Fr. Dale Matson
“It’s a terrible
situation in Boston. And, unfortunately … one gets the sense that this is more
reflective of the ‘new normal,’ if you will,” he explained. “So much of
society is changing so rapidly. [There is now a] ‘New normal’ when it comes to
public security in a post-9/11 world. Where these random acts of violence,
which at one time were implausible, now seem all-too-frequent.” New York
Governor Andrew Cuomo 04/19/13 http://politicker.com/2013/04/governor-cuomo-says-boston-bombing-part-of-new-normal/
I generally agree with
Governor Cuomo. However, I would differ with him in that these acts of
terrorism are not random, they are directed against soft targets and intended to have
high visibility results. The chosen location (near the finish line) for the
bombings had lots of cameras and the timing was when a large bloc of the
runners would be coming through the area. Like 9/11, there is an important
symbolism in the targeting of venues representing the American way of life like
Patriot Day. We all know there will be more terrorist acts in the future. Those
who live in big cities with fragile grids and high density populations are
especially vulnerable.
As most Americans including
me watched the events in Boston and the suburbs tragically unfold, there was a
gnawing uncertainty about possible further terrorist acts, how many were
involved and would the individuals be apprehended? To put it simply, America
stood still for four days and held its breath while grieving for the dead and
injured. I especially wondered how many of those in Boston and Watertown in ‘lock
down’ had loaded guns at the ready in their homes. How many were praying for
comfort and deliverance from this situation where millions of individuals were
taken hostage by the uncertainty and threat?
This reminded me of the
comment candidate Obama made in 2008 to a private audience in San Francisco
about folks in Pennsylvania. “And it’s not surprising then they get bitter,
they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or
anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their
frustrations." http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2008/04/obama-explains-2/
I believe folks in Pennsylvania were praying and clinging to their guns this
week. They were not bitter. They were realistic. In the end, we are all
responsible for our own safety. “Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke
Jr. has a message for residents in his jurisdiction: You can't rely on him
anymore. You need to arm yourself”. http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jan/28/nation/la-na-nn-milwaukee-county-sheriff-guns-20130128
The
police in many smaller communities are a long distance phone call away. The lengthy
response time dictates self-defense.
In the response to the Colorado
and Sandy Hook massacres, there were those who advocated more than just
increased gun regulation. There were those who argued against more than banning
all semiautomatic weapons. There were those who advocated for elimination of
the 2nd amendment. http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2013/03/the-war-against-the-second-amendment-has-only-just-begun.php Many of these same individuals would never
consider banning the 1st amendment where toxic levels of pornography
and violence are protected and disseminated via the mass media.
What happened in
Washington this past week was new gun legislation being voted down. Progressives
saw this as an outrage. How could this be? Hadn't the president, some big city
mayors and governors made a case for ‘reasonable’ gun legislation? The answer
could be, because many of us cling to our guns and our religion. We see them
both under attack. We are the old normal.
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