More gun violence

Once again this morning I am waking up to the sad news of gun violence. Reports are that a lone gunman opened fire inside an Orlando, Florida nightclub, killing at least fifty people and leaving 53 others hospitalized. I believe this is the deadliest mass shooting in United States history. I am certain that it is horrible. Claiming human lives is the worst thing anyone can do, and yet it happens over and over. Friday night a young singer was shot after giving a concert, in that same city.

It isn't just in Orlando of course. So many American towns and cities have become famous because of shootings - Littleton, Red Lake, Nickel Mines, DeKalb, Blacksburg, Newton, Santa Monica, Marysville, Roseburg, San Bernardino, and dozens and dozens more. The wounded have ranged in age and in number, as have the fatalities. The more dead, the bigger the outcry. "Something must be done," say some of our leaders, but few actually follow up on that. The gun violence continues.

Late last year, California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom proposed a sweeping gun-control ballot measure for his state. He has campaigned hard for that since then, but the measure would only effect California. Some there say that this measure would still not be enough. What about the rest of the country? I don't want to be insensitive, but I can safely predict that as today goes on, there were be calls for gun control and cries of "I have a right to my guns."

As I have said here many times before, I do NOT have all the answers. Sometimes I don't even have any answers. I do no that killing is senseless and such a huge loss. Hundreds are no mourning the horrific loss from last night in Florida. We need to comfort them in their grief and we need to do something meaningful to see that this never happens again. Perhaps since Gavin Newsom has some marvelous ideas, he could go before a joint session of Congress and issue a wake-up call to our US legislators. Something must be done!