I have to be honest with you. I’m so heartsick over the mass shooting in Orlando that I can’t think of much else. It’s consumed me since I first heard the news yesterday morning. And to be even more frank, I’m tired of hearing politicians who have done their best to thwart any kind of gun control say they are praying for those who suffered loss.
Here’s an idea: How about doing something? An amendment to the Constitution that had to do with muskets and a militia has been enshrined in such an extreme manner that you’d think it was our most important right. That it trumped any other rights, including the right to live. I don’t think the framers of the Constitution were envisioning an AR-15 assault weapon or a gun culture that is out of control when they drafted that amendment.
Have you ever lost someone to gun violence? I have. When it becomes something other than a story in the newspaper, when it enters your immediate world, when it happens to someone you love – everything changes.
I could go on and on, but I’m too tired to do it. Do me a favor. If you plan on leaving a comment defending the NRA or repeating one of the NRA’s talking points – don’t. I’ll just delete it. There is no defense. After mass murder after mass murder, we are still having to have this discussion. And that is indefensible.
Love. Or as Lin-Manuel Miranda said in his Tony acceptance speech last night, “Remembrances that hope and love last longer. And love [is love is love is love is love is love is love is love] cannot be killed or swept aside.”
Some pretty pictures to take the edge off. This is a catalpa blossom. They are quite beautiful and have a heavenly scent. Thank goodness yesterday’s relentless wind didn’t take them all down to the ground.
Pretty pink spirea.
Vicki tells me she hasn’t been receiving my comment replies lately. You know, I don’t know what to do about this. I get your comments emailed to me and for the last 2 or 3 weeks, I’ve only had about a quarter of them arrive in my mailbox. I don’t know why. I’ll get some. I won’t get others. I called Bluehost (this blog’s host) and had them check into it. They show the comments being emailed to me and ‘accepted’ on my end. But I’m not getting them. And they aren’t going in my spam folder. So go figure.
If you’re not getting my replies, please let me know. I can try another plugin (that’s what enables me to reply to you directly.) But in the meantime, please check back. You know that I always reply.
Sorry about all of this, but I’ve done about all I can do.
Happy Monday.
I just don’t see how it seems reasonable to some for average citizens to obtain assault rifles. They are not for hunting or sport or protection at all, they are for assaulting! There will always be bad, nasty, crazy people in the world, but why should they be able to take out fifty people in so short a time, on a selfish, despicable whim? Why doesn’t the gun lobby make this distinction?
I agree. I don’t understand why. It would be so simple. You’d think after what happened to those children in Newtown, CT, that the distinction would have been made immediately.
As always, well said. How long can we tolerate the lack of action on gun control? How many mass killings will it take? Shameful.
It is indeed, Kaye. Shameful.
It is just unbelievable that these shootings keep happening, each one more horrific than the next. It’s just unimaginable to me that someone can hate other people that much. I just keep asking myself why? When are these so called politicians going to wake up and do their job. It just makes me sick.
Me too, Kathy. What have we become?
I am sickened by all that has happened. I stopped watcing the news and said a
Prayer for all the families. Will it ever get better? I haven’t received your comment the last few days but I know you always answer so I go back and read all the comments. 😀
Thanks, Doris. I might try another plugin…
I cried all day yesterday. Someone very special to me has been in the club where so many died. We live about half an hour from Orlando. I can’t wrap my mind around an ordinary citizen being able to legally obtain an assault rifle. This morning brought the news that 2 of the victims graduated from our local high school. As broken as I feel I can only imagine the families emotions. This insanity has to stop! I am praying for the victims, their families and our country.
Oh, Janie. It hits so close to home for you. I’m so sorry.
Claudia, I completely agree with you. I too, am heartsick. I have lost a child to gun violence. He was the perpetrator too. When will this madness end?
My sympathies to you, Carolyn Marie. I can’t imagine your pain.
