shooting

Victims of Hate

A few days

ago,

in the second

largest city

of the third

largest state,

5 people died,

victims of hate.

3 innocent

people

were shot

at the Islamic 

Center,

a place 

that welcomed

all

to enter.

The other two

who

died,

completed 

the murder-

suicide,

inside 

the car

borrowed

from 

the mom

of one

of the 

murderous

teens

despite

FBI screens

and warnings.

How many mornings

like this

have we seen

of a scene

predicted

from young

guys

who lean

in

to the spate

of hate

online

to find

camaraderie?

As far as

mass

shooting

casualties

go,

this one is

comparatively

low,

though,

no

less heartbreaking.

Families

are aching

and communities

are triggered

with each

shooting incident 

knowing

the next one

may be

imminent

with an 

abundance

of guns

at home,

and violence

online,

and stirred

up hate

to define

the other

as the 

reason

for 

what’s been

wrong

all along,

and therefore

why

they deserve

to die.

The shooters’

parents

knew their 

boys

were troubled,

and one 

mother

called

the authorities.

Yet,

a home

with 

an arsenal

of guns,

and sons

suicidal,

or homicidal,

tons

of guns,

(30 from

one home),

and a virtual

community

of hate

and bigotry

is a recipe

for tragedy.

I’m sure 

the parents

of the shooters

feel excrutiating

pain

along with

the other

families of

victims of hate

who were slain.

So many factors

that we know

create

these

horror

scenes

emanating

from hate,

but I still

believe

we can

do better

than wait

for the next

time.

https://www.kpbs.org/news/public-safety/2026/05/19/ways-to-help-or-get-help-in-the-wake-of-the-islamic-center-shooting

The Correspondent

In a novel

attempt

to preempt

the event

of the President

and

DC

correspondents,

there were shots

fired

and lots

of confusion

over an

intrusion

at the 

White House

Correspondents’

Dinner,

making everyone 

nervous

before

salad

service.

The Secret

Service

rushed

the dais

and escorted

the POTUS,

FLOTUS,

and VIPS,

while

everyone

else,

with

unease,

exited

safely,

except

the uninvited

guest

correspondent

whose message

is not yet

clear.

Nowhere

near

the President’s

ear,

this incident

was different.

Still,

the ability 

to break

through

security

when everybody

who is

anybody

in DC

was present

as either

a correspondent

or close

to the 

President,

seems

less incredible

than inevitable

that some

violent

message

would be

deliverable.

Thankfully,

it was 

quelled

immediately

with the 

gunman

taken away

in custody.

A night 

dedicated

to freedom

of speech

began 

with

a security

breech

and then

each 

correspondent

ready

to present

a story

of the evening’s

terrifying

event.

Freedom

of speech

and press—

all there

to report

the mess.

I’m sure

the shooter’s

intent

was not

meant

to highlight

the role

of the

correspondent.

It almost

seems 

an elegant

message.

Season’s Greetings

The night before

the gore,

they rehearsed

what was

in store 

or fantasized

their fetishized

distorted

tales 

of woe

that as far as

they know

mattered.

Battered by 

thoughts

and delusions,

the conclusions

of violence

would silence

the noises.

Their voices

screamed 

from the gun

one

message,

like Manson

said,

“…I’m 

already dead.”

Attacks 

on the innocent,

including the recent

ones in Syria,

Australia,

and at Brown

here in America,

may have different

motivations,

or justifications

but the ramifications

are the same.

Our grief

will be brief

before the next

act of audacity,

as our capacity

to respond

adequately

is diminished.

But the work

is unfinished,

and always

will be,

to see that

we can

live 

with dignity.

The Festival

of Lights

could be claimed

by many:

Diwali

and Christmas

and of course,

Hanukkah,

the one about

the menorah

lights 

for 8 nights

invites

us to 

illuminate

when the nights

are longest.

The strongest

need not

be a zealot

or one who

forgot

pain.

The main

point 

of the miracles

is light

when darkness

obscures

and lures

us with fright.

This prolonged

night 

when monsters

prey

upon the innocent

intent

on a violent

incident,

must not be met

with nothing.

Any thoughts

and prayers

are just layers

of abstinence—

absence

of light

that we might

enact

if our politics

weren’t so 

cynical.

In atypical

fashion,

compassion

and action

would be 

miraculous,

whether

or not 

you’re religious.

As they say

with cliche`,

“Take back

the night!”

“Be the light!”

