We've had a very busy spring. First we had that Viking Cruise and a few weeks later, our daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter arrived. We hadn't seen them in nearly three years and it was a very, very happy reunion.
This past Sunday, with hugs and tears, they flew the red-eye back to Chicago. And true to form, like her mother, Tiffany didn't get to sleep on the airplane.
The following morning she sent us a jarring text about the Highland Park shooting. We were just sitting down to a late breakfast in Hawaii. She said the neighbors were outdoors stunned at the news. Highland Park is so very close to where they live now and where we used to live. We have friends who live in Highland Park. I could hardly process it all. Once again, it shows you can't control people, but you could have controlled the sale of guns. That very weak bi-partisan gun bill that went through wouldn't have stopped this or Uvalde. I don't think it will stop much at all.
Highland Park has laws on the books banning semi-automatic weapons and large-capacity magazines. However, although Illinois requires background checks on all gun sales it's not enough. And weapons can easily be bought out of neighboring states and brought in.
So here we are. Again.
But this time, it somehow feels more personal.
4th of July....
A day to celebrate freedom and yet, because Congress cannot/will not pass a law to ban assault/war weapons, we have lost our freedom.
I remember our kids marching in 4th of July parades when they were little.
Do I want our grandkids to go to a crowded celebration?
I remember sitting outside with neighbors enjoying the parade and excitement of the celebration.
And now I'm picturing those families who watched the parade happily in Highland Park, unafraid.
Some people have told me that you shouldn't ban guns because people then can't protect themselves.
How many shootings have ended because someone had a gun? There were lots of armed policemen at the Highland Park parade. There were armed police at Uvalde.
I'm looking at these young faces of my children decades ago waiting to see the next 4th of July float to go by.
It was a more innocent time.
I'm angry. I can't help it. I'm trying to process why our country cannot seem to stop this madness.
It just goes on and on.
And now Japan…
POSTSCRIPT:
I have a friend who I'm pretty sure is thinking Japan couldn't stop Prime Minister Abe's assassination even with their strict gun laws. Japan has a population of 126 million people. There were 10 gun related criminal cases resulting in ONE death and four injuries last year and no deaths in Tokyo.
The US has a population of 331 million.
According to The Free Press Journal:
As of December 31, 2021, gun violence (in the US) resulted in 44,750 deaths, including 20,660 homicides and 24,090 suicides, among them 1,533 were children and teens under 17. The number of injured was also a record high of 40,359, including 4,107 under the age of 17.
Kay, I'm sorry it came close (the Highland Park shooting) to affecting you personally. Everyday my own loved ones aren't SHOT by some lunatic I thank the Great Spirit. (I'm not kidding.) This sounds terrible but.. many of us have heard of what damage these AR-15s do to people... those poor babies in Texas weren't even recognizable. We should stop hiding the gruesomeness from people. Put images of the people blown to pieces on the news--let everyone see what we're allowing to happen in this country every day.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with you. I don't think people understand... truly understand what those horrible weapons do. I've seen demonstrations and it boggles your mind that there's no law against selling them. Good grief! We've made fireworks illegal (not that it's helped much in Hawaii because I still see them) BUT we let people buy these horrific AR15s and similar weapons. It's crazy! I realize that making those guns illegal won't stop crazy people, but it'll make it harder for them to get it.
DeleteAll those shootings - madness, indeed. There's need for severe gun regulations and restrictions as a first step.Next, detect people with killing intentions.
ReplyDelete34 years ago, Laurie Dann went into a Winnetka classroom and shot several children. One 8 year old boy was killed. I met one of the teachers at a workshop that evening. It was horrific to hear her pain and picture what happened. Laurie Dann was already under the care of a psychologist. It didn't help. You can't stop people. You have to stop making weapons of war accessible.
DeleteWe are in such a downward spiral these days and violence has become common not the rare event. It is just one horrific act after another anymore. NOWHERE is safe.
ReplyDeleteThe assassination in Japan yesterday rocked me. Japan has some of the strictest gun laws in the world and that man wasn't safe. What will it take?
We're still in shock that this should happen in Japan. Apparently, it was a homemade gun. Gun violence is very rare in Japan unlike the U.S. where it is a daily occurrence.
DeleteIf anyone actually reads the second amendment they would learn what they were actually talking about when that passed was arming a militia! They had no standing army at that time and no police forces. They protected people against hostile Indians with a militia.
ReplyDeleteWe lived in a kinder, simpler time, didn't we? I, too, worry about our young people.
