Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Driver dead in single-vehicle crash near Ashland ... Old buildings, new buildings and public art on agendas ... Ticket availability ... Driver dead in single-vehicle crash near Ashland ... Old buildings, new buildings and public art on agendas ... Ticket availability ... COMMENTARY Jeffrey Gillespie: One country, under Glock? Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Jun. 17, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Jun. 17, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News "And did you get what you wanted from this life, even so? I did. And what did you want? To call myself beloved, to feel myself beloved on the earth.” — Raymond Carver How does any contributor to a media outlet set out to write a eulogy for nearly 50 people? How can anyone still alive after an act that caused the lives of so many to be snuffed out formulate a tribute to the fallen? What justification is there for language when such acts of barbarism should leave all decent people speechless? For those among us with any sense of decency, the massacre in Orlando this past week should mark a turning point in the American psyche; not only when it comes to stricter controls over the sale of weapons to our wildly over-fortified citizenry, but as regards the larger questions of mental illness, prejudice and disenfranchisement that have led to the increasingly toxic brew that has been spilling out into our streets, homes, houses of worship and gathering places over the past few years. Sandy Hook, San Bernardino, Fort Hood, the Washington Navy Yard, Roseburg, and myriad other place names across America immediately evoke horrors inflicted upon the innocent. Inflicted for the most part by angry, unstable young men who, despite being mentally ill or having shown varying degrees of contempt for their fellow citizens, have, again and again, managed to acquire weapons that are entirely beyond the scope of conventional home defense or hunting. Despite what the current presumptive nominee of the Republican Party may have to say about it, the problem is not about Muslim immigration. People of every color and creed have been responsible for gun violence, although it must be said that, historically, many of the mass shootings that have occurred in the United States were perpetrated by white males. While Donald Trump has, sickeningly, elected to use the latest mass shooting tragedy as a platform to continue to fan the flames of hate among his increasingly deranged supporters, he has said nothing about the psychotic behaviors of Jared Lee Loughner, Adam Lanza, Seung-Hui Cho, or Dylann Roof, all mass shooters who are not demographically convenient to the Trump agenda. Trump, and his heavy-weight endorser, the NRA, have formulated a response to the slaughter of innocents at an historically LGBTQ club that not only completely misses the mark, it comes dangerously close to the sort of tactics one might have seen in the days leading up to fascist takeovers of governments in the runup to World War II. Trump has decided to create a divisive and sociopathic response to the Orlando shooting that is geared toward his own twisted worldview, doubling down on his xenophobic immigration policy and his utterly surreal "Muslim ban" rhetoric. For its part, the NRA said in an op-ed in USA Today Tuesday that gun laws won't prevent mass shootings or deter terrorists, and it blasted out over a dozen tweets about constitutional rights and the so-called "anti-gun" media. The NRA, with its particular brand of denial that so conveniently correlates with its capitulation to its membership, will never take a principled stand on gun control if it can't do so now. It is up to us — as citizens of a country that is increasingly being forced to suffer the wrath of the disenfranchised, or the merely bigoted, through the barrel of a gun — to find a way forward that is based in compassion, strategic alliances and intelligent debate. We must transform America's insatiable gun lust into something that serves and protects. That's a tall order, but the time for conversation is past. Ashland resident Jeffrey Gillespie is a Daily Tidings columnist, arts reviewer and freelance writer. Email him at gillespie.jeffrey @gmail.com. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Jun. 17, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501