Please click and listen to Melanie Safka sing
Peace Will Come
Uncle UL and I live in Connecticut, not very far at all from where all those little 5 and 6 year old boys and girls and their teachers were killed just before Christmas. :( Uncle UL asked me to write a few words about that horrible day and my story. He says this is the most popular story on his blog page by two times over, even though he originally meant it to be only politics and satire. I think it's popular because deep down everybody wishes there was no need for guns. Yeppers, I sure do. Even those mean guys who talk big for the NRA and even cops who act like Clint Eastwood. Yup, I suppose some people want rifles to hunt critters, and even though I don't like it, I understand that they would want to. I like to fish, so I can't say they shouldn't hunt. Right?
But WHY can't we stop people from having guns and stuff that let them
wipe out 27 people in 10 minutes?? Why??
People aren't allowed to have intercontinental missiles, right?
They can't have nuclear bombs? Right?
Nobody can privately have a load of tanks, can they?
The line has to be drawn somewhere is common sense to me!
And NOBODY should be able to have an assault rifle.
NOBODY should be able to stick a cartridge into a gun
and fire THIRTY shots in seconds.
And NOBODY should be able to buy a gun without
being checked at least to see if they've committed
gun crimes before, or if they have a mental
illness which might get them into trouble
with a gun.
I'm proud this is Uncle UL's most popular article.
But I'm even prouder of his readers because it tells me
that people don't want guns designed only to shoot people.
At least deep down they don't.
I updated the story a bit, I hope you don't mind, and I hope you
like it.
Peace and Love
Lisa
Me:"Reverend Sara, can I talk to you for a minute, please?
I know you're really busy. But I have to ask you a question. OK?"
Reverend Sara: "Sure Lisa, ask away, I always have time for questions."
Me: "Reverend Sara, what's a sword?"
Reverend Sara: "Hmmm. Good question. A sword is a weapon people
used to use a long time ago in battles. The used them for fighting."
Me: "What's a catapult?"
Reverend Sara: "Well... A catapult is a bigger weapon they used
in the old days to hurt people with."
Me: "This is a real important question, Reverend Sara. What's a gun???"
Reverend Sara: "That IS a real important question, Lisa. A gun
is a weapon to hurt people with bullets and used to maim and kill people and animals."
Me: "What's a rifle?"
Reverend Sara: "A rifle is a long gun used to shoot from long distances."
Me: "What's a handgun, Reverend Sara?"
Reverend Sara: "A handgun is a short gun that isn't so accurate at long
distances."
Me: "So, Reverend Sara, if long guns are good for shooting from
far away, they use them for shooting cute deers and bears and stuff?"
Reverend Sara: "Yes, Lisa. You sure are a smart girl."
Me: "Now this is another important question. What are handguns for? Animals
always run away, and you can only hit things close up with a handgun.
Are handguns designed to kill other people, Reverend Sara, ARE they???"
Reverend Sara: "Yes, Lisa, yes they are. They're only designed for killing
other people. People practice target shooting, but besides hitting
fake targets their only purpose is to kill people."
Me: "OH MY GOD!!! That's horrible."
Me: "What's a missile, Reverend Sara?"
Reverend Sara: "A missile is a rocket designed to carry bombs."
Me: "You mean like to hit buildings and stuff?"
Reverend Sara: "Yes Lisa."
Me: "ONO!"
Me: "Reverend Sara, what's a nuclear bomb?"
Reverend Sara: "Lisa, a nuclear bomb is the worst thing ever invented.
It's a bomb so strong it destroyed two whole cities in an instant. One was
called Hiroshima and the other was called Nagasaki. Hundreds
of thousands died instantly, and hundreds of thousands suffered until they died
years later. People got burned, got sick and had broken bones and kids and old people, women, men and children died. Cats and dogs. All the buildings
were leveled. It was a huge disaster!"
Reverend Sara: "War is horrible, and just a sin. Violence is never the answer,
Lisa. Never.
It is always the problem. And nuclear war is the worst
kind of war. It's horrible."
Reverend Sara: "I love you sooo much Lisa. You are so
gentle, kind, considerate and thoughtful. You are beautiful, too.
I pray that you never see any war. I pray that all violence ends today.
I especially pray that nuclear war never happens again!"
Reverend Sara: "Promise me you'll always work for peace, please Lisa?"
Me: "I already do! I am right now."
Reverend Sara: "What a smart girl you really are. You ARE working for
peace right now, aren't you? Who sent you in here just now?"
Me: "Jesus."
