This has been a bad week for humanity; let’s face it this has been a bad week no matter where on the political spectrum we fall. For some of us, for those of us who were hoping to see sanity in Washington it has been worse even than we expected. I will admit it, I have had a difficult time taking this week in, not just the national scene but some of the local sheer ugliness has caused me to rock back on my heels and question, what the hell really just what in the hell.
I spent part of the later of the week on Facebook, this time though I didn’t spend it doing one of my past favorite things; arguing with Azzhats. No this week I spent it simply deleting them, unless they were family members. I find I no longer have the energy or inclination to try to pull the curtain back on ignorance with pithy comments to Right Wing Meme’s on Guns, Immigration, Abortion or any combination of same, nope this week fly across my line of sight with some ignorant lack of compassion and I simply deleted you forever, bye-bye .
For the most part though, I have stayed silent allowing the horror of the week to sink in, allowing my heart and my mind to wrap itself around all of it and absorb it. So often we react, lash out in anger and pain, we fail to consider the consequences, on friends or ourselves. So, I sat and listened to others including the idiots in the media, everyone seemed to have an opinion or a source, most of them were bad or ugly or both. I did a great deal of reading, my apologies if I didn’t get to you this week, my energy seemed to be flagging, between all the horror in the broader world and what I simply couldn’t avoid closer to home, I thought it would be better for me and maybe for you if I just crawled into my cave with the lights out.
There are times when the world crashes in on us and it is impossible to escape, impossible not to react without fury, heartbreak, or both. This week the horror stories crashed like waves pounding a beach, one after another without it seemed a break. For every wave that crashed it seemed there was some pundit or politician with something to say, rarely anything positive, uplifting or in many cases true mind you just something to say. If it wasn’t the politicians capitalizing on tragedy or the media bloviating continuously and without purpose, it was the ignoramus Azzhats from both sides of the spectrum making pointless accusations, blowing up already terrible tragedies, pointing fingers or celebrating insanity.
I peeked out of my cave, I gnashed my teeth and frankly, I wept for us all before pulling my head back in and turning the lights off.
The week started for me watching the Dallas Police chase a murderous fool with a gun. Through city streets, he drove his car leading a chase, occasionally shooting at police. Why was this so interesting? This worthless piece of humanity had just shot his soon to give birth girlfriend, the result of his action – he was captured after crashing his car and running into an abandoned house. Unfortunately, both his girlfriend and her unborn child lost their lives, her because of the gunshot and the baby due to oxygen starvation before the doctors could intervene. I met a friend of this young woman’s the following day at a Starbucks I stop at coffee for each day, I listened to the horror of that day for her and the family who had waited at the hospital. The horror as they prayed for a different outcome. All I could do, as I cried with her is hand her my card, offer comfort and silently damn a nation that will not do more to protect us.
Their story was overshadowed by the Boston Marathon, the lost lives, the horror of the runners who lost limbs. The fear and terror of random violence in what should have been a moment of great triumph for so many. I watched with great pride in my fellow men and women as they ran toward the terror to help others, there are still heroes in this world. I watched Boston respond I was lifted up.
Then came the shit storm, from all sides then came the speculation and the jumping to conclusions and stirring the pot to get a rise out of already highly charged emotions. Maybe I am just overly sensitive, maybe I have a high Bullshit meter, but really why do politicians, pundits and talking heads have to flap their lips when they truly have no information other than their own fears, prejudice and ignorance to guide them, I only want to know. Why is the best we can hope for from our fellow human beings is picture after picture of another human beings terrible injuries, horrific suffering? Why is this the first thing, sometimes the only thing shown along with the accusations of the perpetrators being “Dark Skinned Males“, long before anything was known.
Terrorist Attack – yes, because it created terror in the population
Is anyone aware of who else committed Terrorist Attacks on US Soil?
