The latest incident of gun violence in America got in the public spotlight only because a Senator, and a judge were among the victims. The truth is that 79 people are killed by firearms in America every single day; ten of those people being children.
John Hopkins University Center of Gun Policy and research, 1997/1998, from http://stophandgunviolence.com/factsasp
And as gun manufacturers have obviously bought our politicians, because of no campaign finance reform, we have been assured by every pundit from both sides of the isle that there will be no federal gun control laws ever. There is no hope just over the horizon and no light at the end of our tunnel of despair. Oh I have heard the suggestion by a politician of only 10 bullets in a clip instead of 30 - wow that makes me feel a lot safer. I would much rather be shot only 10 times than 30 wouldn’t you? But we have also been assured that, that laughable solution to gun violence won’t have a chance of becoming law.
Here is an interesting statistic for all mothers and fathers who have an obsession with guns: “Kids in America are 12 times more likely to be killed by a gun than kids in 25 other industrialized nations combined. The overall firearm-related death rate among U.S. children aged less than 15 years was nearly 12 times higher than in 25 other industrialized countries combined.”2
2The latest incident of gun violence in America got in the public spotlight only because a Senator, and a judge were among the victims. The truth is that 79 people are killed by firearms in America every single day; ten of those people being children.
And as gun manufacturers have obviously bought our politicians, because of no campaign finance reform, we have been assured by every pundit from both sides of the isle that there will be no federal gun control laws ever. There is no hope just over the horizon and no light at the end of our tunnel of despair. Oh I have heard the suggestion by a politician of only 10 bullets in a clip instead of 30 - wow that makes me feel a lot safer. I would much rather be shot only 10 times than 30 wouldn’t you? But we have also been assured that, that laughable solution to gun violence won’t have a chance of becoming law.
Here is an interesting statistic for all mothers and fathers who have an obsession with guns: “Kids in America are 12 times more likely to be killed by a gun than kids in 25 other industrialized nations combined. The overall firearm-related death rate among U.S. children aged less than 15 years was nearly 12 times higher than in 25 other industrialized countries combined.”2
So President Obama said the only thing he could - nothing really. He did his best to try to transform the unfortunate victims into heroes. He stated concerning the six dead victims of the Gifford’s shooting, “That not only soldiers on battlefields are heroes.” Well, as a nonviolent person, I do not believe that our soldiers who are in foreign countries murdering strangers qualify for heroism. I do not think that people who embrace violence or are murdered by violence have anything to do with heroism. Because our soldiers do not have any idea of what they are doing or especially of why, and the victims of the most recent shooting did not see it coming let alone would they have volunteered to be targets so they could euphemistically be called heroes. No, it was just one more avoidable tragic incident because gun manufacturers have kidnapped the minds of too many Americans. And the men of the NRA are not worth mentioning because they only know what they are told by gun manufactures regarding why they need more guns. They are puppets of the gun manufacturers whether they know it or not. I would not say they are men who think for themselves or think deeply about anything.
And lets see, besides healing and heroism we were suppose to “celebrate” the lives of the mot recently deceased by firearms. But how better would it have been if we had protected those precious lives with gun laws like other industrialized nations have?
So the only thing left to decide is how many times do we want to come together and heal? As 79 people are murdered every single day, why not have an official, once-a-month coming together to celebrate all victim’s lives and heal? I mean why should we celebrate the lives of only a few of the victims of guns here and there sporadically. Don’t all the victims (I mean heroes) deserve the same old platitudes? The way we have agreed to live with no gun laws reminds me very much of “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. Only if I
remember correctly, the people of her small town U.S.A. only volunteered one person each month to death by a lottery. We seemed to have collectively agreed that we can afford to volunteer many more lives regarding our love affair with guns; at least 79 every
day. Our chances of someday winning this gun victim lottery are reasonable.
