December 14, 2012 ENOUGH!!!!

One week and 71 years after the attack on Pearl Harbor, we have a new day in America that will live on in infamy.  Twenty babies were killed in their classroom on American soil in a neighborhood where, supposedly, nothing like this could ever happen. I tried to work today, but emotionally my heart was ripped to shreds.  I did not know these particular kindergarten children, but that did not ease the pain of knowing that 20 mothers, 20 fathers, 80 grandparents and an untold number of cousins, aunties, uncles, step parents, neighbors and friends DID know these children. Just being on earth with them, today, was all the connection I needed. It was hard to keep on working as if it’s OK, SINCE me and mine are safe.  It is a false sense of security in America. And, lately, this same America seems to be promoting hate, again.

I take comfort in knowing I serve a merciful God, who has given us free will.  We are not forced to believe, but when I have to deal with a day like today, I take comfort in knowing that those babies will be in the arms of God.  It is those of us who are left here on earth that are suffering. What I really question is what kind of America are we creating when it is OK to purchase semi-automatic rifles? Why?  And, what kind of America is being created when it is OK to lie and cheat about your political opponent just to get hired? Why is it OK to say abortions are wrong, but that same person has no problem killing a doctor that performs abortions? And, when I hear the amount of anger and venom that is spewed when someone’s ideology doesn’t match up with your own, is it really worth it?  Can we just agree to disagree?

Enough already.  According to the Washington Post  (Dec 14, 2012):

Mother Jones Magazine has tracked and mapped every shooting spree in the last three decades. “Since 1982, there have been at least 61 mass murders carried out with firearms across the country, with the killings unfolding in 30 states from Massachusetts to Hawaii,” they found. And in most cases, the killers had obtained their weapons legally.  

Enough already.  Just like asking for a street light at a busy intersection doesn’t happen until someone dies, because the powers that be don’t see the need for the expense; we need to force politicians (our representatives) to finally have a discussion about revamping gun control laws without being afraid of the NRA.  Mass murders in the US are only increasing and now we are starting to see duplicate acts of violence in other parts of the world like in July 2011 in Utoya Island, Norway, where children were killed at a summer camp.  Enough!  Level headed Americans who care about this country and people, not party lines, need to speak up loudly.  People who want to walk down the street in peace need to speak up loudly.  Enough!

We need better education for everyone in America.  We need better gun control laws that keep semi-automatic guns off the street.  We need everyone to pay their fair share.  We need to take care of our elderly and our children.  Enough with the xenophobia.  This is the Christmas season.  For those of us who are believers in Christ, we should be celebrating the birth of Christ and all the joy this season usually brings. For those who are not Christian, but who enjoy that one time of year when people are a little friendlier, you should feel a sense of mourning, also, that this mass murder has taken some of the joy away.

Pray or don’t pray.  I wish you would, but if you don’t pray, I’ll say an extra one for you.  But, don’t look for me to beat you over the head or stab you because you don’t believe as I do.  I love you just the same.  I want to show love this time of season.  I want to show love all year ‘round.  I especially send my most heartfelt sympathy and love to those 20 mothers, 20 fathers, 80 grandparents and untold number of cousins, aunties, uncles, step parents, neighbors and friends who knew those children well. Grieving is for the living and today my heart is broken. But, tomorrow, I am writing my representative and asking for tougher gun control laws. I hope you will join me.

PS. I wrote this long before I heard President Obama speak.
PPS. Here's the sort of shameful rhetoric that is killing this country.

Inspired

So, I wrote this as a gift to Kaelyn Gsellman who was graduating from ES to MS in 2009. In June, 2012 she'll graduate from MS to HS. My, how time flies. 

Inspired

By A. S. Moore

Kaelyn is a young girl with music in her heart.  It starts in the morning when she wakes up and doesn’t end until she goes to sleep at night.  And, if you happen to pass by her at night you can see her smiling and dancing in her sleep.  She has so much music in her heart that her hair dances on her head in bouncy red ringlets.  The freckles on her face are really notes to a song.

One day Kaelyn had so much music dancing in her blood she couldn’t help it anymore.  She started to dance.  She wasn’t quite sure what she was doing, but she loved it just the same.  She danced through the house, swirling and jumping.  Her brother yelled, “Cut it out before you knock something over.”  Kaelyn sat down and stopped for a moment, but the rhythm of her heart was too inviting.


It started with toes tapping to the water as it dripped from the sink.  Then she began to knock her knees together on the downbeat.  Pretty soon she was swinging her head.  Her dancing hair followed the movement.

Now, her arms became jealous and they wanted to move.  Slowly Kaelyn began to move her torso side-to-side.  Sitting still was just impossible.  Her legs screamed to dance.  Her whole body begged to dance.

Suddenly like an explosion she burst from her seat and out into the bright sunshine.  She kicked and spun.  She twirled and jumped.  Giggling even sounded like music.  Jessica looked out of her window and LOL, rolling on the floor.  She couldn’t take it anymore.  Kaelyn made it look too much like fun, so Jessica jumped in right behind Kaelyn.

Brittany saw the two of them and decided she wasn’t going to be left out so she ran outside to join the party.  All three girls jumped and giggled and laughed.  They danced to music only Kaelyn knew the origins of.  But, they kept up just the same.


Carlee lived across street and she too refused to be left out.  She looked both ways before safely crossing the street and joined the trio.  “What are we doing?” Carlee effused.  “DANCING,”  Kaelyn replied.

Kaelyn danced for so long she didn’t realize there were ten girls that encircled her.  They were giggling and laughing and jumping and twirling, until they all fell down on the grass in a huge mass of tangled arms, legs and chuckles in front of Skahill’s house.

Kaelyn was so tired that she no longer heard the music, but the rhythm in her heart kept time anyway.  In the middle of all the giggles the young ladies one by one dusted themselves off and began to leave the pile.  Bouncing a little lighter and smiling a little brighter, they each turned, went their own way, inspired someday to dance again.

---

Happy graduation Kaelyn – June 19, 2009