As I watched the smoke sensually dancing
(Listening to Dave Brubeck, as I began on 28/10/2023, Valencia)
I was in a medieval village, sitting on the bank of the River Ebro on a painful, worn-out, and half-lame bench, smoking a Havana cigar and contemplating how the smoke I exhaled, gray and turning silver, rose, danced a minuet, and then vanished, blending with the autumn atmosphere, when I heard about a new massacre in my former place of residence, the United States of America. Without sense or reason, a gun-toting nut ended the lives of eighteen innocent folk…
And supporters of the second amendment of the US Constitution continue to argue that firearms do not kill. Incredibly they believe that it is the people who use them who are responsible, that it is people who kill. Come on! Saying that is complete nonsense because if they had a frisbee in their hands, they wouldn’t kill anyone. Rifles and pistols kill. For example, when I joined the Army they gave me a rifle and taught me how to kill, and my drill sergeant assured me that killing was my duty, the soldier’s profession. To fulfil my duty, they didn’t give me a ping-pong paddle or a bouquet of roses (even those with thorns), but a rifle! So stop with the nonsense! Rifles, and all firearms, kill and are used only for that horrifying act. They do not belong in the hands of civilians!
Meanwhile, the smoke continued with its sensual dance, now in the light of the moon and a thousand stars that, thanks to the scarce light that surrounded me, shone magnificently up there, near the highest layer of the firmament, the habitat of God…
Violence is not something that can easily be separated from the actions of men. And when I say «men,» I use it as a pronoun that includes, because that’s how it is in our language, women as well. But without a doubt, violence is a curse, a burden, and a vulgar setback that, although we are not showing the will to abhor it, despise it, and abandon it, we should do so.
«War, a cruel, stupid, and horrific invention, has become an everyday occurrence. During my relatively short life, I can remember so many (and fought in two): Vietnam; Israel’s wars against five Arab armies; Grenada; Central America; Panama; Lebanon (Hezbollah-Israel); Armenia-Azerbaijan; Serbia-Kosovo; Iraq-Kuwait; Iraq-USA; Afghanistan-USA; Ukraine-Russia, and now yet another one between Jews and Palestinians over the dust of the promised land. And this count doesn’t even include the bloody revolutions in Cuba, Nicaragua, Iran, Syria, Venezuela, and so on and so forth…»
Mother of God! Can the United Nations (UN) save us?
I don’t know why we need the United Nations (UN)… It has never served to prevent a war, to stop a conflict, to halt the use of violence, to feed the most needy peoples, to intervene against human trafficking, to put an end to blood diamond mines, to curb domestic violence and child abuse, to shelter refugees… So, what is the purpose of such an organization? I tell you, it serves for nothing. But wait, it serves for one thing…
The United Nations serves to give space and importance to countries controlled by totalitarian and communist governments that have no interest in resolving the world’s problems. How can we seek peace and security among nations when Russia and China hold permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council? These countries, ruled by the communist party, which has caused more death and destruction in the world than any other system, always vote against resolutions that… perhaps… would improve the lives of many. For example, they prevent crimes and atrocities committed by the Ayatollah regime in Iran and the brutal dictatorship of Assad in Syria from being resolved. They haven’t saved the Venezuelan people from Maduro or the Nicaraguan people from Ortega and the dictatorship he seeks to establish in that country…
And to top it all off, now the Secretary-General of the UN, António Guterres, former Prime Minister of Portugal and a socialist, has said that Hamas had legitimate reasons to attack Israel… But what is this? How dare he? This is more than a cowardly and shameful statement, it is a display of the political backwardness of the UN and an atrocity. I am neither for nor against the parties in this war, their disputes are not my concern, and I advocate for peace and the creation of two states, but I recognize that what triggered Israel’s aggression was Hamas’ terrorist attack against innocent civilians who just wanted to dance, sing, and listen to music at a peaceful celebration…
And there you have it. Form your own opinions and judgments. I have mine and each person will have theirs. Also, I end by singing what Joan Manuel Serrat said:
“Cada loco con su tema.
Contra gustos no hay disputas.
Artefactos, bestias, hombres y mujeres,
cada uno es como es,
cada quién es cada cual
y baja las escaleras como quiere…”
+++
Each madman with his own theme,
and each of us with our likes, which are undisputed.
Artefacts, beasts, men and women,
each one is how each is
and each is how they are
and they all go down the stairs as they see fit…
(From the song “Cada loco con su tema” 1983, by J.M.Serrat)
Domingo, 29 de octubre de 2023, Francisco Bravo Cabrera, Valencia, España
JaZzArt en València 
♥️
Me gustaLe gusta a 2 personas
🙏🏻🌹🙏🏻🌹🙏🏻🌹
Me gustaMe gusta
We do need to separate men’s action which bring consequences, to God’s will. I at times feel a cloud of heaviness of the world, then I remember that I can only find peace by fixing my eyes on the most high. If I keep looking at the World, my days grow darker.
Thanks for writing this post and sharing. You expressed something on my behalf.