Seriously, what do I suggest? Well, first of all, don’t travel to the states of AZ or VT as they have 0 gun laws in their states. And if you don’t feel safe in your home or car, then get yourself a large dog or two. The chance that you or your children will shoot yourselves with a large dog is 1,000 less than with a firearm. And don’t get a high-strung dog such as a Doberman pincher or a pit bull terrier. No, get yourself a mild-mannered dog like a Labrador or golden retriever. They get the same job done with a much better record of being able to distinguish their owners from intruders. May the peace of the Goddess be with you and some of Her common sense also.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
How humanity is all one or the Goddess speaks #2
How humanity is all one or the Goddess speaks #2
Each one of us needs to feel something special, magical, mystical, beautiful in our lives. For many of us that feeling is manifest when we fall in love romantically for the fist time. Also, seeing our first child is truly a magical event. But we want to have that feeling more. So there was ritual which has sadly been replaced by organized religion.
Ritual was about being connected to and one with our home the earth and its human earth mothers. She was called The Great Cosmic Mother among thousands of other names. She is the Goddess of a thousand names.
In the present time, we find ourselves at war with our home. How silly is that? So that a few illogical men can reap more than their share from our home, this is allowed to go on. And who tells us that we must be quiet like sheep and not complain that our home is becoming a barren wasteland? The various men of gods.
Because I have had the good fortune to have friends from many different ethnic groups, I know that we all have the same fears, hopes, and dreams. But we must be kept separate by religion so that there will be groups of men to war against each other for dominance. Which one is more immoral, more dishonest, or more guilty than the other? The answer is that they are equally guilty of playing a sadistic game of lying to the credulous among us for their own agenda and gains. And they have all written their own books and called them sacred. The idea is that we cannot question anything that is written in their books. I would suggest that everyone read those horrible books to understand that they are nothing more than manuals for war.
And why don't more women understand that they need to run out of the churches, synagogues and mosques? My guess is that they are trying to please male relatives, some of which they fear;
they feel they are benefiting financially from the corrupt patriarchal system just the way it is; or they are just afraid of any change. For an example, I was raised by my Victorian grandmother who thought it was her duty to teach me how to be submissive so that our family could remain at a place of financial advantage.
My position is that I would not feel good or happy because I had more than others. And secondly, what good will it be to be financially affluent if we have no clean water, clean air, and our food is tainted with dangerous diseases and chemicals which is a more common occurrence. I have not written anything that most of us don't already know. But because of a liberal college education, I am able to trace the beginning of man's inhumanity to man back to god religions. This is something that is absolutely necessary for our survival as a species.
For women, there is nothing in the bible for you. It is your worst nightmare. For men only who need to feel superior to women, then you have a book. But it is not to your advantage as it might convince you that you need to be at war with other human beings; and thus, give up your own precious life for the interests of the wealthy.
And I love all the euphemisms and meaningless phrases that patriarchy must invent. My favorite one is that our troops are protecting our interests abroad. I asked my friend if she had any interests abroad. Between the two of us we could not think of one oil company that we owned, no money in Swiss banks, and no businesses that we own off shore somewhere in a third world country where we are exploiting the labor of the destitute. No, we did not have one interest abroad. No person should die or murder a stranger for a cause that they do not fully understand. Our young men and women are dying and murdering for sound bites such as "protecting our freedoms, protecting our interests abroad," and so on. And are the present wars religious wars? Yes in the sense that religion is needed to divide people and convince very credulous young men, no more than boys really, that a god is for some unknown reason on their side. So how amazing it should seem to men on both sides of a war for the wealthy that neither god is protecting his soldiers. And who wants a god who has soldiers anyways?
For a deity we need a mother who loves all her children. We need a mother who cares about our only home the beautiful earth. We need a mother who does not allow any male violence. For millions of years we had a wonderful mother goddess until the men of gods chased her away.
So women, wake up! There is nothing in the present god systems for you or your children. You can remain submissive and allow the human species to suffer and become extinct, or you can find your voices. You used to be strong women with voices, do you remember? Your priestesses wore gowns, not male priests who have absolutely no understanding of what it means to be a woman or a mother. Do you remember?
