What Can You Do…

Posted on 17 December, 2012 by | 137 Comments

Today’s Music: Maura Kennedy – Chains

And here we are again.
To be honest I’ve read exceptionally little about the latest tragedy. I think I’m becoming inured to this kind of news.

Look over that last sentence.
I’m becoming inured. To stories of shootings. At schools.

How the hell is that possible?

Simple. The news of the shooting will be reported. It will be re-reported. It will be analyzed. Heartrending pictures of the victims will be shown, news conferences of grieving parents, footage of makeshift memorials filled with flowers, candles, stuffed animals will be shown.
And then, once the initial story is covered, the talking heads will come out. The Left heads will go on about how guns have no place in our society, and it’s the fault of the lobbyists for limiting regulation on them.
The Right heads will go on about he left is politicizing this in a callous use of politics during the tragedy. They’ll tell us that guns aren’t the problem, and that if one of one of the teachers had been packing heat, then this could have been averted, so guns are in fact the answer.

They’ll go around in circles. In the viewership, each side will say bad things about the other. The noise level will rise, and then subside, then fade away as we’re distracted by other things.
Until the next tragedy. And we’ll go around again.

So here’s my suggestion, for those of you who are against guns: Join the NRA.
I have absolutely no idea how long it will take, but just as the nature of political parties change over time, so do the nature of organizations.
Reform the the NRA from the inside. Membership is $35 a year. Not a lot of money, and worth if for a year or more experiment to see if we can change it from the inside.

For those of you who are against gun regulation, please explain how the overriding impetus of the NRA to protect gun ownership of any type of gun, with as minimal regulation as possible is a good idea.
This isn’t me taking a shot at you. I’ve fired guns.I enjoy it.
But I’d like to know how a drive to limit access (or increase screening/waiting periods) is a bad thing.
Even Freedom Of Speech, our most sacred amendment, has limits on it.

Naive?
Probably.
Idealistic?
Definitely.

But our elected officials generally ain’t worth the ink their name was printed in on the ballot. And I have no idea how to start my own lobby or ramp it up to a degree where it’s listened to. If you have any ideas on that let me know.

I’ll be listening. After I’ve begun establishing a fifth column in the NRA.

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137 responses to “What Can You Do…”

  1. Edward Hotspur | 17 December, 2012 at 12:35 | Reply

    Change comes from within?

    Like

  2. kayjai | 17 December, 2012 at 12:38 | Reply

    A tragedy on so many levels…guns need to have regulations, like anything else. Nice post, Guap.

    Like

  3. WSW | 17 December, 2012 at 12:40 | Reply

    When it comes to entrenched political positions, Mr. Reasonable left the building a long time ago as far as I can tell.

    Like

  5. twindaddy | 17 December, 2012 at 13:02 | Reply

    Admittedly, I have watched zero coverage of this tragedy. My wife began IM’ing me at work the other day to tell me what was going on and I asked her to stop. I’m tired of this. I’m tired of the barbarism humanity is capable of. And I’m tired of it being glorified by the news and I’m tired of all the tired arguments that ensue after each incident.

    Guap, I hope you’re successful in your quest. I’m just tired.

    Like

  6. sameburndifferentflame | 17 December, 2012 at 13:04 | Reply

    What’s silly is that gun rights become the topic, but they aren’t the issue. The common thread between all of these young men who have committed these horrible acts of murder is mental illness. Something is going on… and more or less gun regulation isn’t the answer. The answer making mental health services accessible and affordable.
    If we get lost in the gun debate, many more will die. We have to go to the source: healthy, balanced human beings don’t kill others. Period.
    I’ve gotten to the point where I can’t even watch the news or read the stories anymore. It’s all sensationalized, and it’s painful for me. Instead, I’m choosing to focus on supporting organizations like NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). If I work toward a solution, maybe I will feel like I’m not part of the problem. You know?

    Like

    • Ashley Austrew | 17 December, 2012 at 13:20 | Reply

      I agree with you about mental illness, but I disagree that gun regulation isn’t the answer. This is a problem with many answers, and getting assault rifles out of the hands of the general population is definitely one of them.

      Like

    • El Guapo | 17 December, 2012 at 13:25 | Reply

      Yes Flame! exactly that.
      Hopefully we can start from different sides and meet in the middle.

