Thomas Watkins is Washington bureau chief at The National
April 18, 2023
As a US-based journalist, I've grown accustomed to hearing about the carnage Americans inflict on each other with firearms. Each new day brings headlines of another atrocity, and gun attacks are now so frequent that it is almost impossible to keep up.
But this week, the obscenity of what is happening in the US has hit me afresh.
I've been working out of The National's Abu Dhabi headquarters as the newspaper celebrates its 15th anniversary. I'm thousands of miles from home, but a stream of phone notifications has kept me updated on what is happening in my adopted country.
On Saturday, at least four people were killed and 28 others injured, most of them teenagers, at a Sweet 16 birthday party in Alabama. It was one of seven mass shootings that day alone.
That same evening, a young woman in New York state was shot to death after a car she was in with three friends inadvertently pulled into the wrong driveway. The homeowner has been charged with murder.
And on Monday, President Joe Biden phoned Ralph Yarl, a black teenager who was shot after ringing the wrong doorbell.
The banality of the locations — a party, a driveway, a doorstep — once again underscores how pervasive gun violence is.
Watching the latest violence unfold from the UAE, a country without gun crime, has proven particularly jarring.
Many Americans stereotype the Middle East as a region beset by violence, but from where I'm sitting, it's clear that the US is facing the most pressing crisis.
About 20,000 people are killed in gun homicides each year, and guns are now the leading cause of death for American children. That's more than four gun deaths per 100,000 people, easily the worst statistic for any industrialised nation.
In a country with 350-400 million guns and 330 million people, the question is what can be done about it.
Like everything in America, the answer is complex: guns are encoded in the DNA of a country that fought for its independence and enshrined firearm ownership as a right in the US Constitution, which was ratified in 1791.
The muskets of 232 years ago have been replaced by semiautomatic rifles that are perfectly legal. In many states, anyone over 18 can buy a gun packing the same ballistic firepower as an infantryman's assault weapon.
Especially when viewed from overseas, the situation seems perverse.
Other developed countries don't have this problem, so why is the American state incapable of protecting its citizenry from gun violence?
After each mass shooting, Mr Biden calls on Congress to "do something" and usher in meaningful gun reform. His powers as president are limited and he needs new laws on the books, but these will never pass in a Congress where Republicans hold sway.
And Donald Trump, the man who grew up in liberal New York and who in 2018 briefly endorsed gun control, is now positioning himself as the standard bearer on what he calls Mr Biden's war on gun owners.
"I promise you this: With me at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, no one will lay a finger on your firearms," he told the National Rifle Convention's annual meeting at the weekend, referring to the White House's address.
His quote was highlighted in a fundraising email by the Make America Great Again political action committee.
Mr Trump, who is running for president in 2024, sees guns as an election-winning issue, even though 57 per cent of Americans want stricter gun laws, according to a November poll.
So extreme has the Republican position on guns become that even to suggest something should be done is heresy.
Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales, who represents the Texas town of Uvalde where a gunman killed 21 children and staff in a primary school, was censured by his own party for daring to express support for gun safety measures.
When two black lawmakers in Tennessee called on colleagues to enact gun reform in the wake of another primary school mass shooting in Nashville last month, Republicans, who hold a super majority in the statehouse, fired them.
And the Republican response to many mass shootings is to suggest the answer comes is yet more guns. After the Uvalde massacre, Republicans in Ohio enacted laws allowing the arming of more schoolteachers.
Over the years, various Democrat-led states have enacted gun laws aimed at restricting access to firearms or expanding background checks on those seeking to buy them.
But for every new law like this, a Republican state seems to enact another that gives gun owners yet more powers. Florida this month joined 25 other states to let its residents carry a concealed handgun without a government permit.
Congress last year did pass a law aimed at tackling gun violence, but the measures were so modest and incremental they are unlikely to make much difference at a national level.
Instead of fixing what to the rest of the world seems like a uniquely American problem, things are all but certain to get worse.
Buffalo mass shooting – in pictures
Payton Gendron has pleaded guilty to murder and hate-motivated terrorism charges. AP
The charges carry an automatic sentence of life in prison. AP
Gendron, 19, live-streamed the shooting on social media. Reuters
US Attorney General Merrick Garland places flowers at a memorial for the shooting victims earlier this year. AP
Mr Garland was in Buffalo to announce federal hate crime charges against Gendron. AP
Matt Swerdlin kneels with his children during a June March For Our Lives event in Buffalo. Getty Images / AFP
Gun reform advocates in hundreds of communities across the US took to the streets following shootings earlier this year in Buffalo and Uvalde, Texas. Getty Images / AFP
The nationwide marches were organised by the group founded by survivors of the 2018 high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people. Getty Images / AFP
Marchers pause at a memorial for the Tops grocery store mass shooting. Getty Images / AFP
US President Joe Biden has called for a total ban on AR-15-style assault weapons. Getty Images / AFP
Attorney Benjamin Crump, accompanied by the family of Ruth Whitfield, a victim of shooting at a supermarket, speaks to the media during a news conference in Buffalo, New York. AP
Vintage Firearms, the gun shop where Buffalo supermarket shooting suspect Payton Gendron legally purchased his weapon, in Endicott, New York. Reuters
Vintage Firearms in Endicott, New York. Reuters
A member of the FBI looks at bullet holes through the glass at the scene of a shooting at a TOPS supermarket in Buffalo, New York. Reuters
People embrace near the scene of the fatal mass shooting in Buffalo. AP
Police officers secure the scene after a shooting at TOPS supermarket in Buffalo. Reuters
Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia speaks at a press conference after the shooting. AP
A woman is in shock, as police investigate the shooting. AP
A man is detained after the mass shooting. Photo: BigDawg/ via Reuters
Two people hug near the scene of the mass shooting. EPA
Payton Gendron was arraigned on first-degree murder charges and detained without bail. AP
A floral tribute and candles are laid. AP
Stephanie Morris is overcome with emotion after news of the fatal shooting spread. AP
Children walk hand in hand near the scene of the shooting. AP
People pay their respects outside the supermarket. AP
Mourners gather for a vigil for victims of the shooting. Reuters
Sharon Doyle gathers with others outside the supermarket. AP
Worshippers affected by the shooting pray at True Bethel Baptist Church in Buffalo. AP
People march to the scene of the shooting in Buffalo. AP
A person holds a flower as a group prays near the scene of the shooting. AP
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Key findings of Jenkins report
Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
'The Ice Road'
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11 What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time. TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side 8 There are eight players per team 9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one. 5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls 4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
if you go
The flights
The closest international airport to the TMB trail is Geneva (just over an hour’s drive from the French ski town of Chamonix where most people start and end the walk). Direct flights from the UAE to Geneva are available with Etihad and Emirates from about Dh2,790 including taxes.
The trek
The Tour du Mont Blanc takes about 10 to 14 days to complete if walked in its entirety, but by using the services of a tour operator such as Raw Travel, a shorter “highlights” version allows you to complete the best of the route in a week, from Dh6,750 per person. The trails are blocked by snow from about late October to early May. Most people walk in July and August, but be warned that trails are often uncomfortably busy at this time and it can be very hot. The prime months are June and September.
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
