“To send light into the darkness of men’s hearts; such is the obligation of the artist.” —Robert Schumann
Diary entry | 2016.06.13.021 | Heart of Darkness
In my diary, I often do a drawing to reflect my mood or reaction to a daily event. I am not particularly good at writing how I feel. Drawing is a way for me to express my feelings. On June 12, 2016 there was another mass shooting. I was in my studio the next morning and felt paralyzed by yet another senseless shooting. I could not paint much less express my outrage. The 49 young people killed at The Pulse club in Orlando was yet another, almost daily, mass shooting. I rarely use the word hate because it is such a powerful word. I reserve the word for things that are truly disgusting to humanity. The National Rifle Association is one of my few exceptions. I truly hate this organization.
So, why am I writing about this event more than a year and a half later. Someone is interested in receiving the drawing I did that day. In going back through my drawings and diary to locate the drawing (which I had posted on my Facebook Page for Schererworks.com) my emotions were awakened again. Looking at the entry and drawing again, reminds me that we have not made much progress in controlling gun violence. The president did not even mention it in his state of the union speech on January 30, 2108. This is, of course, no surprise. If you are interested in how a mass shooting is defined, this is the link to an excellent article at Politifact.com. If you care to see the mapping and listing of all US mass shootings, the Gun Violence Archive tracks every mass shooting. The US averaged one a day in 2017.
I will continue to do my art in my humble attempt to bring light into the heart of darkness. I will continue to give it away in exchange for a gift to a local library or literacy cause. For only through enlightenment can we make progress.
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