“We need to take action!”
Ciao and Sacred Sunday:
Some days I have no words to describe the anger, sadness, and grief I feel. The utter disregard for human life that’s demonstrated daily in this country is horrifying. And let’s not forget about the brutality that’s happening in Ukraine and other war-torn countries.
Yet, here in the United States of America, the level to which our senators and congressmen are willing to put their insane love of power and greed over the lives of its citizens – children, teachers, the elderly, the everyday ordinary person going about the business of living is unconscionable.
Many of my family and friends are responsible gun owners. And when my husband and I started RV’ing several years ago, we were encouraged to purchase a gun and learn how to use it. Traveling around the country, often finding ourselves in less than stellar situations, the thought did cross our minds, but we never did.
I get it. I get what they were trying to tell us. I’m not against responsible gun owning.
However, upholding the second amendment and the right to bear arms has absolutely nothing to do with a private individual’s ability to purchase an assault rifle that need be limited to the military. Not to mention the lack of thorough background checks.
President Biden emotionally spoke the other night, “When in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby? Where is our backbone? When in God’s name are we going to do what in our guts we know needs to be done.?”
You don’t have to like President Biden or agree with all of his policies, but for goodness sake isn’t it time for our leaders to listen with their hearts instead of their bank accounts? President Biden spoke the pain that millions of us are reeling with. Can you even imagine how the families of the murdered feel?
And yes, unequivocally, we have a mental health issue in this country. We have a worldwide mental health crisis.
Which begs the question even more, why the hell are we making it so easy for mentally disturbed people to get their hands on assault weapons? We know why – $$$$$
And why the hell are we not doing more to help our mentally challenged citizens? The inverse – $$$$$
As I sit in my new home, miles away from where I lived in Arizona most of my adult life, I sometimes wonder if my husband and I wouldn’t have been better off leaving the country. I don’t recognize the land of the brave and the free anymore. Because is it?
One of the frightening things I’m concerned about is, while we talked about herd immunity for the Covid pandemic, what we really have developed herd immunity for is turning away from the overwhelming problems of our own making, including mass shooters.
The willingness to accept the escalation of massacres like this, racial and gender inequality, taking away women’s sovereignty over their own bodies, food scarcity and an ever-increasing population of American citizens living in poverty reflects our collective distressed state of mental health.
In the so-called greatest country in the world.
Which reminds me of the mind-blowing speech that the actor Jeff Daniels made in the 2012 season, The Newsroom. Ten years later, and sadly, I can’t truthfully say we’ve made a lot of progress.
(Link below for JD’s TV speech)
While it’s challenging, some days downright illusory, I do believe that Love will prevail. But how long do we need to wait? How long are we willing to wring our hands?
I’ve never been accused of being a Pollyanna. In fact, I tend to walk the thin red line of melancholia.
However, you and I can help amplify love by staying connected to Universal Love, to our families, friends, and communities.
We need not close our hearts down, nor stop feeling joy and gratitude for what we have.
We need to celebrate the joys of life and spread its sweetness like honey.
And we need to take action!
So, I’m begging you to please call this general number: 202-224-3121, ask for your state senator and congressman and let your outrage be heard. Just state your name and what you stand for.
With love and appreciation, xoxo Paulette
