Global synchros are invariably intriguing, mystifying, and always prompt me to wonder about who is orchestrating this stuff. Religious types will say it’s evidence of the hand of God; skeptics says it’s random. I suspect the truth lies somewhere in between.
In 7 Secrets of Synchronicity, the seventh secret is about global synchros, when the universe seems to be addressing us as a collective. I was doing some research today and ran across some of my favorite global synchros. Some are dark tricksters that sneak up on you like monsters that hide in pockets of darkness in your bedroom. Others are so obvious and in your face they feel offensive. And some, like the synchro that follows, address a societal issue that screams for repair:
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On July 20, 2012, a mass shooting during a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises left 12 dead and 58 injured in Aurora, Colorado. A gunman, dressed in tactical clothing, set off tear gas grenades and shot into the movie theater audience with several weapons. The sole suspect was James Eagan Holmes, who was arrested outside the cinema minutes later.
On December 14, 2012, another mass shooting occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School when 26-year-old Adam Lanza opened fire and killed 20 children and six adults in the village of Sandy Hook in Newtown, Connecticut. Before driving to the school, Lanza had killed his mother at their Newtown home. As first responders arrived, Lanza committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.
Two mass murders five months and 1,800 miles apart attracted widespread media attention and triggered emotional and heated debate about gun control. The synchronicities that link these two tragedies are documented on film. In The Dark Knight Rises, the name Sandy Hook is written on a map in the movie. As it to highlight the connection, the name Aurora also appears in the Batman movie. It can be seen on the top of a skyscraper in the backdrop of another scene.
Most recently, the shootings in Charleston, South Carolina have prompted a movement to remove the confederate flag from government buildings. This flag symbolizes the dark time of slavery in the U.S., when the south wasn’t just racist, but was blinded by hatred.
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The issue that begs repair is gun control. The second amendment to the Constitution dates back to 1791, when George Washington was prez and life in America was pretty much about trial and tribulation.
Google that year. The right to bear arms was undoubtedly necessary for survival. But it’s now more than two centuries later and life is not quite the same thing in the 21st century as it was in the 18th century. Yet, according to Pew Research, the number of Americans who own guns falls between 270 and 310 million. That’s a lot of weapons.
But as a gun owner said to me in the gym the other day, “I might give up my guns, but how can I be sure that the rest of the gun owners in this country will do the same?”
Is a fear-based society the best that we can be?
A few weeks back, a neighbor called the animal care and control and the local cops because our dog had barked at his dog. I mean, really? Dogs bark for the same reason that human beings speak. It communicates something. The animal care person was a short, intense woman who asked to see our dog’s rabies tag and said the complaint was that on Christmas Day, our Golden Retriever, Noah, had run over to our neighbors’ yard and barked at his dog. All dogs must be leashed, even on the short trip from house to car.
“Hey,” Rob said. “That neighbor keeps his German Shepherd on a short leash in his garage, in conditions that are against the rules set by your agency.”
The woman rolled her eyes. “I know. He was just issued a warning. If he gets another complaint, there’s a fine.”
Later that day, Rob drove past the neighbor’s house and pointed at the poor dog, still tethered on a very short leash. An hour later, a cop showed up at our front door. He seemed really uncomfortable as he informed us that a neighbor had reported that Rob had driven by his place and shot him the finger.
At this point, I’m wondering if we’re living in The Matrix and just don’t know it yet. We explain the situation to the cop, about how Animal Care & Control had already stopped by earlier and how this neighbor is really the big crybaby in the neighborhood.
And then I say, “Do you think this guy (our neighbor) is armed?”
The cop looks at me with his big dark eyes. “Ma’am, I assume that everyone is armed.”
That statement, from a cop, pretty much sums up what’s wrong here. I understand that in some ways we are still a society tuned into the Wild West. But it seems to me that the second amendment has wreaked more havoc than it’s worth.
There may be a time and a place for guns, but nothing like we are seeing here in America these days. My Dad carried a gun with him on horseback when he was riding out in the cattle pastures and fields, especially in California, because there were rattlesnakes and other very deadly predators virtually behind every rock and sage, and other creatures that were occasionally aggressive for no apparent reason. More than once he had to shoot a rattlesnake striking at his horse’s hooves, and once, a bobcat stalked him at the base of the mountain and finally ran toward him and his horse at full speed, intending to attack. There was no option but to shoot it. Dad was a great animal lover, and he hated the necessity of killing animals, even in the wild when there was no choice. There are situations in cities where thoughtless people allow their vicious dogs to roam free, and a child is the victim of attack….to save the child, an officer can either shoot the animal or use a stun gun, whichever is more appropriate at the time. But what we are seeing in increasing incidents on a daily basis….these reports that dominate every single newscast each evening, has come to the point where my husband and I no longer watch the news unless a storm is headed our way. What is WRONG with our society when a nine-year-old child shoots his parents dead in their bed, and states he did it because he wanted to know what it feels like to kill someone????? I can’t help but wonder if the violent video games and movies are contributing to many of these horrific incidents. Sad. Just sad.
This website has an interesting statistic https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jun/09/the-counted-police-killings-us-vs-other-countries . The one I am citing is that in 24 years English policemen have fatally shot 55 people but in the first 24 days of 2015 police in the USA have fatally shot 59 people – Of course there is the population difference (USA about five times the population of the UK) but still what a difference. I think the US Police are shooting people because they are assuming everyone in the USA is armed as the officer indicated. Just an observation.
Thanks for the link, Sharon. Yes, we are gun happy in this country, but the different in those numbers is shocking!
When I was a little girl, I remember that my dad carried a gun when he was in the military. Not always, but when the country would be on alert. He stored it on top of the refrigerator back then, and I remember my sister and I sneaking a look at it. It remains a strong memory all these years later. That was the closest I’ve ever been to a gun, and I hope never to see another one.
I am devastated by these mass killings and feel them deep within my soul. My heart goes out to those innocent people taken off this earth in an unfathomable way. 🙁
My dad owned a gun when he got much older and there had been burglaries in their neighborhood. But there were never any guns around when I was a kid. This kind of thing seems to be happening more and more frequently. It’s heartbreaking.
I suppose the cop has to presume everyone is armed for his own safety.
I just read that the US has the highest gun ownership rate in the world – an average of 88 per 100 people – but not for me to comment on another countries policies.
It’s also very easy to buy a gun in this country, thanks to the lobby of the national rifle association.