Sources: When God was a Woman, Merline Stone
The Great Cosmic Mother, Barbara Mor
The Crone, Barbara G. Walker
Each one of us needs to feel something special, magical, mystical, beautiful in our lives. For many of us that feeling is manifest when we fall in love romantically for the fist time. Also, seeing our first child is truly a magical event. But we want to have that feeling more. So there was ritual which has sadly been replaced by organized religion.
Ritual was about being connected to and one with our home the earth and its human earth mothers. She was called The Great Cosmic Mother among thousands of other names. She is the Goddess of a thousand names.
In the present time, we find ourselves at war with our home. How silly is that? So that a few illogical men can reap more than their share from our home, this is allowed to go on. And who tells us that we must be quiet like sheep and not complain that our home is becoming a barren wasteland? The various men of gods.
Because I have had the good fortune to have friends from many different ethnic groups, I know that we all have the same fears, hopes, and dreams. But we must be kept separate by religion so that there will be groups of men to war against each other for dominance. Which one is more immoral, more dishonest, or more guilty than the other? The answer is that they are equally guilty of playing a sadistic game of lying to the credulous among us for their own agenda and gains. And they have all written their own books and called them sacred. The idea is that we cannot question anything that is written in their books. I would suggest that everyone read those horrible books to understand that they are nothing more than manuals for war.
And why don't more women understand that they need to run out of the churches, synagogues and mosques? My guess is that they are trying to please male relatives, some of which they fear;
they feel they are benefiting financially from the corrupt patriarchal system just the way it is; or they are just afraid of any change. For an example, I was raised by my Victorian grandmother who thought it was her duty to teach me how to be submissive so that our family could remain at a place of financial advantage.
My position is that I would not feel good or happy because I had more than others. And secondly, what good will it be to be financially affluent if we have no clean water, clean air, and our food is tainted with dangerous diseases and chemicals which is a more common occurrence. I have not written anything that most of us don't already know. But because of a liberal college education, I am able to trace the beginning of man's inhumanity to man back to god religions. This is something that is absolutely necessary for our survival as a species.
For women, there is nothing in the bible for you. It is your worst nightmare. For men only who need to feel superior to women, then you have a book. But it is not to your advantage as it might convince you that you need to be at war with other human beings; and thus, give up your own precious life for the interests of the wealthy.
And I love all the euphemisms and meaningless phrases that patriarchy must invent. My favorite one is that our troops are protecting our interests abroad. I asked my friend if she had any interests abroad. Between the two of us we could not think of one oil company that we owned, no money in Swiss banks, and no businesses that we own off shore somewhere in a third world country where we are exploiting the labor of the destitute. No, we did not have one interest abroad. No person should die or murder a stranger for a cause that they do not fully understand. Our young men and women are dying and murdering for sound bites such as "protecting our freedoms, protecting our interests abroad," and so on. And are the present wars religious wars? Yes in the sense that religion is needed to divide people and convince very credulous young men, no more than boys really, that a god is for some unknown reason on their side. So how amazing it should seem to men on both sides of a war for the wealthy that neither god is protecting his soldiers. And who wants a god who has soldiers anyways?
For a deity we need a mother who loves all her children. We need a mother who cares about our only home the beautiful earth. We need a mother who does not allow any male violence. For millions of years we had a wonderful mother goddess until the men of gods chased her away.
So women, wake up! There is nothing in the present god systems for you or your children. You can remain submissive and allow the human species to suffer and become extinct, or you can find your voices. You used to be strong women with voices, do you remember? Your priestesses wore gowns, not male priests who have absolutely no understanding of what it means to be a woman or a mother. Do you remember?
Sources: When God was a Woman, Merline Stone
The Great Cosmic Mother, Barbara Mor
The Crone, Barbara G. Walker
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