Thunder

In the heat-drenched stillness, I heard

The resounding echo of bullets, then blood.

My heart stung in my own chest

From the ongoing screams and bloodshed.

People running from, running to,

What was wrong, nobody knew.

It was harsh, it was painful, this tearing

Of the fabric of our country unraveling

And someone, somewhere, had the eyes

To see what we all had to beware of

The fear that our country, beloved, honorable,

Would never remember how things were

In the garden, when it came down to survival

Yet, isn’t this how it seems to be now?

The life, the breath, being squeezed from us

As the answer of ammunition among us

Can only be seen through the eyes of a few

The burning times have come again

Let our history be the lesson

But let us learn and let us listen

To everyone who speaks with a mission

Or we will not save each other

We will pass away like another

Great country with tentacles throughout

The world, we must not doubt

That we can overcome hate

I trust that this nation stands

For the good, the wise, sharing with all lands

And giving and taking to help others fly

To the heavens, O Great One, as you espy

The end of hatred, prejudice, division

Let us take each other’s hands

And form a circle, as each stands

Shoulder to shoulder in love

Guided by those above. 

--Samm J. Bogner

Senseless Violence

Unfettered Violence22416

There are so many senseless killings hitting the news these days, it becomes depressing to deal with the ongoing slaughter of innocents.  With the violence at basketball games, churches, restaurants, car dealerships, in the front yards of housing complexes, on the streets, and certainly, at schools, we cannot grasp any excuse for the loss of sanity, control and a seeming desire for power.  We ask, but are never satisfied as to the reason for these sudden occurrences. 

Since we may never know what purpose these shootings serve in the minds of the perpetrators, we are left to sort out our feelings about them.  If we absorb all the pain it causes the victims’ families and friends, we may miss the opportunity to heal, and perhaps, find ways of preventing further violent acts from ripping through every town in the nation. 

How, then, do we lift our hearts and minds above the pain that has touched so many, and that we lament because these events happen in our back yards?  We can’t fall back upon our faith if we assume that God has allowed such things to happen.  Humans are responsible for the choices that lead to acts of violence against other humans.

Still, the question that remains with us through all of the episodes, is why?  That the authorities “don’t know” isn’t good enough.  That shooters went into Columbine High School and started attacking their classmates isn’t good enough.  That Trayvon Martin was shot for wearing a hoodie isn’t good enough.  That young children and teachers were gunned down at Sandy Hook, because a deranged man allowed his paranoia to get out of control, isn’t good enough.  That these incidents happen at a rate of one a month because the world is going crazy isn’t good enough.

We find ourselves blaming the mentally ill.  We blame religious fanatics.  We blame terrorist organizations.  Until we identify the why, we will not have the answers we need to stop these events from happening.

We can talk all day about changes in family squabbles, bullying on the playground, failure to take prescribed medications for mental health, a heightened desire for power, depression or suicidal tendencies.  These things could be the cause.  Or it could be that the shooters believe that if they shoot someone, that person will jump right back up, laugh with them and be fine, as we see in video games or in cartoons.  Violence in those games is not real, so why should violence in our day to day lives be any less real?  I believe those games carry a great deal of weight in being responsible for the violence committed by young people, at the very least. 

Another possible cause might be gang mentality.  But I refer not specifically to street gangs, but the terrorist groups that have the same radical ethos as that inclusiveness in gangs.  This goes far beyond a simple cool or not cool status.  The gang becomes the family.  The styles approved of by the group become sacred.  The rituals of initiation become mandates.  Often, they require the death of someone walking down the street.  Sometimes, the perpetrator has a moment of insight that recalls the wrongness of his actions.  Then the weapon is turned on himself and we lose the possibility of learning the motives behind the senseless violence.

I don’t have answers, but these are two possibilities, I believe, that play out in horrible consequences.  We have to become concerned for one another.  We have to be aware of changes in people’s habits, their inclinations, and their states of mind.  The changes may be small.  But the more we care for one another, the less likely we will find someone who is ready, willing, and able to harm someone else.  May we all be aware.

May you be richly blessed.