      The attitude towards mental illness is definitely an issue, but none of it happens in a vacuum. Since all the issues hear are intertwined, I think pressure on all sides is the way to go.

      Like

    • runningonsober | 17 December, 2012 at 13:32 | Reply

      I think we are broken on many levels. Hard looks at and reform of both gun laws and the way we view and treat mental illness are both critical first steps.

      I thought this was a well written post on the challenges a parent of a mentally ill child faces:
      http://thebluereview.org/i-am-adam-lanzas-mother/

      Guap, thank you for the post my friend. Will check out the song later. -C

      Like

  7. Ashley Austrew | 17 December, 2012 at 13:17 | Reply

    This is such a great post and call to action. I wrote on my blog, too, about all the changes I want to see inthe aftermath of this tragedy, and I think you inspiring people to get involved and make their voices heard in a new way is inspiring. Thank you.

    Like

  8. Daan van den Bergh | 17 December, 2012 at 13:20 | Reply

    I promised myself not to blog this week and i won’t, I made an exception to leave a comment on your post. As it fits exactly with the post that I left yesterday on my blog. People need to start listening instead of always yelling and throwing accusations. Great post man and I’d appreciate your input on the one on my blog.

    Like

  9. dreamshadow59 | 17 December, 2012 at 13:33 | Reply

    I realize that this is a National tragedy BUT…enough is enough already. Let those poor affected people grieve by themselves and with their loved ones. Keep the media circus to a minimum.

    Like

  10. John Phillips | 17 December, 2012 at 13:37 | Reply

    As disgusting and crazy as the shootings are themselves, I was most nauseated by the press. Interviewing 8 year olds, crashing memorials, camping out in the fathers driveway and being the first to tell him, misidentifying the shooter, misplacing the mother as a teacher at the school. And lets nit forget the fools from westboro. The frenzy was ridiculous and completely disrespectful. As far as change, definitely. It won’t stop these abhorrent acts from occurring but will make it harder. If a nut bar wants a gun, they will find one, but why make it so easy. Canada has pretty tough gun control, yet this crap happens here to, usually with unregistered and controlled weapons. U hope there is something positive that comes from this. Something, anything. I don’t agree with the Feinstein’s of the world very often, but I do here. Why does anyone need an automatic assault rifle? The only thing I can think if is to defend ones self from someone else with the same weapon. My rant for the day. I am done.

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  11. Elyse | 17 December, 2012 at 13:39 | Reply

    What a brilliant idea, Guap. Seriously. How else can non-crazies take over the NRA?

    It occurred to me this morning that one thing that nobody mentions about the Founding Fathers and their inclusion of the 2nd Amendment. 15 years before the 2nd Amendment, our forefathers wrote that:

    “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

    I don’t know about anybody else, but I’m not very happy looking down the barrel of a gun. Are you?

    And that came first. It is not a chicken and egg situation. The right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness came first.

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  12. life is a bowl of kibble | 17 December, 2012 at 13:43 | Reply

    Guapo, gun control is a tiny bandaid to the real problem. Our children are falling apart. They are suffering with mental illest and no one is reaching out to them.

    As far as gun control, I have a gun. I use my gun. I entend to keep my gun, gun control or not. I don’t agree that automatic weapons should be in the hand of ordinary citizens. There needs to be an amendment to the constitution that can help in that regard but even then it will not stop the problem. Remember this where there is a will there is a way.

    Like

    • El Guapo | 17 December, 2012 at 23:00 | Reply

      I wholeheartedly support your right to own a gun, Kibble, and wouldn’t want to take that away from you. But I agree that there should be a limit to the types/capabilities of weapons that can be bought and sold on an open market.

      Like

  13. Smaktakula | 17 December, 2012 at 13:49 | Reply

    Even Freedom Of Speech, our most sacred amendment, has limits on it.

    Yes, but those limits are very minor (‘fire in a crowded theater.”) I have noticed that recently people seem to be taking a more liberal (used in the true sense of the word, not as political identification) view of that exception, which worries me. Sticks and stones may break my bones, and apparently words, too.

