Another mass shooting - ho-hum...

I first posted this just over a year ago on June 13, 2016, when our country was shocked, shocked by another mass shooting. I could have posted it almost every day since and it would not have been out of order, for the truth is hardly a day goes by in this country when we don't have a mass murder with guns. But by now it has to be something truly spectacular - like 59 people dead and over 500 injured - to get our attention.

And a further truth is that it will continue. There will be another and another and...

What would it take to jolt our representatives in Washington into action?

~~~

Monday, June 13, 2016

Thoughts and prayers won't stop bullets

So, here we are again. Another day, another massacre. Once again, we see cynical politicians offering their "thoughts and prayers" for the victims of another mass shooting, often on Twitter.

With one hand they send their sorrowful tweets and the other they hold out for their payoffs from the NRA for offering nothing but thoughts and prayers. No action. No sensible gun control. No universal background checks. No banning of assault weapons. They won't do anything to upset their masters.

Thus, Congress, the only entity that might be able to stop or at least inhibit these periodic massacres of our fellow citizens, refuses to act, except to offer thoughts and prayers and moments of silence. And, thus, the massacres will continue. Tomorrow, next week, next month, there will be another one, and we'll be outraged and sad for a few days and then we'll just move on, accepting that there is nothing we can do to stop these events.

Poll after poll show that a majority of Americans - 55% in the latest Gallup poll -want stricter gun control laws. Why then do these same people keep sending elected representatives to Washington who will not take action to strengthen the laws? Wasn't it Albert Einstein who said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results? Perhaps our society suffers from mass insanity.

On such a day, it is really hard not to despair.

   

Comments

  1. CarmenOctober 3, 2017 at 1:03 PM

    Well said, Dorothy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersOctober 3, 2017 at 1:19 PM

      I just wish it weren't necessary to keep repeating myself.

      Delete
  2. Judy KruegerOctober 4, 2017 at 10:38 AM

    The lobbies vs the people. Follow the money. Demand accountability and a plan from your Congressmen or vote them out. We can do it!
    Here is a clip of a song by Cheryl Wheeler (great songwriter IMO)about the issue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op7agdIFOGY

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersOctober 4, 2017 at 11:26 AM

      Thanks for that link. A song that pretty much says it all.

      Delete

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