Timothy McVeigh – Oklahoma City Bomber, 168 people dead, 800 injured. Race: White, Religion: Roman Catholic
Terry Nicols –Oklahoma City Bomber, 168 people dead, 800 injured. Race: White, Religion: Christian
Ted Kaczynski – Unabomber, 3 dead, 11 injured in multiple attacks. Race: White, Religion: Agnostic
Want to know what all of the above have in common, other than being murderers on the Terrorist side of the house, Enemies of the State and if you believe in Hell either already there (Timothy McVeigh) or on their way. Well, let me tell you they were all Mirandized at their arrest, they were all given due process of the law based on our Constitution, they were all presumed “Innocent Until Proven Guilty”.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev – Boston Marathon Bomber Suspect, 4 dead (includes officer at MIT), 140+ injured. Race: White, Religion: Islam, Citizenship: USA
What is the difference? Oh, yeah there it is, he is not a Christian! Certainly, his crime isn’t up there with Terrorist Duo Timothy and Terry. Do not misunderstand me, what Dzhokhar and his brother are suspected of is terrible, what they are accused of perpetuating against innocent people is an act of terror. I do not excuse this, not by any means. Nevertheless, since when do we suspend our Constitution, our fundamental rights simply as a convenience? Again and in stronger language, WTF! He is a nineteen-year-old kid, we don’t need to suspend his rights he is alone in the world, injured and scared. No matter the crime, no matter the heinous act this is still last, I checked the United States of America and we still are a nation of Laws, we are still all afforded the “innocent until proven guilty” rule, aren’t we?
I weep for all of us. I weep for our disintegration. I weep for our willingness to turn our backs when the suspect is not like us. I weep that we are willing to cheer this suspension of law.
I ask you all, what is next?
Stay tuned, I will take on the rest of the week in the news later.
QBG_Tilted Tiara 
” What is next”……….. more of the same and more and more…. until we Wake Up and say enough is enough.. But by then we will be the ones rioting on the streets! holding our banners up high for change.. . I Weep too….. For many a nation carries on until they say enough is enough, as they take to their streets. And then they take matters into their own hands… We havent far to look to see what ensues…. as we look to across the oceans to those who have dictators who crush their citizens with weapons of war… killing innocent women and children daily..
I have wept buckets Val With you.
Sending you my thoughts ~Sue
I follow this and many other stories with fear for all nations. Perhaps we will awaken, soon.
It has all been so sad and I really wanted to head into a cave too. To be alone. To cry. And I did, for a while. Then I realized that means ‘they’, the people who do these acts, win. Fear will not hold me down! Take care, friend.
I suspect all of us feel this way from time to time. It is a normal response. Then as you say we have to crawl back out or the Azzhats win, we cannot allow that, ever.
Your feelings artfully expressed. I do find it incongruent in that the pundits use such incidents to condemn our entire society with all their “what have we become?” rhetoric. Whatever our opinion on the issues I think we should be reminded that as diverse and well-armed as this country is, it seems there would be dozens of dreadful incidents happening every day but that is not the case. So despite these tragedies I remain optimistic that our country is .999 populated by sane and well meaning people. The crazies do not define the American people or our society. Our commitment to wholesome and religious principles runs far deeper than it seems.
I wish Carl I had your same optimism, yet I grow less and less optimistic every day. The crazies do seem to define us, despite the heroes who step forward we seem to be less and less a nation of sane and compassionate people and more a nation of crazed whackadoodles.
I so understand your pain, so eloquently stated here, Val, and I share it. Yet I agree with Carl. Hard though it may be, we need to remind ourselves of what it says in The Desiderata, “…for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.”
I love that quote Peg. I will have to remind myself of it, frequently I think. I am struggling with the world right now.
I will wait with you in the cave.
I”m still not ready for reality.
The problem is, if we don’t step out of our cave we are as much to blame as those who actively seek to destroy.
That is true.
I’ll crawl out.
I always do…eventually.
Well…except for that voting stuff. I need to step my game up on that.
I can only wonder one thing: What are we going to do to identify those who are this deluded?
We mourn for the families of them, but before I can do it, my hard heart wants to know why they were not there to see this mess in its infancy. Are we so insulated in the “hardness” of our own worlds we cannot see the horrific dysfunction in the lives which surrounds us? Or are we too lazy to take a moment for goodwill to our common man whose life may well be nothing more than a few fragments of trampled humanity unfit to hold the hurt, the anger and the delusion from invading the personal space and bodies of those who have no concept it exists?
It seems to me, the latter group runs together to wring hands in the aftermath and decry their own responsibility in seeing the world for precisely what it has become: a cesspool of egocentric malfeasance.
We really need to put in an adjoining door between the caves.
