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An Open Letter To My Australian Friends

I expect the murder of the young Australian baseball player in our country has made the news there as it has here. I share in your horror that the thugs who perpetrated this crime apparently did so for no other reason than "kicks". Since I've seen no apology to your country for this dispicable act from either our media or politicians I take it upon myself to ask your forgiveness and extend an apology and deep regret.

There is a subsection within our culture which apparently has been raised without any moral compass. Such acts are the result of this . Please realize that these animals and this act is NOT America and that these sub-humans will be dealt with. Again you have my apology.............................stan

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yes, it certainly has been in the news here .. the overwhelming feeling regarding it, is one of great sadness .. a senseless loss of a young man on the brink of a larger life. my heart goes out to his parents and siblings .. seeing them on the news paying tribute to christopher is painful to watch.
so many senseless killings the world over .. so many bright young people with lives cut short .. egypt, syria, palestine, america, australia, britain, etc etc etc .. it seems no nation is immune to the multitude of forces that result in such evils.
it is not one person's burden to apologise for what was not in their control, but i find your words here touching. so, on behalf of australia, a sincere thank you for such sensitivity and thoughtfulness.

It seems to me that during my 59 years the value of a human life has declined. And now thugs go around killing from boredom and show no shame. There are times I wish it were possible to immediately execute these mad dogs instead of letting them draw breath another day. i appreciate your response...........stan

author comment

is to actively support gun control.
Cars kill people and need registration, insurance etc

America's lack of gun control is obscene and moronic.

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

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cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

The media seldom let the secret out that all guns which are sold in the US are supposed to be registered. Your country man was killed with a gun which by our own laws was illegal. When the laws already on the books don't prevent this type tragedy how can even more laws prevent them. In my opinion what needs to be done is throw the book at those who break the laws by using guns in the commission of Any crime.
All I know is what I've seen. I've seen the areas with the most gun control laws having the most gun violence. i expect the murder of this young man had more to do with a growing number of young people being raised with no moral references than with their having a gun.
But regardless the cause I still think it a tragedy and since I can't turn back the clock, and since nobody else (politician, newsman or law enforcement has offered any apology, I do...............stan

author comment

your apology and thoughts are appreciated.

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

It's one thing to lose a country man due to war (for which they volunteered) or a regular crime motivated by money but to lose one because some savages got bored is almost incomprehensible...............stan

author comment

Yesterday or the day before a young lady that was married and had a child was gunned down in our streets here.
It is a bloody disgrace that the Police don't stamp down on these small gangs and the ones they know of.
Why do they just sit and wait time after time before they do their job.
It is the world that is mad, give me some evil gas I will kill some children because the UN will only look the other way it is a bloody place to go to sit and earn lots of Dollars, world corruption is on the increase while this happens.
From a single disregarded shooting to global conflict that's progress, Yours Ian.T

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There are a million reasons to believe in yourself,
So find more reasons to believe in others..

The modern savages use guns most of the time. But they used knives or swords or clubs in the past. A savage will find a tool to channel his mahem.
You know there was a "stop and frisk" law in some of our major cities which allowed a police officer to stop a suspicious person anf frisk him/her for weapons. In NTC the number of murders fell by about 75% as a result of this law. But some idiots (supreme court) decided it was unconstitutional and struck it down.................such is the "justice" system in the US right now...............................stan

author comment

Every time someone innocent is gunned down, we seem to forget that our government is obliged to the money-making palm-greasing industry that makes weapons God.

Americans justify all types of crime with purporting a squeaky-clean good-guy image. The world knows better. All the wars Americans have waged, raged and/or were silent about has created a subculture of violence. Until that is addressed, no laws on or off the books will change the present subculture predicated upon violence as a means to engage one's power. The dialogue begins here.

~Anna

p.s. My condolences to every person who has been harmed either overtly or covertly by the American shoot-em up and bury them at Boot Hill mentality.

I disagree as to the cause of the violent subculture. After all, those who have been to war are the ones who hate violence the most. But there Does need to be a national, rational discussion about the increase in the number of people who kill with no reason. i think it has more to do with drugs(children conceived and carried while mothers indulged in cocaine have been shown to have a greater tendency to lack of morals), Hollywood obsession with the dregs of socoiety and the deterioration of the traditional family. How can a single parent actually expect to be able to give the attention needed by growing children? then, of course there's the lack of morals on display by too many of the people we elect (Weiner, Clinton, ect.).
And you are correct....morals can't be legislated. They are learned at home and in society..............stan

author comment

Crime of all sorts is most prevalent in cultures where there is a large, visible gulf between the rich and the poor. This has clearly increased in the USA over the last decades as CEO salaries soared obscenely and the minimum wage stagnated. It is especially aggravated by gaps between the availability of quality health care and education.

Canada has more guns per head, and much lower gun crime rates due to a more equitable social system.

cheers,
Jess
A new workshop on the most important element of poetry-
'Rhythm and Meter in Poetry'
https://www.neopoet.com/workshop/rhythm-and-meter-poetry

i expect that the obscene income inequality which exists here might have something to do with it. Is anybody Really worth the salaries being paid to some CEOs, actors and atheletes? As to education, it's available to those who want it but part of the problem is in many areas being smart or educated is considered un-cool while being a criminal is a sign of manhood.......stan

author comment

Having fired a few weapons of war and the odd pistol in my few years here I find that the later is so easy to use, and it is so disassociated with the actual death of someone it takes away the actual act of making someone die.
Take a murderer that throttles another person or even kills someone where it has to be a physical thing, I am not talking about Knives either (I find even those are akin to Guns) where the killer has to have a one to one contact with the one being killed.
These people can be dealt with, either by electricity or medical treatment a needle or a cure not sure.
What is the use for a gun of any sort, our troops go out to do the bidding of Politicians. WHY??

If the politicians had to go out and fight there would be more talk and no killing, they don't care a crap to what the Armed forces have to face in combat .
WW2 and many conflicts in my short life I wonder how many were killed for some stupid political gain??

Oil being one of the most fought over Items, yet those bloody politicians have with the aid of rich companies suppressed the evolution of cars and the fuel for them, to fill their own pockets while poisoning the atmosphere.

I was installing a telephone exchange in Belgium about 20 years ago, and the place we were at, all their cars were powered by electric, so we have the technology, where is the incentive.
I can make an easy buck with Petrol and fleece the population, if that doesn't work I can send all my underprivileged young men off to fight for more oil, the left over guns can be given to the gangs we have so that they can go kill to save my taxes.
I think we had better deaden the pain though first by making them all drug dependant.
Thank God or whoever that the average person will struggle on without their help, though I put some of the blame at their doors, they VOTED for these ass holes in the last election, when will they find a bunch of proper people to sort out the mess they are in, Yours Ian.T.
PS:- I missed the Sunday sermon lol

.
There are a million reasons to believe in yourself,
So find more reasons to believe in others..

you ever notice that in the movies and on TV that the hero can get shot and the next day the only result is a small bandage? And there are those who think that is the way it really works. Electric vehicles work well in some places but there are ares where the daily commute is greater than the charge will last. And then there's the price of the electric vehicle to take into consideration. But for city driving I don't see why a company hasn't come out with an amorphous film solar car whose entire exterior is a collector which can charge up while parked or even while going down the road.
But back to the main subject : lack of conscience in parts of our youth. When O.J. gets away with murder, Clinton gets away with adultery and Weiner gets away with sexting, what does this tell our children? We Have to stop glorifying and electing people who are not good role models.............stan

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