School Shooting Du Jour. War Of The Week

Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence

17 Sep 2025

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6 journalists slaughtered in a tent. SNOOZE. 11 Venezuelans —
Blip on a screen — blown to smithereens with their boat. YAWN.
100 Palestinians killed today. 50 were children … CRICKETS …
Even the Epstein files are momentarily off the front page. Forgotten?

Do high priests of pedophilia ever furrow foreheads? As quizzical as
Question marks? Do they ask, how many death threats in Denmark?
How many school shootings in Sweden and Switzerland today?
How many mass murders in Ghana, Holland or Ireland this year?

Some lives matter. And trigger hi-velocity, semiautomatic, “thoughts
And prayers” from hi-capacity clips of cliches. As ‘answers’ for the
Looped School Shootings Du Jour. The War Of The Week.
The Assassination Of The Month. And Genocide Of A Generation.

“Political violence is never acceptable!” “It’s indefensible!”
“Has no place in our democracy!” But, “the only thing that
Can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun!”
“Go home and pray!” “Go home and pray!” “Go home and pray!”

Sometimes, even the bought and bossed ones “Say their names.” We
Need only say places: Mississippi driveway; Audubon Ballroom;
Lorraine Motel; Chicago bedroom; L.A. hotel kitchen; Dallas motorcade;
San Quentin; Attica; Nooses twisted ‘round trees down south; and up south.

Sometimes, even the bought and bossed ones “Say their names:”
Columbine; Mother Emanuel; Tree Of Life; Uvalde. But mostly
Not. Sometimes they swear to the heavens, so it “never happens
Again!” While remaining mute on marketing the merchants of death.

Raymond Nat Turner is a NYC poet, BAR's Poet-in-Residence, and founder/co-leader of the jazz-poetry ensemble UpSurge!NYC. You can vote for his work at GoFundMe and PayPal.

state violence

school shooting

Palestine

Assassination

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