Saturday, June 2, 2012

The shootings in Seattle this week have left this mostly-gentle city jittery and profoundly saddened. And being as small a city as it is (or seems to be, at least), there are connections with every one —

At last week's shooting on 23rd and Cherry, a close friend was at the stoplight at the intersection when the act of violence occurred. She called me from her house that evening, in lockdown.

Another friend works at Town Hall, and witnessed the murder that occurred there.

Still another friend frequents Cafe Racer in the University District, and has played music often with some of the victims.

Our bookkeeper (at work) was in lockdown at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center close to where the gunman, surrounded by police, put the gun to his own head and pulled the trigger. If only he had done that first, and spared so many this immeasurable grief.

Earlier in the week yet another friend called to say that her 88-year-old father-in-law locked himself in his bedroom (wife outside the door) and shot himself in the head.

Here's an argument I've heard often from NRA fanatics:

"If only each of these victims had a gun themselves, none of this would have happened, because they would have been able to defend themselves."

That kind of "logic" sends my blood pressure into an upward spiral.

Can we invent something that renders guns & ammo useless? Please?

5 comments:

  1. I'm very saddened by the outbreak of violence in your area. I too, wish the gunmen would cut out the middlemen and just shoot themselves first.

    I hate the NRA's opposition to gun control, and I'm sure our founding fathers would not understand what we have become in the name of freedom.

    I've thought a lot about this since the crazed student at NIU killed 5 students and injured and scarred 21 others in our local area in 2008. I don't think arming everyone is the answer, because I think the collateral damage would be horrific. I wonder if more people carried tazers, though, we'd be able to take down the crazies without killing more victims.

    I don't think guns are going away, and I don't think America will get less violent or crazy. Sadly.

    So sorry for you and your friends to have this horrible event mar your city.

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  2. You (and other Seattle friends) have been in mind ever since hearing about this on public radio.

    But I didn't want to send a message until you spoke, because, well, things are already jittery enough.

    What a weird and tragic confluence of crazy in one place in one day. There is no explanation.

    I hope you get to unwind some this weekend.

    Love, C.

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  3. I just read about all of this in our paper -- so sad and unexpected coming from Seattle, no? I wasn't aware that you all have some of the most permissive gun laws in the country -- that really surprised me. I have never gotten the whole gun/NRA lobby thing in America -- I just don't get it one tiny little bit.

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  4. I've not heard about all this. It shows how complacent the world has become about such atrocities.

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  5. Oh, T. This is an horrific tragedy. . . I didn't know till coming here last night, then didn't know what to say - still don't. It's shattering news. I'm so sorry - Take care, my friend xo

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