ReplyDeleteIt is just awful! All gun shops must be shut down. Guns should be reserved for the police and military only. Ban all hunting, too. Stop the killing! Gigi Hawaii
ReplyDeleteWhen we were driving to our evening event on the 4th of July, the radio news report was all about the shootings that day from coast to coast. At the same time Facebook was full of "guns keep us free". I wonder about some of those freedoms. Guns make us dead.
ReplyDeleteWhat you are saying is 1,000% true. Let's hold on to our Aloha and vote every time and make our opinions known. Bless you dear
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, Cloudia.
DeleteI so agree about the rifles. That's a great shot of your husband and kids. Look at Keola wiggling....just like Max last night.
ReplyDeleteHe was always an active wiggler and he grew up just as antsy and wanting to experience everything.
DeleteI'm so glad you had such a wonderful time with your family; I know you've waited agonizing years to see them. The gun violence everywhere makes me sick; there are solutions that would help but that are impossible to implement in this country. Other places do much better and consequently, their mass shootings are extremely rare. The U.S. appears to be filled with well-armed lunatics.
ReplyDeleteLin says it is truly sad and my grand daughter has expressed her fears of pursuing a career in elementary teaching but we can't stop living because of fear...
ReplyDeleteI can understand your granddaughter's fears. It was 30 years ago that I had to teach my class what to do if our school had an intruder. And it's only gotten worse... MUCH worse.
DeleteThere will be weakening of our Hawaii gun laws soon. I belong to Stolen Stuff Hawaii and everyone on that page is pro guns and conceal and carry. I just think these yahoos want to play macho men and shoot out at the OK Corral. It's disgusting. They were pro taser and now I've seen crimes where tasers were used against victims. BB
ReplyDeleteIt's really frightening that this would happen in Hawaii and yet... yes... I happen to know some gun owners and just don't understand it. We have elections happening here in Hawaii and I would like to know how the candidates feel about gun laws.
DeleteJust a horrible thing
ReplyDeleteIt is mind boggling to me that people still support the ability for anyone to buy guns of any sort. They say it's a right. But what about the rights of those that are killed, maimed and mentally scarred by these massacres? We passed seatbelt laws, no smoking laws for the greater good. So why not gun laws? I agree that the photos should be publicized so people see what has happened to their neighbors/fellow citizens.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same as you and Doug but think it would be too traumatizing for everyone to see those bodies that virtually exploded because of the horrible damage those bullets did, so much so they needed genetic testing to see who they were.
DeleteI like your title to this post. It is madness all around. Madness on the part of gun sales, gun owners , politicians.
ReplyDeleteKay, you are so right. I don't know how this will end. People shooting people. Police shooting people. Madness. Vote blue, vote, vote, vote. Lets make sane and reasonable laws.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you had time with your Chicago family. It has to be nerve-wracking to have a killing so close to your Illinois home. (I surprisingly felt the OKC bombing as if MY city was attacked. You don't like bad guys messing with your town.) And yes, I was stunned about Abe's killing. Maybe he wasn't wearing a bullet-proof vest, but one injury was at neck. That was a pretty simplistic gun the shooter made, not even one of the plastic printed ones. The news here says this will bother Japan like JFK's killing did to the U.S. How does a little kid think about going to school, when you never know which weekly shooting will be in your building. I don't like the way things are today. It may take another 50 years to turn a lot around, so I'll keep voting until I can't. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteI will join you in continuing to vote and hoping for a change. I fear too many people are taking these killings for granted.
DeleteThe whole world and I guess most Americans are stunned that this is allowed to happen, and yet it is because a minority controls the majority.
ReplyDeleteWe only have one superpower that can make a difference, and that is to vote for people who will bring change. It will take a long time. But there is no other option. I too have been rocked to my core by all the killing of innocents.
ReplyDeleteI keep voting, but the NRA has more money and power.
DeleteSome awful events in the world right now. I don't like the example this country is showing to the world.
ReplyDeleteI was thrilled to see that your family came to paradise to visit you. I'm sure you all had a wonderful time together. Hope it doesn't have to be so long before the next visit.
ReplyDeleteNot much to add here. It's all been said. Basically no one outside of the military should own military weapons. And yes, we cannot control mentally ill people - but as it was said, we can try to keep weapons out of their hands. We must vote for those who realize this and can advocate change.
ReplyDeleteAmong other things, I would deem the NRA and those politicians they have their claws in to be liable in all of this.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the Illinois tragedy would seem personal to you especially if you had lived close by. I thought of you when I heard the news and wondered if you were familiar with the area. Other countries don't have the shootings like we do. There needs to be some laws with some teeth in them at the federal level for all states to have any meaningful effect. Heard today that there may have been a security lapse that allowed that tragic shooting in Japan.
ReplyDeleteIt is atrocious. I don't know that it will be solved.
ReplyDelete