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Field Notes From a Religion-Less Christian

May 28, 2022

Uvalde: I Don’t Want My Hurt to Go Away

Garrison Keillor in his Garrison Keillor and Friends blog, “What We Know Is Not Nearly Enough,” on May 27th included this:

“Senator Lee of Utah who has voted against mandatory gun registration said that “glorification of violence” and “breakdown of the family” are responsible for the shooting, and how do you address those? Censorship of Netflix and Hulu? Requiring regular church attendance? Senator Romney said, “Grief overwhelms the soul. We must find answers.” Apparently he feels that prayer is an answer, but it’s dismaying to see, according to Newsweek, that Romney has received $14 million in donations from the National Rifle Association over the years. Evidently his soul was not sufficiently overwhelmed.”

Then, after more, and I do commend the entire blog to you, Keillor concluded with this: 

“I propose that Mr. Lee and Mr. Romney take the $14 million and use it to make nonviolent TV shows that glorify good families. I wish them well. Meanwhile, I don’t care to do any shows in Texas.”

What is going through my mind and heart about Uvalde?

I am aghast, appalled, angry and heart-broken and like Steve Kerr implores, urgently trying not to get numb to this. 

Keillor’s above summation is spot on.

Crazy and absurd and tragic and sick is the influence of political support money and the lack of decision-making based on the practicality of what works (if you take AK-47's off the streets they cannot be used to kill children) in favor of taking money for your campaigns from whomever comes along and accusing others, the "left,"  of having bad values and, evidently, thinking the solution is changing their values by imposing yours (half of which are just as violent as the so-called "bad values" of the "left": let's take, for example, wives being submissive to their husbands or, state governments executing criminals. These are not violent actions of a violent culture with violent values?).

Not all of us Americans have lost our minds. We still support things that actually work.

Nor have we lost our hearts. We still will not knowingly benefit from the donations of those who traffic in violence. 

When a bully brother is beating up his little sister with a stick, you take the stick away and ensure he will not get it again. You do not give a big(ger) stick to the little sister and tell her good luck. 

There is a difference between a fundamental right and an absolute right. Fundamentally, the bully should be able to pick up sticks. But he should not be able to beat up others with it. Fundamental means you have the right. Absolute means you have the right no matter what you do with that right. Gun ownership is not an absolute right. It is a fundamental right.  Is there an absolute involved? Yes, the bully absolutely should not be able to beat up others with his or her weapons and when they do they have given up their fundamental right because they absolutely will beat up others if they keep getting their sticks. 

I live in Florida. Yes, I know, Florida. I wrote to my two U. S. Senators yesterday, Senators Rubio and Scott. Yes, I know, Rubio and Scott. I told them to vote “Yes” on H.R. 8 that had its Second Reading in the Senate on May 25. Yes, I know the chances. But I will write them again today. Many of you are doing much more than me in working to control and reduce gun violence. I am trying to find out more ways to help, things that I can do. What do you suggest? I know there must be a strong combination of advocacy and action. 

I am trying not to become numb to this.