It’s always

the season.

Carr Alarm

The noise

around

silencing speech

may reach

a tipping

point.

The joint

astonishment

and grief

may be

brief

as the next

one to fall

will call

our attention.

While there’s

no comparison

between the firing

of a comedian,

or two,

and the firing

of a gun,

we can’t run

from this

crisis.

Opinion

has been

the dominion

of the comedian,

even mocking

the politician.

It’s free speech

in action

and a cultural

tradition.

But the addition

of retribution

to our polity-

once

the contribution

only

of the most

violently

disturbed-

comes from

the top guy,

perpetually

perturbed.

The Federal

Communications

Commision

is now

on a mission

to stifle.

Instead of

a rifle,

or other

violence,

the way

to silence

criticisms

is to fire

the guys

whose

wittisms

are bothersome

to some;

or maybe

just

to one.

Carr’s action-

Kimmel’s subtraction-

in reaction

to the comic’s

wit,

is every bit

a lack of

grit

and merely

a fit

of alarm

of the president

who sees

speech

as harm

and uses

it

to harm others.

Is this retribution

or fear?

Who can hear

over the alarm

over the act

of commission?

All Kidding/Assad

I’m in 

no position

to comment

on the transition

away

from the al-Assad

family

reign

in Syria.

The criteria 

for hope

is the scope

and sequence

of events

that unfold

as the yet

to be told

story 

of glory

of the rebels’

new power.

As of this

hour,

instead

of al-Assad

at the head

or jihad

far behind,

it’s not

quite clear

what we’re

in for.

The most

uncivil

war

that Syrians

endured

(or didn’t)

isn’t

going

to yield

instant

peace.

Every

ecosystem

is diverse.

So the perverse

use

of force

to endorse

an exclusionary

coarse

is of course

problematic-

not just 

for the 

tragic

victims

of violence,

but the silence

within which

those who

manage

to survive

barely

alive,

can not 

thrive

in oppressive

conditions.

Regressive

politicians

are having

their moment

to foment

and reorient

away

from the mainstay

of the postwar

order.

Chaos

is king.

No kidding.

Shooting

someone

on 5th 

(actually, 6th)

Avenue

came true,

and the

cheering 

and snark

and generally

dark

comments

mocking

what should

be a shocking

and sad

event

meant

that we

are losing

perspective

with invective.

Assad

was a nightmare;

the very

defintion

of evil.

I’m glad 

he’s gone

but this 

does not

feel like

the dawn

of a new 

day.

Those

inured

to the injured

or murdered

concerns

me.

Who are we

kidding?

Killing

doesn’t justify.

No one 

should die

to make

a point.

Capital Punishment

Mourners 

will gather

as funeral

arrangements

will be

made

for those

murdered

in their

classrooms.

The injured

endured

the unthinkable,

yet 

we shoulda

thunk it 

by now.

Why give

hunting

a pass?

Like it’s not

killling?

Instilling

what values?

Pro life?

We are 

our own

weapons

of mass

destruction

as long as

obstruction

of gun safety

laws

persists.

The silence

on violence

and intolerance

beyond

thoughts

and prayers

alone

or lone

wolves

who tell

us who

they are,

is far

from who

we need

to be.

Yes, 

it’s insanity.

If we only

gather

for our own,

and our own

is like 

a clique,

we stick

to 

the residue

of this

toxic

stew,

that is literally

killing us.

I know

you know 

this.

It’s one more

once more

we shouldn’t

ignore.

But we do.

Ok, they do,

but they are

still we

and it should be

clear

by now

that this 

is how

we could

die.

Earshot

What’s overheard

is the herd

of inciters

denying

culpability

when ,

unsurprisingly,

shots were

fired

during

a Trump

rally.

The shooter

was shot

and got

what he

sought,

which brought

instantaneous

blame

on the rhetoric

of the heretic-

laden

other 

side.

My initial

reaction

was inaction;

I think

I am numb

at this point.

The violence

expected;

the blame

projected.

I’m glad 

that Trump

was protected

and it 

only pierced

his ear.

Not that 

that’s 

nothing;

but we saw

the luckiest

duck.

In a country

run amok

with violent

speech

and hate,

that victorious

fist pump—

symbolic

if not

iconic

of Trump(ism)—

as he was

ushered

off the stage,

fuels

the rage

to engage.

In this first

attempted

assassination

in the social

media age,

we are all

within 

earshot

of the next

shooter.