    While it’s true that you may be increasingly inured to these tragedies, I don’t believe it’s a result of any lack of caring. If somebody slaps your cheek ten times, you’re probably not gonna feel that tenth blow, but it still does damage. Human beings are remarkable coping machines, and our brains tone down that which we just can’t get our head around. There’s no way to make sense of this tragedy, and the deepest parts of your brain no better than to try.

    I think the reason it’s so hard to have the gun control debate is that powerful interests on both sides don’t want compromise. Both sides talk about compromise, but it seems like the monied interests at both ends want either NO guns or or assault rifles for everyone.

    What people on both sides need to understand is that the people on the other side of the argument have a point. I think anyone who doesn’t see this in nuanced terms, doesn’t really understand the issue.

    Like

    • El Guapo | 17 December, 2012 at 23:05 | Reply

      Very well put, Smak.
      My comparison of limits on the first amendment was to say that I don’t understand why limits on the 2nd are impossible.
      And as far as the nuances, yes! I’m going to have to figure out some course of study to figure out what they are, because I really don;t think it’s such a black and white issue overall.

      Like

      • Smaktakula | 17 December, 2012 at 23:44 | Reply

        Well realize, that you come from the industrial East (I’m assuming you grew up in the NY area; if you’re originally from Wyoming, Idaho or some other redneck state, just skip this first bit) where gun ownership–at least visible gun ownership–is confined to criminals. However, the Western United States (with the exception of some of the larger metro areas) is very much a gun culture. I am not a gun owner myself, but I grew up around it. Many of my high school friends own a variety of firearms. Some are hunters, some are target shooters (one semi-pro), and some just like having guns. Irrespective of gun violence, you have to realize that there are millions of people who have lived their entire lives understanding gun ownership to be a right and a big part of their lives. When gun-control proponents (many of whom have grown up outside a gun culture) fail to understand this they trash any form of compromise. Like any complex situation involving different groups with strongly held opinions (race relations, terrorism, abortion) you get nowhere by failing to understand the other side. Even slavery, that most heinous of American institutions, was hastened in its demise by men like Abraham Lincoln, who although he opposed and ultimately defeated the South, made damn sure he understood them.

        Like

        • El Guapo | 17 December, 2012 at 23:49 | Reply

          I remember working a restaurant in midtown Manhattan, and having a gun dealer visit. He had the paperwork pre-set, and for a simple fee, would have…creatively navigated all the hurdles for me to get an NYC carry permit.
          I have no objection to gun ownership, hunting or target shooting. but I don’t think amassing an arsenal is necessarily a good thing.

          I also noticed the NRA lobby arm is devoted to killing any legislation that in any way, no matter how peripherally, impacts gun ownership or access to guns.
          It’s both sides that don’t understand each other, I think.
          But how do you fix that?

          Like

          • Smaktakula | 18 December, 2012 at 00:31 | Reply

            It’s both sides that don’t understand each other, I think.

            Absolutely. They just shout at one another.

            But how do you fix that?

            Well, by not shouting, first of all.
            Seriously, though–I think the needed fix goes beyond this issue and beyond right and left, even. In the last couple decades the rational argument has been replaced by the zero-sum argument. Remember the expressions “You’ve got a point” and “I hadn’t considered that”? They’re ancient history. Public discourse is so lacking in nuance that it’s become like two rival pep-rallies being held in the same auditorium. You can’t hear me shouting “SAN DIMAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL RULES!” ’cause you’re to busy screaming “NO FAT CHICKS!”

            The only way to fix it is by not stooping to that kind of thing, and by gently calling your friends out when they do that. By teaching our children the right way to argue and how to think critically about issues. The causes are multifaceted and so must be any solution. Sadly, not enough people realize that there’s a problem.

            Like

  14. A Gripping Life | 17 December, 2012 at 14:28 | Reply

    I saw somebody on the news who possibly had it right… He said that the stigma of mental illness in this country has to be lifted. Every person should be educated in the signs and symptoms of this type of psychotic break. These guys are all around the same age – coincidentally, the age that visual and auditory hallucinations first take place. This mom, I just heard, was keeping him under wraps. She kept him isolated, she was nervous for her son to go out. Why? Did she see signs of real trouble and ignore them because, what would people think?? It’s very possible. So with all these other “solutions” let’s put this obvious one at the top of the heap. If your child is in his or her late teens and is acting in anti-social ways, is awkward, angry and isolating, has no friends or healthy interests and is unable to emote as a normal teen would at this age… THEN GET THEM HELP! It’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s a chemical imbalance not something to be embarrassed about. Mental illness is no different than any other illness. We need to get educated and stop reinforcing the old messages of “crazy.” Don’t be afraid, be concerned and compassionate. I’ve worked with this population for many years. They need medical intervention and someone to help them stay on course. That’s all.

