Dear Kay,
I’m in Monteagle now, a day and a world away from the busy weekend running around the knitting trade show in Washington. It’s hot and hazy here in Tennessee, and I’ve got a lot in my head to unpack, even as I unpack my little suitcase that I crammed full of yarn yesterday when I left the trade show.
The despicable attack in Orlando bounces around in my head like a bullet. I think about my teenage son, just back from a weekend at his first Bonnaroo, the music festival down the road here in Tennessee. For the past 15 years, 90,000 music lovers lose themselves in a world where, like magic, all the bands appear. If ever there’s a place where a group of young people let down their guard, it’s Bonnaroo.
Peace, love, and Bonnaroo. Clif had a great time.
So when I see a video of Christine Leinonen, an Orlando mother who lost her son Christopher to a terrorist with an assault rifle, telling us about her son with such heartbroken pride, I can hardly stand it. Christopher had been out with his friends and boyfriend, at a club where they let their guard down, as anybody should be able to do. Was it a great night out? An OK one? However it was going, it should not have ended in gunfire and death.
Christine said, squeezing out each word as if grief was strangling her, “Please, let’s all just get along. We’re on this earth for such a short time. Let’s try to get rid of the hatred and the violence, please!” Speaking about her newfound status as a mother whose child has been in a mass shooting, she said, “This is a club that nobody wants to be in. Please can we do something with the assault weapons so that we could stop this club from ever getting any new members?”
I was astounded that she had the composure to say this. Imagine your child had gone missing like hers (she didn’t even know at the time whether he was dead or alive). Could you have the presence of mind to see the bigger picture? She is a hero, really.
If we want to honor Christine and her son Christopher—if we want our children to live in a world where they can be young and beautiful and full of music and love—then we need to rid our country of these weapons. I’m not interested in a debate about this here on this blog. But I encourage everyone who feels the same way to email their senators and congress members to urge them to do something about a rifle that can murder 50 people in 10 minutes. Is this the solution to these mass shootings? Of course not. But we have to start somewhere.
I’m including photos of yarn here because I took them, and I don’t have anything else to show. It seems inadequate and lame to show pictures of yarn at a time like this, but I will say that they remind me that even amid all this chaos, there are beautiful things to see.
All these balls and skeins of yarn are souvenirs of the people we met this weekend who told us about these yarns.
There is so much life in these yarns, so much care and thought.
If you look closely, you can see a lot of love in there too. We have got to cling to that.
Gah! I’m such a stew of outrage, heartbreak, tenderness, sympathy and sorrow.
Love,
Ann
Agree 100%. And will never tire of pictures of yarn. Comfort to see such beauty in a week with such sadness.
How can any of us help but be heartbroken? Thank you for writing in spite of that.
Amen.
The right words, the right thoughts that I can only add that I agree with. The yarn is actually a beautiful rainbow of colors, each a bit different, sitting there right next to the next one….. Getting along. Thank you for these words this morning.
I am so angry, but at the core is genuine love for my fellow woman and man.
I now see love in yarn thanks to you – one afternoon on your couch – an entire world opened up right before my eyes. So, thank you, my friend.
#loveislove
My son was in that club a week before the shooting. I agree completely. Thank you.
Thank you for writing this. Silence is acceptance.
I will be contacting my local and state legislatures as I have done after each outrageous and senseless killing in this country because of easy access to assault rifles and guns in general. I will not give in to apathy. I vote in every election. I will continue to lobby as a simple voter without access to large sums of influential money to sway my elected officials. I only have my voice and my vote. And I will use both.
Amen
Beautifully said, thank you! You have such a lovely way with words!
Well said, thank you. Our founding fathers could never have imagined the capacity of these weapons.
So well said, Ann. Thank you.
Bravo! I couldn’t agree more.
Thank you for saying this.
Thank you, Ann, for speaking up and speaking out.
“The right to bear arms”, to the Constitution writers, meant muzzle loads, bows and arrows and perhaps knives. As I understand it, they wanted citizens to be able to protect themselves against the government.
They could not have imagined the types of weapons that citizens can now possess, nor the ones that our government now possesses.
My heart goes out to the families of all of those killed and wounded.
Comment
I know you’re not interested in a debate in the comments, but because I agree with you 1000%, I’m just gonna say that: I agree with you 1000%.
And I’m going to write my senators and congressman.
Contacting my representatives will not effect change, because they are all on the right side already and do not have to be convinced we need sensible measures to lower the level of gun violence. So I contribute what $ I can, hoping to support those trying to figure out how to change recalcitrant or resistant minds. I give to Everytown for Gun Safety but am open to suggestions of others.
I give to Everytown for Gun Safety as well. Why aren’t these things regulated and licensed like driving a car???!!! Sometimes I despair– my little boy was a first-grader when that class full of first-graders was massacred. If that event didn’t move the country to change, what will? Those little faces still haunt me, and the brave adults who tried to save them. But I keep giving, and writing, and hoping.
Just lost my big long rant of a post b/c of stupid computer behavior. Clearly you get it, as do the others posting thanks and agreement above. BTW, I do that thing too, each time this happens, imagining the Bonnaroos, the college classrooms, the library, all the places we are where it could/might happen to my children, my husband, me. We have a right to live without that fear.
Since the horror of Columbine and going forward, I have been forced to wonder about what the underlying cause is for these horrific acts. So often we have heard about the mental instability of the perpetrator. Often we hear about friends and family of the perpetrator who did not recognise signs that “something” could be about to happen, but in hind sight the news media has often been able to put the story together of events that lead to these horrific acts. As a regular citizen, I wonder about the guns. I wonder also if there is something additionally more that we can do. If a person has the potential to perform an explosively violent act, they will find a weapon to use. A few minutes ago, there was a news report about a new terrorist act in France where two people were stabbed. If GMA reported correctly, there were no guns. Increasingly, I have been forced to wonder if there are additional things we can do as a society to address (and perhaps ultimately prevent) what looks like an increasing trend in such horrific acts as this most recent tragedy in Orlando. Why is this happening now, at this point in history? Can our medical community assist, in some way? Could the FBI have put this man’s name on a list, even though his individual case was “closed”? Would he have been able to find a way to secure weapons anyway? I don’t know. I don’t know the answers to any of my questions. I am sorry that there are events that have caused me to have them. The pictures of yarn that we see today are very soothing, am grateful for that.
Thank you for such thoughtfulness. The colors are beautiful and make a wonderful representation of what I am feeling, too.
Amen I agree with what Ann wrote. I live in Orlando it is my hometown. I have lived here all my 51 years. This act of cowardice by one individual does NOT define my town we are stronger and better
than that. If your looking for a way to help it has been suggested that you can donate blood and mark
it for the Pulse night club victims, also there is a fund set up you can donate to. Local people can donate food and water to the blood bank I believe. Like Ann said we have to try to affect change with our votes no one needs assault rifles no one!
Working on my knitting these last few days have helped comfort me and keep me sane and also remind me there is still good and beauty in this world.
I’m so incredibly sad that my 13 year old son and I had to discuss a topic like Orlando on the way to his ballgame yesterday eve. We looked at it together from every angle and the only thing we too could come up with was getting rid of assault weapons. And we’re a family of hunters. Thank you for speaking the words from my heart Ann.
I believe that early intervention on mental health and good, affordable mental health resources are the key to stopping these mass shootings. Yarn is good. No stone left unturned on mental health better. I’ll right my representatives about that.
Thanks Ann for putting words to feelings we all share.
so much hurt in my heart, and the media & political rhetoric doesn’t help. as parents, as caring people who make warm, beautiful things, i am glad to be able to find a community here — but also disheartened by the everythingallthetime of the Internet. i have 2 teenaged boys, and gun culture is horrifying, just horrifying.
I love the yarn, altogether like that, everyone of them different, every one with something to offer. ..just like humans (yarn might be my metaphor for everything). Like Nancy, I can count of my representatives to support my viewpoint, but I can’t help but think that as individuals we can help by reaching out more, to being more aware within our community, and acknowledging the need to take corrective measures: better gun laws, more mental health access (abysmal in this country if you have ever tried to access it in a hurry), more communty connection…less hate.
Thank you for such a thoughtful post. No argument here; long time proponent of gun bans. I too, call my representatives in D.C.; unfortunately, being a resident of your neighboring state, Kentucky, Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are my senators; neither reflect my viewpoint on any issue.
I live in Louisville, and we here just witnessed the celebration of the life of THE GREATEST. Having been a part of the incredible loving generosity and kindness throughout the city last week, my hopes and dreams for peace and love were dashed when Sunday morning I read the news of this latest tragedy. Being an aging hippie, i won’t give us on those dreams just yet, but gosh, I’m sad.
Peace, light, and healing.
P.S. (to all) If you can find Anne LaMott’s piece written just after the Paris bombing, please read. She reposted it Sunday.
One of my college housemates lost her son at Sandy Hook, and each time one of these events occurs, I am swept back to that day. If it affects me so deeply, I cannot even begin to imagine what it does to her, her husband and older son, and all of the other families. When will we got off this horrific merry-go-round? Here in Chicago, gun violence is an everyday occurrence. And yet, we as a country seem to choose to live this way. It is maddening, frightening, and mind-boggling.
Wow, Ann, I’ll never see those beautiful yarns in quite the same way again. Thanks for that and for the solace in the midst of such sadness, confusion and feelings of helplessness.
xo
Thank you, Ann. Of course I agree with you. Mental health issues and sick, hateful people are a reality that will never go away. Of course we should do everything possible to lessen that. But keeping assault rifles out of their hands is a no brainer. Except in America, where we cloak our greed in a skewed reading of a constitutional right. Lets be honest, it is greed that is responsible for these deaths. Why on earth are people like this allowed to buy a gun that “spews bullets like a fire hose”? That is an actual advertisement for the gun this wacko used.
I know you don’t want a debate, but better gun control laws are needed FIRST! NOW! Enough with the insanity of pretending there is any other priority.
Thank you–for the well-thought out words and the soothing photos of yarn.
My son was at Bonaroo too. I truly value your words and thoughts but I don’t feel very hopeful about congress making changes. Certain powerful groups have too much control over them. When nothing was done to make changes after the children of Sandy Hook were killed, I started to understand that no changes will ever be made.
Everyone should watch the homeland security video, Run, Hide or Fight. Scary but needed in our world.
Yarn pictures are good.
Nicely said! Love your photos of yarn. Peace!
The best thing you’ve ever written.
Photos of various yarns marry beautifully with all the variety of people on earth.
Thank you.
Thanks, Ann. I haven’t been able to listen to or read the news because it’s so much awful. But I love Gabby Giffords’ Americans for Responsible Solutions.
Agreed. This is all senseless & stupid. I can’t imagine losing my sweet son in any way, let alone this. I also can’t imagine a blind & blanket hate for a group. Thank you for the yarn pics. I needed them.
Thank you, Ann, and all other posters/knitters; you spoke from my heart too.
I think that sharing your own thoughts and heartbreak, and any solace one can find at a time like this, is far from inadequate. It’s perfect, and thanks for sharing with us.
Amen!
I am a proud mother of a wonderful, smart caring gay man. Until this morning I’ve successfully suppressed my rage, tears, fears and….more rage. Your beautiful, loving post gripped my heart and gave me release. Through this torrent of tears, I thank you. Thank you for putting into words the thoughts and emotions that I’ve struggled with this week.
And thank you too, to all the compassionate, loving folks here who offered their own personal thoughts. You’ve all made a difference.
Joyce Of The Desert: I know the emotions you are feeling, so well. My 2 sons are each gay – they are out and happy and live within their gay community in separate California cities. Each ended up at a candlelight vigil, one in Santa Ana and one in Washington D.C. while on a business trip – they made me proud in the midst of my fear and anger. They will not and I will not stay home in fear of a deadly event in a public place, but we must pressure lawmakers to amend the laws that allow this to happen.
Thanks Ann, for your colorful rainbow of yarn – it’s soothing and reminds me to breathe, breathe and knit.
Amen. Love and hugs.
Thank you for your beauty in words and photos in this time of complete and utter heartbreak and sadness at these senseless acts of violence.
Love and peace to all.
Amen, also
“I’m such a stew of outrage, heartbreak, tenderness, sympathy and sorrow.” It’s the only appropriate response from your hurting heart. Mine too.
