'All we are saying ...'

Today brought to mind several songs. The National Anthem sung by Beyonce so beautifully and powerfully for one. John Lennon’s "Imagine" for another.  One that came up was Paul Simon's "Silent Night, Six O’clock News."  Looking over the day's news, of course dominated by the inauguration, that song resonated with what else was going on today. If you don’t know the song, he recorded it during the Vietnam War and he sang "Silent Night," while in the background a newsman announces news of war and other mayhem.

On a day we honor the greatest civil rights leader the United States has ever seen and on this particular one, we inaugurate the country's first African-American president for the second time, a day that should be one to glorify peace and understanding, like in Paul Simon's song, these headlines showed up on news sites reporting events other than the inauguration:

'Horrific' scene after teen allegedly kills family

'Ridiculous': Five shot on MLK Blvd. on MLK Day

SWAT team finds head, two hands after standoff

Fan stabbed after NFC Championship Game

Dad kills wife, self at daughter's 16th birthday party

1 shot dead, 1 stabbed after punk rock brawl

Feds investigate how Ohio felon obtained arsenal 

And elsewhere:

Insurgents launch 8-hour attack on Afghan traffic cops

Sahara hostage death toll will rise, Algeria warns

Algeria PM says 48 killed in gas-plant attack Kony 'bodyguard killed in CAR jungles' Hearings begin in Indian gang-rape trial Bulgaria gun attacker charged Suicide car bombing hits central Syrian town And then this one: NRA crosses line with diabolical ad featuring Obama's daughters "... is give peace a chance."  -- John Lennon, The Beatles and then there's Pete Seeger's "Where have all the flowers gone," performed by Peter, Paul and Mary