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    • El Guapo | 17 December, 2012 at 23:08 | Reply

      You’re absolutely right, Grippy. I only hope (as Addie notes below) that mental illness, instead of getting attention and funding for support, doesn’t becomes even more of a scapegoat in the aftermath here.

      (And you’re thoughts, wrapped with “that is all” is worth at least a dozen of my posts on the subject.)
      (Well, eleven at least.)
      (ten or eleven.)
      (just sayin…)

      Like

  15. Addie | 17 December, 2012 at 14:31 | Reply

    Not just changes to the NRA and gun laws, but, more funding for mental health is needed. Both the Aurora shooter and the young man in Connecticut had mental health issues, and exploded. I do find myself bristling at the sudden bringing up of Asperger’s and the Connecticut shooter–my Bud has Asperger’s, and, a more gentle soul can’t be found. I am afraid people will automatically assume all people with the syndrome are violent, either outwardly or in an internal way, and, thus, show prejudice (more than is shown already) towards those same folk.

    Like

    • A Gripping Life | 17 December, 2012 at 18:21 | Reply

      Those diagnosed with Asperger’s are in NO WAY predisposed to violence, rage, or criminal activity. If this gunman had been diagnosed with Asperger’s then you can bet he would have had a dual diagnosis with some psychiatric disorder such a schizoaffective, etc. There is no data to link violence with Asperger’s – if anything they are blunted and mild in the way they present.
      This is what I mean, though. People are so uneducated with regard to Mental illness that they’ll throw any label on anything that they think fits.

      Like

      • Addie | 17 December, 2012 at 20:22 | Reply

        This is why listening to the talking heads give their version of why he acted the way he did, and drag in the Asperger’s diagnosis is so upsetting to me. The person who did this was mentally unstable for reasons we do not know and may never know, but, Asperger’s wasn’t the culprit. He was highly intelligent (as was the Aurora shooter) and socially inept (again, the Aurora shooter comes to mind), but, that doesn’t mean he had Asperger’s.

        We need more support for the mentally ill in this country–far too often, that support only comes when they are hospitalized, and then, it’s short lived.

        Thanks for this, Grippy. You expressed my thoughts in a far more detailed and professional manner.

        Like

    • El Guapo | 17 December, 2012 at 23:09 | Reply

      You know, Addie, I don’t think I’d be surprised (or at all sad) if the NRA made a massive contribution to mental health organizations in the wake of this.

      Like

  16. Addie | 17 December, 2012 at 14:33 | Reply

    Once again, Grippy and I post around the same time with the same basic POV, only she has hers far better thought out.

    Like

  17. Carrie Rubin | 17 December, 2012 at 14:53 | Reply

    Given the horrific nature of this event, one would like to think it won’t be more of the same. But like you, I worry it will.

    Like

  18. John Erickson | 17 December, 2012 at 15:18 | Reply

    You might just be onto something here. Unfortunately, the other half of the equation is the mental health treatment in this country. And both of them, down at their root, have a pure profit motive that (sadly) overrides common sense.
    Let’s hope the blood of 20 children tips the scales enough toward action.

    Like

  19. Nicole Marie | 17 December, 2012 at 15:28 | Reply

    Nice to hear your thoughts on this. While I support the second amendment, there really should be more thorough screening processes. And even so, I don’t think anyone should have an assault rifle in their home.

    Like

  20. No Blog Intended | 17 December, 2012 at 15:30 | Reply

    I’m with you. There’s nothing wrong woth weapons as long as everyone knows what to do with them – and that is not killing someone else. Unfortunately there are still too many people who don’t get that. Limit access is therefore a great thing. I don’t see the point of not doing that. There’s a reason this happens way more often in the US than for example in Belgium… It’s not that we have less children who aren’t able to do it…

    Like

    • El Guapo | 17 December, 2012 at 23:32 | Reply

      Thanks NBI.
      I think educating people on the damage weapons can do, as well as a stronger focus on health services for the mentally ill (as mentioned in other comments) should also be part of the solution.

      Like

  21. calahan | 17 December, 2012 at 15:53 | Reply

    When someone uses an assault rifle on animals, they’re sportsmen and in no way seen as sociopathic. Nobody needs assault rifles. Nobody needs to own anything that has a hostile verb in its name.

    Like

  22. rebecca2000 | 17 December, 2012 at 16:56 | Reply

    I really don’t get it. Don’t people realize that this guy wouldn’t have shot the kids if his mother didn’t have all those guns? She took him to the gun range with her. They are calling for more of what caused the deaths in the first place.

    Like

  23. sandylikeabeach | 17 December, 2012 at 17:50 | Reply

    Great post and great suggestion to initiate change from the inside.

    Like

  24. free penny press | 17 December, 2012 at 19:51 | Reply

    I have not watched one news report of this horrific event and I will not.. I will spend my time praying and sending strength to those in mourning.. change Washington? Wake me when it happens.
    🙂

    Like

  25. Emily @ The Waiting | 17 December, 2012 at 20:06 | Reply

    I completely agree with you. Change MUST come from within.

    Like

  26. BuddhaKat | 17 December, 2012 at 21:01 | Reply

    Excellent point, EG… and one I’ve not yet heard, refreshingly so… I have no solutions, either, and I 200% agree with the concept that the focus needs to be on mental health education and support.
    Another great idea posited by Morgan Freeman suggests that by media circusing such events as this, we keep them alive. What do you think that young man was thinking before he began shooting? He was most likely thinking how he was going to end his own suffering, but by taking a high number of innocents with him, he becomes immortal. Perhaps even an entry in the Guinness book. What a dishonor we do to all future perpetraters, who get this same “fame virus” into their heads and obsess about how to outdo the worst of the worst.
    There is no one or even easy answer. Perhaps we do need another American revolution whereby a new Constitution and perhaps a new Declaration of Social Compassion. Because we are already independent, or can be.
    Thanks for a great stimulating post, my friend!!

    🙂

    Like

  27. Red | 17 December, 2012 at 23:46 | Reply

    Nice rant, Guap. I am not against guns, although I do not own one. I want my sons-in-law to have them…they are in the Marines and the Airborne. I do not want my neighbor to have the same kind as my sons. After that, I am good.

    As always, my problem is we are talking about guns when what we should be talking about is education and mental illness. You stopped by for my rant. I think, as always, the words are bleeding the wrong place like a leech in the middle of the forehead.

    *crawling back under rock until it is over*

    Like

    • El Guapo | 17 December, 2012 at 23:52 | Reply

      There’s a ton of wisdom in those words, Red.
      And I think another sad result of the mass of shootings, is that we have no way to respond to them besides the usual FOR GUNS!!!/AGAINST GUNS!!! screaming that there always is.

      Like

      • Red | 17 December, 2012 at 23:59 | Reply

        My children like to draw me into the debate. They point to my sharpshooting medals and ask me how I cannot stand on one side of the meme aisle. I tell them, because when you can tell me the history behind what you believe is true, I will be willing to help you judge its veracity. Until then, please refill my coffee.

        Then again, you need a license for a car or a gun, but you do not need one to breed. Perhaps, you can see where my issues truly lie.

        Like

  28. gingerfightback | 18 December, 2012 at 03:30 | Reply

    Good idea and also lose this attachment to a constitution written for a world a away from where you are today. Always dangerous giving aged texts unchallenged primacy. A refuge for scoundrels

    Like

    • El Guapo | 18 December, 2012 at 18:52 | Reply

      Thanks GfB.
      I don’t know that ditching the Constitution is a good (or even possible) idea.
      But I do think some of it needs to be updated for modern times.

      One good thing about our court system is that the Constitution can be challenged and changed. It just takes a lot of political will to do it.

