OP-ED/COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS A shooting in Alexandria I VOICE OF ASIA
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FRIDAY, June 9, 2017
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t may take some time before we learn the motive behind this morning’s shooting at a Republican congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Va. We hope it wasn’t political — though early reports suggest the shooter might have been a Bernie Sanders supporter — and we hope that the gunshot victims survive with only minimal injuries. It was the fact that the victims included members of Congress and their aides, of course, that has driven the news coverage. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana was reported wounded in the hip. The gunman’s weapon, according to some of the lawmakers who spoke with reporters, appeared to have been some sort of assault-style rifle, and he opened fire from or near a dugout on the third base side. The Capitol police responded with pistols as the ballplayers — including Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama and Sens. Rand Paul and Jeff Flake — hit the ground. It was a terrifying scene, witnesses said; Brooks estimated that more than 50 shots were fired. Because the details aren’t yet known, it’s premature to suggest a specific response. But the incident brought some of the most powerful members of Congress into intimate contact with what has become a common part of American life. Meanwhile, it must be noted
brings gun violence directly to those best situated to act
that just 50 miles to the north, in Baltimore, six people were killed and two more wounded in shootings over Monday night and into Tuesday morning, a spasm of violence that led Police Commissioner Kevin Davis to order a special regimen of 12-hour shifts to deploy as many uniformed officers as possible on the streets to provide “a visible, overt presence.” There was very little media coverage of that — news is what’s different, not what’s achingly familiar. The incident brought some of the most powerful members of Congress into intimate contact with what has become a common part of American life. It’s unlikely the attack on the Republican team was a chance encounter — the practice began in the early morning, before daily business on Capitol Hill gets underway. Neighbors talking to cable news channels said that the morning practices, in preparation for a charity match against Democratic lawmakers, are common knowledge. Usually there is no security presence, but Flake said the Capitol police officers were there as a
regular protection detail provided to Scalise, a member of the House leadership. In fact, had Scalise and his security officers not been present, Paul said, the gunman would have faced no resistance from the defenseless ballplayers, and the carnage could have been greater. Early reports say one of the wounded Capitol police officers finally shot and wounded the gunman, a remarkable feat of heroism. The attack is the worst assault on a member of Congress since the attempted assassination of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (DAriz.) six years ago, a shooting in which she was critically wounded and six other people were killed. That sparked calls for more rigid gun control measures, and Giffords, who supports the right to own firearms, now devotes significant time and energy through Americans for Responsible Solutions to strengthening gun control laws and limiting access to firearms. But little has been gained. Since 2011, more than 100 bills seeking to control access to firearms — from tougher background checks to banning magazines holding more than
10 rounds to closing the “gun show loophole” sellers use to evade background checks — have failed to pass primarily because of the cozy relationship between the gun lobby and Republican lawmakers. The battle over gun control will likely become energized after today’s shooting, the specifics no doubt tailored to the incident itself. Did the gunman procure his weapon or weapons legally? If not, how did he get them? Was he mentally ill? Should he have been eligible for a permit? There’s a usual list of questions that arise in such shootings. That we have such a familiar de facto system for processing such violence should be a ringing signal that we have, as a nation, tolerated routine gun violence for far too long. We hope, of course, that the victims of today’s shooting recover fully. But we also hope that the next time the NRA lobbyists visit congressional offices with their guns-for-everyone agenda, they are greeted by members of Congress who are far more skeptical and probing than they have been in the past. (-Louisville Courier)
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THE STORY OF MAHATMA GANDHI
Gandhi suffers racial insults in South Africa
A
s the ship streamed into Bombay harbor, he saw his brother waiting to receive him. After exchanging pleasantries with the brother Gandhi noticed that his brother was very reticent. “Something wrong? Any bad news?” he asked. The brother nodded and told him of the death of their mother. “It was during your exams a few weeks ago. We did not want to disturb you,” said the brother. The news was a terrible shock for Gandhi who wanted to let Putlibai know of how he had kept his vows to not drink alcohol or eat meat.
Gandhi started practice as a lawyer in Rajkot, but he was deeply disgusted at the greed and honesty of many of his fellow professionals. After some time, he got an offer to work in South Africa from Dada Abdulla & Co who owned big business concerns there. He was to be a legal adviser to the firm which had filed a lawsuit against another company seeking damages of 400,000 dollars. Gandhi was hired because he spoke Eng-
lish well and knew English law well. His services were required for one year and the company promised him a handsome salary and first class return fare. The opportunity to see a new country and new people was indeed very exciting and Gandhi accepted the offer. It was painful to part from Kasturbai and Harilal, but he was keen to go. In April 1893 he left Bombay for South Africa. He reached the port of Natal at the end of May 1893. In South Africa, he noticed that Indians were treated with little respect. They were called ‘Coolies’. Within a week of his arrival, he visited the court with Abdulla Seth of Dada Abdulla & Co. No sooner had he sat down that the magistrate pointed his plump finger at him. “You must remove your turban,” he said sternly. Gandhi was surprised. He looked around. There were several Muslim and Parsi men wearing turbans. He could not understand why he was being singled out.
After a week in Durban, he left for Pretoria to attend to the case for which he was engaged. With a first class ticket, he boarded the train. At the next stop, an Englishman got into the compartment. He was travelling “Sir,” he replied. “I see no in a train to Pretoria, in a first reason why I should remove class compartment.
his bag and baggage. The train left. Gandhi spent the night shivering in the cold, but he did not touch his luggage. This incident changed the whole course of his life. He decided to fight all such injustices. He sent a note of protest to the general manager of the railways, but the official only supported the rail employees. More trouble was still in store for him. Next morning, he went to Charlestown by train. He had now to travel by a stagecoach to Johannesburg, but he was not allowed to sit inside the coach with white passengers. To avoid confrontation Gandhi sat outside on the coach-box behind the coachman. After some time the conductor asked him to sit on a dirty sack on the step below. Gandhi refused. The conductor began to pull him down and beat him up. At this time, some of the passengers came to Gandhi’s rescue and he was allowed to sit with them. Gandhi reached Johannesburg the next night, quite shaken by the experiences on the way. He had the address of a Muslim merchant’s house,
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my turban. I refuse to do so.” When the magistrate insisted that he remove his turban, Gandhi walked out of the court. Abdulla Seth ran after him and caught him by the arm. “You don’t understand,” he said. “These white people consider Indians inferior and address them as “coolie” or “sami.” Parsis and Muslims are allowed to wear turbans as the turban is thought to have religious significance.” “The magistrate insulted me,” Gandhi said angrily. “Any such rule is an insult to a free man. I shall write at once to the Durban Press to protest such insulting rules.” And Gandhi did write. The letter was published and it led to unexpected debate and discussion. At the same time, some other papers described Gandhi as a troublemaker and unwelcome visitor.
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He looked at Gandhi with contempt and called the conductor. “Take this coolie out and put him in a lower class!” he said. The conductor turned to gandhi and said, “Hey Sami, Come along with me to the next compartment.” “No I will not,” said Gandhi. “I was sold a first class ticket and I have every right to be here.” The conductor called a policeman who pushed him out with
where he spent the night. The next day he bought a first class ticket and continued his train journey to Pretoria. The only other passenger in the compartment was a welldressed Englishman. A little later, a conductor entered and Gandhi quickly showed him the ticket. “Your ticket does not matter,” growled the conductor. “Go to the third class at once.” Before Gandhi could reply, the Englishman flung down the newspaper and said, “Why are
Mahatma Gandhi Week in Houston Call 713-785-3900 or visit www.mahatmagandhilibrary.org you harassing this gentleman? His ticket gives him a right to be here.” And then turning to Gandhi, he said, “Make yourself comfortable just where you are, young man.” Thanking him warmly, Gandhi settled down with a book. It was late in the evening when the train pulled into Pretoria. He stayed at a hotel that night and moved into a lodge the next day. There he began to study the Abdulla lawsuit. Even while he was working on it, he found time to call a meeting of the Indians in Pretoria. — To be Continued