I love you.
xxx
My door is always unlocked, step through.
We become harder and harder, quicker to point the finger but our refusal to accept any blame for what we are becoming is frightening.
Love you back.
–I am glad suspect #2 is alive. Perhaps he can tell us what happend…help us understand.
I am sad, sick, and puzzled by the evil in this world.
You ask “WHAT’s Next?”
I terrified to find out.
Love ya, Val. Xxxx
I am also growing increasingly terrified and sad.
Love right back.
You need to come to Oz, put your feet up, relax, have a beer, watch the world from the safety of the indian Ocean…. it’s one big cave 🙂 I must say I’m exhausted from the events this week in the US. Lets not forget the lives lost in West, Texas,
Loon fire of Bomb, are we hearing the right story?
Oops fire or bomb that should be.
The world seems to be changing faster than I can keep up. Becoming scarier. The capacity for evil grows everyday. I am not sure how I feel about this suspect and his Miranda rights. But I will say, what about our rights? The rest of us who are law abiding. Our right to go to public events free of fear of being bombed? He and his brother took that away and slowly but surely we are headed to a new world where everyone is suspicious and we cannot go anywhere without going through some search. Some precaution. Acts of terrorism cannot be treated in the same way as other crimes. Innocent lives are at stake. I want to see how this unfolds before drawing any conclusions. Thanks for raising this important topic.
I can only say this Monica, he is a suspect not tried, not guilty until tried. As much as we may try him in the court of the media he is an American Citizen. He is a 19 year old boy. He has the very same legal rights as you or I have, to be Mirandized, to an Attorney, to a trial. He is innocent until proven otherwise. We may think we know otherwise, we may very well be right. Are you willing to paint him with the same brush Blacks, Latinos or Native Americans have been painted with? Because why?
I am not willing to do so. I am not willing to start stripping any person of their rights because of their differences. I agree, these acts are heinous. So was Oklahoma City. So was Atlanta. So was Aurora. All of these, acts of terror, acts of terrorism. We cannot simply turn away and say no these were not acts of terrorism because they were not done by Muslims. In all cases they were acts of Terror, they were done to cause terror and in the case of Oklahoma City and Atlanta they were done for political ideology.
The window of “Public Safety” is very narrow and very well defined by SCOTUS in previous cases. They cannot use it to build a criminal case. They cannot use it to question him forever.
I agree the world is scarier. I agree we have all given something up because the world is scarier. But that doesn’t mean we should willingly give up our humanity or agree to give up fundamental rights or become a nation without law.
Great post Val… I thought I was the only one who cared about that poor deluded boy.The whole thing seems so much bigger than the tragedy that hit the people of Boston… and I know how they feel, since the IRA did this for years in London and elsewhere, and nearly managed to kill Maggie Thatcher, funded by money from overseas.
What puzzled me is why didn’t the police didn’t just surround the boat, and wait until he gave up…instead of getting into a shooting match, and losing their evidence… reminded me of the death of Booth, Lincoln’s assassin….
I don’t know Valerie, I suspect there was a part of it all that truly didn’t want to take him alive. They wanted the other head to hang on their trophy wall.
I like at that face, I think to myself what went wrong. I think of his family and think how horrifying for them. I think of him and think, how scared he must have been.
I am not excusing what happened in Boston, what he and his brother are accused of. This was a terrible act, innocent lives lost again and for what. But honestly, what is going wrong in our world that a child of nineteen would do this? Just as with all of the other terrible acts of violence in our world lately committed by children, I continue to ask the same thing, what is happening and how have we so terribly failed them.
The difference between you and many others is you put your feelings into print and the rest hide behind their fears. I agree with you, terrorists are terrorists no matter what their stripe or persuasion may be. I’m more interested in discovering where our world societies are going wrong in nurturing such misfits in society, and when that’s discovered, what can we do about it in a democracy>
Like you Ian, I want to know how we are failing so terribly badly as a society. Not just individual nations but on a world level, that we breed such terrible, such indescribable hate, anger and fear. We must change the course of humanity if we want to survive. We must introduce true compassion, or we will not survive. This cannot continue to be about nationalism, religious ideologies or any other bullshit. We are losing our children and with them our future.
