Tonight I mourn
for my country. I mourn for those who lost their lives or were injured in the
horrific massacre in Las Vegas. But beyond that, I mourn for what America has
become.
I mourn that we
have elected politicians who are so cowed by the NRA that they make excuses for
not banning military-style weapons. These weapons have one purpose and one
purpose only—to kill people, as many as possible, as quickly as possible. There
is no reason on earth why anyone other than a soldier should be allowed possess
one of these weapons.
I mourn that so
many of my fellow Americans think the right to own a gun is the supreme right,
that it trumps all others. It certainly trumps the right to feel safe in public
places.
I mourn that so
many of my fellow Americans do not understand that rights come with
responsibilities, and if we as a people cannot be responsible, we must forfeit
the associated right. We prove every day, over 30,000 times a year, that we are
not responsible with the right to own guns. We are the only “civilized” country
on earth that permits this many gun deaths. Which means, I suppose, that we are
not civilized.
I mourn that a
majority of us has elected leaders whose highest priority is to funnel as much
wealth as possible into the hands of those who do not need it and to withhold food
and shelter and medical care from those who so desperately do need it. I mourn
that they are willing to lie in order to camouflage the true intent of their
legislative agenda.
I mourn that
those same leaders would attempt to replace an imperfect health-care system
with an abominable alternative that would primarily do harm to millions of
Americans—all for political gain—rather than try to fix the imperfect system.
I mourn that we
have allowed a corporate economy based on greed to prevail over our better
instincts of sympathy, compassion, service, and generosity.
I mourn that a
slight minority of us prevailed in the recent presidential election (through a
quirk of the Electoral College) and has placed in the White House a
narcissistic, amoral, crude, nationalistic, sexually predatory, fraudulent, vindictive,
petty, insecure man who is both unfit for the office and consistently embarrassing
to our country. And I mourn over the millions of Americans who are willing to apologize
for his abhorrent behavior rather than hold him to a higher standard.
I mourn that this
same group of Americans has turned its collective back on science and in the
name of bogus economic benefits is willing to make the earth eventually
uninhabitable. This is inexcusable, and their posterity will curse them for their
willful blindness.
I mourn above all
that my country is no longer a beacon of light to the world, but is a gaping
black hole of moral hollowness.
Tonight I mourn
for my country.
