Since the Boston explosions, there has been a lot of talk on TV about what, exactly, is classified as an act of terrorism. Government agencies have specific markers they look for, and I am very thankful those agencies are thwarting many attempted acts of terror every year.
But I've been thinking about guns, murders, and everyday violence in our country that just gets a line or two in the "Law and Order" section of the newspapers. A man is found shot to death in an alley. A woman's body riddled with bullet holes bubbles up downstream. A seven-year old is "accidentally" shot on his porch by an unknown drive-by shooter.
I have a copy of the CIA manual that was used to train the mercenaries hired by the U.S. to overthrow the government of Nicaragua in the 1980's. (Remember Iran-Contra?) The manual stresses the importance of terrorizing villagers by showing up unexpectedly, never using a routine, and keeping the people in a constant state of fear.
I'd say that pretty much describes some neighborhoods in St. Louis and probably many other U.S. cities. I've seen folks on TV saying they are afraid to go out in the evening and won't let their kids play outside. What kind of life is that where you are terrified all the time? Families can be sitting on their front porches enjoying a summer evening and watch with horror as a daughter, father, or mother is blown to pieces by bullets from a passing car. I don't see why those murderers aren't terrorists just as much as those who set the pressure cooker bombs in Boston.
And let's talk about accomplices. Members of the U.S. Senate are terrified of the NRA. Senators are being forced to prostitute themselves intellectually by repeating the NRA talking points which are all lies. So who is the terrorist in this case? And who is the victim?
While I agree that the explosions in Boston deserve condemnation and my heart aches for the families of those killed and injured, I think we need a national conversation about the thousands of Americans who will be murdered by bullets this year. A murderer with a gun is just as much a coward as someone who leaves an explosive device in a crowd of people.
But I've been thinking about guns, murders, and everyday violence in our country that just gets a line or two in the "Law and Order" section of the newspapers. A man is found shot to death in an alley. A woman's body riddled with bullet holes bubbles up downstream. A seven-year old is "accidentally" shot on his porch by an unknown drive-by shooter.
I have a copy of the CIA manual that was used to train the mercenaries hired by the U.S. to overthrow the government of Nicaragua in the 1980's. (Remember Iran-Contra?) The manual stresses the importance of terrorizing villagers by showing up unexpectedly, never using a routine, and keeping the people in a constant state of fear.
I'd say that pretty much describes some neighborhoods in St. Louis and probably many other U.S. cities. I've seen folks on TV saying they are afraid to go out in the evening and won't let their kids play outside. What kind of life is that where you are terrified all the time? Families can be sitting on their front porches enjoying a summer evening and watch with horror as a daughter, father, or mother is blown to pieces by bullets from a passing car. I don't see why those murderers aren't terrorists just as much as those who set the pressure cooker bombs in Boston.
And let's talk about accomplices. Members of the U.S. Senate are terrified of the NRA. Senators are being forced to prostitute themselves intellectually by repeating the NRA talking points which are all lies. So who is the terrorist in this case? And who is the victim?
While I agree that the explosions in Boston deserve condemnation and my heart aches for the families of those killed and injured, I think we need a national conversation about the thousands of Americans who will be murdered by bullets this year. A murderer with a gun is just as much a coward as someone who leaves an explosive device in a crowd of people.
President Obama said the vote on background checks was shameful. I agree, but it's more than that. It's a sign that our society is devolving back into the kind of chaotic and dangerous social patterns of the 18th and 19th centuries. It seems that all of the progress made in the 20th century is slipping away. Public institutions are under attack and being dismantled piece by piece. The "we're all in this together" mindset is being replaced by "every man for himself" and "I've got mine so to hell with you." Selfishness, greed and hatred for anyone not like us are bubbling up from the darker side of our human nature. These are definitely not the "better angels" Lincoln spoke so eloquently about.
I think it's really short-sighted of voters to elect candidates who appeal to their baser instincts. I can't help but wonder how the voters in and near West, Texas, feel about "the damned government" interfering with their fertilizer plant and storage facility. That operation hadn't been inspected in decades. "Hell no, we don't want no EPA or OSHA telling us what to do."
Because of that underlying anti-government mentality, the NRA was able to spread lies about the Manchin-Toomey bill which was so watered down it could hardly be called intrusive or in any way violating anyone's Second Amendment rights.
I don't know how we reverse this trend or if it's even possible, but I'm encouraged by the fact that the families of Newtown are not giving up and neither is our President. God bless them all.
Susan C
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