Put Your Guns Down

No more! Can you hear? Can you hear shots that killed his brother? No more!

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If you can make peace, make peace:

in the heavens, in us, in all the world.

Make peace.

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Why do we love our guns

more than our neighbors?

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When David heard that Absalom was slain, he

went up to his chamber over the gate and

wept. And thus, he said: “Oh my son

Absalom, my son, my son, Absalom! Would

God I had died for thee, oh Absalom, my son,

my son.”

II. Trayvon Martin:

What are you following me for?

III. Amadou Diallo:

Mom, I’m going to college.

V. Oscar Grant:

You shot me!

The stars are twinkling in the skies;

the earth is lost in slumbers deep.

So hush, my sweet, and close thine eyes,

and let me lull thy soul to sleep.

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Compose thy dimpled hands to rest,

and like a little birdling lie secure within thy

cozy nest upon my loving mother breast,

and slumber to my lullaby.

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So hushaby, hushaby,

hush my sweet and close thine eyes,

and slumber to my lullaby,

so hushaby, hushaby.

The moon is singing to a star

the little song I sing to you.

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The father sun has strayed afar

as baby’s sire is straying too.

And so the loving mother moon

sings to the little star on high;

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and as she sings, her gentle tune is borne to me,

and thus I croon for thee, my sweet, that

lullaby of hushaby, hushaby,

hush my sweet and close thine eyes,

and slumber to my lullaby,

so hushaby, hushaby.

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There is a little one asleep

that does not hear his mother’s song;

but angel watchers as I weep

surround his grave the night-tide long.

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And as I sing, my sweet, to you,

oh, would the lullaby I sing,

the same sweet lullaby he knew

while slumbering on this bosom too,

were borne to him on angel’s wing!

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So hushaby, hushaby,

lullaby, lullaby, hushaby, hushaby,

lullaby.

No! Don’t go!

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Don’t let your worst day be your last.

The storm is strong, but it will pass.

You think you can’t go on another day,

but please stay. Just stay.

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Hope is real. Help is real.

You are breath, you are life,

you are beauty, you are light.

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Your story is not over.

You are not a burden to anyone.

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Please stay. Just stay.

All beings tremble before violence

sǝbbĕ tāntǝsī dǝndāsǝ

All fear death

sǝbbĕ bhǝyyǝntĭ mǝchūnō

All love life

sǝbbĕ sǝm jĭvītǝm pĭyǝm

See yourself in others.

Then whom can you hurt?

What harm can you do?

For he who seeks happiness (su-khǝ)

By hurting those who seek happiness

Will never find happiness

For your brother and your sister, they are like you

They, too, long to be happy

Never harm them.

dǝndēnā nǝ hĭmsǝtī

And when you leave this life

Then you will find happiness too

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Sing, Be, Live, See.

This dark stormy hour,

The wind, it stirs.

The scorched earth

Cries out in vain:

O war and power,

You blind and blur,

The torn heart

Cries out in pain.

But music and singing

Have been my refuge,

And music and singing

Shall be my light.

A light of song

Shining Strong: Alleluia!

Through darkness, pain, and strife, I'll

Sing, Be, Live, See...

Peace.

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Eye for eye and the world goes blind,

And how deep that darkness, and the light

nowhere to find.

Life for life and the killing goes on,

And how deep that darkness,

like a night without a dawn.

Hate feeds hate in a bitter feast,

And how deep that darkness,

turns human-kind into a hungry beast.

Give us light, give us light that we may see.

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If the mind is sinful,

blamable,

intent on works,

acting on impulses,

producing cutting and splitting,

quarrels, faults and pains,

if it injures living beings,

if it kills creatures,

then one should not employ such a mind in action.

tǝhǝpǝgārǝm mǝnǝm nō pǝdhārĭjjā gǝmǝnāĕ.

If the speech is sinful,

blamable,

intent on works,

acting on impulses,

producing cutting and splitting,

quarrels, faults and pains,

if it injures living beings,

if it kills creatures,

then one should not utter that sinful speech.

tǝhǝpǝgārǝm vāĭm nō ŭccārĭjjā.

jĕ yĕ mǝnĕ pāvǝĕ

sāvǝjjĕ

sǝkĭrĭyĕ

ǝnhǝyǝkǝrĕ

chǝyǝkǝrĕ

bhǝyǝkǝrĕ

ǝhĭgǝrǝnĭĕ

pāŭsĭĕ

pārĭyāvĭĕ

bhūōvǝghāĭĕ

tǝhǝpǝgārǝm mǝnǝm nō pǝdhārĭjjā gǝmǝnāĕ

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