Then the brain starts in and asks why? Could we have better mental health access? Yes, but until that level of hatred is considered a type of mental illness, the people who need help won’t be easily identified. As a lifelong nurse I will point out that the stigma of even minor mental health conditions is still quite strong; many people either remain in denial or choose not to get treated because they don’t want to be labeled.
I was also deeply disheartened after Sandy Hook but I had a new thought last night: during my lifetime the LGBT community has showed incredible fortitude fighting to be seen, heard, respected, married, and at the root of it, simply allowed to survive. They have moved on through mountains of hatred and negotiated the daily swamps of intolerance and disrespect.
Despite their personal differences they moved together as one, which is a lesson in how to effectively make change. Women are still fighting for respect and equality; people of color as well. The LGBT community used many of the same tactics with success.
I think it’s a necessary part of our human evolution to work for acceptance and respect of our beautiful differences. However you do that is up to you; on a knitting blog my guess is most of us are introverts and that’s fine. Remember the huge amount of support we gave after the tsunami by simply buying a knitting pattern? We Are Powerful! Whatever we do let us remember our power increases together.
We do not have to live this way. We suffer needlessly as our children and beloved friends are murdered going about their precious daily lives. Most of the civilized world does not live this way– in many European countries even the police do not carry guns!
If we join together we can make the necessary changes. We can move from a gun- and -violence saturated culture to one where we are not likely to be killed en masse. “The arc of history is long but it bends toward justice.” Which means love and getting along because yes life is short and should be sweet.
She asked the big question. Can we stop? I am heartbroken by the broken people that hurt others. From the slightest insult, which may lead to the most heinous assault, these rifles must be banned. It is a small step, but it is a step we must take. Thank you for pointing out the love in yarn- especially the hand spun and hand dyed. I try to knit love into every stitch. Love is the only answer.
I was shocked after reading the post and more so after reading all of the comments!! People, WAKE UP!! This is not a “gun violence”, this is called TERRORISM. These people hate you – gay, straight, republicans, democrats, those who believe in second amendment and those who don’t. They will do their very best to kill as many of you as they can – with guns, with planes with knifes and bombs. And hysterical screams about banning assault weapons will not do a thing!!! For those of you waxing poetically about European countries where even police don’t carry guns -Mary J, how do you think it helped those 150 people in France who where murdered last fall? And yup, France do have one of the most strict gun laws in the world! Worked well for them, didn’t it? And btw, nowadays police in France DO carry guns, they learned something from that tragedy. And we have to learn too! Its a shame that politicians use murders of innocent people to promote their political agenda. How many more people have to die for you to understand – it does not matter that you want “for us all to get along” . They don’t!!! They are at WAR with you, with Western civilization, with liberty and your way of life. And until we all understand it and unite fighting this evil, more mothers will bury their children. And no amounts of “bans on assault weapons” will do a thing!
I agree with you – WAKE UP, PEOPLE! Gun control laws and bans on “assault weapons” will only affect law abiding citizens. Criminals, mentally unstable people, and terrorists will continue to find their guns and many other weapons illegally! It’s nice to think that “all we need is love”, but people who commit these terrible crimes are certainly not thinking of love!
I am so sorry Kay & Ann because I have to respond in an honest manner to these comments.
Wow. Just wow. Gun violence is on the rise because individuals do NOT NEED TO RELOAD! Trying to jump into a hail of 50 bullets a minute is impossible. Trying to wrestle a knife out of someone’s hands is possible. So please take your hate-mongering elsewhere and leave people on this blog to mourn in peace. Literally. Everyone else is trying to show compassion and speak of love for each other. Congrats on jumping feet-first into the pile of racist, bigoted crap that got us here in the first place. If you want to mourn, please stay and be included. I am sure that the families of the wounded and slain will appreciate your compassion.
I’d like to point out that the only person talking about “Radical Islam” and the need to ban foreigners on the DAY of the shooting was Trump. Things that make you go hmmm…..
