Guns in America
Dayle in Limoux – Day #3
July 7, 2022La Gare day!
First, it was the bus from Limoux to Carcassonne.
It was a day of learning and confusion. 🙃
And angels on my path when I needed help the most, like Suni from Pakistan who gave me a full tutorial on train travel in France, helped me download some European train apps before he caught his train. He has lived in Germany, speaks fluent German, extremely fluid English, and is learning French. He is trying to secure a visa so he can work in France and attend school. He told me, “I can’t go back to Pakistan. There is no future for me there.” Meeting people from different cultures, speaking different languages, observing their behaviors and kindnesses truly fills and renews my spirit. Another person I spoke to along my different stops and exchanges said to me when I told him I was from the United States, “It’s very dangerous there.” The whole world is watching. A co-passenger on another train as I was making my way slowly to Grenoble explained one of the announcements over the intercom system for me that passengers were being warned about a pick-pocket on the train. I told him, “I wish we had more pick-pockets in our country, instead of guns. He paused and said, “It makes us very worried in Europe.” He’s from Italy and lives in France. His name is Claudio. He explained that we are citizens of the world and it doesn’t matter where we’re from, it effects all of us. My heart. Indeed. So beautifully expressed.
The train moving through Sète, Languedoc, France, on the Mediterranean coast. Established 1,000 years ago, it’s a UNESCO world heritage site. It’s on my list to visit.
12 hours later I made it to Grenoble. Trees line the downtown with a very hip, young vibe. Apparently it’s a university town with over 60,000 students here. The population is around 165,000. A very different feeling from my beloved Languedoc region. It’s about an hour east of Lyon. Beautiful area—mountain ranges and massive history. Can’t wait to explore. It was dark when I arrived. Photos tomorrow!
I’m reading another book on Cathar history. Can’t wait to share.
Reading on the trains today, I had to pause and reel in the reminded awareness how awful, awful…humans have treated each other over the centuries and continue still. In this instance, crusades and inquisitions, torture and burnings at the stake. This journey today on a micro level reminded me how kind and compassionate and caring the human species can be. We’re one of 8,000,000 species on the planet. And we’re destroying it…and each other. And it never stops. We just find different ways to mutilate and hate. For millennia.
Again, the question simmers: Are humans, by nature, good or evil? Or, does society corrupt? Rhetorical. Been thinking about it a lot lately, though. Perhaps it’s why the Cathar landed on duality, to help explain it, and understand.
Rex Mundi. More later on what was considered Cathar heresy.
Enough.
June 19, 2016
Elected officials: Move beyond the 2nd amendment rhetoric and political dogma and ban these weapons of war in the United States. The creators of these weapons did not intend them for citizen use. Military personnel have spoken out against them for use by civilians. And while the Senate was involved in a filibuster to force a vote on gun protections last week, 48 people were shot in this country. We may never know the true motives behind tany of these massacres, but we do know the automatic weapons they chose to use kill many people very quickly. Children. Worshipers. LGBT. Theatre attendees. The only underlying motivation to keep these weapons in our country is the political maneuvering of the NRA, and profit seekers. Enough.
From The British online newspaper, The Independent:
A British citizen tweeting after this story was posted:
‘Unbelievable-they don’t seem to have much respect for life.’
During the filibuster, there was a shooting every 23 minutes
Earlier this week, we reported that on the same day of the Orlando massacre — the largest mass shooting in US history — there were 42 other shootings across the country.
June 17 marked the 1-uear anniversary of one of the worst acts of hate violence against African-Americans, in at least a generation.
The Orland massacre on June 12th, one of the worst acts against the LGBT community.
We have moved beyond the rhetoric of the 2nd Amendment – – the debate is weapons of war in the hands of civilians.
Contact your state senators today, Sunday, June 19th, and ask them to vote ‘YES’ tomorrow, Monday, June 20th, on the Feinstein and Murphy amendments. In Idaho:
Senator Jim Risch:
http://www.risch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email
Senator Mike Crapo:
http://www.crapo.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm
US Mass Shootings, 1982-2016: Data from Mother Jones’ Investigation
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/12/mass-shootings-mother-jones-full-data