No, it is the guns

As most of America is still reeling from one mass murder and bracing for yet another, I find myself wanting to do little else than scream in outrage to not think at all about the epidemic of gun violence that dominates our lives. Not thinking is winning, mostly. After the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School on that crystal clear December 14th morning in 2012 I felt certain that change would come about, that we did not want to be a country where children would be valued less than profit gains for weapon’s manufactures, but as failed law after failed law dissolved into shameful inaction, part of my belief broke. Government has failed to fix this problem here in this United States of America. Thanks to the NRA and their fully weaponized lobby, much policy is run on greed by the ultra-rich who foster illusions for those they disregard. But this is old news. There is no new shaming news left for our Republican Senators to shine on us: we know them by their own voting history which has earned them high NRA ratings and burgeoning cash rewards. But there is always a new twist on who or what to blame coming from their media spots and I am sickened by the garbage they spread.

 

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Incidental Wanderings

This week my mind felt scattered, then captured, then round and round in a cycle between the two. Perhaps getting back to a busy work schedule, the bi-yearly time change, my body still doing overtime to heal, and all the demands placed on humans these days, added up to half-formed ideas, only incidentals instead of a cohesive post. But as it is Thursday, and it is my custom to sit and capture my Nine Cents I am inclined to try.

Today the mist creeping across the snowy field caught my eye as I walked up past the old apple orchard. Winter is slowly melting away, inch by inch, as the air comes from the south and helps the sunshine bring us out of dormancy.

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Date with Myself

It’s winter break for most schools in Vermont, and that means, while many arrive to ski or board, those of us who live here, migrate away for the week. Early March you would typically find me in SoCal, but as I am still in rest and recuperation mode, I decided to make like a tourist, visit my neighboring town of Stowe, and enjoy a staycation date with myself. Simply a grand idea, and one that certainly made my mood soar.

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