On the eve of MLK Day, a date
that has been set aside to honor the memory of a man who dedicated his life to
bring equal rights to all people, we face a threat from white-supremacists and
2nd Amenders to once again tear apart the fabric of our society. Ironically, Richmond, VA, the former capital
of the Confederate States of America could be the site of the next conflagration
to pit “brother against brother”.
This time the topic will not be
slavery, a racist method of generating economic wealth and power. Instead, it is an issue that could be more
divisive, infecting all levels of our society – the ownership of guns. The elimination of slavery threatened only
the elites of society. Today, it is those
who have very little wealth and influence that have been led to believe the 2nd
Amendment is under attack and, with it, the foundation of their liberty and
power. 2nd Amenders have been
convinced that any gun law or legislation is an attack on their Constitutional Right to own a
gun. They adamantly insist that if one
red-flag law exits, providing authorities permission to remove guns from those who
are mentally unstable and an immediate threat to those around them, then
all guns can and will be removed along with their God-given rights and freedoms.
This gun-rights paranoia has been
fed and inflamed by the NRA and Conservative politicians for decades for the sole
purpose of inducing gun owners into supporting their agendas; the selling of guns
and being elected into office. This has
created a far more dangerous situation than the slavery-rights debate of the
1860’s.
In addition, in the 1860’s we had
a president dedicated in holding the Union together while taking steps to
correct a human tragedy. Today, the
human tragedy we face is from the proliferation and normalization of mass
shootings and a pandemic level of gun shots ringing out daily in our cities and
homes due to the unfettered ownership and use of guns in our society. It is an evil raging against our society that
is more infectious and inflicting greater universal harm than slavery. Unfortunately, however, this time as we face
an Evil that threatens everything we hold dear, we have a president who works
at inflaming the divide instead of being a healing balm of unity and
peace. He is encouraging extremists heading
to Richmond tomorrow with his tweets filled with alarming rhetoric. As the Governor of Virginia works frantically
to establish safeguards against a violent protest erupting, Trump tweets: “Your
2nd Amendment is under attack in the Great Commonwealth of
Virginia. That happens when you vote for
Democrats!”
Social media is filled with
rhetoric from right-wing extremists calling for Richmond to be the site of the
next “Boogaloo,” a term used to mean a race war or civil war. It is definitely a call to violence. With Trump’s tweet he not only sends a
message to condone violence but it also demonizes Democrats, justifying that all
actions taken against them as a holy undertaking. He might as well simply said “Boogaloo, NOW!” The result would be the same. – Gary
I really don’t know what you want me to say. Who in their right mind condones
violence? I mean, I’ll fight to the
death to protect my flock so I guess that fighting to protect your constitutional
and God-given rights is sort of like protecting your flock. At least I can understand the argument that defending
a document designed to define and protect the rights of everyone is worth
fighting for but I think I remember
some key words in another important document: “We hold these truths to be
self-evident, that all men are created equal…” Doesn’t this mean that no matter
if you are a Democrat or a Republican, gun-owner or not, slave or slave-owner…
Stop – I’m losing my focus. Let’s just say the list is long because “all men”
means everyone, right? Everyone means
everyone.
If your Constitution and Bill of Rights is written with everyone in
mind then what is there to fight over? A
gun owner has the right to own a gun but everyone also has the right to “Life,
Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Hasn’t
a person who has been shot and killed had his right to Life infringed? If that is the case then it means that a
right to owning a gun should have some limitations imposed in order to insure
that the Right to Life is not violated.
It only makes sense that there needs to balance established to insure
that one right doesn’t trump another.
Peace is the overriding principal that governs my community of
chickens. I recognize that every hen has
a right to that one worm that showed up in our yard. But they can’t all have it. When the henpecking gets out of hand, I step
in with some rules in order to reestablish peace in the yard. Rules and laws create a society of peace based
on an established understanding that the individual has rights that need to be
managed within the framework of a societal structure to insure the well-being
of all.
I don’t mean to lecture you humans but it seems you have forgotten this
very simple and basic principle. All I
am hearing from you now days is a loud, unceasing hullabaloo, which is threatening
to become a “boogaloo.” Come on, people.
Get your act together before it’s too late.
Peace Now! - Ollie
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