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| (Image from Everytown For Gun Safety) |
WARNING: THIS POST HAS CONTENT THAT MAY BE DISTURBING TO SOME READERS. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED!
"Dear Senator..."
Dear Senator, No
Mother Should Have To Bury
Her Child—Not Ever!
-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., Small All White in the Forest)
"I am no barrier to its sun; the light and I are as one!"
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My Poetic Notes:
The reason that I wrote this poem can be summed up with the following statement, which is also the text from the image illustrating this poem:
Dear Senator,
No mother should have to bury her child.
This Mother's Day, my heart goes out to all the mothers whose children were murdered with guns.
The moms of Columbine, Virginia Tech, Tucson, Aurora, Newtown. And the mothers of the 33 people who are murdered with guns every day in this country.
Now is the time for Congress to stand with moms across the country instead of with the NRA. Support background checks for all gun sales.
Happy Mother's Day
https://act.everytown.org/sign/mothersdaycard
Also, beginning in January 2013, I tried to create a post for virtually every holiday and special occasion of which I was aware, but I realized by September 2014 that I did not have enough time and energy to continue posting for every holiday and special occasion. And I decided to keep the poems in that series which were the most relevant to this blog, of which this is one.
And this poem was also published on my "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the blog), since I feel that the message in this poem applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer."
This poem was written in Portland, Oregon.
-Paulee
https://paulwhitingwriting.blogspot.com
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May 13th, 2023 Update [My Writing About The "Mother's Day Of Action" By Moms Demand Action For Gun Sense In America]: Today, May 13th, 2023, is the "Mother's Day of Action" by Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America! And I received several emails from Moms Demand Action over the last few days, outlining this "Mother's Day of Action as we call on Congress to reinstate the bipartisan assault weapons ban NOW."
So, I have listed the emails in chronological order by the date in which they were received.
The first email that I received from Moms Demand Action was on May 6th, 2023, with the subject line, "We're demanding an assault weapons ban NOW. Join us for a Mother's Day of Action: On Saturday May 13, we're rallying to demand Congress reinstate the bipartisan assault weapons ban.", which stated the following:
Paul–
This Mother's Day Weekend, we're asking for what we all want: For our kids to come home safe and for our families not to be ripped apart by gun violence.
Join us Saturday, May 13 for a Mother's Day of Action as we call on Congress to reinstate the bipartisan assault weapons ban NOW. Find an event near you.
FIND AN EVENT***
As a mother of four, inaction on this crisis leaves me terrified for my children. Gun violence continues to kill 120 people every day, and there have already been more than 180 mass shootings this year. In several of them, an assault weapon was used to kill children while at school, to attack people in acts fueled by hate and bigotry, and to retaliate at former workplaces.
The good news is that we already know that banning assault weapons works. In 1994, after Congress banned assault weapons with bipartisan support, rates of gun violence and mass shootings began to go down. But in 2004, the gun lobby prevented Congress from renewing the ban. That inaction has helped make this crisis as utterly devastating as it has become. We're not going to let the gun lobby win. Banning assault weapons worked before. It can work again now.
And as Moms Demand Action's first ever Executive Director, I know from experience that we can get the job done.
Last summer, we got Congress to pass a major gun safety law for the first time in a generation, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. That victory followed a decade of progress in statehouses across the country where Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers not only helped pass hundreds of good gun safety laws, but also blocked 90 percent of bills backed by the gun lobby.
This Mother's Day Weekend, we're asking our lawmakers to save lives—and we're going to make our voices heard in every single congressional district across the country.
Join us on Saturday, May 13 for a Mother's Day of Action, as we call on Congress to reinstate the bipartisan assault weapons ban NOW: Find an event near you.
Banning assault weapons will not end this crisis altogether, but with your support, we can make sure our country takes this huge step toward a future free from gun violence.
Thank you for being a part of this movement. I can't wait to see you on Mother's Day Weekend.
[Name redacted]
She/Her/Hers
[Title redacted]
Moms Demand Action
The second email that I received from Moms Demand Action was on May 7th, 2023, with the subject line, "Allen, Texas", which stated the following:
Paul–
Yesterday, we emailed you about our upcoming Day of Action to demand a reinstatement of the bipartisan assault weapons ban.
Later yesterday, in Allen, Texas, a man walked into an outlet mall and used an assault weapon to shoot and kill at least eight people, leaving at least another seven people wounded.
We should be able to send our kids shopping, or to school, or to the movies, or a friend's house, without fear that they might not return home. Instead, we're stuck in an endless cycle of gun violence devastating our communities and families, all while our lawmakers do little to prevent it.
Mass shootings are not acts of nature—they are preventable tragedies caused by lawmakers' inaction and the gun industry's greed. We shouldn't have to live like this.
Join us at a rally near you on Saturday, May 13 to demand our lawmakers do something about this crisis by reinstating the bipartisan assault weapons ban.
Thank you for being in this fight,
Moms Demand Action
The third email that I received from Moms Demand Action—and from Everytown for Gun Safety—was on May 10th, 2023, with the subject line, "We are fed up.", which stated the following:
Paul,
Every day more people are killed or wounded by guns. Our kids are being traumatized. Yet gun lobby-backed lawmakers are turning their backs on us. We've had it.
We are fed up and we will not accept the status quo. That's why, we are launching a Mother's Day of Action this weekend with events across the country calling on Congress to reinstate the assault weapons ban.
Everytown and Moms Demand Action are organizing our communities and showing up in statehouses across the country to demand life-saving action—and we rely on your grassroots support to keep going. Donate today to help us fight for a future free from gun violence >>***
Thank you for being with us,
Everytown and Moms Demand Action
P.S. We just added more events across the country for our Mother's Day of Action this Saturday! Sign up to attend an event near you >>***
The fourth email that I received from Moms Demand Action was on May 12th, 2023, with the subject line, "We're rallying TOMORROW. Find an event near you: We're rallying to demand Congress reinstate the bipartisan assault weapons ban.", which stated the following:
Paul–
We've had enough. We're not going to let the gun lobby win. Banning assault weapons worked before. It can work again now.
We're rallying in communities across the country TOMORROW, Saturday, May 13 to demand Congress reinstate the bipartisan assault weapons ban immediately—and our volunteers have been adding new events every single day.
Will you join us? Find an event near you and help demand an assault weapons ban NOW.
FIND AN EVENT***
We've needed Congress to reinstate an assault weapons ban for years. Our country had one for nearly a decade—and it worked. But in 2004, the gun lobby prevented Congress from renewing the ban, even though it had bipartisan support.
In the years since, we've become all too familiar with the consequences. Inaction has helped make this crisis as utterly devastating as it has become. Gun violence continues to kill 120 people every day, and there have already been more than 180 mass shootings this year. In several of them, an assault weapon was used to kill children while at school, to attack people in acts fueled by hate and bigotry, and to retaliate at former workplaces.
Assault weapons have no place in our communities, and we refuse to let our lawmakers continue to do nothing. Lives are at stake. Inaction is not an option.
Thank you for being in this fight,
[Name redacted]
She/Her/Hers
[Title redacted]
Moms Demand Action
The fifth email that I received from Moms Demand Action was today May 13th, 2023, with the subject line, "Join us in demanding action: Send [your representative in Congress] a message demanding an assault weapons ban NOW", which stated the following:
Paul–
We're rallying in communities across the country today to demand action. Will you join us by sending a message?
Tell [Your Representative in Congress]: Reinstate the bipartisan assault weapons ban NOW!
SEND MY MESSAGE***
We've needed Congress to reinstate the assault weapons ban for years. Our country had one for nearly a decade—and it worked. But in 2004, the gun lobby prevented Congress from renewing the ban, even though it had bipartisan support.
In the years since, we've become all too familiar with the consequences. Gun violence continues to kill 120 people every day, and there have already been more than 210 mass shootings this year. In several of them, an assault weapon was used to kill children while at school, to attack people in acts fueled by hate and bigotry, and to retaliate at former workplaces.
Today, thousands of volunteers are showing up in their communities to make loud and clear that inaction is not an option. Assault weapons have no place in our communities, and we refuse to let our lawmakers continue to do nothing.
Be a part of this Mother's Day of Action: Send a message telling [your representative in Congress] to reinstate the bipartisan assault weapons ban.
Thank you for being a part of this movement. Together, we'll build a future free from gun violence.
Moms Demand Action
***[I used to include hyperlinks contained within the email messages, or the text messages, to which I am referring in these "Activism Updates"; however, I could not figure out how to include the aforementioned hyperlinks, regarding some relevant action that I had taken—such as signing a petition, sending a letter or message to my representative(s) in Congress, signing a USO 'Thank You' card, and/or making a donation—without including my personal information.]
And, after I read the email above, I clicked on the hyperlink to the referenced webpage, which can be found below:
Tell Your U.S. Representative: Oppose Gutting Our Gun Laws And Support Gun Safety Legislation
Gun lobby allies in Congress continue to attack the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF)—the federal agency tasked with enforcing our gun laws, solving gun crimes, and keeping our communities safe from gun violence.
Just weeks after a school shooting in Nashville where the shooter used an assault weapon equipped with an arm brace, Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee advanced legislation that would make it easier for dangerous individuals to get their hands on these modified guns.
Enough is enough. Common-sense gun policies on background checks, Extreme Risk Protection Orders, and assault weapons can help prevent shootings and keep our families safe. Inaction is not an option, and these extreme attempts to gut our gun laws are shameful.
Demand the U.S. House prioritize gun safety. Our U.S. representatives must reject this extreme attempt at undermining the ATF, and take action on common-sense gun legislation like expanding background checks to all gun sales, passing a federal Extreme Risk Protection Order law, and reinstating the Assault Weapons Ban.
Dear Representative,
I am writing to you as a constituent filled with grief, fear, and anger. I am fed up. As countless acts of preventable gun violence continue to threaten the safety of communities across the country day after day, I am urging you to oppose the extreme attempts to attack the ATF, including efforts to repeal the ATF's arm brace rule, and, instead, support action on gun safety. I ask you to support common-sense legislation that would expand background checks to all gun sales, create a federal Extreme Risk Protection Order law, and reinstate the Assault Weapons Ban. This common-sense legislation can help prevent tragic mass shootings, as well as the 120 gun deaths that happen every day.
Please, I'm urging you to prioritize public safety. Take action and save lives.
Complete the form to send your message now:
First name: Paul
Last name: Whiting
Prefix: Mr.
Email address: [redacted]
Street address: [redacted]
City: [redacted]
State: [redacted]
ZIP Code: [redacted]
Mobile phone: [redacted]
And, after I sent the letter above to my representative in Congress, via the Everytown for Gun Safety website, I made a one-time donation to Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America (via the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund) in order to do my part to "be a part of this Mother's Day of Action [by] send[ing] a message telling [my representative in Congress] to reinstate the bipartisan assault weapons ban." –Paul Whiting (written May 13th, 2023, revised May 18th, 2023, revised June 12th, 2023 and revised September 7th, 2023)
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November 6th, 2024 Update No. 1 [My Writing About No Longer Being An 'Online Activist' In Any Way, Shape Or Form]: Due to Donald Trump winning the 2024 Presidential Election—and until further notice—I am no longer being an 'Online Activist' in any way, shape or form, which includes no longer signing petitions from political, social, environmental and charitable organizations, and no longer sending letters to my Representative and Senators in Congress, as well as no longer making donations to political, social, environmental and charitable causes. Full stop! I am also unsubscribing from any of the emails that I used to receive from political, social, environmental and charitable organizations. In fact, I am even cancelling all of my monthly political donations to the main Democratic fundraising and coordinating organizations, as well as to the USO (United Service Organizations), in addition to cancelling all of my monthly news organization subscriptions, or news organization donations, because I am absolutely terrified of this second Trump administration. And I fully expect that democracy in America as we know will be over! So, I am choosing to not engage in any 'activism' whatsoever—plus, I am not even sure that I will be exercising my 'civic duty' by voting in any upcoming elections because, as a (formerly) donating and a (potentially former) voting Democrat, I totally fear the retribution of President Donald J. Trump. Full stop! –Paul Whiting (written November 6th, 2024 and revised November 7th, 2024)
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This "Small All White in the Forest" Post No. 158 was edited on November 7th, 2024.
"Poetry is using the fewest words possible in order to describe all that is possible to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]
My poems that are Haiku in their style—within which one stanza is composed of three lines, where each line has words containing five syllables, seven syllables and five syllables, respectively—are a lot more like Senryū poems in that the topic of these poems is typically about people, rather than the topic of these poems being about nature, as is usually the case in classic Haiku poems. And that is why I call these types of poems "Haiku-style." –Paul Whiting [September 19th, 2023]
