“We cannot continue in the direction we are going. This seething undercurrent of hatred and vitriol, that is bubbling up in horrific ways, cannot continue. The world we live in now is most often viewed through the lens our algorithms give us. And those algorithms are so powerful, and knowledgeable, that if someone even pauses to watch a video for ten seconds they will be fed similar videos. Parents and schools recognize the need to detach our children from screens, noting marked upticks in focus and comprehension when phones are banned from classrooms. Maybe, just maybe, we could learn a thing or two from our kids’ experiences; detach ourselves from the social media vortex, actually talk to one another, work on listening and comprehension, and learn to admit when we don’t understand something or that we don’t know enough about a topic to articulate an informed opinion. We might find that we don’t hate each other as much as we’re told we do, that there is less to fear than the monster we’ve created in our minds, and even learn to coexist. *Clearly, this does not apply to those who choose bigotry over loving thy neighbor. Bigotry, in all forms, must not be tolerated.”
Category Archives: Gun Control
Have We Lost Our Humanity?
Or did we have any to begin with? Street art in Washington, DC. Photo taken by author. Let me start with this. Humanity has always been inhumane. Atrocities have been committed throughout history. And, while we aren’t experiencing Genghis Khan-level atrocities at the moment (though Ukrainians might disagree), the United States is certainly allowing smaller,ContinueContinue reading “Have We Lost Our Humanity?”
The First Amendment Has Restrictions; Why Not the Second?
Photo by author. Art by Yasmin E. Rice, Syncottia, and Ebony Byrd. “And in the naked light I sawTen thousand people, maybe morePeople talking without speakingPeople hearing without listeningPeople writing songs that voices never sharedAnd no one daredDisturb the sound of silence”The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel This song became the one ofContinueContinue reading “The First Amendment Has Restrictions; Why Not the Second?”
What Do I Say To Her?
Talking to My Daughter About Mass Shootings and the Painful Reasons They Happen Author’s Note: I wrote this in 2019. In light of yet another school shooting, this time in Michigan, just one of the 138 incidents, 28 of which have resulted in fatalities, we’ve had in 2021, I thought it a good idea toContinueContinue reading “What Do I Say To Her?”
Same Sitch, Different Day
White child vigilante’s acquittal proves nothing’s changed Photo by Joseph Yates on Unsplash The heartbreak, anger, fear and futility the families of Kyle Rittenhouse’s murder victims are feeling must be enormous. And, Black American families all over the country. And, the family of Julius Jones in Oklahoma. Today, a jury in Wisconsin, aided and abettedContinueContinue reading “Same Sitch, Different Day”
Crime Is Up, but at Least the City’s E-Scooters Are Safe
Elected leaders are choosing political expediency and finger-pointing instead of addressing rising violent crime head-on Photo © Bruce Guthrie District residents are grappling with a second year of increased violent crime. The city’s elected leaders have been intensely focused on safety. On October 1, the city’s new law requiring e-scooters to be locked up orContinueContinue reading “Crime Is Up, but at Least the City’s E-Scooters Are Safe”
We Don’t Negotiate with Terrorists… Unless They’re White Supremacists
Capitol Hill, in Washington, in the snow. Photo courtesy of the public domain photos from the Architect of the Capitol. Let’s play a game. It’s called “Guess The Threat Level!” On a scale of 1-10, let’s guess the perceived threat of various groups. Black Lives Matter protesters, protesting the police brutality that overwhelmingly affects BlackContinueContinue reading “We Don’t Negotiate with Terrorists… Unless They’re White Supremacists”
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