I’m with ya… as soon as I heard the news that someone saw a suspicious ‘dark skinned man’, I turned off the news… I paid just enough attention to know the first one died, and they caught the second one. I didn’t care to watch, because i couldn’t listen to the speculations … and, of course, after CNN got the news so wrong the first day, well, their cred went right out the window — it’s been barely credible for some time now, but, that’s another post. I felt grief and sadness for those killed, injured, and their families, for all they’ve been through, but, I was struck by how much I felt bad for anyone who wasn’t white in Boston… every dark-skinned man, especially any that looked Arabic were probably all being looked at funny. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be thought suspicious just because you’re not fair-skinned.
As for the azzhats on Facebook… I cleaned up my friend’s list about two months before the election, and, you know, my Facebook feed is a much happier, nicer place.
I am furious at the media, I miss the days of credible news. I miss the days of credible reporters providing news reporting. I don’t mind opinion pieces, when done respectfully but that isn’t what happens any longer. Today what we get, well it is just plain ugly.
In Boston, a doctor was attacked. She was Muslim and wearing her head covering. She had been working in one of the hospitals where the injured were taken. In another part of the NE a Pakistani man was beaten badly outside a restaurant. I am sure there are other stories, those are the two I heard about, they were enough to let me know we are a sick nation.
Unfortunately, I can’t entirely clear my FB account. Some of the terrible crap comes from my family.
I’ve ticked “like” as I agree with all you say and can’t add to it. Shall return for P2.
Peace, Eric
Thanks Eric, Part 2 on its way. Final polish being put on this morning
Yea, when the media said ‘dark-skinned males wearing dark hoodies,’ I thought, ‘Well, that narrows it down!’ For the record, the brothers responsible for the Boston bombings were White males, e.g. Caucasian, even though they were Muslim. Their time spent back in Chechnya obviously warped their mentality about a country that provided them more freedom than they would have had in their homeland. Brace yourself! Now, the right-wing nuts will start urging a greater clamp-down on immigration, especially from Muslim-dominated countries.
Meanwhile, here in Texas, investigators are starting to wonder what exactly caused that fertilizer plant explosion. Hm…maybe it’s the lack of government regulation, which led to improper storage. But, God forbid if businesses in Texas should have to abide by any kind of regulation. That’s so California! And, at least 13 are dead.
Based on what has been released about the two, they have not been back to their country of origin since their immigration as political refugees. The elder brother was still on a Green Card, but the younger boy is an American Citizen. Just a correction, presumed to be responsible remember we have a Constitution and we are a nation of Laws, one of those is the presumption of innocence.
The Right is already swinging their immigration bat. It is already ugly. I am weary.
Part 2, I will likely get to the explosion in West. If not I will do a Part 3.
Well in Oz it was reported that the oldest son returned home in 2012.
Since this writing, it has been confirmed the eldest son had traveled to Russia. At the time of this writing that information was not available.
When you admit to the bombings and planning more terrorists acts.. as they were where do you stand on innocent till proven guilty then? Now their mother is on that list of would be terrorists. She is claiming that it was staged and it was all fake blood and that America was wrong to shoot her son who was armed and dangerous. Sorry I can’t think about the good in this man. I think of the 8 year old boy blown to bits. What did he do to deserve that? His sister who lost her leg and the mother who has terrible brain injuries. One entire family wiped out. Maybe we need to see it from their perspective. I think we need to remember that the world has been a awful place to be since 911. I haven’t travelled since!
The Americans come under fire from many nations for sticking their nose in other countries business. We’ve all lost out of all of this but the government have a job to do and I’m afraid that it’s way to late to be so forgiving. As for upsetting the muslims. We have mega millions of them just 8 hours away from out coast line. I live in fear of any kind of Jihad.
This is not about forgiveness, it is about the rule of law. We have it under the Constitution and every person, whether Citizen or not is protected by it. The crimes he is now charged with are federal crimes and subject to the Death Penalty, I am fine with this. But I nonetheless want the rule of law applied.
Shutting down the city and clearing all the streets, sounded to me, like something I’d see in a movie. It felt over the top. I’m worn out from all the horrific goings on since the bombs went off at the race. I have NOT put on my TV. I’ve heard too many stories and too many versions. If the correct people are captured and stopped from hurting more people, I am more than pleased, but this happened so quickly. Is this the end? Is the right person captured?