You do ALWAYS reply, so I thought it strange when I didn’t get a comment on my last one. You can add me to the list of people not getting your email responses. As far as I’m concerned, the FBI messed up on this one. They investigated him twice and say they didn’t find enough evidence to do anything. His name should have been in some sort of system that would pop up if he bought unusual weapons. He was a security guard for crying out loud, with the right to carry a gun. How does that even make sense? This is all about the hate of a crazy, egotist and nothing else. He was not instructed by ISIS to do anything. He may have chosen to pledge allegiance to them because he thought it made him look like a martyr. He was nothing more than a coward. Sadly, the US makes huge amounts of money on the sale of weapons around the world. That right there tells you that gun control likely will never happen. Greed over goodness and a world of hypocrisy.
I know the FBI investigated him. Was he on a list? Because legislation that would have stopped the sale of guns to anyone on a watch list was stopped by Congress.
It makes no sense to me. Carrying an assault rifle is no different than carrying around a hand grenade or a bomb, and that’s not legal. When will common sense come into play?
I don’t know, Karen. It makes no sense at all.
The difference is because it”s a GUN, the one “right” that (alot of powerful people) worship above all others! To hell with anyone elses right to frequent ,a business,or attend a church,or a christmas party for heaven sake! I have heard dozens of people say, well the answer is not taking all our guns away,like Obama is trying to do! I have never heard a any president say we need to get rid of all of our guns. The Most anyone has spoken out for, is a mental health/background check,in a nationwide database! How does anyone interpet that as” they are trying to take all of our guns away! There is no clean,sane,good motive for a citizen to purchase a Military weapon!
I’m Sorry, Karen your thoughts really set me off. God “Please Save our Country” -Judy A-
That’s NRA speak, Judy. They are the ones who disperse this sort of ‘rumor’ to their rabid membership and then they keep repeating it and repeating it. He’s never said that or demonstrated for one second that he’s interested in doing that.
That one has been going around since 2008. And people, I’ve learned, will believe anything handed to them if it feeds into their fears.
It’s shameful.
I do not understand gun culture in America. Not at all.
I don’t either.
Sad, sad world.
Judy
Very sad, Judy.
We are all so sad in my house ……We have many friends of different faiths, gender preferences and
We do, too.
You’ve said it all…and so eloquently! I simply don’t understand any circumstance, that defends the sale of assault weapons! And I don’t understand, what it’s going to take to change the attitude of those that oppose gun control! Have we not had enough loss of life already?
Just for the record…I did not receive an email reply yesterday either…so I checked back. ;)
Thanks for checking back. I was moved to another server the other day and I think it might have to do with that. I’m too tired to talk to Bluehost today, but I will tomorrow.
It is total madness. Again, when do OUR rights come into play? The right to walk into a mall, a restaurant, a movie theater, or our place of work and be safe? As long as these hate and fear mongers spew their distorted messages, the right to kill is WAY MORE important than the right to live. They are the ones who scream about “right to life”…… but once they are born, they refuse to support those poor children, give them health care, and educate them. But they do ensure everyone has guns to kill. What right to life are they shouting about ??????
(I haven’t been getting your emails since late last week, either. I just go back and look…)
Oh, and Claudia, I never received your post in my email this AM. I just went on-line to get it.
I’ll check on that. That’s a whole other issue. (It just went out.)
I’m totally in agreement, Chris.
Fanaticism plus testosterone plus access to weaponry that only the military should have (although even that goes against everything I believe) equals slaughter.
Indeed. You’re absolutely right.
The only ones that should have assault-style weapons are those in law enforcement and the military. I don’t understand why assault guns can be bought by civilians. What is the rational behind that? I did a little research on gun control and if I read this correctly Reagan signed into law gun control banning assault-styles and so did Clinton. Seemed when 2004 came about, it was allowed to expired. And I don’t understand why there are those who are hesitate to call this an act of terrorist. Isn’t any form of crime of hate a form of terror?
