Friday, June 19, 2015

Again

Another gun day in America, and we are not OK


Our innocence was lost at Columbine; our hearts were broken in Sandy Hook; our faith was shattered in Charleston - and the beat goes on.

 When I look at the picture of that young man who did the most despicable act in that beautiful city in South Carolina, I wonder how such evil could come from such a boy of 21 years.  Where did he learn such hate and bigotry to want to destroy the lives of innocent people who took his hand to pray.  Where was his humanity?  Were there no parents or family to teach him kindness and love or was his soul blackened from the moment he was born?  I do not understand hate; I do not understand the violence we all face in today's supposedly civilized world; I do not understand that no matter how many times these awful acts happen in our country, there is only talk, but no action.

Father's Day is Sunday.  I do believe that this man learned to hate from someone.  What we teach our children can be passed down for generations.  If we can't stop the guns, maybe we can stop the hostile attitude that prevails, whether it is silent in our hearts or more open in our actions.  Times won't change unless we do.

32 comments:

  1. I am so sorry. It is almost incomprehensible to me. Tragedy after tragedy after tragedy. Lots of words, very little action.
    When will it end? What will it take?
    My heart goes out to eveyone who has been affected - directly or emotionally.

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  2. Another sad day in America. Your neighbours to the North mourn with you.

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  3. Your thoughts are appreciated. Our country is in mourning. We have our nut cases, but this was pure hate. He said that he almost changed his mind about killing them because they were so nice to him. It makes me ill that someone like him exists.

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  4. It seems that every week there is an explosion of violence and death. What sickness and evil did he acquire, and where?

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  5. It won't end until haters stop reveling in their perceived superiority. Jon Stewart summed it up--change the names of the roads from southern confederate generals and for the love of humanity, take down that confederate flag from over the statehouse.

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    1. John Stewart is remarkable. He speaks the truth and gets to the bottom of all issues. He will be so missed when he leaves this summer. There is no one who could replace him.

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  6. If you arm a whole nation, someone will eventually pull a trigger. What makes them want to do so is another matter. I believe his own father gave him the gun as a present, so one doesn't have to look far for the reasons. Shocking, shocking, shocking!

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    1. Our country does not arm us, it gives its citizens the right to arm. Unfortunately, they gave that right when each bullet meant reloading every time.

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  7. We can only wonder and try to figure out a way to end the gun violence---whatever it takes. I am so sick over this last rampage. You hit it on the head, dear.

    Jane x

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  8. I am so confused by such outrages, especially committed upon peaceful people in a house of worship. 21 years-old is not a boy; it is a busy human at the threshold of a big future, or should be. What it should not be is a thing raised to a bad idea and given a gun. I agree wholeheartedly with your idea of stopping "the hostile attitude that prevails", but sometimes it takes several generations to accomplish it.

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    1. We have had many generations to accomplish this, but we seem to take one step forward and two steps back. I was hoping my children's generation could break through this bigotry but looking at that face of the young killer, I am discouraged.

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  9. I do think that sociopaths and psychopaths are born but I also know that innocent souls can be twisted by their home environment. He learned that hate from home. I lay this at the feet of the NRA and the right wing who the moment a black man was elected president started ginning up the fear and hate, convinced that black people would rise up in revolution. we have become the snake that devours itself.

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    1. A child is born innocent, hate is taught and guns are easily available in this country. Put them together and you have war.

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  10. If you want to see a whole bunch of hate and bigotry you should read the comments on Yahoo stories. They used to make me so mad and I'd reply - but I learned there are just too many ignorant, mean people in the world who are lazy and blame others for what's wrong in their lives. It's far easier to blame others than take responsibility for your own life. Now I don't read things that are mean-spirited. I surround myself with kind, generous, and intelligent people - like you.

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    1. I once wrote a commentary to the newspaper advocating tolerance, and I received quite a bit of hate mail. Thankfully, I got more good than bad.

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  11. The writer Bonny Greer said in a BBC radio interview that the man was using fifty-year-old quotes fro the time of the Civil Rights Movements in the US. So he definitely was taught to hate. I think President Obama was right when he said that one day America will have to ask itself why it's the only country in the developed world where this kind of thing happens consistently. Sadly, we already know the answer to that question....
    CLICK HERE for Bazza’s fabulous Blog ‘To Discover Ice’

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    1. Yes, we do Bazza. Thank you for your comment. I am interested in reading opinions from the rest of the world where things like this seldom, if ever, happen.

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  12. Life starts with the parents, is formed by the family home, and the results are easy to see.
    Notice the news does not interview the parents? Wonder why?

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  13. In many cases good parents have children who choose the wrong path, but in this case it was pure hate and that had to come from somewhere.

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  14. Hi Arleen....I, too, am lost for words. I don't understand the hate. I don't understand how no one recognised what was going on with that young fellow who committed the Charleston massacre. Surely someone must have known he was on a misguided path; have sensed the hatred instilled in him. Where were his parents...what were they doing? How did they not know what was going on with their son?

    He could learn so much from the families and loved ones left behind to mourn those innocents who senselessly lost their lives...

    We live in a very strange world...well, the world isn't strange...humans who inhabit it are strange. Humans never learn.....

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  15. I've often wondered too where such hatred comes from.

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  16. Great post! My thoughts on this are as long as the media keeps pounding us with negatives that, believe it or not, the younger generation hears all the time, things will never change. They are daily being told there are no jobs, they can't afford college, they'll never be able to buy a home or afford decent health care; the job they may find will only pay minimum wage, they may never be able to retire; all this coupled with parents who want to stay 20 yrs old for the rest of their lives, who want no responsibility for the children they brought into the world, who push the kids to "grow up and get out" as fast as they can; who want to be "Kardashian's"; who never lived a decent life (drug/alcohol abuse, crime, etc) and see no reason to bring their kids up differently; these are just some of the reasons. When society or individuals see no hope for their future and have no positive influences or direction.....what more can we expect? It is indeed a very sad world we live in today

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    1. I truly believe that the vast majority of human beings are good and kind. You see this especially when disasters happen. When I heard the relatives of the victims of this horrendous crime address the killer, they spoke of forgiveness. They are magnificent people.

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  17. I agree that it starts with the parents. This was such a horrific act of violence. "Times won't change unless we do," really rings true.

    Julie

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    1. As we know, Julie, parents must be a good example for their children and show them how to behave correctly in society.

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  18. Horrifying, isn't it? It's hard to wrap our minds around blind hatred like this. How could that young man think the people were "nice," and then kill them? I don't get it, and I will never understand this kind of thinking or the senseless killings it can lead to. Ours tears and compassion aren't enough. Something has to change.

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  19. I visited my friends in July who live right outside Charleston in Mount Pleasant. They told me that the weekend after the horrible event, the long bridge that connects both city and town was filled with hundreds (maybe more) of people holding hands in an act of unity and compassion. One horrible man vs. thousands of good hearts showing love for their neighbors. There is hope.

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  20. It bothers me that there is such hate in the world. Of course there always was but I don't think I used to hear about it so much.

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  21. It bothers me that there is such hate in the world. Of course there always was but I don't think I used to hear about it so much.

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