There has been yet another school shooting today, in Indiana this time, committed by a teenager. Since Santa Fe, Texas last week, there has been a lot of talk again about how bullying may have played into it...that one of the girls killed had turned the kid down twice, and then embarrassed him in class when he persisted. I'm about certain, in this Indiana case, bullying is going to come up again.
So, let's talk about this bullying aspect to the 4 shooters in 15 days that have been teenagers!
Bullying has been going on for decades! I'm 45, and I can still remember being bullied in school, as I'm sure most of us can remember being bullied at some point in school. If you weren't bullied, chances are you were the one doing the bullying. Stealing lunch money, giving wedgies...there are many forms of bullying that have happened over the years. Bullying has been the focus of so many storylines in movies and such...some serious, some funny. I remember watching Revenge of the Nerds, and routing for those "nerds" because I could relate to them!
At first, I was picked on to the point of going home crying for my acne. It started at a young age for me, and it was pretty bad. Can't recall how many times I heard the term "pizza face". I would go home and cry...begging my mom to help me by taking me to a doctor, or allowing me to at least wear some sort of foundation makeup to try to cover it up. She wouldn't take me to a dermatologist. Instead, I heard over and over that acne was just a part of growing up! Mom also stood firm to her "no makeup until you are 15" rule...so no relief for me their, either.
On top of that, I was always what I call...well...quirky. I was attracted to computers at an early age, and I was just good at them. I was always a "bit of a nerd" you could say...having made all A's in all my years of grade school. But I also found myself in a place where I was very different! I ended up going to school in small town Texas. Back then, that meant that this very small population was mostly "country"...Roper boots, jeans, etc. And then there was me...punk rock/new wave, granny boots instead of cowboy boots, skinny pants instead of Wrangler jeans, all black some days, crazy neon colors the next, earrings never matched...listening to Duran Duran, The Cure, Siouxsie Sioux, and a host of other MTV 120 Minute favorites, while the rest of the school listened to George Strait, Reba McIntyer, Randy Travis, and the likes. I was the odd-ball, and it was made known to me!
We had a group in school that to this day I affectionately call "The Misfits". We were the kids who really didn't fit in. We were the one-offs that in some larger school somewhere else, we may have found a group of kids just like us...but not here where a grade averaged 50 students or less. We had everyone. The girl who had a terrible scar on her chest that looked like you could just lace her up, because that is what they had to do when she was younger, they had to go in to work on her heart so many times. The guy that everyone was certain was gay, but no one knew for sure. They guy who was years older than us...because he had failed grades too many times (who did end up being the "diva" I know and love still to this day). While everyone was in their cliques in the morning gossiping about the world, you could find us on the floor in a hallway somewhere playing Uno! We were called names. We were pushed around. Sometimes one of us got beat up.
Now, I can't speak for the others, but NOT ONCE did I ever consider walking into the school and shooting it up! I watched horror movies with as much blood and gore as you could imagine! My punk rock music wasn't the "nicest" thing to listen to, for sure! Lots of screaming about anarchy and the likes. My favorite show was Miami Vice, which every week they were in to drugs, and shooting up stuff, and fights, etc. We didn't have the same video games...I was no stranger to Centipede. But even still, I never even considered shooting up a school. Spreading a rumor as revenge, maybe...but never shooting up the place!
So, what has changed from the 1980's until now? Okay...so video games may have gotten more realistic...possibly desensitizing kids to violence. But for decades, kids' behavior has been blamed on media of some sort, and we have not seen terror like we are seeing today. You can't blame it on abortions, either. Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973. Before that, women were getting back alley abortions, using coat hangers, etc. to get rid of unwanted pregnancy. We had the "Free Love" era of the 60's along women burning their bras. I'm certain there were plenty of abortions back then. Still, you didn't see people, or kids, trying to shoot up a school every week. Even just a few decade or a few years ago...this wasn't as common an occurrence as it is NOW!