Last comment I’ll make because obviously when people are trying their best to be blind, no amount of logic can change their mind. Just try to explain (not to me, I really don’t care) but to yourself – what did I say that was bigoted or untrue? The bastard (may he rot in Hell) ANNOUNCED that he was going to commit this crime because he admire ISIS and heed their call for murder of infidels during the holly month of Ramadan. These are not my words. These are his own words. ISIS has actually claimed responsibility for this. So, please – explain to me what is that I said is racist, bigoted crap?! And also – explain to me (actually to yourself and others who repeat this pile of uneducated nonsense) why is naming the killers and trying to prevent this kind of horror from happening again is not the right way of morning the innocent? I think it shows more compassion then empty slogans about “gun control” And please, try to use your brains, not propaganda that politicians are trying to push into your head – what makes you believe that somebody who is willing to murder innocent people would hesitate to break a gun law?! LOOK AT FRANCE!!! They do have assault weapon ban! Hell, they have draconian gun laws, you pretty much can not buy ANY kind of gun there. Did it help last fall? 150 people killed! This kind of laws never stop terror, and until we all unite and start fighting the right battles more and more innocent people will die. Think about it! Well, at least try…
Oy.
I am so tired of people saying gun laws clearly don’t or won’t work and therefore we shouldn’t have them. Every law in the land gets broken, but we keep them because we need them. Do we get rid of speed limits because people drive fast anyway? Do we make murder legal because people kill each other even though it’s against the law? Of course we don’t! To see we shouldn’t try to better control guns and their use because the laws won’t work is a ridiculous argument. In addition to massacres like the one in Orlando, I’m also tired of babies being killed or killing because some adult left a gun out – an adult who then almost never gets charged with the crime they committed. If I run over someone with my car, even if it was an accident, I would be charged, so it makes no sense that people who mishandle guns are not – except that the gun lobby controls so many of our lawmakers. (Sorry, Ann and Kay, for the rant, but I am tired of guns and their owners being held sacred.)
Who are “these people”? Who are “they”? Say it out loud and then please tell us how it makes this post, and all the other comments here “shocking”?
A legitimate reason to ban these kinds of assault weapons does not exist. We can argue till the cows come home about why this wacko mowed down these innocent young people in cold blood … apparently what drove him gets more complicated by the day … but the truth is, he should not have had access to a gun that is designed to kill as many people as possible with each pull of the trigger.
I apologize to Ann and anyone else that is offended at this becoming a debate. But to see this beautiful post and the intelligent, heartfelt comments labeled “shocking” and “hysterical” by someone who seems to have lifted their argument from a Trump speech or an NRA website, demands response. I will understand if you choose to delete.
Of course, what I meant to say, was “A legitimate reason to NOT ban these kinds of assault weapons does not exist. ” The hysteria got to me, I guess.
Homophobic and transphobic people exist in all religions, so no, it’s not just Muslims (even though you are too afraid to let your Islamophobia flag fly free). A white man from Indiana with NO ties to Islam also tried to attack LA Pride on Sunday, and luckily he was stopped. This is not about Islam, this is about homophobia and transphobia.
I’m never too afraid to call things by their true name. Yes, RADICAL Islam is at war with us. And, no of cause not all Muslim people subscribe to this branch of Islam. There are a lot of courageous Muslims who help us fight it, and we need their help, we can not win unless we have their support. But to hide your head in a sand and to refuse to look in the eyes of evil is not the way to win. You comment about white man in LA is just silly. There are a lot of criminals in the world, I”m not saying that they all are terrorist, but this particular one in Orlando PROCLAIMED himself a supporter of ISIS, ISIS actually claimed responsibility for that attack. Do you suggest we don’t believe them? BTW, this bastard hated gay people no doubt, but he also considered Disney World. He hated straight ones with children too. Its NOT about homophobia !! Or at least not just homophobia! That’s what I’m trying to say – they hate us all, regardless of our sexual orientation, race or party affiliation. They say so!! But blind people like you prefer not to hear. And as a result more people will doubtfully die. Even if you enact 10 assault weapons bans.
Reports show that this guy was a regular at the bar and on Grindr. He was no “sleeper cell;” he killed who he knew and the part of himself he hated. ISIS was just the excuse.
There are plenty of people on the far-right in this country who are applauding his work and calling for more of it. As a queer person, I’ve always been far more afraid of that brand of “domestic terrorism” and “they-hate-us” than the kind that seems to finally be touching you and yours.