Yes, you’re right, Trina. It was allowed to expire.
I do not think The Founding Fathers envisioned Assault weapons! I am tired of hear ” the Right to bear arms”, yes you may keep whatever weaponry they had in 1787, muskets and pistols.
Exactly. I’m quite frankly sick of the second amendment and hold no allegiance to it whatsoever.
Hello friend, my heart is also heavy. An FYI – I did not get an email notifying me of your reply yesterday. First time that ever happened as far as I know. xx
It probably has to do with the new server. Too tired today, but I’ll contact my host tomorrow.
What will it take????? If not this, if not the long, sad list of other killings, what will it take?
Thank you for the lovely photographs.
They are a much-needed reminder of the beauty in this world.
I have to insert some beauty into this post, Nancy.
Try as the society mayto wrap this act in labels, it was not about religion. It was not about political parties, and it was not about gun control. It was about unresolved hatred that exploded into disaster. People with hatred in their heart will use a box cutter, an airplane, nails for a dirty bomb, or a weapon to carry out their agenda. My prayer is to love. May my actions build up love for all and produce hate for none.
I respectfully disagree. A box cutter does not fire at the rate an assault weapon does. This was a lone wolf using what he could get. If we had kept those guns away from him, it could only have helped.
It is about hate, surely. It’s also about gun control. I wouldn’t want to tell the parents of those children who were killed in Newtown (in my neck of the woods) that it isn’t about gun control. They very much believe it is.
As someone who has lost someone to gun violence, I very much believe in gun control. I’ve seen first hand what guns can do.
Of course, we want love. I believe in love, not hate. But action needs to be taken. And a better demonstration for love I can’t imagine than controlling guns. Now that’s a gesture of love for all of our citizens.
Newtown is very much in my neck of the woods, right next to my hometown. I grew up with both of the paternal grandparents of one of the little girls who was killed, and knew untold great aunts and uncles, two sets of great grandparents and even one of her great great grandmothers. One of the slain teachers had taught for years at the school my niece and nephews attended.
Oh, so heartbreaking, Margaret. I can’t imagine their grief. It’s senseless.
Heartsick is the most perfect word for the way I feel.
I truly believe the 2nd amendment should be repealed. We don’t need the guns to form our militia any longer.
I was senior in high school was I came to hate guns. In just that one school year 7 students in my class died from guns. I knew 5 of them. Such a waste.
Yes, heartsick the the word.
I would love to see it repealed as well. It won’t be. But surely we can do more. I know we can. I’m so sorry you had to witness the loss of so many friends to guns, Trudy.
WELL said . . . .I thought when the horror of Sandy Hook happened, finally Congress would get it together (meaning the Republicans) and get serious about gun control. I don’t know how they can sleep at night . .
And yes – I have lost two family members to gun violence. In 1967 my sister in law (older brother’s wife) was murdered and in 1974 my younger brother died. Both by handguns.
I do not know what has become of this country. If murdering classrooms full of children had little impact on so-called lawmakers then we are doomed.
You most definitely have witnessed the horrors of a lack of gun control. I am so sorry for your losses, Karen.
I would have thought after Newtown/Sandy Hook that the horror of those little children being murdered would have jolted our lawmakers into action. Apparently, the money they get from the NRA is more important to them. That and the fear of not being reelected because of rabid 2nd amendment supporters in their districts.
Sad, unnecessary waste of life fueled by intolerance. I’ll never understand. Thank you for the prett flower photos though.
You’re welcome. I try to balance the horrific with the pretty.
I live in the UK Claudia and I have to say I am completely at a loss to understand the gun culture of America. It makes no sense to me, especially the fact that assault rifles can be sold on the open market. To what end? Why would anyone want one? I am even more at a loss as to how so called intelligent people can defend the current gun laws and block reform. I feel so much for all the loving, sensible Americans whose lives are at risk because a few egotistical, mostly rich and powerful people refuse to see what is right in front of them.