What has changed?! Try the climate of America! While bullying used to be something you mainly saw in the school yards, and grown folk mostly acted like grown folk, that isn't the case any longer! Sure, there were the shouts of racial slurs on the streets, or in the work place. There were environments that felt hostile. However, most people could go to their homes, and that was their safe place. It isn't that way any longer!!! We have elected officials bullying the media, various people groups, etc. on TV and social media every day!! Every day there is another list of hurtful statements said about a people. Then, have this media outlet spewing hate about one side, and the other media outlet spewing hate about he other.....hate hate hate hate hate! Everywhere...hate!
To add fire, the skin of society has gotten thinner, in general. There are many legit complaints out there, but when you have a political commentator on national TV complaining about getting water thrown on her, because of her past hateful comments on air. When you have a kid who can't simply walk away from a girl who won't go out with him, and has to pester her to the point of being embarrassed in front of a whole class, and later coming to school with a gun killing her and several others. You have a President getting butt hurt over something the New York Times or CNN said about him, or about some football players kneeling to protest police brutality and unequal treatment of people of color...turning to social media for days with rants, when we all know he has better things to do! This same President then turns around and calls impoverished countries shitholes, undocumented immigrants rapists, and a variety of other hateful comments.
Yes, bullying may be at play here, but it is because as a country, we are all bombarded by it every day! It is the new social norm!!! You can't even have an intellectual debate on social media any longer without the name calling starting. Say you support BLM or gun reform...out comes the "libtard" comments. You want to know where these kids are getting all this hate and violence from? It isn't the media. It isn't video games. It is the very people who are raising them!
Friday, May 25, 2018
Monday, May 21, 2018
My response to GOP gun control talking points
Saw this article today, and it left me with some thoughts:
6 GOP talking points that show why the gun control debate isn't changing anytime soon
1. Violent Video Games
How many times have we heard media blamed for society's behavior. Rock and roll music, rap music, violent movies and television shows, violent video games, etc. Hell, they have even burned books they deemed damaging to accepted ideals of society! I've played and I play plenty violent video games. I listen to rock music...rap not so much. I love horror, thriller, and action movies. Yet, I have no desire to go shoot up a school or a concert! When someone pisses me off, I don't wish death upon them. If anything, I'll "door slam" the person if I deem them to toxic to my life (i.e., cutting them off...no communication or communicating with only when necessary).
At the same time, I raised two kids, who watch the same type of movies, listened to the same type of music, and played the same type of video games. Oh, and I also spanked them! Neither one of them grew up to be violent people!
2. Abortion
You know the Conservatives are going to throw abortion in there somehow!! Though, I can agree that fatherless homes are a contributing factor, but abortion? You know what will help us see decreases in both abortions and fatherless homes? A decrease in unwanted pregnancies. You know the best way to limit unwanted pregnancies? Nope, it's not preaching abstinance! It is providing free or low cost birth control to any woman who wants it! This has been proven in other countries, you know. It's not rocket science! The cost to provide birth control will be much cheaper than it costs now for SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, etc. for children born into poverty situations, which in many cases are women where the father split during pregnancy and they are trying to make ends meet with a kid on their own!
3. Irresponsible Gun Owners
Okay...on this point, I can agree. The last 3 shootings involved teens who somehow got their hands on their parents', or another family member's, guns. We need to start holding these parents and such accountable for not properly securing their guns. Trigger locks are not that expensive. Lock boxes, locking cabinets, gun safes...we need to start holding people accountable who's guns are used in crimes, because they did not have them properly secured!
4. Not Enough Armed Teachers
Are you kidding me with this? How about not enough campus police?! Why do we have to put more responsibility on teachers than they already have for their crappy pay? We need to quit cutting budgets when it comes to campus security! We protect money and valuables with more security than we protect our children. There are two guards to a small armored truck, but many school campuses in this country are LUCKY to have ONE armed resource officer! There are even more campuses who don't even have any dedicated resource officers!
5. Too Many School Entrances
On this one, I can somewhat agree. We do need to limit the number of entrances to schools. Campuses should be closed, meaning that even parents aren't allowed to wander around looking for their child. The problem isn't "number of doors", as codes require a certain number of exits for emergency purposes. However, said exits can be one-way...meaning no outside hardware, open from the inside only, and it would be smart to even have cameras in place at the exits so that a...wait for it...security officer possibly watching the cameras could identify someone trying to break into these doors. Will it cost money? Yes....but isn't the cost worth protecting our children? As I've already pointed out, we protect our money and valuables better than we do our children. Even a bank may have many emergency exits, but only one entrance!
