No doubt you have heard about
the massacre of 18 people killed in Lewiston, Maine October 25, 2023. Another 13 were injured, 3 remain in the hospital with very serious injuries.
The first massacre I can remember after Kent State in 1970 was the Easter Sunday Massacre in Ohio in 1975.The murders since are beyond my comprehension. Forbes tells us the US now has 20 million assault weapons. Twenty million. Last week a local paper in Portland, Maine published this editorial:
Why do we continue to accept a level of gun violence in the U.S. unheard of in other comparable nations?
Why is there always room in prison and never enough in drug treatment centers and mental health facilities, when the latter are the interventions that can help to limit violence in the first place?
Why does our society glorify guns unlike any other, adding millions more into circulation every year?
Why do we allow a firearm designed to kill and maim as many people as possible become so widely available, and so widely and casually held up as a symbol of American freedom and virtue?
These massacres are getting closer and closer to all of us. And yet, politicians refuse to pass legislation to ban these assault weapons, pass red flag laws (this allows authorities to confiscate weapons in situations where it is deemed unsafe) and tougher permitting laws.
This massacre is just up the road from me. A quiet town of 37,000 people. The Androscoggin River runs through it. Home of Bates College.
Maine will heal like many communities before it. Sadly, it is only a matter of time until the next gunman uses an assault rifle on more innocent people. How many next time?
20,000,000 assault rifles. More sold each day. I hope everyone calls their members of congress asking them to ban assault rifles. Anything semi-automatic.
I think about the poor status of mental health in this country. One only has to look around to see what matters and it isn’t people. Then I wonder about the mental health of anyone who thinks they need one of these killing machines. I wonder about the members of Congress who continually allow them.
A new bill was introduced February 1, 2023 – H.R. 698 – Assault Weapons Ban of 2023 (“S.25 – Assault Weapons Ban of 2023 118th Congress (2023-2024)”
In loving memory:
Tricia C. Asselin, 53
William Frank Brackett, 48
Peyton Brewer-Ross, 40
Thomas Ryan Conrad, 34
Michael R. Deslauriers II, 51
Maxx A. Hathaway, 35
Bryan M. MacFarlane, 41
Keith D. Macneir, 64
Ronald G. Morin, 55
Joshua A. Seal, 36
Arthur Fred Strout, 42
Lucille M. Violette, 73
Robert E. Violette 76
Stephen M. Vozzella, 45
Jason Adam Walker, 51
Joseph Lawrence Walker, 57
Aaron Young, 14
William A. Young, 44
Susan
Theresa, thank you for your thoughtful response. I did respond a few days ago but my comment never appeared.
I totally agree with you. It will take a critical mass to effect these changes.
Thanks Dear Susan….
Yes…we must not to leave it up to anyone else but ourselves..then we will become a critical mass…and then assault weapons will be banned.
Theresa
Theresa, it is sad that in our culture, death is a hard thing to discuss. That tragedy is, too. Massacre. We are afraid to talk about because we are afraid it will happen to people we love. Maybe we are also afraid of our own emotions. But without the discussion, we isolate.
I didn’t know where to begin with this massacre. It was only when Sam Woodhead, the trombone soloist at The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” played this that I could finally cry. Sam’s hometown is Lewiston, Maine. He was on tour with this happened. I found this on Fb: https://www.facebook.com/sam.woodhead.547/videos/827922882413725
Oh Dear Susan…
I just listened to this…thank you so much. Oh my heart.
Why do we put up with this madness.
I will put this link on my facebook page.
Biggest Hug Dear Susan.
Be good to yourself. Theresa.
Theresa LaSalle again.
Also, I really find it insulting to those who say It’s Now Their Turn to take up the cause. I taught 34 years in NYC public high schools. I taught history and government. I love to see the passion and fervor in young people for so many of their causes…..so we along side of them…no matter what our age should participate
in improving our country. Jeez, we are not dead yet….we are living…..everything should be intergenerational. Perhaps you don’t have the energy to go door to door now or whatever…but you certainly can do so many other things….go to the community meetings, make the phone calls, write the letters…Never give up….as some old time jazz player once said: “You ain’t dead ’til your dead”. And be good to yourself ladies.
Theresa LaSalle here
I apologize for the syntax and errors above…but I think you get my gist.
Unfortunately, I always do my best proof reading after I press “SEND”.
Thanks.
Susan…
I feel as you. Right after the Main Massacre our new “speaker”…said he wants to protect the 2nd amendment. Here is what he said: Mike Johnson: Guns Don’t Kill People, Hearts Kill People
The new House speaker had an unbelievable answer when asked about the mass shootings in Maine. At that moment I saw that he and many politicians like him just don’t care. It is madness. I know we don’t want to get political here on this site..but to me thi sis not political this is about decency, about humanity….Nothing makes me feel more alive than the joy I get from people…and the pain I feel for people such as those in Me. and all over our country. We are in our 70s….and beyond….to be truly alive ….we must fight to ban assault weapons and to never vote for anyone who rather kiss assault weapons than kiss our children. 18 people lives were cut short from all the joys that could have been in front of them. How dare our legislators this happen time after time after time. How dare we whatever party we belong to let these accomplices to murders get away with it. Our children are dear no matter what party or non affiliation their parents belong to…..They say you can tell a lot about a country by the way they treat their children and the elderly..well we certainly are not doing a good job. Do not let the younger people fight for gun safety and the ban on assault weapons by themselves….they need us to be along side of them…as this is not an age thing either. Come alive and fight like hell against the madness spewed by those who could not care less about our daily lives. All these individual shootings and massacres have caused such a disruption in the harmony of our well being. An America that causes us to think when we go to that grocery store or wherever will we or our loved ones …and our loved ones should also include all of our brother sisters in America.