Me gustaLe gusta a 3 personas
I most definitely agree with you Cassa and you have stated it beautifully. Thank you! And all the best.
Me gustaLe gusta a 2 personas
Love your closing quote. It says it all.
Me gustaLe gusta a 2 personas
I thought so Pat. Thank you!
Me gustaLe gusta a 1 persona
Por nada.
Me gustaLe gusta a 2 personas
You still do not understand the purpose of the Second Amendment, the men who incorporated it into the US Constitution, or the reason why people defend it so ardently. You have set your mind on a fantasy that all people are good and rational, and if we can just get rid of guns, the world will be a better and safer place. That is complete hogwash. PEOPLE KILL. Millions of people in the United States own guns, and they do not feel compelled to kill anyone. Unstable people with hate-filled hearts and sick minds kill. Criminals with no conscious kill. Terrorists with political motives kill. People who have no regard for human life kill. Normal, rational everyday people do not pick up a gun and kill anyone. Why this is so hard for people to understand is ridiculous. And the more the anti-gunners push for gun control, the more people buy guns to protect themselves from government tyranny, crime, and to engage in sports. Women are some of the biggest gun buyers in the U.S. And no, it is not the proliferation of guns that kills. The problem is that we have law enforcement agencies, like the FBI, that ignore obvious warning signs in dangerous individuals. We have a mental heath system that is so eager to protect the mentally ill from stigma that the mentally ill actually have more rights than the rest of us. Mental illness has not been used as a reason to prevent someone from owning a gun. That would be a violation of their rights. If someone has no history of crime or violence, they would not be prevented from buying a gun. There are always warning signs before someone goes off their nut and commits a mass shooting. But the signs get ignored by mental health professionals, law enforcement agencies, and the people closest to the shooter. Many families are reluctant to report someone to the police or go through the process of having someone committed. I used to see this all the time when I worked in mental health. Even when you watch true crime shows, the police often did not take it seriously when someone posed a danger. I’m not saying that I have the answer, because it is a complex problem. It is not as simple as guns kill so we have to get rid of all guns. Criminals who want guns will always get them. Ordinary people have a right to buy guns and defend themselves. As for the UN, the UN is worthless. It does not do anything to stop wars or intervene in wars. It best functions as a humanitarian aid organization. It has been taken over by totalitarian dictators who do not believe in democracy. Lastly, if God and morality were still taught and respected, as it used to be, we would not be seeing a lot of the problems we are seeing in the world today. And, while love may be the answer, too many people are incapable of love and walk around with hate and anger in their hearts. We will always agree to disagree, my friend.
Me gustaLe gusta a 1 persona
We will, my friend, agree to disagree. You have some valid points but still, I am not saying I am against people owning guns, I am saying that it has to be well trained people, people that are willing to go through extensive background checks, medical and psychological evaluations and then through firearms training, just like police officer candidates do. If a person fails any of these checks they cannot own a firearm and only non-military firearms, non-automatic and none with 30 round magazines or silencers. Those are not useful for sports or protection. And the license should be very expensive to dissuade those who are not serious about gun ownership. I have always carried a gun in the US but I went through that rigorous training and through the medical and psych evals. Police officers are only allowed to carry guns after such training is completed successfully. So tell me, why should civilians be allowed to carry a gun if they’ve not been trained and vetted? There is no right in the 2nd Amendment that says you can own a military assault rifle with a 30 round clip. I am not so naive as to think that criminals would not have guns either. They always get them, but let us make it harder than to go and rob a gun shop or buying it themselves. And it is not just mass shootings, there is also violent crime to consider. In Europe we do not allow people to buy guns and there is gun crime, but very little of it. And protection from tyranny? Vote for the right person and you have your protection. Thank you so much Dawn, but I prefer a society without guns than one that begins to resemble the wild, wild west. I was a deputy sheriff in Miami, I know how dangerous guns are in the hands of people…
Me gustaLe gusta a 1 persona
You are right, Francisco, but the Second Amendment clearly says «shall not be infringed.» This is so all the people in the United States can act as a large militia if the country is ever attacked. In fact, that’s one reason nobody has been foolish enough to attack the U.S. on a wide scale. Even the Japanese said that. Vote for the right people? There are no right people. They are all power-hungry madmen. I will point out that one of the reasons Ukraine is able to fend off the Russians so well is that the people have guns. I live in the heart of gun country, and we have very little violent crime, and no mass shootings. That’s because most people own and carry a gun. It’s a healthy deterrent. Truthfully, there is no right or wrong answer. There are valid points on both sides and different ways to approach any issue. And I’m sure that living and working in a place like Miami would make anybody feel that way. Have a good day, my friend!
Me gustaLe gusta a 1 persona
It must be pretty sad to have everybody feel safe only because everyone is packing… I feel safer in Europe where no one is. Thank you Dawn and you too, a lovely day to you.
Me gustaLe gusta a 1 persona
Too many drug addicts and crazy people in America.
Me gustaLe gusta a 1 persona
Right…
Me gustaLe gusta a 1 persona