      Like

  29. Alex Autin | 18 December, 2012 at 07:45 | Reply

    While this incident is clearly one of mental health, there is no way we can cast all the blame in that direction and eliminate the contribution of guns from the equation. While you were right in blasting the media for turning this tragedy into a complete circus, society also has to take some blame in contributing to the frenzy. I’m convinced that a major incentive for a large portion of the shooters in these mass killings is the knowledge that they will become shockingly immortalized. We’ve all witnessed how very possible it is to create large scale death, destruction, and infamy without the use of guns. However, again, this does not negate the ability of readily available guns and ammunition in simplifying this process.
    As Smak brilliantly pointed out there are no easy answers when it come to gun control. Neither side understands the other, and neither side will capitulate. If anything ‘good’ comes out of this it would hopefully be a heightened sense of awareness in gun owners as to their responsibility in keeping their weapons out of the hands of those who might misuse them to such a tragic degree. Had the mother in this case, knowing her son to be mentally unstable, removed the guns from her home perhaps this would have been avoided. Perhaps. We can easily state that a mind determined to end it all and take out innocents in the process thus becoming infamous would find some other way of making that possible…however, were there no guns in that home this process would have been more difficult, and that difficulty could have resulted in the victims of Friday’s shooting being alive today.
    (On a side note Guapo, my write-in response to last Friday’s Foolishness poll was written BEFORE I learned of this tragedy. I’ll please trust you to delete it and not publish it. In light of this event, it is neither funny nor appropriate.)

    Like

    • El Guapo | 18 December, 2012 at 18:51 | Reply

      Well said, Alex.
      There are so many factors that contribute to something like this that it’s overwhelming to look at it and even try and figure out where to start.
      But I really appreciate your comments, and the rest of the thoughtful ones this got.
      It really does help to hang out with the smart kids to solidify ones thoughts.

      And as reluctant as I am to do it, I’ll delete your write in from the next post.

      Like

  30. The Hook | 18 December, 2012 at 09:23 | Reply

    I like the “change from within” tactic…
    I just hope something changes – and soon.

    Like

  31. magsx2 | 18 December, 2012 at 09:37 | Reply

    Hi,
    I was so shocked when I read about the shootings at the school, and my thoughts go out to all those family’s and their friends.
    I totally agree, I think the media has turned this tragedy into a circus.

    Like

    • El Guapo | 18 December, 2012 at 18:48 | Reply

      Unfortunately, the media makes it even worse, Magsx2.

      And on another note, it’s great to see you again, and I hope all is well on your side of the world.

      Like

      • magsx2 | 18 December, 2012 at 18:54 | Reply

        I was enjoying my little break and getting some renovations done on the house when my Dad had to have a by-pass operation, a very worrying time he is 81 so you can imagine, but he is doing great, I will be looking after him until he is back on his feet.
        I now have a bit more time and thought I would catch up as much as possible, I will not be blogging till the New Year, but it is great to be able to go around some blogs again.

        Like

        • El Guapo | 18 December, 2012 at 18:57 | Reply

          I’d seen you mention that in some comments elsewhere.
          Having gone through something similar recently, I’m really glad it turned out well, and hope you and him have a blast together.

          And I’m looking forward to seeing you online again!

          Like

  32. asplenia | 18 December, 2012 at 10:26 | Reply

    I really like the idea of joining the NRA in order to become one with it instead of fighting it. It makes so much more sense to bend policy from the inside than break it from the out.

    Like

  33. bipolarmuse | 18 December, 2012 at 10:59 | Reply

    Great post Guap. Wish I had something intelligent one way or another about guns to spew out but I don’t. I can say that I enjoy having a pistol on my nightstand in case it is needed in a jiffy (no kids live or come here)… but I could live without it as well.

    Like

    • El Guapo | 18 December, 2012 at 18:46 | Reply

      Thanks Muse.
      I think if you’ve had proper training on your gun and what it can do, and have safety in mind when handling it, there’s no reason you shouldn’t have your gun.

      Like

  34. The Bumble Files | 18 December, 2012 at 12:28 | Reply

    Great, thoughtful post, EG. I’m sick about all of this. I hope it does force change. If this doesn’t I’m not sure what else will. It’s easy to be cynical, but I have to have hope now. I never thought about joining the NRA. Interesting approach. The more I learn about guns and the stats, the more anxious I feel about it.

