If Only I Could

Do you not see   truly see
Faces of children
Caught in the middle of war
As they witness     as they experience
Cruelty exploding around them
Their eyes wide with fear
Faces expressing bewilderment
Frozen in terror

Do you not feel   truly feel
A silent war like an infection
Coursing through the blood stream
Of our country
For me    guns are the virus
Gunshots into a crowded concert
At innocents in a store
A school yard   a movie theater
To claim a religion   an ideological
Ideal
It is war   wherever guns are used
To kill   to maim   to terrify
I abhor them
Would outlaw guns
Completely
If only I could

2 thoughts on “If Only I Could

  • November 14, 2017 at 9:33 pm
    Permalink

    I don’t know that guns are the disease or merely the symptom.

    I do think that assault riffles are never to be used by anyone. EVER!

    But the sickness that is at the core of everyone who has found guns to be a solution, that sickness needs to be addressed.

    We have too many people.

    Which wouldn’t be so bad if we educated people and gave them meaningful options as to the lives they’re able to live.

    That would mean giving mothers and fathers the opportunity to be GOOD parents from the Get go.

    It means effective birth control for everyone.

    It means college educations for everyone.

    It means an education that includes exposure to many cultures. And not just from the wrists down. But roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty living and breathing the air of different cultures.

    It means the study of many languages, not just one. The study of many religions, not just one.

    The study of the diets of many cultures, not just one.

    It means travel to many and diverse countries for everyone should be a prerequisite for marriage and parenthood.

    And the understanding of history and the consequences of a variety of behaviors should be served up with every meal for everyone.

    The trite, the common, the banal should be routed out.

    Easy answers never settled for.

    Always, the rigorous and the demanding applauded and revered.

    And always, everyone be given a voice. A vote. A place to be heard.

    Then, and only then, will the gun issue go away.

    Reply
  • November 14, 2017 at 10:28 pm
    Permalink

    My oldest son was shot and killed in July. Although it happened in our quiet Acoma community, the gun was in the hand of someone who should not have had a gun. Thank you for this Wendy. Hope you and Steve are doing well.

    Reply

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