Another School Shooting and What To D0
Another School Shooting. Nashville.
Safe Gun Storage. Universal Background Checks. Limit Ammunition Magazines. Ban Assault Weapons.
I do not want to take away the right to own a gun. I want to give the responsibility to all to shut down gun violence and expand public safety.
Four Things:
-Safe Gun Storage. SGS.
-Universal Background Checks. UBC.
-Limit Ammunition Magazines. LAM.
-Ban Assault Weapons. BAW.
We have met the enemy and he is us. We have no courage to face the facts (look at the data!) and no shame in profiting from gun sales (follow the money and you will see why the votes are not there to change the laws).
We are living the definition of insanity: doing the same thing expecting different results. And this at the blood expense of children (gun violence is the #1 cause of death for children in America!) to say nothing of the multitude of adults.
Four Things:
SGS
UBC
LAM
BAW
Take $25 Billion from our burgeoning federal budget and train all the workers in gun manufacturing to work in newly constructed electric car manufacturing facilities. Retool the gun facilities so the workers don’t have to move. This is impossible you say? That’s what they thought about putting people on the moon. Now we are going back to the moon while our kids are demolished in their school rooms and places of worship are death zones and grocery stores are grave yards.
Four Things:
SGS
UBC
LAM
BAW
Gerrymandered Districts have deadly consequences. Follow the funding of political candidates and office holders who refuse to vote the will of the people (have you seen the statistics of how many Americans support SGS, UBC, LAM, and BAW?) and you will see how the money supports the power and (re)structuring supports the money.
I am aghast. I am appalled. I am angry. But all of my emotion means nothing without action. Peaceful, non-violent action. We don’t need to start a new anti-gun violence organization. They are here and are waiting for you to join in. But I would urge you to be focused on positive change legislation, being very specific and particular, as well as full of perseverance and passion. True American grit. For me, I am going with SGS, UBC, LAM and BAW.
I have seen video news coverage of the absolute mass marching and rallying of the people of Israel is support of their country’s democracy. I am so envious of this kind of public rage against authoritarian rule. Why can’t we have this kind of mass public outrage over the death of our children to gun violence!? Who knows how to organize this kind of public movement? My wife and I went to Tallahassee last Thursday to join in the March for Our Lives Rally at the Florida State Capitol. I was telling myself to be happy about the turnout. I don’t think there were more than 150 people there. I convinced myself to agree with the notion of how the anti-gun violence movement is a slow slog that just must take a long time and we have to be patient. I had convinced myself until I saw the streets in Israel flooded with the Israeli flag (and, too, not incidentally, recently in the nation of Georgia the people took to the streets there and stopped their government from kowtowing to Russian President Putin’s heavy hand). And until Nashville this week.
A while back I wrote that I did not want to grow numb after Uvalde. I have not. But I also now know action is needed. Yes, legislation. But how to move that along when the Gun Lobby is ensconced in power? Can somebody help us here? Should we flood the streets with our American flag and another flag: SGS, UBD, LAM, BAW? What do we do now after Nashville and as the killings go on?
I am tired and depressed. Shame on me. What about these dead children and adults and their grieving families and friends? How can I even consider my situation when they are dead and devastated?
What to do? I am writing and calling my State and Federal Legislators. I am sending money to anti-gun violence organizations. I am attending anti-gun violence rallies and marches where I can find them.
What to do? Somebody tell me please.
Four Things: SGS, UBC, LAM, BAW.