    Like

    • El Guapo | 18 December, 2012 at 18:45 | Reply

      Thanks Bumble. I don’t think it’s the availability of guns, but the attitude toward them. I think there’s a divide of misunderstanding, and I’d like to see education and accountability used to close it.

      Like

  35. Androgoth | 18 December, 2012 at 19:17 | Reply

    This whole scenario of guns has increased vastly over the years and with it these terrible happenings have become yet another frightening statistic that we would all wish to eradicate, but realistically even though these most heinous acts of horror are becoming more frequent it is just not feasible to neutralise or in fact disarm everyone. I hate to see this heartache, the spilling of innocent blood, the sheer terror that accompanies these horrible crimes, the fear and dreadful panic it produces and the never-ending sorrow of parents losing their children through a carnage that is almost impossible to tame.

    I am not American and so my thoughts on this posting are limited due to the lack of fully understanding the need to carry such weapons but surely there can be some kind of compromise, somewhere? Automatic and semi-automatic assault weapons need to be taken out of the mainstream and other weapons should have a more strict code in place, but hey what do I know?

    Only that children and teachers alike should not be dying in their schools, not anywhere should there be this horrendous nervousness about leaving a child in school, not panicking about shooters entering and mindlessly killing innocents, taking away the lives of children and indeed anyone in their sick agendas for that matter. Something needs to be done, and I sincerely hope that this will be soon.

    Androgoth

    Like

    • El Guapo | 19 December, 2012 at 21:52 | Reply

      The perspective of a non-American is appreciated, Andro. We get very caught up with our heads up our own asses, so the view from someone with a different perspective is appreciated.
      And everything you say makes sense to me.

      Like

      • Androgoth | 20 December, 2012 at 18:20 | Reply

        Thank you El Guapo…
        Hopefully in time these
        gruesome instances will
        be a thing of the past…

        Be very well my wicked friend 🙂

        Androgoth

        Like

  36. GiggsMcGill Jill | 19 December, 2012 at 02:06 | Reply

    Really well written Guap. Some interesting points – especially about people against guns joining the NRA and changing it from the inside. It makes sense. People are more likely to listen to someone who’s experiencing what they are and understands their position (aka: someone in the same club).

    Like

  37. Jen and Tonic | 19 December, 2012 at 14:05 | Reply

    I agree that we get numb at some point. Someone said it best (I think it was Emily at The Waiting Blog) when they stated that we say things like, “How to minimize the impact next time” as though we’ve accepted that inevitable conclusion. I hate that. I agree that we need to be proactive in changing things.

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  38. whatimeant2say | 19 December, 2012 at 19:09 | Reply

    I agree with you, as usual. Too many people think that things must be one extreme or the other. And tragedies like these reinforce that, unfortunately.

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  39. Cayman Thorn | 19 December, 2012 at 21:37 | Reply

    Perspective is one of those words that’s in big fat supply when the dark days come calling, but it goes missing when the time comes for ‘conversation’.
    I was driving to my niece’s birthday party last Saturday when I passed a gun shop whose parking lot had spilled over into a secondary lot. So there I was, taking in this picture of reactionary individuals hoarding up their ‘God givens’ in fearful anticipation of what they might lose. Silly me, I thought we had already lost way too much the day before.

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  40. Enchanted Seashells | 20 December, 2012 at 00:46 | Reply

    what a great idea, infiltrate from within. All I know is that this better stop. What is wrong with us!

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  41. Lafemmeroar | 20 December, 2012 at 09:48 | Reply

    You’re post, for some reason, got me thinking about Derrida’s deconstruction theory … I like the way your noodle rolls. Digging this now.

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  42. Stacy | 20 December, 2012 at 12:32 | Reply

    I don’t want to bury my head in the sand. And I don’t want to become inured. But I am tired of being scared and sad. I wish there were a cure for this condition, other than turning off the television. ❤

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  43. Sandra | 20 December, 2012 at 18:06 | Reply

    Great post–I had never thought of achieving change in this manner before. I just sincerely hope that something is changed and we at the least reach a middle ground. This is unspeakable horror and there should be no “next time.”

