When is enough enough?
When can I hope to say, “Never again,” never again?
I’m tired of thoughts and prayers said to comfort the pain.
“Kids will be kids,” but those parents are part of the blame.
Thoughts and prayers are used when they don’t know what else to say.
Unfortunately, it is becoming something you now hear just about every day.
I forget the true horror of the day’s headlines and the shared sympathy.
It lacks true remorse to hear parents say another meaningless apology.
You tell me you have a few guns, but they’re safe and locked away.
Sure, your son knows where they’re kept, and he knows “the guns are not for play.”
“The guns are there for safety only. You know, for protection.”
“Locked in a safe downstairs, and only I know the combination.”
But then, how did the child open the safe? His son never knew the code?
“That code was my birthday. I thought it pretty clever, on my part, to load.”
“That reinforced safe stored all my guns, plus all the ammunition.”
“To use as we would, depending upon our situation.”
I think thoughts and prayers don’t really mean a damn thing anymore.
They’re just some words thrown together like in some religious brochure.
When you’re remorseful and paralyzed by the sorrow, remember:
This will happen again but in a different place, tomorrow.
Peter J. Licari
Dover
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