Some of us Americans have lived our whole lives under the low rumble of the threat of hate-fueled violence. The difference between us and you is that we don’t let that fear turn to panic and start spraying our rhetoric like bullets from an AK. We are all in this together or none of us are. So chill the f^ck out – you’re scaring the horses.
Living in the UK where we can’t buy automatic weapons along with our grocery shopping, I hope that one day you live in a country where you can say the same. It shouldn’t be a hard decision for the politicians to make.
I have a sad broken heart and outrage at the same time that this has happened. Thank you for this post –you have prompted me to write my congress people — We need a ban on assault weapons and better more rigorous background checks nationwide.
I’m an Australian American living in NC and also part of the LGBTQIA community. We are all grieving over the loss of lives in our rainbow family. I want to say how much I appreciate the love and support shown through your post and knitter’s comments. Love is what matters.
Thank you for your beautiful, heartfelt post. You said exactly what needed to be said with sensitivity and compassion. And yarn.
“After 9/11, we banned knives and box cutters on airplanes. We then banned liquids of more than 3 ounces. We understood the connection between these things and the loss of life that followed. So why can’t we understand the connection between assault weapons and mass shootings?”
—
Jim Trumm
Brava! Well said.
What courage it to to post this. Just upped my love for you both even higher.
I am awake, and I stand for love.
I understand, and I stand for peace.
I understand that my Muslim friends want only to live their lives in safety. I understand that my LGBT friends want only to live their lives in safety. I understand that the 49 mostly-Hispanic, young LGBT people who died Sunday morning had wanted only to dance.
Hatred has always been with us, but I will not meet it with violence. Fear has always been with us, but I will not meet it with anger.
Love is not passive – it is action. Understanding is not weakness, but the hard work needed to grow compassion. May I be strong enough to do that work, to sow peace around me to the best of my ability.
So when you met with people who are trying to kill you and your children, you are going to shower them with love?!!! Good luck to you. I”m going to defend me and mine with all I have.
Amen, and thank you.
Well said.
Beautiful post. Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you-
There is a petition going around on Facebook to ban these weapons. Please sign if you agree.
Where on Facebook ?
Hi, just like people are getting snarky about ‘thoughts and prayers’, I’m getting salty about the ‘we need to do SOMETHING’. Something? Anything?
Let’s start with: we already have an assault weapons ban, thanks. 1986.
We DID have a ban on semi-automatics, which expired in 2004. Which I am all for re-upping, but I’d like to know why it wasn’t reupped before. And that’s what we should be asking for. When I see people say ‘we need to ban assault weapons’ it makes me facepalm, because those are already banned, and it just shows the ignorance of the speaker.
In addition to reupping the ban on sales of semi-automatics, what else could we do? I don’t know. Maybe something positive. Maybe donate blood. Maybe donate money. Maybe stop tearing each other apart. Maybe deal with the homophobia aspect–the victims were killed by a hateful ideology JUST AS MUCH as they were by bullets.
What was passed in 1986 was not a full ban. Ironically, it was a provision of a much larger bill that was designed to protect gun owners and had to do with the buying and selling of weapons that were already registered. The Assault Weapons Ban was passed in 1994. It expired in 2004. A current federal assault weapons ban does not exist.
Ignorant, maybe. Sincerely concerned for sure !
Well said.
In New Zealand we have a Maori saying Kia Kahu-stay strong
It was used by the Maori Battalion in WWII and recently in Christchurch during the on-going earthquakes.
Around the world we need to stay strong against violence and injustice. Every small action will grow so knitting people who read this blog please express your sorrow and sadness to your elected representatives.
Kia Kahu everyone
Margaret in NZ
I posted my comments directly to Ann but I wanted to briefly add the following.
Timothy McVie blew up a Federal Government building with components that are in a farm store. No one questioned why he was buying all this stuff.
The beltway shooter. The targets completely random but the effect was clear, to cause panic. The FBI was looking for a loner, white middle class male, in a newer model car. The perpetrator were two individuals african American a young man and an older man.
There have been instances where doctors who perform abortions are killed with a gun. Or a planned parenthood is evacuated because of a bomb. I know one of these individuals, Catholic, looks good on paper absolutely bat-shit crazy.(As in don’t let him in the house, scary, creepy)
I am not afraid of Muslim, Africian American, Mexicans, or anybody else. Hey I lived/live/work in Baltimore, you want to talk guns, come for a visit.
