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| Energy visualized Delray Beach, FL December 2009 Thematic. Shadows. Here. |
It's been a tumultuous time in the planet's history, with horrific crimes being committed against children on both sides of the planet, in Newtown, Connecticut as well as Nanchang, China.
While the crimes themselves are numbing, the level of tragedy almost incomprehensible - who shoots 6- and 7-year old kids multiple times? - I admit the discussion after the fact has left me more than a little rattled. While the shooting has renewed calls by many to do something concrete to stop this epidemic from continuing, it has also sparked response by many that you don't dare - now or ever - politicize the deaths of children, that mourning must take precedence over all.
I don't disagree with the need to mourn. I disagree with mourning to the exclusion of a focused, apolitical and community-minded national effort to fix this.
I also don't disagree with the right to bear arms: you want to carry a gun? Sure. But your responsibility doesn't end there. I disagree with a gun lobby so focused on protecting individual rights to purchase and carry weapons that they ignore the obligation to build an infrastructure that gives individuals and society the discipline to use them properly.
I disagree with so-called freedom-loving, G-d-fearing people turning thermonuclear at the mere questioning of the status quo, as if discussion were somehow undemocratic.
The photo above reflects how I feel today. There's energy below the water's surface, driving the waves in patterns that are at once predictable, yet so complex that they may as well be random to us. We don't fully understand the mechanics, but we can't ignore their impact. And to venture out on them without appreciating our vulnerability strikes me as somewhat arrogant.
The dialog has to start now. Who's in?
It's a beautiful picture, Carmi.
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Carmi - I could not agree with you any more than what you have said...
ReplyDeleteI think the time has 'more than come' to take action regarding gun laws, and not only in the USA, but in fact, worldwide... in 1997, we had a horrible incident in Port Arthur, Hobart Tasmania, where a lone gunman shot and killed 35 people. Our PM at the time, John Howard, introduced prohibition laws for semi automatic guns, which still stands today.
It will never, fully, remove the risk of a person acquiring a gun of some sort, and mercifully killing innocent people, but laws of this type may, just hopefully, reduce the risk...
The thing is though, we can mourn those killed on Saturday morning (my time here in Sydney Australia, whilst still starting a worthwhile dialogue, and I think it could give some, even slight, comfort to the parents, friends and family of those killed, knowing that, something is going to come of such tragedy...
RIP to all those who lost their lives, and may they be forever remembered...
So many are talking about gun laws and there have been so many studies about gun laws...what about the mental illnesses which have driven these young men to commit these awful acts...why are we not speaking about how to deal with the mental illnesses?
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