Thank you for your perspective, Valerie. Don and I were just saying, “What must the rest of the world think of us?” I won’t go into the election – though you know how I feel – but add to that the gun culture that pervades this society and I shake my head. Please know that many, many of us do not agree with the attempts by the NRA and those in Congress to stop any sensible and much needed bans on assault weapons. I’m embarrassed. But more importantly, I’m horrified and grief-stricken for those who have lost their lives due to the easy and quick availability of guns, rifles, and assault weapons.
My heart hurts. So much violence and hate. I can’t understand it at all. Why do we have to destroy each other and over what? Gun control, well I am going to move that issues up to the top of my list (it’s been up there) but the very top now! This has to stop and the guns that are used should not be allowed to be purchased by individuals. The text messages I’ve seen to Moms and friends from victims tears me apart. That could be my child. YOU could be any place any time and if someone wants to shoot you, they can. This has to end. I read something on Facebook yesterday that really hit me…Prayers aren’t enough now, we must take action!
Exactly. Prayers are wonderful but I don’t believe that Universe/God/Higher Power wants us to sit back and simply pray. We were given many gifts, one of which is a brain and a body and the ability to talk and take action.
I am feeling the pain also…I was so heartsick and frustrated yesterday…this is what I posted on Facebook…”Dear people…please stop hurting each other…it makes me cry”…I also keep asking myself WHY?…I am finding it hard to smile today too Claudia…
Very hard to smile, Nancy. I just went out and mowed the lawn with Don – just to do something that is mindless and soothing.
Well, Claudia, about the email thing, I just wanted to mention it, thinking more that it’s MY email that might be having the problem (??) as I’m also getting a bad run of junk/spam right now, too, which is a new thing and not appreciated. Didn’t mean to worry you about it. I can certainly come back to the blog to see if you’ve replied; I’ve just gotten accustomed to the perk (you spoil us!). I go back to your blog often anyway to ‘hear’ discussion from the readers here who I might have missed! Readers on your blog leave so many interesting and insightful comments. You attract a good crowd. Like you state, “check back to follow the conversation’ – yes, absolutely; I do. I can. It’s no problem.
I can’t begin to tell you what an awful day I had yesterday. Yes, the Florida murders; how can a person NOT think of anything else right now. It is horror. It’s getting hard to remember what life was like when you didn’t have such horror.
I just had a delivery and the driver was incredibly nice, placing things safely inside my garage; stuff I couldn’t easily lift. We were talking of another incident in the neighborhood on Friday which prevented their truck from getting to me (sadly, a domestic violence issue, with the cops blocking off the street) and the young driver said as we shook our heads over the sadness of it, “But nothing is as bad as Florida.” I told him thanks for the help and he said, so seriously, “I just want to be a good American.” I have to tell you, it made me burst into tears after he left.
But I was already teary. It hit me really, really hard yesterday that Father’s Day is coming up and although he’s been gone 8 years, I miss my dad to the core. I cried hard like a little kid yesterday, missing my pop. Then, a fleet of emergency vehicles came into the neighborhood during the dinner hour, right in front of my house. My neighbor was found lying unconscious on the garage floor; another neighbor was giving CPR. People were standing around, not in chaos, but in utter silence out of respect and such deep concern. The victim is elderly; when they took her in the ambulance, they said she did have a pulse. This lady has known me since I was a baby and, Claudia, I just dissolved when I saw them ‘working’ on her. My childhood passed in front of my eyes; she was a good friend to my mom. Still don’t know the status but I was up all night, couldn’t sleep; just felt under assault of awful things.
I read a few stories just now about heroes in this Florida massacre; people helping people who were terribly wounded. Fear, blood, confusion; running for your life. Amen. What indeed about our right to live? Well said.
I couldn’t even watch the Tonys. I wanted to, it’s recorded, I love to see the red-carpet fashion and any performances although I don’t know much about theater from out here on the west coast. Just couldn’t fasten my attention.