Honestly if you take away guns from people who are LAW ABIDING citizens, you have guns in two groups, criminals and mentally unstable people (they do not turn in their guns) and the government. To me personally, these are the groups I am most afraid of.
If you TRULY want guns to go away you are going to have to tackle some very large issues. Poverty, mental illness, bad politicians, lousy schools, income inequality, racism, gender equality, homelessness. The list goes on and on.
We have a very nice life here in the USA but we have problems that we have been shoving under the rug, avoiding, saying the next generation will solve this problem, and we are staring into the eyes of the very beast we created. We all of us live freely and without a lot of problems other countries have. We do this because we are strong individually as well as collectively. The smartest ones ask the simplest of questions that no one will answer. What concrete actions are you taking to solve this problem. crickets. It isn’t banning a gun. The gun is the period at the end of a conversation that no one has acknowledge or had the balls enough to stand up and address.
heavy topics for the day, but let’s open the conversation and just start talking about important components in our lives.
Good knitting everyone.
I agree with everything you said. Time to let the people we elect that enough is enough.
Thank you, Ann, for putting words to how I feel. In September, 2003, my grandson was getting ready to leave for afternoon kindergarten when his mom was informed not to put him on the bus because there was a shooting at the school. This was in Cold Spring, Minnesota. 2 high school students were killed. My grandson graduated from high school this past week and nothing has changed during this time to prevent lone wolf killers. I will add a grandmother’s plea to yours. Something has to be done. I wish I was smart enough to know the answers. I do know that 50 years ago as a college student it was cool to smoke cigarettes. It took new laws, lawsuits, taxes and all kind of actions to make it not cool to smoke. The changes have saved many lives. So I am thinking a cultural change supported by new laws needs to happen. High velocity assault rifles need to go. Mental health care needs to improve. Homophobia needs to stop. Thanks for keeping your comments open on this post so I could write this. We have to keep the conversations going so something changes and vote for people who will pass new laws.
Well said !
I will add my “agree” to all that you, Ann, wrote, said and felt
A thoughtful post, thank you. Sorry I missed meeting you at TNNA. NO MORE ASSAULT WEAPONS
Thank you.
It’s time to raise our voices.
All the reps. in my new state of CT agree with you and me. I wish I could say the same for my birth state of Ohio and my adopted home state ((I lived there 48 years) of Tennessee. For now I want to squish around in those yarns and immerse myself in beauty. Thank you for your beautiful words.
Thank you for writing this. So many questions, so much heartbreak. Comfort can be found in beauty. Comfort can be found in creating and putting healing thoughts into the universe while creating. Comfort can be found by treating humankind with love, respect and honor.
Amen. I just wrote to my two senators and my congressman. This has to stop.
Thanks for the kick in the pants. Instead of just moaning and complaining, I have emailed my Congressman and 2 Senators to p.l.e.a.s.e. ban assault rifles.
As the old saying goes, from your lips to God’s ears, Ann.
PS: The yarn is beautiful. Tell us more, please.
As someone whos is grateful to live in a country where those weapons are banned – well said.
Nicely written. I’ve always loved that you are both eloquent and a softie. I tear up so easily when I think about this mother, her comments, and what happened in Orlando. We need to study how MADD was able to get legislation passed to decrease blood alcohol content and get other anti-drunk driving laws passed. Maybe we need a Sit’n’Knit to discuss how to use MADD’s techniques to make a change and ban these assault weapons. MAAW
Because this is how I truly feel and I apologize for letting my non-compassionate side out earlier…
Dear Ann, thank you for a poignant reminder that love and beauty can be found in the smallest of things. Especially in times like this, where hatred wants to rule, your post was a reality check. I wish I were in a position to donate blood or drive to Orlando with flowers, but since I am otherwise – I will add my signature to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Thanks again.
From the Pope on Instagram: “This is also an expression of mercy: spreading beauty and joy in a world at times dark and sad.” Thanks, Ann and Kay for spreading beauty and joy.
Letters written last week. Thank you for sharing your grief and urgent need for action.