Another smoking gun...

Every time another person goes on a shooting rampage it breaks my heart. It breaks my heart not only because of the premature loss of life but also because we had a chance to try and do something to prevent things like this from happening and we do not. When, if ever will we get it? Today I dedicate my poem "Newtown" to Richard Martinez and every other person who has ever lost anyone to gun violence.

“Newtown”

If you had the choice between a weapon and a word, which would you choose?

The word might hurt but the weapon could be worse, so why would you choose either?

Is this is the choice we face? Choosing between the lesser of two evils?

Hoping for the answers to unresolved questions while hoping against sequels

On days like this, where I’m glued to the news, Horrified and angry, tired and confused

Lost in a moment I cannot comprehend, when all I want is peace, love and revenge

Understand, I don’t want bullets, just a bullet proof vest

To deflect all the hate and the anger left repressed

I cannot rest until I know, why we have to explode?

Why the need to take lives? Why the innocent can’t survive?

If you’re “brave” enough to end someone’s life, start with your own-

Instead of losing control… instead of raising the death toll

Instead of showing up with a gun, isolated and numb, trying to reduce a crowd down to one

By the time we find those who are lost, we’re left calculating the cost

It’s a shame we can’t help those out of their minds before it’s killing time

In these times, where people overreact to everything and are desensitized to nothing

When most of us walk the road afraid of something

Where people can’t see the consequences beyond right now

Seems like others have to die for us to move forward somehow

We’re overwhelmed with grief, and there’s no relief when another one is gone

For one day life goes nowhere, then life goes on, but not for everyone

Of the 20 biggest mass shootings in U.S. history, 12 have taken place in the last 7 years!  

And nothing I say is going to bring anybody back, nor will it stop the next attack

But I thought at the very least we could try to learn from our mistakes

You see, gun debates are great but not realistic.

You can’t pry the guns from patriotic hands, Americans are too sadistic to understand.

So let’s update Constitutions and Bibles and while we’re at it tell me why we need assault rifles?

Some say if we banned them, we’d be taking them away from the good guys

If the victims had guns, they might have survived…

Giving everyone guns is not the answer

That’s like giving everyone cancer and watching it spread until we’ve shot everyone dead.

Mr. 2^nd Amendment, I know you heard that another tragedy occurred

But I want to help someone, while your mind is on your guns

And I thought the gunman was misguided and confused

I guess it’s no surprise you’ve made this all about you

But when people have died maybe we can try not to think about what the rest of us can lose

Those in NEED of a gun are the people I’m the most afraid of

Because I refuse to live in a fearful world without love

You look inward and feel the need to feel protected.

I look outward and know life needs to be respected

If you believe hell exists, then you know that’s where he is. 

But hell is the place where the families are too

When we’re powerless to prevent nightmares from coming true.

When the darkest of thoughts become realities

When good people have to bear the senseless brutality.

When your quiet little home becomes a Newtown, with cameras, police and chaos all around

Time stands still, until everybody leaves but then the residents really get to grieve

A few weeks later, the world no longer upset, while this neighborhood will never forget

There’s not enough humanity in the world and the bloodshed never ends

I’ve listened to both sides and I still don’t know why we need all these guns again

At times like these, we are united in tragedies, our differences aside until the passions divide  

If all you’ve got is a weapon and a word, bring your mind and your heart

Because ideas are stronger than guns and love is stronger than pride

"Battered"

Whoever said you only hurt the ones you love

Probably was beaten up by someone who claimed they loved them

Someone who got caught up in the moment, who fell “victim” to a mindless rage 

I say mindless 

because I assume you have a conscience but chose to ignore it… she must have been asking for it

If someone makes you so angry you need to hurt them

Leave… or seek therapy… or drop down to your knees

You can do anything you please, except beat them

Someone who solves their problems with their fists or the back of their hand will never understand

That every unfair fight makes you less of a man

Her strength threatens you, so you threaten too, but there is no way to justify black and blue

The culture we live in, we have to be tough but it’s tough to be men

Is that tougher than losing an argument? It can’t be any tougher than beating that woman

It was the booze, she went beserk- I’m under so much pressure at work

Like we could ever believe the excuses of a jerk who jerks his hand

Until it lands across the face of someone who cares more about you than you do about her

And there’s no saying I’m sorry because actions speak louder than words

when you hit her, you said everything you have to say about the kind of man you are

You said, Hi I’m a dick who can’t get hard

I’m a man who can’t stand erect, unless I’m standing over her self respect

He does it because that’s the way his father treated him, you see he’s a product of a different time

But times change and those who do not are defined by them

When I was little, I watched my dad slap my mom before I knew what was going on 

And at first I was scared but eventually I became aware that she wasn’t asking for it

The fear dissipated and anger was generated and generations of abuse would not be tolerated

So I know that line ends with me, because I couldn’t stand to see mom cry

No excuse is gonna excuse another battered lie

And if someone abused you, it doesn’t make it okay because you must’ve forgot how you felt that day

You forgot what’s like to be scared, you forgot what it’s like to forget

I’ll bet when you were a kid you probably abused your pets

The percentages say one of them could be here right now, nodding their head to this piece

But peace wasn’t with you when you ceased to be human
when you were wrong and you knew it.

But now you sit silent, why do you have to hide it? 

Because cowards don’t show up until they have the power

Until it’s you and her and no one’s around, they can’t be who they really are in front of a crowd

That’s why he hides- He won’t dare lift a hand when I could lift mine… 

you’re a predator, but I can see you

There might not be any way to reach you, but damn if we can’t band together and teach you

and if we have to, we’ll rise up  and beat U

If you had the nerve to stand up I swear I would fight you… WE would fight you

maybe then he can get up here and do a poem about how everyone’s out to get you

And then you’ll see what it liked to be battered, or how the “why” doesn’t matter

So don’t think about how you’ll apologize, think about compromise, or getting wise

Before you start a war you can’t win- Violence has always been the answer to nothing

Because courage beats cowardice and love beats hate

Until he beats you and we make him pay for that mistake

And maybe, if enough of us are talking, his hands will stay quiet

Perhaps we should try it

Raising awareness is only the beginning because too many losers are winning… and getting away with it.

So I promise to you that if you are willing to stand up, I will too

He might be bigger, but we’re stronger and we can decide not to take this any longer

Domestic violence is enabled by silence, so don’t be silent

Let’s scream to every corner of this earth that we’re gonna fight it! 

But our kind of fighting, is about all of us united…  

And Mr. abuser, I don’t think you’re gonna like it