We're Getting Used To It...
The shooting in Omaha, Nebraska a few days ago has certainly been heart-breaking to me. But, what is more disturbing to me is that I'm not surprised.
And I'm getting used to it.
The Columbine High School shooting in Colorado comes to my mind as the first "big one" during my life.
In 1927, there was the Bath School disaster in Bath, Michigan, which was carried out by the use of dynamite.
Then in 1966, the University of Texas massacre.
And of course, Virginia Tech in 2007.
I've written on guns before and how my elderly father was training my elderly mother in the use of a 20-Gauge shotgun.
And yes, I know, I know, Mr. and Mrs. NRA, I know...guns all by themselves don't kill people, but they certainly make it easier. And you know what? Bombs all by themselves don't kill people either, so why don't we expand the market, huh? HUH?
WHERE'S THE FUCKING NBA??? And I don't mean the one shooting hoops. WHERE'S THE FUCKING NATIONAL BOMB ASSOCIATION??? Huh?
If you gun freaks want to bring it, why don't you BRING IT?? Stop pussy-footing around and BRING IT, CHUMPS! Why don't you put your measly little guns down and just BLOW everything up?
And Charleton Heston can suck my cold, dead balls.
In the military, I was trained as an expert in the 9mm pistol, the M-16 machine gun, the 12-gauge shotgun, the M-60 machine gun and the 50-caliber machine gun.
It didn't make me stronger. It didn't make me cool. It made me able to fire a weapon with extreme accuracy.
It also gave me immense respect for the weapons and their capabilities. And safety was DRILLED into our heads. I don't believe that many other gun owners share that discipline.
There's a vile mentality that guns and owning one, or many, make people tough, strong and capable.
It doesn't. It just means that you own a gun.
And until we begin making it EXTREMELY DIFFICULT for anyone to acquire a gun, we're just going to keep dragging our knuckles through dirt like the thugs we are.
Now granted, violence is celebrated in our society in all forms of art; literature, television, movies, music and video games. And the reasons for the outbreak of such massacres as the ones listed above are many.
And even though I'm getting used to gun-violence in our society, it makes me no less disgusted and heart broken and tired.
So, why make it easy? Just about anyone can practically walk up to a buffet of them,
and pick one up.
We shouldn't be used to this.
And if you noticed that I'm mad?
You're right.
Aren't you?
Stumble It!
posted by Kevin Charnas | 10:15 AM
9 Comments:
Yes, but the thing that scares the crap out of me, are the people who aren't using the legal means of getting them. I say we need to actually enforce the laws we have, because states are doing a piss poor job of enforcing the gun laws on the books.
Flutter - I can always count on you. and your comment is true too. We've glamourized guns. And until we make them disgusting to touch, to own, to handle, we're just going to keep going in circles.
I think we are accustom to these stories now, in our 24 hour cable news world.
Just another day's story, complete with crying.
I don't know how we cover these stories without posting the shooter's picture and plight - unfortunately, some desperate soul sees it as a means to fame.
I don't know the answer, but it scares to think my kids are growing up, thinking shootings are common place.
Part of the daily round.
Thanks for the post Kevin.
I'm of 2 minds on this.
My uncle shot himself to death. My great-uncle shot himself into a vegetative state. And did I mention my other uncle that shot himself to death in front of his wife? So guns? Yeah, pretty much suck as safety devices.
BUT part of me believes that the only reason that our government hasn't just enslaved us or put us all in camps yet is that they know we are armed to the teeth. That's my redneck streak showing.
Lisa - I don't know what the answer is either. I just wish that people would start standing up and screaming "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH". and to really begin thinking outside the box of what we consider "normal". Weapons are considered normal. I had toy rifles and toy pistols and I loved them. I just wish that we would be pro-active against violence and take logical steps to find the sources of the infection, instead of treating it with band-aids.
SueBob - I'm SO SORRY to hear of that in your family history...truly, I am. And in regards to your "But"? I can't say that I blame that notion at all.
I dunno buddy...
we are having so many home invasions here in Vegas... it's exploding here.....
I want my husband to take me out to the range and teach me to use a firearm... (he's a firearms instructor for the Academy as well as a police officer)
I am completely helpless here if someone breaks in one night...
Until a year ago, I was terrified of guns...
but I had something quite scary happen one night while Mike was working..
and I changed my mind in an instant..
I want to be able to defend myself and my baby if someone broke in..
They are ruthless when they break in ....
I'd rather kill them than have them kill me and my baby.
I dunno.. that's just me...
it's such a scary world anymore.
Terri - I know...it's QUITE a dilemma... I don't know what the answers are... but we'd better start a very progressive search to find them. Because what we're doing isn't working.
My husband was on the internet last night and in large letters it was saying something about another shooting somewhere, his words touched me tho ~ "What is wrong with this world?"
Do you know that one of the main reasons we wanted to move back to the canaries was that Minnesota had recently changed the gun laws to allow citizens to carry concealed weapons on their person. Concealed freaking guns. Anywhere they wanted. WTF is that? It is amazing to me the difference in the amount of violent crime here in Spain (Europe) vs. the US...there are very few murders at all during the year, and gunshot deaths are practically unheard of. Guess what? Guns being available to "regular folk" is considered idiotic here. Not long ago, there were drive by shootings through home windows in my mom's neighborhood. Had she been reading in her chair as she often does, she could be dead right now. The insanity of the current gun laws in the US needs to stop. Guns need to be outlawed. Yes, that's the opposite extreme, but I truly believe that in order to irradicate the current massacres that occur on a daily basis that has to be the first step.
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