From Monday, July 4, an Independence Day parade, no less, the thinking, empathetic, individuals, should remain in a bit of shock, anger, and outrage, of the deaths from a troubled individual. It could have been in any part of the country, however, on Independence Day this year the damage took place in Highland Park, Ill. along the shores of Lake Michigan in Lake County, just north of the Cook County-Lake County line.
We should know by now, no place is immune to trouble. We should be outraged regarding multiple shootings in many places around the country, South Side of Chicago, Philadelphia, New York City, Buffalo, N.Y., and other places with the reader to fill in the many blanks. It is unfortunate the weapons being fired, include long-range rifles to pistols.
There are many reasons for the epidemic of crime, random shootings, and gang focus on opponents. Solutions have moved beyond simple fixes. Nonetheless, society must find the way to move toward solutions. Has society become numb? The complexity is that there are many problems. The solutions evidently must be faced one step at a time. Problems include incept parents, greed, lack of understanding, lack of personal responsibility, society’s inability to find agreement in identifying the problems, and unwillingness to take time to see the larger problems as huge, and a lack of willingness to diminish self-importance.
One simple start is evident. The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution never, never, never, was directed to owning rifles, shooting rifles at unsuspecting individuals, especially in a non-threatening civil society setting, and for gun manufacturers to elevate gun sales to the point of eliminating large portions of law-abiding citizens, regardless of race, creed, ethnicity, wealth, social standing, political views, gender, or, joyful associations. We must pause in finding excuses and take lawful, true, action for good health.
Here are a few notes of importance:
• Changes in Farmer Markets each Wednesday in Aurora, is needed because of the June 25 closing of Luigi’s Pizza and Fun Center, 732 Prairie, and the retirement of owner Bill Poss. The Wednesday Farmers Market this week moves to the empty lot next to McDonald’s in West Plaza, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. Each Thursday the Farmers Market is at Ollie’s 4070 Fox Valley Center Drive, just off of New York Street. The Saturday Aurora Farmers Market is 8 a.m. to noon at 5 S. Water Street, downtown through October 8.
• Fox Valley Park District Summer concerts are each Thursday this month at Blackberry Farm in Aurora.