to sit here this morning and chitter-chatter on about inconsequential things like a book I’ve just read or my Monday battle of the laundry room. And yet life goes on, for most of us. I read a blog post this morning which suggested a mantra of  ‘the sun still comes up’. Yes, well for some of us. Yet I get the woman’s point. She also suggests that ‘thoughts and prayers’ are a valid response, but it needs to be coupled with actions for change. I can definitely get with the actions for change.

My husband and I were discussing the weekend’s events, how could we not, and he expressed his admiration for the Prime Minister of New Zealand who, after a mass shooting with assault type weapons, called for a ban on them and 6 days later, the law was passed.  My husband noted that even if all such weapons were taken out of stores today there would still be many, many still out there – already purchased. Indeed, New Zealand, despite a buy-back program is struggling with this very issue. But still, they are doing SOMETHING. They took action.

Actually the United States does have gun control laws, they are ‘permissive’ rather than ‘restrictive’.  While researching for this post I found an intriguing website, GunPolicy.org, hosted by the University of Sydney, Sydney School of Public Health.

But it’s not just the easy acquisition of guns, particularly assault-type weapons, that is the problem. It is the mindset of this country that is the problem. A mind set that has been over 400 years in the making. We are no better now than the Spanish conquistadors or the English settlers of the early 1600’s.

We have not learned anything in over 400 years, we have not gotten better as human beings, we have moved forward only in the sophistication of methods in dissemination of the rhetoric of hatred and the tools to act on that hatred.

I have stronger words in my head but I have chosen not to put them here. But know this, for those who agree with, and support this rhetoric of hate, I hope you believe in a divinity, and that in the end, that divinity will have mercy on your soul.