— by Lin McNulty, Managing Editor —
This week, violent, hateful stories poured in from across the country and the world as we all tried to cope with the hate, anger, and violence that is streaming across our screens. Bombs, mass killings, intended assassinations, targeted shootings, a murdered journalist — I am brought to the brink of tears. Enough.
My housemate will tell me, “then don’t watch it if you don’t like it.” There is some wisdom in that, but it’s not like I am drawn to seek out these stories? Or am I? I don’t recall ever being so attached to the news as I have been in the last two years. But what does it say about me if I just ignore what’s going on around me?
And today, The New York Times published a graphic story on The Tragedy of Saudi Arabia’s War with explicit photos of starving children (deep breath before you click). Then the tears spilled.
What are we to do? Certainly we can’t go back to putting our heads in the clouds, or in the sand. We are long past forcing these wicked genies back into the bottle.
I hope you don’t think you are going to find an answer from me in here. I have no words of wisdom to share, other than we all better damn VOTE.
I’ve been listening to Krishna Das and am able to center myself and briefly escape in between news stories. How are you holding up? Feel free to share your remedy in the comments below.
Well, Lin, my “remedy” for church, synagogue, mosque, and temple shootings would be to be there armed and trained. I have acquaintances who attend church “armed and dangerous,” with the pastor’s permission.
According to The New York Times, the Pittsburgh synagogue’s board had discussed the security issue, made a plan, and then refused to implement it.
That’s how crazed killers get away with it: They seek out victims who are unwilling to take responsibility for themselves.
The Tree of Life congregation existed and worshipped for 150 years without being attacked by an armed lunatic. Society depends on the majority of people acting rationally and kindly because that is the way community can exist. Unless you can afford the Secret Service, anyone can kill you if they are capable of rational thought and really want to badly enough. Therefore, it must be true that in a functioning society people simply don’t want to kill each other and do want to follow the mutually agreed upon rules so as not to deal with fear and chaos constantly.
I think there is good reason to believe trust and fulfillment of human obligation towards each other is what keeps us glued together and guarantees our daily safety. Anyone who tells you differently is selling you a false sense of security based on a protection racket.
We choose to have armed police to deal with armed criminals and the small percentage of people who go violently crazy, but when the news is so loud and grim, we need to look around and realize that this is not how people usually behave in our country and we don’t need to let fear make us live like it is. Be compassionate and support the people hurt by this madness. Be firm and just with the perpetrators. Do not succumb to the fear that law and order are breaking down and we need extreme measures and vigilantes to deal with the situation.
The Dalai Lama: “Violence derives from anger and anger clouds our ability to think straight and properly assess what is happening. Anger in turn is related to fear and anxiety. What we need to learn is how to cultivate the positive emotions that counter destructive emotions like anger and fear. Compassion, for example, brings self-confidence and the ability to act transparently. It strengthens trust which is the ground for friendship”
Steve: If your solution would have prevented this tragedy, how do you explain that three well armed and trained police were injured while responding to this tragedy? Why is it that we refuse to face the facts that the two countries with the most gun ownership (U.S. and Yemen) have the highest gun deaths? No one needs an automatic weapon, no one.
Steve, what an adorable fantasy! How many active shooters have you taken down in the last say…5 years?
Violence begets violence, we are the most violent country in history. Is it really that surprising when it spills over into daily life? The US is regularly shredding innocent civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan and our proxy wars in Yemen and Syria, and guess what….we are all complicit, we PAY for those stinger missiles and all the ordinance dropped or launched to insure compliance with US hegemony. Think about that, and what you really stand for the next time you send your federal income taxes off. Voting might give you that warm and fuzzy feeling, but it’s not going to slow down the killing of innocents one iota.
Um…No surprise parties at Steve’s house…
Wonder how many more deaths would have occurred if the perp had not been taken down by armed resistance. On a lesser unrelated note “74 people shot, 12 fatally, in Chicago over the weekend” reads this weeks Chicago Tribune. Guess what will happen there next week or the following week end? Seems no one cares.
We are living in interesting times when people actually seem to suggest the solution to excessive gun violence is…..more gun violence!?
A guy pulls a gun on you & your wife and says, “Your money and your wife!” All of a sudden an armed good samaritan comes out of nowhere and stops the crime and apprehends the criminal. Do you say “Thank you,” or do you lecture him about gun control?
Thank-you, Lin.
Now is the time to vote.
There has never been a more important election in my lifetime.
There was no automatic weapon involved.
And because the police suffered three serious injuries, does that mean that we are to stand there and be slaughtered?
Why is fighting back the wrong thing to do?
I’d rather fight back, and then, should I be killed anyway, at least I will have tried to stop the attack.
Recent history shows that most of these killers stop attacking, and often kill themselves, when confronted by an armed adversary.
This guy didn’t, but he is an exception.
Luther, the last time I was involved in a serious, life-threatening confrontation was almost 30 years ago.
When was the last time that you needed the fire extinguisher that you keep in your kitchen?
Never?
So, why do you keep a fire extinguisher?
Ahhh, but I don’t carry a concealed fire extinguisher around waiting for the day I might get to use it to put out someone else’s kitchen fire… the actual statistical chance of being involved in a mass shooting is so infinitesimal it’s absurd. I hope you are equipped and trained equally well for those errant lightning strikes and shark attack’s….
More people than Steve are pro gun. They won’t speak up. Why? That’s your first clue that this up or down approval system is wrong on so many levels not worth eating up my characters to explain. Worse chilling aspects of social media and mob group-think. Who votes? Resist that impulse, please.
Let’s place the rationales on the table:
Against Guns-
1. reduce overall deaths by guns
2. armed resistance against the State is futile (pragmatically)
3. promote a new hobby to replace hunting (or we’ll compromise here)
4. either we evolve away from killing Or the State needs to exert greater control
5. “I have a dream”…. (and it doesn’t include guns)
Pro Guns-
1. anti-gun people are idealistic and just as prone to violence w/ or w/o guns
2. people not guns murder people
3. only bad people murder people
4. gun owners (most) aren’t bad people
5. bad people are bad people- who don’t necessarily own guns
6. gun owners want to hunt
7. gun owners (some) don’t trust the State to protect them
8. gun owners (some) fear where society is headed- I need fancier guns!
9. example: gun owners (some) don’t like open borders- fuels their suspicions
10. gun owners want to be prepared when (if) society partitions or cracks
What’s left out? (not rhetorical)
We’re the architects. We build societies.
Start by tackling the above concerns and aspirations or don’t waste your breath (or finger energy).
Remember, imposition is violence. Impose less, Agree more.
I think reducing this to guns good vs guns bad misses the point completely, this is exactly the problem, people are induced to assume fear based polar opposite positions. The real question remains, why are Americans inherently more prone to violence than other western societies, it’s much deeper than the tool that happens to be used to act out that violence.
OMG Steve, is that really the world you want to live in? Being responsible for one’s self does not mean carrying the means to end another’s life….