Introduction
On Memorial Day, I trust that you, dear reader, are doing well. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and I are doing well enough. By the way, we are hunting a replacement car for her (our) '08 Honda Civic, the long-suffering car that she drives. The air conditioning system needs to be replaced. The cost is almost what the car is worth. We won't “throw good money after bad.”
Since 5/17/2022, I have had working documents, in draft forms, for this article. Yesterday, I started to incorporate my drafts into one document. I'll write about McDonald's in Russia, the MTSU shooting, and the Uvalde shooting. Do you remember the television series “Amerika”? Before I conclude, I'll mention it.
McDonald's in Russia Closed, 5/16/2022
On Monday, 5/16/2022, I published our wedding anniversary article for my “long-suffering” wife. She published her comment later that day. Dear, why don't you be a co-writer on this website? I've offered to set you up as a writer!
That day, I'd heard, on local TV and radio, that McDonald's was closing all its restaurants in Russia. That brought back a few memories.
When we were missionaries in Russia (10/1/1994 to 9/30/1999), we bought those “Улыбки бесплатно!” meals a few times. Our first apartment was within walking distance to a McDonald's on Ulitsa Tverskaya. We also walked past that McDonald's to the Kremlin several times.
On 5/16/2022, bne IntelliNews published, “McDonald’s to continue operating in Russia under new name – RBK,” by bne intellinews, May 16, 2022. The image from that article is below.
That's a long line! By the way, our first office location was in the basement of the building, behind and to the left of that McDonald's. Our first apartment was a short walk to the right (or west) of that McDonald's.
This is my fourth article that mentions the 2022 Slavic War. See my articles of 3/8/2022, 3/20/2022, and 5/12/2022. I read those articles again yesterday. Sadly, the casualties caused by the 2022 Slavic War (Russian invasion of Ukraine) are far more profound than the temporary loss of a fast food chain.
The Moscow Times section “Ukraine: As It's Happening” contains day-by-day, even hour-by-hour, coverage about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The section has recent (current month) coverage. The Moscow Times lists their older coverage on their 24LIVEBLOG website: The Moscow Times - Ukraine.
MTSU Shooting, 5/18/2022
Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) is in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. On Wednesday, 5/18/2022, a shooting and loss of life occurred.
That day, NewsChannel 5, in Nashville, was one of several news sources that detailed that tragedy: “One dead, one critically injured in shooting outside MTSU's Murphy Center following graduation ceremony: The shooting happened after Riverdale HS held its graduation ceremony,” by Emily West, published 5/18/2022, updated 5/20/2022.
On 5/18/2022 and again yesterday, I searched MTSU News by “5/18/2022 shooting.” Both times, my search generated: “No Post Found!” MTSU, apparently, chose not to write about that shooting.
On 5/18/2022, brother in Christ, Phil Robertson, on Substack, wrote about the shooting: “What I Want You to Know About Deadly Shootings & the Broken Culture of America: The Buffalo massacre, the California church attack, and God’s solution to a land filled with depravity.” By Phil Robertson, 5/18/2022. I suggest that y'all read his words of biblical wisdom.
Brother Phil referenced the Columbine High School shooting (4/20/1999). My wife and I were in our final year in Russia. Our Russian brothers and sisters could not understand how or why anyone would kill school-aged children like that. We were all shocked.
The Columbine High School shooting was the first school shooting in this once great nation. It would not be the last.
Uvalde, Texas, Shooting, 5/24/2022
Six days later, on Tuesday, 5/24/2022, the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, occurred. The various media sources have detailed and commented on the tragedy for six days. It seems to have been longer than six days.
The Uvalde Leader-News did not have an article until 5/26/2022: “Robb shooting claims 19 children, 2 teachers,” May 26, 2022. On 5/24/2022, I had found that newspaper's website. I had searched that day and the next to find no local articles yet. Their 5/29/2022 article, “They were smart, funny, loved,” May 29, 2022, lists the names and short biographies of each person who was killed.
“Amerika”
On Saturday, 5/28/2022, I had endured enough of the opinions about the 5/24/2022 Uvalde shooting in the various media sources. Several government employees (i.e., politicians), including the President, were spinning the sadness in various directions. Some, including the President, wanted to make political hay out of the sadness. I pray for the souls of those politicians.
So, on Saturday, I did a “Norton Safe Search” for “USSA propaganda.” The reply was, “Did you mean: USSR propaganda?” The search gave me a few options.
One option was The Harvard Crimson, The University Daily, Est. 1873, article: “Back in the U.S.S.A.,” by Martha A. Bridegam, February 23, 1987. That 1987 article was about “the ABC television miniseries, 'Amerika,'” which was “the portrayal of life in a United States controlled by the Soviet Union.”
Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and I were living in Charleston, Missouri, then. I was the minister of the Charleston Church of Christ. I remember watching that miniseries, or most of it.
Conclusion
What is the conclusion to this article? The problem, in this once great nation, is the lack of morality and family values.
Morality emanates from God, the Divine Lawgiver. God places the sense of morality (i.e., conscience) in us at birth. Many, sadly, corrupt that God-given sense of morality.
Family values are based on biblical values that include a God-centered home, a Christian man and woman as husband and wife, and their children, raised accordingly.
“Gun control” legislation is not the solution. In high school, from 1974 to 1978, some older students drove pickup trucks to school. Some had shotguns or rifles hung on the rack, by the rear window, inside the cab. They had either gone hunting or were going hunting. It was not a concern. Biblical values were the norm. The only school shootings were when we shot rubber bands at each other during study hall.
By the way, “gun control” is when the shooter aims, fires, and hits the target. The target could be a bullseye for practice. It could be game for hunting. It could be to stop the imminent threat to life. A shooter who fires to murder “controls the gun,” by wicked choice. The gun does not fire itself. The evil shooter controls the gun.
“Gun control” legislation is a political sidetrack. “Shooter control” legislation is impossible, logically. Not even the Good Lord can force a person of free will to freely decide to do right and to avoid evil. It is a logical contradiction. Legislation will not resolve the moral decay that has led to increased violence in this once great nation.
The solution to the manifold moral problems, in this once great nation, is to repent and to return to God.
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14, KJV)
On Memorial Day, this once great nation is supposed to remember and honor the countless number of soldiers, who died in the name of freedom. The day is not just a day off work to eat hamburgers.
Dear Lord, may everyone, of age, in this once great nation, turn from evil, honor the sacrifice of your Son and our Savior, and seek your face, before it is too late. Amen.
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