Today I read more about the war in Ukraine in the New York Times.   The war grinds on.  The article was about the role of therapists to offer treatment for the psychological damage exacted by the extreme violence of artillery strikes and missiles destroying towns.

I thought about commenting about a poem today, as much as to provide some relief from the news of war.   I then remembered that we are at war here as well, engaged in a death-match for the continuation of democracy, for the possibility of a more just, a more humane society here in the United States.  Democracy, by definition is an unstable form of administration.  When power is distributed, shared among many, the ability to immediately execute change, when the stakes are high, – is diluted.  Everyone, or at least a majority has to go along, support the action to be taken.  Imagine while crossing the street that you suddenly notice a vehicle approaching at high speed.  What if you had to consult a committee asking for a show of hands, before running for your life?

The Ukrainian people have no option for taking a break.  They are compelled to fight every day, every hour of the day until the enemy ceases the assault.  So, I will defer speaking about a good poem until later.  There’s business at hand for you and I, life and death business that must be attended to right now.

Yesterday I read this report of words uttered by John Mellencamp.

John Mellencamp slams politicians for not doing more to prevent gun violence: ‘They don’t give a f*** about our children’

by Suzy Byrne
Editor, Yahoo Entertainment
Wed, June 22, 2022 at 10:45 AM

John Mellencamp is slamming lawmakers for not doing more to stop school shootings.
The “Small Town” singer criticized politicians over their response to gun violence, saying they “don’t give a f*** about our children.”

“Only, in America, can 21 people be murdered and a week later be buried and forgotten, with a flimsy little thumbnail, a vague notion of some sort of gun control law laying on the senators’ desks,” the 70-year-old musician and painter wrote on Twitter Tuesday, referring to the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting on May 24.

“What kind of people are we who claim that we care about pro-life?” he continued. Just so you know, anyone that’s reading this… politicians don’t give a f*** about you, they don’t give a f*** about me, and they don’t give a f*** about our children.”

He concluded, “So, with that cheery thought in mind, have a happy summer, because it will be just a short time before it happens again.”

Mellencamp’s comments came on Tuesday as the Senate voted to advance a new bipartisan gun control bill. It would enhance background checks and give authorities up to 10 business days to review the juvenile and mental health records of gun purchasers under 21. Funding would also go to help states implement red flag laws as well as to expand mental health resources in communities and schools and boost school safety, among other things.

It would not include raising the minimum age to purchase an assault weapon from 18 to 21 or banning high-capacity magazines like the House of Representatives bills approved earlier this month.

To read the entire Yahoo news article, CLICK HERE.