6. Decline of Religion in Schools
Now, this one, I call total BULLSHIT! Look at the world. Religion seems to cause more violence than peace! These kids don't need Jesus! These kids need discipline...PERIOD! Parents aren't allowed to parent, and many don't even want to parent. What happened to the days when kids would get a good butt tanning for being disrespectful to their parents or lying? Oh, yeah...Dr. Spock and the whole crew of "anti-spanking" people! Let me tell you, I was no stranger to a butt tanning, and I'm not violent! If anything, it caused a condition called RESPECT FOR OTHERS. When my kids were younger (they are 23 and 27 now), I can recall picking them up from school. A few times, I recall seeing children (yes, children...not teens...this was elementary school) screaming and cussing at their parents...yelling things like, "What are you going to do about it? Nothing...that's right nothing, because I'll call CPS!" We are in a time where too many kids are running the show at home instead of the parents! I recall something I heard my mom say when I was growing up...and she was talking to others about parenting. She talked about how she could take me over to someone's house, and I wouldn't mess with anything. I would sit and play with my toys quietly, and people were amazed. My mom pointed out that she never put anything up. If I reached for something I shouldn't, I would get a little smack on my hand...that the way she saw it, I came into HER world, and she wasn't going to rearrange it for me...I had to learn how to live in it. I raised my kids in a similar fashion...I kept my eyes on them and paid attention to what they were doing, and if they were doing or touching something they shouldn't, they were corrected. My things were MY THINGS, and I didn't just hand my things over to shut them up or keep them occupied (can't tell you how many times I see kids scream for a parent's cell phone, and the parent hands it over to just shut them up). I wasn't raised with religion...we didn't go to church when I was growing up. One thing is for certain, though...I was raised! Even with my parents divorced, they stood united, and what rules existed in one house existed in the other. I was taught respect, manners, and things like it was not appropriate to hit or hurt another person just because I didn't agree with them or didn't like them! Decline of religion? How about decline of PARENTING?! When you are in the age of free-range parenting, buying kids whatever and not making them earn things, "talking" to kids when they do wrong instead of laying down some hard consequences, etc., it is no wonder we have the problems we have now!
It goes on to quote: "It's not about the guns," Patrick said on ABC on Sunday. "It's about us."
Yes, and no. See, in this country right now, we have a gun obsession! Less than 1/3 of Americans own guns, but there are more privately owned guns in our population than there are people! To be accurate, the number of privately owned guns works out to 1.5 guns per person, if everyone owned a gun! Yes, it may be a "people problem", but with guns so easily accessible, it is so easy for someone who wants to do evil things to get their hands on one. Hell, all the 3 teens in the last couple of weeks had to do was walk into their parents' bedroom and grab it out of the drawer or cabinet, it seems. We have everything from single shot, lower powered rifles to 30 round magazine, high powered rifles. It's a simple rule that even economics uses...the higher the supply, the easier to acquire! And, manufacturers crank more and more out every day! Add all the rhetoric the NRA pumps out, and you have a recipe for disaster!
Also, to note....if you pay attention to the loudest supporters of the 2nd Amendment, it appears most "responsible gun owners" are CHRISTIAN CONSERVATIVES! Kind of blows that "decline of religion" argument. Seems the most religious are the ones buying the most guns and screaming about their rights to own as many and of whatever kind they want...because, you know...that evil government may come out to get you one day. All those guns are going to be really effective against tanks, biological weapons, drones, missiles, etc.
6 GOP talking points that show why the gun control debate isn't changing anytime soon
1. Violent Video Games
How many times have we heard media blamed for society's behavior. Rock and roll music, rap music, violent movies and television shows, violent video games, etc. Hell, they have even burned books they deemed damaging to accepted ideals of society! I've played and I play plenty violent video games. I listen to rock music...rap not so much. I love horror, thriller, and action movies. Yet, I have no desire to go shoot up a school or a concert! When someone pisses me off, I don't wish death upon them. If anything, I'll "door slam" the person if I deem them to toxic to my life (i.e., cutting them off...no communication or communicating with only when necessary).
