Lack of Shared Humanity?

Following the recent shooting of two journalists in Virginia, I wrote the following on my Facebook:

Not the time? "The host of the NRA radio show reacted to the fatal

shooting of two journalists in Virginia County by attacking gun activists

for using the tragedy to call for stronger gun laws, claiming they 

'politicized' it and demonstrated a lack of shared humanity."

(Media Matters)

I am speechless.  But not for long. One can assume that this is the 

position of NRA leadership. O, they will lay low for a few days. 

This is their MO. Let emotions settle. Then will come the justifications

for needing more guns. This time the call to arm the journalists. 

Equipment: cameras, AR-15, microphones, Glock 9mm and....

Lack of shared humanity? O, yes, let's comfort the gun manufacturers,

the gutless politicians, the sellers of death, the NRA leadership. Surely

we must weep over their misfortunate publicity.

It is time to enact gun safety laws that will protect more people, 

perhaps your daughter or son, spouse and friends, the stranger and

yourself.

Yes, let us affirm the dignity of a "shared humanity" and say as one: 

"Enough." 

I also wrote on Facebook:

We have spent too much time fretting over the government wanting

to take our guns away and insisting on our right to own guns.

Show me the data that proves the big bad government is coming to take

guns away. The truth is the politicians, fueled by gun nuts

are so afraid of offending the gun nuts that they do nothing

to pass gun safety laws. Don't worry about the government

as they are chickens in pants and dresses.  Worry instead about

the gun in your home and the 300 million in public circulation.

That ought to give us serious pause.  We are hemorrhaging in

guns and the 34,000 deaths a year are the result.

Sleep well.

And another post:

Consider this all you gun lovers.  Nearly 2/3 of all gun

deaths are suicide by gun.  By my calculation those 2/3 would

still be alive if they had chosen their "right" to NOT buy

a gun. So much for how much guns "protect" us.

Indeed they enable us to kill each other and ourselves

with sad regularity. Hello!

The organization Everytown for Gun Safety recently published a chart titled "Gun Murders Per 100,000 Residents" which compared the murder rates of several countries. Yup, the United States is #1 again! Per 100,000: U.S.A., 3.7; Italy (#2) 0.68; Luxembourg (#3) 0.59; Finland 0.57; Canada 0.50; Norway (#14) 0.04. 

When will we affirm the sanctity of life? When will we take action beyond "My thoughts and prayers are with you." When will we respond with actions to Jesus' injunctions of "Enough", "No more of this", "They who live by the sword shall die by the sword" and "Blessed are the peacemakers"? 

"How many deaths will it take till we know that too many people have died?" Bob Dylan

Peace!

Ron Letnes