July 1, 2023
Hard to
believe that half of the year is over. So far, what a year it has been. So much
has happened and the US has set some interesting firsts. But before that, war continued
throughout the world. It seems that war has been a constant for almost all this
century and most of the last. The latest is the Ukraine and Russia. There appears
no end in sight to the loss of untold people on both sides and the amount of
economic costs beyond measuring. I’m not sure what can be down to find some
accord and peace regarding this situation. I also wonder what it would take to
maybe have a decade of peace in the world and especially here at home.
Let’s
turn to the number of firsts here in the US. I must preface this with a sermon
my pastor gave last Sunday. It was on the topic of judgment. I realize that I am
judgmental and can become obsessed about what I will be talking about. There is
a balance between being judgmental and desiring for justice. So as I write, I hope
that this is more than a rant but more about seeking justice and peace. So here
goes.
The first
thing is that we have set a new record for mass shootings. The last time I checked
there were over 300 mass shootings. One may ask what mass shootings are.
According to the FBI, mass shootings are when 6 or more people are shot at one
time. This is different than mass murder. Not everyone is killed but wounded. Indeed,
some have died. In almost all cases, there was the use of semi-automatic
weapons. This is here in our country that is not at war or are we. The shooters
for the most part have been extremists. They have had access to AR15 or other weapons
within a day or two before their attacks. I am not opposed to responsible gun
ownership which a majority of gun owners are. What bothers me is that those who
commit these heinous acts seem to be able to purchase weapons legally or to
take them from parents who are negligent in securing their weapons. I know that
many feel such people are mentally ill. I would feel that to fire into a
gathering of people who one might have problems with would have to be mentally
unfit. I, also, know that many people say that guns don’t kill people, but
people do. I suggest that there may be some truth regarding that, those who
would say that forget that there is a common denominator which is guns. How
many more people who gather together can do so with being relatively free of
fear. I am also not against the 2nd amendment no matter how changed
it has been since the founding fathers. What I want to know what about my 1st
amendment rights to gather peacefully. My question is how many more people need
to be shot and/or killed before the powers that be do something about this. Somehow,
justice depends on both prayers and action.
Another
record has been the warming of the world. Lately, that has been a record heat
wave in the South, extreme weather events here and abroad, and droughts. I am
concerned that there are those governments that continue to deny, and rather vehemently,
that climate warming is a myth. I wonder what the costs of this will be for the
future, especially for our children’s children. Recently, the pollution from
fires in Canada have affected the air quality throughout the US even in my
hometown of Omaha. The pictures from NYC paint a picture of what can happen if
we don’t listen to the scientists and not fringe opinions.
The
last of my rant deals not with just record setting, but with the lack of
civility. I may disagree with someone’s opinion, but it does not mean that I need
to belittle them or call them names. This seems a lost art at all levels of our
society. One sees this at neighborhood level, cities, states, and our country. One
can even see this in social institutions such as churches and other social
groups. Social media is rampant with this lack of civility. One can also see
this in the news media, especially a certain “news” station. A good study would
be how this lack of civility affects the above concerns and the milieu of our
nation.
I
realize that much of what I have written goes to a minority of people. So my
next entry to my blog, I will work to focus on what is healthy and good about
who we are. Stay tuned.
Shalom