Thanks for the flowers. I needed them today. We need to all hold each other as much as we can, however we can. Months back, I copied something from a reader who’d left a comment on another blog I read; she’d lost a loved one. She said, “I’m telling everyone who has a ‘beloved’ to treasure every moment with that person. Be there. Be soft and loving and forgiving…and giving…and enjoy LIFE.”
Other readers haven’t been receiving my replies either. I switched servers the other day through my host and that’s when it started to happen. I’ll call them tomorrow. Too tired.
Watch the Tony’s – they saved my sanity last night. Pitch perfect opening about the tragedy in Orlando and ceremony that celebrated inclusion, diversity, with a plea for tolerance and an outreach to Orlando that will make you cry. Thank god for the theater community.
I’m so sorry about your neighbor, Vicki. Of course that would leave you feeling very emotional. I hope she is alright. xo
She passed away within the hour of being taken to the hospital; never regained consciousness. I’m remembering all the little things she did over the years to bring joy to other people. If she baked a cake, she’d bring over a big slice for you. How she tried to do her very best always; look her best; improve herself. She liked to whistle while she worked! Had overcome adversity in her life. Tried to be a very good person. Loved animals and was a faithful, tireless volunteer in the community. Wonderful home gardener. I couldn’t help but be reminded that she did get the privilege of living out her natural life…a ‘normal’ lifespan of a human adult…whereas all those young people got robbed of theirs in Orlando.
Oh, I’m so sorry, Vicki. She sounds like she was a truly wonderful person.
I am so tired of the gun rights advocates and their excuses. I’ve had 4 relatives die by guns- 2 by suicide and my great aunt and uncle killed by their son. Just last week a 17 year old girl, from the high school my son’s recently graduated from, was shot and killed by her 19 year old boyfriend. Truly senseless.
This morning I heard that in this country 90 people die from guns EVERY DAY! That’s 32,850 people killed in a year, which is equal to eleven times the number lost on 9/11. Every stinking year. Madness, truly madness!
Oh my, Kim, you’ve had to endure so much. My heart goes out to you. You are one of those who know.
It is madness. Insanity.
When Lin-Manuel Miranda recited that poem last night, I was in tears. I can’t get my mind around what a hateful country we’ve become, but I will remember the message of that poem…love is stronger than hate and will outlast everything! I agree with you, gun control is long overdue.
I cried, too, Debbie.
I am sick of hearing Republican politicians offer thoughts and prayers for the
slain and injured, when they have voted against banning armed weapons and Gay
Rights. How dare they? Marco Rubio, and Florida governor Scott are examples.
The Texas governor is beyond pale with his biblical comment yesterday.
Hilary’s speech today was outstanding, and offered solutions/policies to this
horrific problem.
Donald’s was the same old, divisive rectoric he spouts. It is inconceivable that so
many people believe his every word. His vocabulary is extremely limited, considering
how brilliant he is, according to Trump, of course.
Thank you for listening to my rant. 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
I’m happy to listen. He is pretty inarticulate, isn’t it? Same words. Simple phrases. My little nephew could do better.
In my state, it’s legal to open carry handguns, rifles, shotguns, and, yes, even assault weapons. Moreover, we’re cautioned not to call 911 unless the bearer of such arms seem to be breaking laws. (I guess we’re supposed to wait until they open fire?) One open carry group purportedly uses the Freedom of Information Act to obtain 911 call information about 911 calls from people who spot them, then posts that information and the caller’s identifying personal information to be viewed by other open carry advocates. It’s mean to deter people from calling 911 as this group claims 911 callers are harassing them and abridging their rights to carry such weapons in public. They stride through city streets in a group or gather on corners to assert their right to carry such weapons. Some people taking photos have been followed to their cars, with their license numbers then noted in an effort to further intimidate them. In truth, I’m a little frightened to be writing this comment. My father came from a gun culture, a poor and rural area of the country where people hunted deer and other game to supplement their families’ meat supply. I can’t imagine him carrying his rifle, much less an assault rifle, on an outing downtown on a Saturday night. This has gotten scary crazy.
