Thursday, October 5, 2017

Dear Hate



Sunday night, a man with numerous high-powered rifles, semi-automatic that, apparently, had been converted to full automatic, shot over 500 people in Las Vegas.  At this writing, 59 have died. 

So far, there is no evidence that the shootings were motivated by bias.  There is no understanding at all of the question everyone is posing:  Why?

A Texas legislator has opined that refugees should not be permitted in this country, because it is too easy for them to obtain guns.[1]  (This same legislator tweeted that “Perhaps no right is more fundamental than the right to keep and bear arms.”)[2]

While I am tempted to depart somewhat from the topic of this blog and write about our Second Amendment rights, I’ll defer that to a different forum, and instead talk about another song, released the day after the shootings.  “Dear Hate”, written and performed by Maren Morris, with Vince Gill, was written some time ago, but not released until the hate of the Las Vegas mass murder made it appropriate.

Dear Hate
Well, you sure are colorblind
Your kiss is the cruelest kind
You could poison any mind
Just look at mine
Don't know how this world keeps spinning 'round and round

The song refers to Selma, to November 22, 1963 in Dallas, and September 11, 2001 in New York and D.C. 

But the song is not all gloom and hopelessness. 

Dear Love
Just when I think you've given up
You were there in the garden when I ran from your voice
I hear you every morning through the chaos and the noise
You still whisper down through history and echo through these halls
And tell me, Love's gonna conquer all

“All You Need is Love.”  “Give Peace a Chance.”  “Imagine” ………

Songs – poetry set to music – gives me hope and speaks to me in ways that defy description.  So, I’ll turn to songs of Love and Justice and Hope. 

And realize that Love, alone, can’t do it.  Love needs our help. 

If not now, when?  If not me, who?
___________


Hear Maren Morris and Vince Gill perform this song at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUPR5-igTVY&feature=youtu.be

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