SAR 16193

I am an old man

This is not the country I grew up in.

Nor is it the country I want my grandchildren to live in.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Killing Fields: Cellphone photography has become a survival skill, as the nation loses all perspective once again over a single-shooter massacre. This time it was cops and not children or gays, but the basic drama remains the same: Instant outpouring of concerned rhetoric, followed by NRA contributions to those who could do something. Ill-conceived acts by some mentally disturbed serve only to confuse the issue, which is too many guns too readily available, tacked onto our long and unresolved history of black enslavement and economic inequality. The Dallas 'death by robot' is a troubling development in hostage/standoff negotiations - R2D2 it ain't. Saddest commentary: Smith and Wesson stock reached record highs following the Dallas shooting, and foreign nations are warning their citizens about the risks of traveling in the US.

A Parting Shot: