Extremes

While we sit and point fingers at each other

Over whose fault 

Mass shootings are

 

Can we start by addressing the extremes

 

Can we make space to rethink different beliefs 

and go from 

If you believe differently than me you are wrong to

If you believe differently than me then just maybe

You’ve had a different experience

And I’m curious to hear what that is

 

Can mental health advocates, gun advocates, and anti-hate advocates find common ground

 

Wherever our views fall

On these complicated issues

Can we agree that

 

Most people with mental health issues are not murderers*

 

Most gun owners are not murderers** 

 

And whether it’s born into people

Or groomed and grown

Hatred is not welcome here 

Holy hate included

 

Can we acknowledge

That danger grows unchecked and fastest

At mental health, gun ownership, and hatred’s 

Extreme edges 

 

That the waters get murky 

When we talk about

 

The plight of un-hospitalized people with psychosis who need help but can’t get admitted

 

Who can own Assault Rifles, and if it’s everyone, how young is too young

 

The otherwise mentally stable people living among us who are steeped in hatred

 

Can we start on the fringes 

 

Expand mental health treatment 

For those begging for care

 

Pause gun ownership 

For those who the majority 

On both sides agree 

Shouldn’t own one

 

Pilot reasonable changes 

On both edges of fringe 

And see if there is any improvement

 

And however many guns we own

Whatever our mental status 

Can we decide that 

Hatred doesn’t serve us

 

Can we disagree with each other

Rather than demolish each other

 

This problem

We can’t seem 

To agree on

 

Keeps changing

All of our lives

For the worse

 

So please can we start

Please can we do something

 

Because if we don’t start somewhere

 

This thing

That none of us wants

Won’t end

 

But sadly

Many more lives

Will

 

 

*There are currently 50 million Americans taking

   medications for mental health issues (and 

   100K first cases of psychosis each year)

**Americans own an estimated 20 million Assault

    Rifles which are part of the 393 million guns 

    overall owned by Americans