My mouth has dropped open as I’ve read this comment. How insane, Linda! I can’t imagine having to live with that. You are so right – it has gotten scary crazy.
Stop the moments of silence for families. I doubt they find anything less helpful. Have one for our country and what it’s become.
A former coworker lost a child in Sandy Hook. We are sick here in CT.
I know you are. I have friends who were very close to a family that lost their little boy in Sandy Hook. Is there no end to this?
I think part of the problem is all of our fault…we get very upset when something like this happens and maybe for a few days after and then what? We do nothing…until the next time and then everyone talks about it again….until the next time….and the next time. I find it very interesting that the NRA gives the same amount of money to BOTH parties…
Yes, and I don’t think anyone should take money from the NRA. But there IS a difference in who is willing to stand up to them and vote for gun control and if you look at the lists of who defeated every attempt at change in the law, it’s far and away Republicans. That’s just the way it is.
oh, claudia, I love your spirit, it reflects my thoughts perfectly.
I hope this fall we elect people that love our country more than they love themselves and their political “careers”!
(I am 100% for term limits for all congress!)
Keep up your good words and work.
Term limits for sure. This is ridiculous. They need to be voted out. Those who hang in there for years, stopping any sane legislation, would not be a problem if there were term limits.
I couldn’t agree more. How much more of this insanity has to occur before our gun laws are changed?
I truly don’t know. By any measure, the gun culture and those protecting it are insane.
I have been very melancholy since I heard the news yesterday morning. Watching the Tony’s last night was the bright spot, and I’m glad I decided to watch. And today, I am left shaking my head after reading Donald Trump’s Tweets, and hearing the vile things he continues to say to anyone who will listen. I just cannot think of what this country will become if he is elected. And then tonight to hear that there has been a spike today in the sale of assault rifles….
I know. I tweeted back to him a few times (not that he’ll care). He lies, he makes it all about him, in the face of a horrific tragedy.
Over 30 years ago, I was friendly with a couple who owner a jewelry store. I used to stop by their store during my lunch hour, look at the jewelry and enjoy a pleasant conversation. One day we were talking about a movie I had seen. The husband piped in and say “you seem like an intelligent girl, why would you put yourself in the terrible position of going to a movie?” His point was, you are putting yourself in a prone position of sitting in the dark, surrounded by strangers and they could shoot you or harm you at any moment. That thought absolutely floored me. Going to a movie with my husband, being absorbed by a story, talking about it afterwards is one of life’s great pleasures. I felt so sad for this man to have such a dark outlook on life. But here we are in 2016 and I think of him every time one of these tragedies unfold. I’m so very sad that the odd, dark outlook on life is a reality today. It is even worse, who would have thought that children going to school during the light of day are sometimes fearful. That people gathering to celebrate and dance have lost their lives.
I do not know how we got here. Is is so very sad.
Isn’t it sad that we have to even think twice about going to a movie, going to a club, going to school?
“In retrospect Sandy Hook marked the end of the US gun control debate. Once America decided killing children was bearable, it was over.”
Dan Hodges
This is the saddest truth I’ve read this week.
I know. I’ve read much the same thing, Jodi. I can’t even take that in, but I know it’s true.
We have been vacationing in Orlando this week. While we went about our touristy things, we were reminded constantly of the sorrow there. One young man who died was named Luis and he worked in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We didn’t meet young Luis, because he was senselessly slaughtered last Sunday. I have no patience for homophobes or bigots, or people that, in their silence, give support to those attitudes. I agree we need to truly make a change in gun control. I am also tired of the debate. Let’s do something.
Someone I know knew Luis. Of course, someone knew each and every person who was lost in that attack. It’s heartbreaking and senseless.
Amen! Let’s DO something!