Like you, I am worn out. I have the same questions, like you. That we are willing to suspend our Constitution, our law I am dumbfounded. I am also scared.
I turned off the television more than once this week. I weep for the families who lost loved ones, I weep for those who were so terribly injured. But enough.
I am really glad that Tsarnaev was taken alive and not killed in the arrest, so that he’d be tried in court. Oh, and I had to re-read the 6th amendment just in case, and there is still no qualification “unless you’re Muslim” in the declared right to speedy and public trial by an impartial jury.
I read all of the 6th, I couldn’t find that exemption either. I am also glad he was taken alive. Sad he is only 19, just a child really. This nation, what are we coming to?
WW1 and WW2 had soldiers who joined up and fought for their country age 17 and upwards. Terrorism takes things to a whole new level. He admitted plotting more in New York. Possibly more young people being blown to bits. No I have no compassion for this guy and although I only support the death penalty for truly heinous crimes, this surely has to be one of them. He will more than likely be executed but there again the punishment will fit his crime.
I am happy if you wish to join the conversation. However, at least join it based on the content of the posting.
At the time of the writing he had admitted to nothing. As of today he has been found guilty of nothing. In this country we have something called a Constitution, within that document there are established Rules of Law, including the right of Trial. This is what makes a civilized nation. My demand is we try hard not to lose our way, just because a person isn’t ‘like us’, just because they are Muslim, or maybe not White, or maybe some other thing that makes them different, that we do not simply suspend the law.
In this country we have had domestic terrorists for many years. I named some of them in this post. All of them were White and Christian. The law was suspended not once in the case of any of them, all of them did great harm.
Yes, in every war this nation has fought young people laid down their life. Children really. This doesn’t change the truth of their maturity.
I’m posting on the facts that were made available to us through Australian TV which appear be more credible than CNN. You claim that he’s still a child but I can’t think of him as only 19 and a ‘child’ because I don’t believe he is. His brother had this plan in action and they knew ultimately they would kill some of your citizens. Probably hoping for a much higher death toll. You asked yourself what kind of nation are you becoming Well since the Iraq war we have all asked the same question. We all live in hope that it will get better but now everyone lives in fear of terrorist bombings, terrorist attacks at football games or on the rail system. I travelled to Melbourne where a dark skinned man was wiring a small circuit board on his knee on the train. All of our lives have changed and not for the better. We need to be realists.
I think it’s here to stay so I will never go into a cave but will endeavour to stay on top of it and be forever vigilant. If you don’t then the terrorists most certainly have won. As at today you say he has been charged with nothing yet he has admitted to the bombings and plotting more. How does your government deal with admission of guilt given the evidence ? You also speak of maturity, well I think he’s matured well beyond his years. I’m also relieved more than glad that his mentor is out of the picture.
Actually, if you check other responses to you I have said he has been charged with federal crimes that carry the death penalty. I have also said I am perfectly good with these charges. He has been read his Miranda Rights and he has been assigned an attorney. He has been moved to a prison hospital, I am happy about this he should not be in the same hospital with his victims.
My comment to you was that as of the original writing, 20-April, the information was far less than is known today. The one thing I will say is media in the US is not as good as BBC, I don’t know what media is in Australia but I would suspect it is closer to the BBC model than the US.
Even with the information being greater, I am unwilling to try him in the media. I am unwilling to suspend the rule of law. I am also unwilling to say every Muslim is a terrorist. Or every ‘Dark Skinned’ person of middle eastern person poses a risk to me. I am unwilling to wrap myself in a blanket of racism or prejudice simply because there are differences between me and them. I will not live my life that way, I will not live my life in fear, the reality is acts of terrorism are simply not that great, not on our soil or yours for that matter.
I am also growing increasingly terrified and sad.
Love right back.
These are your words not mine. I won’t live in fear but such a statement leads me to believe you are. I feel that the threats of terrorist acts are very real. One bombing is one too many and is one death too many. Especially the death of a child. On our soil or yours yes it is simply a reality that should not be underestimated.
I am curious to what you are reading. By comparison, you are living in fear. Val is a world traveler who has more sky miles post-9/11 than most I know garner in a lifetime. You have stayed home since 9/11.
