Ailantha
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact

Another Day, Another Mass Shooting

12/3/2015

6 Comments

 
      A couple of months ago when Tom and I were in Spain walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela,  once in a while a Spanish person, upon learning that I was American,  would ask me why there’s so much violence in the United States.  My stock answer was “because it’s too easy to get a gun and too hard to get mental health care. “
      "Oh, come on, we have crazies and guns in New Zealand, too,"  said a lady from that country with whom I was walking one day and discussing the problem,  "and we don't have all these mass murders!"
       I was stumped to answer her, other than to suggest that maybe in the U.S. we have more  guns and more  crazies. 
       "No, I'll tell you what your problem is,"  she said, then proceeded to tell me about her son, who happened to be visiting Alaska at the time of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
       "My son was horrified, beyond outraged, really so upset over all those children and teachers  killed.  But the Americans he talked to about it just kind of sighed and said, 'yes, wasn't it terrible, wasn't it awful, wasn't it such a tragedy.'  'But what are you going to do about all these shootings?', my son asked one American, but the man's attitude seemed to be  'Oh, well, it's sad, but these things happen.'
       And that's your problem,"  the lady from New Zealand snapped,  "in your country people only  talk about gun violence and don't do anything about it!"
      I had to concede that perhaps she had a point.
       According to today's New York Times there is in the United States an average of more than one mass shooting - described as a shooting in which four or more people are injured or killed - a day.  So far this year 462 people have been killed and another 1,314  injured in mass shootings in our country.  And that's not even counting the over 100 people who die every day from gun violence outside the mass shootings.
       This is this morning's front page of the New York Daily News:

Picture
        As for me, I'm chomping at the bit to turn my prayers into action.
       But I don't know what to do. 
       Anybody have any ideas on how to turn our country from the NRA back to the USA?

       Reference:
       1. "How Often Do Shootings Occur?  On Average, Every Day, Records Show", Sharon LaFraniere, Sarah Cohen, and Richard J. Opel, Jr., "The New York Times", page 1A, December 3, 2015.

6 Comments
Molina
12/3/2015 04:39:17 pm

Patti, I think those folks are right; we are too complacent...as long as we personally are not affected. I am sorry to say I have no ideas...if I did I probably would have done it...God have mercy on us all.

Reply
Patti
12/3/2015 07:39:18 pm

Amen, Molina!

Reply
Paula Trybus
12/4/2015 03:48:40 am

Patti, On Momastery.com, the author, Glennon Melton, is committing to action. She is supprting "Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America." It is a non-partisan group working here in the US, but its roots go back to the Ireland Protestant/Catholic conflict. A group of mothers got tired of all the violence, and demanded change. Looks compelling.

Reply
Patti
12/4/2015 06:53:09 am

Thanks, Paula, I'm checking that outfit out. I'm definitely a mom demanding action for gun sense in America.

Reply
Romaine
12/4/2015 06:39:13 am

See this article
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/12/03/ryan-urges-caution-on-gun-legislation/76714608/

Reply
Patti
12/4/2015 06:58:34 am

Thanks for the article, Romaine, though now that I've read it I don't know whether I'm feeling more crazy, despairing, angry, motivated, or all of the above. BTW, here's my "favorite" line from the article:
"Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, brushed aside the idea of a bill to keep people on no-fly lists from purchasing guns." Guy says it wouldn't do any good. Huh, wouldn't do any good for the NRA!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    "Hail Mary"
    by Patti Liszkay
    Buy it on Amazon:

    https://www.amzn.com/1684334888

    Picture
    "Equal And Opposite Reactions"
     by Patti Liszkay
    Buy it on Amazon:

    http://amzn.to/2xvcgRa
    or from
    The Book Loft
    of German Village,
    Columbus, Ohio
    Picture
    Or check it out at the Columbus Metropolitan Library
    Picture

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013

    RSS Feed

    I am a traveler just visiting this planet and reporting various and sundry observations,
    hopefully of interest to my fellow travelers.

    Categories

    All


























































































Proudly powered by Weebly