Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Is This What It's Come To?

The pro-gun forces have a new tactic - let's arm everyone.  Instead of decrying lists and bans and gun-free-zones, they are in favor of guns everywhere.  After all, you never know when the bullets might start flying; it's best to be prepared.

The fact is that the lone armed good guy when I was shot kept his sidearm holstered, choosing a plastic lawn chair as his weapon.  Afraid of being identified as a shooter by first responders, afraid of hitting an innocent, this well-trained, long time gun owner never fired a shot.

Yes, I saw the news clip from February, 2014, applauding the mother who repelled 3 young men, returning home invaders who had been terrorizing her neighborhood for months, by warning them and then firing her small assault weapon - a gift from her husband after the thugs first visit, two weeks earlier. They were captured soon after.  I'm glad she and her children are safe; I wonder why the police were so quick to nab the perpetrators after months of failure.... or were they even trying at all?  If the neighborhood had been under siege for all that time, I'd think the police chief would be apologizing for the fact that a mom had to do his officers' job, rather than complimenting her on "doing everything right."

People are fleeing Syria because the bullets are flying.  It's not that much different here, it seems.

I spent three wonderful days watching a little one grow.  She feels safe and secure (even more so when clinging to her mother) and so did I and now not so much and I'm just not certain that I can imagine her world, where small arms training is part of kindergarten.

This is not the way it was supposed to be.  There were so many of us, Baby Booming along, preaching peace and love and understanding.  Where has that energy gone?  Why are the loudest voices those espousing divisiveness and hatred?  George Wallace made a lot of noise, but so did Eugene McCarthy.  Is it that the Democrats don't have the drama and therefore the air time? Is it that Donald J Trump and the even scarier Ted Cruz make better tv?

Is this what it's come to?

3 comments:

  1. I'm tired. I want to fight, but this is a battle I've been fighting since before you were shot. For more than five years, I've been doing this and absolutely NOTHING has been done to curb gun violence. Reading this article last night brought me to tears. 555 children under 12 have been killed since Newtown and not one damn thing has been done to stop it. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gun-control-congress_566ec8dce4b011b83a6bc0cd

    I was hugging my little man this morning and as I'm holding him and feeling his skin next to mine, all I kept thinking about were the parents that lost their children to gun violence and how much they longed to hold them again. I know holding him should be my catalyst, but it's hard to fight a battle when you feel like you are not making a difference.

    I'm so afraid that this is our normal now. Mass shootings every day and people taking a collective sigh that at least it wasn't their family affected, but that's going to get harder and harder to do.

    Not sure what else to do...

    Sending hugs!


    Megan xxx

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  2. It's clear that in our nation many people are unhappy and dissatisfied with their lives. I'm not sure why, but part of it is lack of opportunity, the decline of middle class income and lifestyle, a much harder struggle to get ahead. It makes people want to hang on to what they have, be selfish, be fearful, and hunker down. That makes them vulnerable to hate talk and fearmongering. So naturally, to attract votes, political candidates feed that fear.
    I find it very disconcerting that truth no longer matters, loving peace and generosity equates to being weak, and carrying a gun makes you strong.

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  3. True, Ladies, absolutely true. I have no other words.
    a/b

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