Me: "Reverend Sara, turning swords into plowshares means using
your sermons to preach for peace. Huh? Right?"
Reverend Sara: "Yes, Lisa, you're right."
Me: "How come you never give sermons about ending war and anti-nuclear bombs and stuff? Why??? How come? Please start. OK?"
Reverend Sara: "Well Lisa, sometimes people in church don't want to hear
those things, and I hafta tell them what I think they CAN hear."
Me: "I think they need to hear about Jesus, and Unconditional Love, justice, equality, ending war, non-violence, ending guns and understanding ALL the time. I think that anything else is wasting time. I think Jesus said a lot that was hard for people to hear, but He said it anyway. I think he stood up for his convic..convi..how do you say it?? His convictions!!! I think you should say Jesus' name and say love a lot more in church. And I think you should tell people on Sunday mornings just like you just told me about Hiroshima and Nagasaki just now!"
Me: "Saying the truth and standing up against violence is the only way to
end it once and for all. Then everyone will be happy!"
Me: "I KNOW that if you preach more about ending war and violence,
and if you talk about Jesus and Love a whole lot more on Sunday mornings and the rest of the time that I'll sure be happier! :)"
Reverend Sara: "Jesus certainly did send you! What a good girl. And what a great little messenger. I will spend my sermon next Sunday talking about war, guns, nuclear bombs, Love and say Jesus' name a lot more often. I promise."
And Reverend Sara and Me, we hugged and hugged and hugged.
The End
For Now
***********
Please take a look at the work John Winston Ono Lennon's
Widow Yoko Ono Lennon has done since his untimely
death by handgun assassination
December 8th, 1980
and especially
her contributions
to his legacy
and memory
via the
Lennon Peace Prize.
Originally Published September 24th 2011.
9 comments:
Luke22:36 Jesus said, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sworh, sell your cloak and buy one. Mathew 10;34 " Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but the sword."
And on the night He was betrayed and was betrayed by Judas, when His seizure was attempted by armed Roman thugs--we still have those thugs with us to this day and we still call them by the same name--'soldiers', His friends took up swords to fight off the more heavily armed and defensively clad Romans. Jesus told his own friends and protectors off in His own inimitable way, saying "HE WHO LIVES BY THE SWORD SHALL DIE BY THE SWORD!" And He compelled His friends to allow Himself to be taken, certain of His own undeserved suffering, torture, mockery, as well as his long and miserable death and slaughter on a cross--CRUCIFIED--at the hands of the Romans and the judgement of the Jewish leadership opposed to His challenges. He thus made His point ever so crystal clear: That He opposes taking up arms for ANY reason, even his own unjust seizure and certain murder. He even went so far as to provide first aid to a Roman soldier injured by one of His friends seeking to defend Him. Thanks for the comment. :) <3 God blessya, pleeze, today and I pray that such might be His will forya! Amen.
Today Vladimir Putin announced that he would 'run' for President of Russia again, certain to replace his puppet, the current President Medvedev next spring. MR. PUTIN, OPEN THE JAR, LET RUSSIA BE FREE AS A BUTTERFLY ONCE AGAIN, PLEASE!!! YOUR MEGALOMANIACAL IDIOCY IS RESTRAINING YOUR PEOPLE AND YOUR DESIRE FOR POWER CAUSING THE MILITARISM, DEATH, AND EXPANSIONISM IN THE CAUCUSES JUST AS YOUR KGB PREDECESSORS HAD DONE DURING THE SOVIET EMPIRE. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE NOW HAVE A RIGHT TO REVOLT, SIR!
They should revolt and take their country back. Tell me though, how will they do that without guns? They already march on their capital and we can see in the news that the Russian government isn't threatened by these peaceful protests. You want people to be free but only armed citizens can tell their government what to do.
Anonymous: True leaders that I admire: Mahatma Gandhi, Bishop Desmund Tutu, the great Nelson Mandela, Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., the heroes of Tahrir and other Squares throughout Egypt (overthrowing their tyrant last year) understand that there are peaceful means of revolting successfully. Time and leadership. Mark my words, it is inevitable in Russia (and in the U.S. of A. in my book). Peace please...
Right to bare ams shall not be infringed.
Anonymous: Try this one on for size:
"Thou shalt not kill."
Or maybe this one:
"He who lives by the sword, shall die by the sword."
And, Anonymous, I hate to inform you that you used the wrong word. Baring arms means revealing them, as though you're proud of your biceps. I assume you meant that old nonsensical Second Amendment addage: Right to bear arms. Sheeese, these people on the right. OMG.
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