty can bring us all together. Progressive government guns never have and never will.

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