20160612 (cowardice)

Really? A right to bear very kind of weapon? Hand grenades? Bazookas?,

A year ago I wrote that the slaughter 

Of nine Black Christians in South 

Carolina might be a story worthy 

Of a great motion picture explicitly

Delineating the sin of American

Racism. I still believe that to be

True and I hope some artist is

Working in that direction. The 

Slaying of fifty (so far) in the 

The gay community of the Pulse

In Orlando, Florida, is similarly

Worthy of memorialization,

And not just because the killings

Are more numerous by a factor

Of five, or that the killer showed

Leanings to a recognized hate 

Group, but that the so-called

Mature political officials of

The United States of America

Who pride themselves on their

Soundly established system of

Checks and balances is unable

To protect its citizens from maniacs

Who can easily obtain mass-murder

Weapons. There is significant human

Value in a story examining how

Hatred of persons for whatever 

Reason comes to dominate the

Mind of some twisted bastard,

And I don’t wish to minimize

That in this commentary. But 

Once we have gotten past the 

Shock of such wanton death-dealing,

We must rebel against the forces

That keep us as a society from 

Doing the only reasonable thing:

Restricting the sale of such 

Weapons—not just to maniacs,

Felons, and children—but to

Everyone. Why in a society that

Calls itself a product of the 

Enlightenment, should anyone

Possess such destructive power?

Is there a real reason for this 

Capacity? I am firmly committed

To the notion that even collecting

Such instruments should be

Unlawful, since we have seen 

More than once the terrible risk

Involved in that “freedom.”

That our politicians can be so

Easily cowed time and again

Not to do what is required is

A proof that something is seriously

Wrong with what we call our

Government. Incumbents may 

Love their power too much,

They may be profiting too much

From their subservience to the

Gun manufacturers and their 

Lobbyists, or they may be 

Ultimately devoid of human

Morality, to sell you your dead

Child, black or gay, so they

Will not be turned from office

For doing the right thing.

c. J.S.Manista, 2016