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Take note of these killings:

  • 2012 The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora with 12 dead, 58 wounded, heroic moviegoers.
  • 2011 Remember the shooting rampage in Tucson when Rep Gifford was shot and ultimately resigned from office.
  • 2009 Remember at Fort Hood, an army psychiatrist killed 13 soldiers.
  • 2007 Remember Virginia Tech where 32 were killed in a rampage.
  • 2005 Remember Columbine with 12 students and a teacher killed.
  • 1998 Remember Jonesboro AR two boys under 13 years old killed 4 girls and a teacher.
  • 1995 Remember Oklahoma city bombing claimed 168 lives and damaged 324 buildings.

Does there seem to be an alarming pattern? Aren’t these mass murders happening too often? Then we have other disasters, some are natural, but more and more are unnatural.

  • 2011 Remember the twister in Joplin MI with 161 dead. Other tornado deaths 349 .
  • 2010 Remember BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill killing 26,000 dolphins, 6,000 sea turtles, and 82,000 birds.
  • 2005 Remember Hurricane Katrina with the FEMA botch-up claiming 1,836 lives.
  • 1995 Remember Chicago heat wave withering 739 lives.

Now that we’re aware of global warming, we can expect erratic weather, electric shortages, and higher food costs.

Obama cut a sharp figure in Aurora CO this weekend hearing stories of victims, called the shooting, “senseless violence”. Our Counselor in Chief has great bedside manner. He loved the story of Stephanie who saved the life of her best friend Allie. Allie took a bullet in her neck and as she fell to the floor, Stephanie applied pressure to the wound, preventing her from bleeding until they got to the ambulance. She saved a life.

“As tragic as today is…, it’s worth reflecting on young Americans like Allie and Stephanie. They represent what’s best in us, and they assure us that out of this darkness a brighter day is going to come.”

Obama is empathetic. But he isn’t providing the backbone to prevent such mass killings. A doctor needs to provide a diagnosis and solutions. It’s not solely up to Obama, but our leaders are not addressing gun violence. We need better laws. We need to stop crime and bloodshed. When the 2nd amendment right was given, it didn’t include automatic machine guns. Can we look at the wider picture for a minute?

We are weeping and mourning for the loss of life. Isn’t all life, whether in Colorado or in Kabul precious? Can we call the Taliban terrorists, but not Americans when they spew bullets? We are hearing about the victims’ backgrounds– stories are all over our front pages. How can our country honor the survivors and condemn the killer while we still praise military intervention, and glorify guns. But we in the USA are conducting raids and killing innocent people in Paskistan, Yemen, and Afghanistan- civilians leading ordinary lives.

Mourning the Dead

+Jessica,+ John, +Gordon, +Alex, +Rebecca, +Matt, +Jon, +Veronica, +AJ, +Micayla, +Jesse who fell to violence in Aurora.

+Nazar, +Farida, +Akhtar, + Mohamed, + Shatarina, +Zahra, +Esmatullah, +Nazia, +Palwasha, +Robeena,+Essa, +Faizullah who were killed by rogue violence in Kandahar.

This is a story of sorrow. But God is present. We may not understand why young people are shooting, or why in 2010 Boston tallied 72 murders on its streets. But we can intervene. This is where prayer and action intersect.

Maybe it’s the magazines, maybe it’s the internet

Maybe it’s the lottery, maybe it’s the immigrants

Maybe it’s taxes, maybe big business

Maybe it’s the KKK and the skinheads

Maybe it’s the communists, maybe it’s the Catholics

Maybe it’s the hippies, maybe it’s the addicts

Maybe it’s the art, maybe it’s the sex

Maybe it’s the homeless, maybe it’s the banks

Maybe it’s the clear-cut, maybe it’s the ozone

Maybe it’s the chemicals, maybe it’s the car phone

Maybe it’s the fertilizer, maybe it’s the nose ring

Maybe it’s the end, but I know one thing

If it were up to me, I’d take away the guns

I’d take away the guns,    I’d take away the guns              by Cheryl Wheeler