"Are We Broken?"

I: The Hidden Beast

We daily stumble, lost along the way,
Each path we cross, we dare not linger long.
For whispers rise where playground laughs went wrong.
A beast within begins to stalk its prey.

It waits in shadows just beyond our reach,
When we stop, there's fear of what might arise.
A storm of pain behind each guarded eyes,
A savage truth no sermon dares to preach.

So we press on, pretending that were whole,
With every step, we mask what lies beneath.
But silence trembles in each shallow breath,
And still it prowls the edges of our soul.

Will we look away and not answer thus.
A beast is born, circling now around us.

II: The Sword Drawn

We’ve felt the wounds of all we’ve had to bear,
We should stand, resolved, unshaken and proud.
We speak with fire, our voice becomes a shroud
A wall of words to shield the hurt in there.

Our fears, once silent, surge into a flame,
A sword unsheathed, slashing before we think.
The edges sharp with rage and blackened ink,
Each sentence flung becomes a cry of blame.

Yet something breaks each time we raise our voice,
A mirror cracks inside our very core.
This battle leaves us weaker than before,
And still we charge, as if we have no choice.

With each strike that's done, we remain alone.
We'll find no peace with breaking blood or bone.

 III: The Garden Hill

We climb the hill where silence softly speaks.
Where the moonlight bathes these named stones that weep.
We sit in stillness; thoughts no longer leap,
While moaning goes on from the highest peaks.

We kneel alone to find our troubled kind,
Where tears mix with candles upon the ground.
We've lashed and frowned, but peace we haven't found.
And waited for the turning of our mind.

We hear it asked not only what we feel,
But who we are, and who we choose to be.
The sword falls silent; we begin to see.
A heart laid bare is where it starts to heal.

So on this hill, we lay our anger down,
And trade a crown of pride for thorn and crown.

 IV: Paths Made New

Arise and go, the past can lose its sting.
We'll not be the prisoner of regret.
Speak words once caged we could not yet admit.
Forgiveness, like a river, starts to sing.

The path once shattered now begins to mend,
Our broken steps now echo side by side.
We drop our pride, no longer need to hide,
And reach for them, not enemy, but friend.

The words are simple, yet they free the soul.
"I forgive you" and mean it through and through.
Now love walks with us, steady, strong, and true,
Restoring all that bitterness once stole.

Our paths now joined where once the rift was wide, 
We walk as one, with mercy as our guide.

These poems grew out of my original piece, Broken Paths (https://pachathepoet.blogspot.com/2025/06/broken-paths.html). I began in 2018 with a few simple lines, and over time it became something new. Today, the poem speaks to the reality of school shootings.

I share it because I feel the same urgency you may feel—to push our elected officials to act.

I’m asking for your help. Please take a moment to send a message to your U.S. Senators and to your Representative. Below you’ll find a short summary of the Senate bill that I have discussed, along with a sample message you can use. At the end of this are links to contact each of your offices. 

Summary of S.1531 – Assault Weapons Ban of 2025

What the bill does

• Stops new sales, imports, and manufacturing of assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines.
• Allows current owners to keep their firearms. Transfers, such as selling or gifting, would require a background check.
• Provides exceptions for military, law enforcement, and testing purposes.
• Establishes penalties for violations and funds voluntary buyback programs.

What the bill does not do

• Does not take away guns people already legally own.
• Does not ban common hunting rifles, shotguns, or most handguns.
• Does not prevent ownership of firearms used for lawful self-defense.

Reasons supporters back it

• Assault-style rifles and large magazines have been used in many mass shootings with high numbers of casualties.
• Most polls, including those in Utah, show majority support for measures like this.
• Traditional firearms remain fully available for hunting, sport shooting, and protection.

Recommended Message to send to your US Senator and Representative

Subject: Please Support S.1531 — Assault Weapons Ban of 2025

Dear [Senator/Representative],

I live in <State you live in>, and I am deeply concerned about the rise in mass shootings, especially those in schools. I am writing from real concern, not as someone directly affected, but as someone who refuses to accept school shootings as the new normal. I believe restoring the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban, while fixing its flaws, would move us toward safety and reduce future tragedies.

My hopes for a fortified version of the ban:

• No sunset clause, so it cannot simply lapse again.

• Closed loopholes, so there are no easy workarounds for high-capacity magazines or cosmetic exceptions.

• Meaningful enforcement, with clear penalties and mechanisms to uphold it.

Since the original ban expired, the frequency and deadliness of mass shootings have risen. A stronger, permanent law could reduce both occurrences and casualties by limiting access to these weapons.

I believe that the current proposed Assault Weapons Ban of 2025 (S.1531) would work because it would limit access to military-style weapons and high-capacity magazines that are too often used in these tragedies. I urge you to support S.1531 and work toward its passage.

With that in mind, what actions are you currently supporting or considering, either at the federal or state level, that align with these goals? I want to know what your office is doing to move this forward. Thoughts and prayers must be paired with durable action.

I value responsible gun ownership. This bill does not take away the right to defend our homes or to hunt. It focuses on the types of weapons most often used to cause mass harm.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

Link to each of the contact pages of Congress members from Georgia

Senator Jon Ossoff - US Senator from Georgia

       https://www.ossoff.senate.gov/contact-us/share-your-views/

Senator Raphael Warnock - US Senator from Georgia

       https://www.warnock.senate.gov/contact/contact-form/

Representative Richard McCormick  - US Representative from Georgia District 7

       https://mccormick.house.gov/address_authentication?form=/contact

Link to each of the contact pages of Congress members from Utah 

Senator Mike Lee - US Senator from Utah

     https://www.lee.senate.gov/contact 

Senator John Curtis - US Senator from Utah

   https://www.curtis.senate.gov/share-your-opinion/

Representative Celeste Maloy - US representative from Utah district 2 (for Woods Cross, Utah)

     https://maloy.house.gov/contact/email-me.htm

Link to each of the contact pages of Congress members from Indiana

Senator Todd Young - US Senator from Indiana 

      https://www.young.senate.gov/contact/email-todd/

Senator Jim Banks - US Senator from Indiana

      https://www.banks.senate.gov/share-your-opinion/

Representative Mark Messmer  - US Representative from Indiana District 8 for (NNNN, Indiana) 

      https://messmer.house.gov/contact/

Summary of Top 20 School Shootings (Past 20 Years)

I looked into the 20 deadliest school shootings in the U.S. over the last two decades. Here's what I found:

• 145 people were killed, and 106 were injured across these incidents.

• Military-style rifles, especially the AR-15 (.223 Rem), were used in 9 of the 20 shootings. These weapons were often linked to the highest casualty counts.

• 9mm handguns were also common, appearing in 7 incidents.

This data highlights how certain types of firearms—especially high-capacity rifles—are frequently involved in the most deadly school shootings. I am including the data that I downloaded from this website  https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/school-shootings?sort=desc&order=Victims%20Killed