You think he should be executed because he admitted a crime. Our country has a plethora of case law proving an admission of guilt is not always inculpatory nor does it counteract exculpatory mitigation.
You are speaking of vigilante justice. Do you fail to see the irony? The Jihad you fear is retribution for crimes you have no idea you have committed against a laws under which you do not practice. It is the punishment rendered without justice, yet it is precisely what you suggest for this boy.
As a mother of twenty-somethings (five of them), I can tell you there is nothing magical which happens at 18 to imbue maturity or education profound enough to understand what was not learned in childhood. All of our histories are littered with little boys 12-17 who ran off with false identification to stand up for wars they believe in. This little boy is no different just because he is 19.
The bottom line is we have laws. We treat suspects (even admitted ones) with certain procedures to protect the integrity of our convictions, especially in cases involving the death penalty. Were it a matter of merely killing those who kill children, I would expect the world would be a much less populous place should we adopt your non-investigatory method of justice.
Apparently CelticQueen you are simply desirous of an argument. You take small snippets, single lines of comments from other parts of discussions to bolster arguments, arguments I might add that have no basis in fact. Did you bother to know anything about me, you would know I do not cower in fear. I do not hide from truth or remain at home that ‘someone not like me’ might shoot a gun, or set off a bomb..
The snippet you chose, in your latest random argument was my commentary on our nations current direction to another poster. Not my fear of Terrorists or otherwise. Should you wish to continue this discussion, please do start your own comment thread rather than randomly reply to others.
Valentine I have no desire to start an argument with you or any other poster. I merely pointed out that you stated that you will not live in fear yet one of your posts read “I am growing terrified” and sad, which suggests to me that you live with a certain amount of fear. I think I would too if I lived in The States. I don’t like flying and even less now. As much as I don’t agree with a lot of what you wrote on this topic you do present it well.
Red the Jihad we fear is brought about by our ties to The United States for being in wars the people of Australia have no desire to participate in. We do believe that more 19 year olds will strike us too. We thwarted two attempts only recently. Our government are just muppets!
As you said you have spent the week arguing with Azzhats, then perhaps I’m one of them.
We just see things in a very different light. It’s not ‘if’ but ‘when’ another will strike your shores. I think America will be dealing with many more Azzhats for a long time to come. You asked what is next? I shudder to think.
I too have been in the cave. I am so sad, so worried the world and the idiots that ignorant people have chosen to lead us into a blind alley.
But Elizabeth Warren’s maiden speech on the Senate Floor helped a little bit. If only we could clone her.
If only, you are so right. She stands as a beacon if only others would see her resolute determination to stand up for her ideals and follow her.
What struck me this week was shere macho fire power of the police forces involved in the shoot outs and capture of the bombers. There were over 8000 police on the streets with their asault rifles and pump action shot guns and whatever else. I watched the ast hhur live on BBC News an 45 minutes after they had established the second suspect was hidden in a boat in a garden, and that they had him completely surrounded – more and more and more police kept turning up to the street and swelling the numbers of officers there to ludicrus proportions.
I wonder if all those second amenders, who see their guns as the last stand against a tyranical government, had puse for thought after seeing just how well armed and organised is the state they would be fighting. The poor dears wouldn’t stand a dog’s chance against the kind of show that turned up on the Streets of Boston last nght.
Ah but Bill, this is not at all what they would see. I am, like you wishing they would see and P2 will touch on this.
I look forward to P2. I hang on your words and thoughts.
Please forgive the typos. What my computer says |I am writing is not always true. I have a tech problem at the moment. I bet a few congressmen would love to use that excuse.
I suspect a tech problem would be a great excuse!
I am just calling in with some freshly made pancakes, let’s eat them in the cave… I have been watching the news and it really has been a sad and sickening week my great friend 😦 xxx
Pancakes would be most welcome, my sadness is bone deep.
I call it “SOUL SADNESS”
It is the same thing.
You are far braver than I am, Val. Today, I remain totally cave bound. I even sent the little man off with his father because I have absolutely no strength to answer another question to which I have NO answer. Maybe tomorrow, I will come out…
I had to finally emerge, silence broken and raising the standard. I know how you feel though. Believe me. I will send you cookies and a light to read by.
Cookies and a light would be so sweet! Thank you!