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  44. Pingback: EARLY – Thursday’s edition of the FridayFractalFeature… « BuddhaKat

  45. LizzieCracked | 21 December, 2012 at 04:00 | Reply

    Why does it need to turn into a hulbaloo about gun control? Or a surge of either unnderstanding or sadly – hatred of those with mental illness because it turns out the shooter was mentally ill… its too late. I, like John Phillips am appalled by the media and their …ways. I will leave the room if the tv is on – who the fuck would interview a 5 yo or 8 or those are my kds ages but then too – they can;t just get the kids on camera – at least I would think – they need consent.. from who? Look at what kind of sociaty we have become where we value ..2 cars and a big house more than time with our kids…

    its not gonna change anything to lock up the crazies – there will be more they have been around forever – guns even without guns there are horrific crimes…

    I am prone to psychosis .. do I get violent and want to go to a school and shoot it up .. Oh my God – why is it guns and mental illness- my own mother thought…nevermind but Mental illness does not cause the urge and give the idea and tell the brain it is ok to do something like that…

    Being so over exposed to violence on tv and in video games has made these kids today think that ..think that its like tv.. the y have no clue of the horrific nature of what they do because they play games on the computer where you shoot others and its their arms and legs and heads blow up…I found my 5 yo playing it.. everybody wants to point the fingers and blame someone – good God why not? We aren;t responsible for what happened those kids – that kid himself that did what he did – its not our fault but we will find out whose it is…

    It is because we have become complacent and full of shit. We leave our kids to fend for themselves against things we didn;t even dream of as kids and they see every day. Try not watching tv for a month then turn on a favorite crime show – I have not watched anything except here and there…for over a year and I am appalled that I was completely immersed in the shows whose violence – and mistreatment of people was so bad – that I get sick to my stomach – literally ill,,,the news too I can not and will not watch the news ONe reporter asked ‘ When we come back the hard question to ask and answer – will this change the tone of the town….’ Mouth open watching the idiocy that they let us watch and think is ok and we will all gather round sing Kumbayaya pray for change try to make changes some – except they aren;t the right ones..and we will get bored and move on and forget the talk ..and then it will happen again..just like it did and has been… . its a stupid political debate going on forever –

    what about – maybe people should take parenting classes or.. get their priorities straght – take responsiblity and accountability for themselves and ..their children to an extent… all we are doing is playing nanny nanny boo boo with forces we can;t win against because no one wants to be responsible and accountable – and do not dare think i am putting myself over anyone – I made mistakes with my kids I had times where i should have been paying attention and they effed up and it was my responsibility… i have learned some things the hard way about parenting but some of it was nothing I couldnt have learned – by somone teaching it to me..and I fall short in many ways – its the mindless bullshit and the greater reliance on technology – we dont; need each other as much as we used to have the give and take of society – now it seems its all take take – and noone with the power to do anything will do it if it doesn;t servie their purpose…. I have lost two friends this last week – they just wont talk to me – is it about this? I can;t say for sure – except there was nothing else that happened – and i dont want to think it but hey…my own family member said soething about mental illness – gave me the impression they are under the impression every one of us loons has the ability to snap and go postal – I got news for anybody who thinks that – then think it about anyone.. teach violence sow violence – become complacent about the horrors aof the world and see people mistreat each other and its all about us.. we are the world is bullshit..

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  46. LizzieCracked | 21 December, 2012 at 04:13 | Reply

    hey Guap – if the world doesn’t end today – will you delete that? I have been so frustrated – I didn;t mean to unload on your page – and it wasn;t aimed at you I hope goes without saying – or anyone here.. I dont ‘ want to piss anyone off.. start a debate argument whATEVER..so..i didn’t even see this post – i was trying to vote in the poll – i missed it..

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    • El Guapo | 21 December, 2012 at 12:45 | Reply

      If you want, I’ll reluctantly delete it.
      I think you raise great points, especially about our attitudes towards mental illness, and accountability for parenting and the constant depiction on violence in multiple media.

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      • LizzieCracked | 21 December, 2012 at 12:50 | Reply

        its kinda – I don;t usually just dump like that,.. if I don;t sound like a fanatical asshole – leave it if you like – but geez man I took the last half of the page – well I guess coming in last was better this time I knew I was frustrated and upset ..and sad, but I didn;t rewalize there was all that. I guess that is why I write.

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Ahem *best Ricky Ricardo voice* Babble-OOOoooo!!!