I have a draft sitting in my WordPress folder that I started 24 hours ago. It’s what I hope will be a comical look at vitamin consumption. However, all yesterday afternoon and evening, and now in the light of a new day, my brain is unable to produce anything remotely creative. Or at least what regularly substitutes for creativity on this blog anyway. I’ll just have to try again tomorrow.
Once again we are witness to an absolutely senseless tragedy of unspeakable horror. The shooting deaths of innocent people inside a black church in South Carolina is again emblematic of a society that is in deep denial about race, hatred, and its sacred guns. I am grieving for the families of nine innocent people who were simply taking part in a weekly prayer group. For a more forceful take on this, I recommend Judge Kopf’s blog at Hercules and the Umpire (warning: vulgar language used). The good judge puts it in a way I feel also.
We’ve seen this act played out before too many times already. The NRA will stay silent with a calculated “respect” for the families of those who were killed, and then within a week it will use its full force to squash any attempt by a legislative body to write meaningful gun control legislation. Those who reject that racism is pervasive in this country will point instead to a deranged and psychopathic individual who long ago should have been locked up. They will quickly spin the argument to one of law and order. Cable news channels will fill their shows with talking heads who will explain all of this to us.
And the band played on.
Snakes in the Grass 
I write a humor blog and I’ve been strained to find any humor in life. I don’t get it. If we didn’t get legislation after the deaths of those innocent children several years ago, I’m not convinced it’s going to happen.
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I agree, Kate. I’m sapped out of all humor today. The president’s statement yesterday silently spoke of that same resignation you have. Sadly, I feel we are all defeated today.
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Sigh. I’ve been beating this dead horse since I started blogging four years ago. There is something about a segment of our population that thinks guns are the answer. What fucking question are they asking?
This time, the NRA did not wait. Here’s a sample of what they said yesterday:
On Wednesday night, nine African-Americans were gunned down by a vile, racist killer as they attended a Bible study class at Charleston’s historic Emanuel AME church. And now Charles Cotton, a “dedicated” board member of the NRA—perhaps tiring of his political soul mates’ attempts to shift the blame from racism to religious intolerance for the mass murder—decided to weigh in with his own explanation for who was really to blame for this horrific act of domestic terrorism: One of the murder victims. In a discussion on TexasCHLforum, it is pointed out that one of the victims was State Senator Clementa Pinckney. Said Cotton of the murdered public servant and pastor of the church:
“And he voted against concealed-carry. Eight of his church members who might be alive if he had expressly allowed members to carry handguns in church are dead. Innocent people died because of his position on a political issue.”
Yup. That’s be the “Christian” response. Shoot the other cheek, don’t turn it.
Assholes.
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Well, yes, I see they didn’t wait. They’re like spinning tops. It’s sickening.
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Yes, I too am sad.
My eldest kid, about to be 20 this fall, has a very blasé stance on such matters, so when I voice my sadness in situations like these he simply says, “Why waste energy being sad, there’s nothing we can do” and he just moves on. I hope this stance is just out of his youthful innocence (perhaps I was the same way and just don’t remember) and that he’ll develop a bit more compassion as he matures. Or maybe it is I who am naive in thinking change could come one person at a time. Either way, I’m just sad at all the senseless loss of life.
The media’s job, to bring information to the masses, has now taken on a new role, to sensationalize mass murders, hate crimes and other heinous acts. My mom wonders why I’m not glued to CNN like she is, to hear what’s going on in the world. This is why! There are days I rather not know because it’s just too much to handle 😦
Sigh…
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Sigh indeed. In some ways I almost can’t blame your son, yet it’s my hope that the younger generation can get us out of this madness someday.
I fully agree with you — I will not for even a second watch any more coverage of this. They caught the bad guy, he’ll someday have his trial, but in the meantime I don’t wish to hear the roar of the righteous.
Sigh right back at ya…
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I just couldn’t bring myself to write about this latest tragedy. I’m glad you did.
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Completely agree on your assessment of this tragic death and coming fallout.
Looking forward to your post about vitamins, for a respite. On your difficulty in getting to it, try Ellen’s mantra: procrastinate now, before it’s too late!
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Thank you very much. And indeed that sounds like good advice!
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I think you’ll find yourself in fine company, Marty, as even Jon Stewart from the Daily Show could not rise to the occasion to do his normal monologue about the state of the world and the infuriating events happening within it. He spent the first ten minutes of his Thursday night show sighing with sadness about as often as a teenage girl–and to great effect. It was pretty powerful stuff.
The past tells us we’ve created a mess we’re still not ready to clean up. We’re growing used to heaping tragedy upon tragedy. It’s an awful realization. And I appreciate you taking the time to write about it here.
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Thanks, Shelley. Indeed, Jon’s commentary was POWERFUL in its own concise way. We just trudge on and hope for a better way forward. Thanks so much for your comment.
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