At the same time, I raised two kids, who watch the same type of movies, listened to the same type of music, and played the same type of video games. Oh, and I also spanked them! Neither one of them grew up to be violent people!
2. Abortion
You know the Conservatives are going to throw abortion in there somehow!! Though, I can agree that fatherless homes are a contributing factor, but abortion? You know what will help us see decreases in both abortions and fatherless homes? A decrease in unwanted pregnancies. You know the best way to limit unwanted pregnancies? Nope, it's not preaching abstinance! It is providing free or low cost birth control to any woman who wants it! This has been proven in other countries, you know. It's not rocket science! The cost to provide birth control will be much cheaper than it costs now for SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, etc. for children born into poverty situations, which in many cases are women where the father split during pregnancy and they are trying to make ends meet with a kid on their own!
3. Irresponsible Gun Owners
Okay...on this point, I can agree. The last 3 shootings involved teens who somehow got their hands on their parents', or another family member's, guns. We need to start holding these parents and such accountable for not properly securing their guns. Trigger locks are not that expensive. Lock boxes, locking cabinets, gun safes...we need to start holding people accountable who's guns are used in crimes, because they did not have them properly secured!
4. Not Enough Armed Teachers
Are you kidding me with this? How about not enough campus police?! Why do we have to put more responsibility on teachers than they already have for their crappy pay? We need to quit cutting budgets when it comes to campus security! We protect money and valuables with more security than we protect our children. There are two guards to a small armored truck, but many school campuses in this country are LUCKY to have ONE armed resource officer! There are even more campuses who don't even have any dedicated resource officers!
5. Too Many School Entrances
On this one, I can somewhat agree. We do need to limit the number of entrances to schools. Campuses should be closed, meaning that even parents aren't allowed to wander around looking for their child. The problem isn't "number of doors", as codes require a certain number of exits for emergency purposes. However, said exits can be one-way...meaning no outside hardware, open from the inside only, and it would be smart to even have cameras in place at the exits so that a...wait for it...security officer possibly watching the cameras could identify someone trying to break into these doors. Will it cost money? Yes....but isn't the cost worth protecting our children? As I've already pointed out, we protect our money and valuables better than we do our children. Even a bank may have many emergency exits, but only one entrance!
6. Decline of Religion in Schools
Now, this one, I call total BULLSHIT! Look at the world. Religion seems to cause more violence than peace! These kids don't need Jesus! These kids need discipline...PERIOD! Parents aren't allowed to parent, and many don't even want to parent. What happened to the days when kids would get a good butt tanning for being disrespectful to their parents or lying? Oh, yeah...Dr. Spock and the whole crew of "anti-spanking" people! Let me tell you, I was no stranger to a butt tanning, and I'm not violent! If anything, it caused a condition called RESPECT FOR OTHERS. When my kids were younger (they are 23 and 27 now), I can recall picking them up from school. A few times, I recall seeing children (yes, children...not teens...this was elementary school) screaming and cussing at their parents...yelling things like, "What are you going to do about it? Nothing...that's right nothing, because I'll call CPS!" We are in a time where too many kids are running the show at home instead of the parents! I recall something I heard my mom say when I was growing up...and she was talking to others about parenting. She talked about how she could take me over to someone's house, and I wouldn't mess with anything. I would sit and play with my toys quietly, and people were amazed. My mom pointed out that she never put anything up. If I reached for something I shouldn't, I would get a little smack on my hand...that the way she saw it, I came into HER world, and she wasn't going to rearrange it for me...I had to learn how to live in it. I raised my kids in a similar fashion...I kept my eyes on them and paid attention to what they were doing, and if they were doing or touching something they shouldn't, they were corrected. My things were MY THINGS, and I didn't just hand my things over to shut them up or keep them occupied (can't tell you how many times I see kids scream for a parent's cell phone, and the parent hands it over to just shut them up). I wasn't raised with religion...we didn't go to church when I was growing up. One thing is for certain, though...I was raised! Even with my parents divorced, they stood united, and what rules existed in one house existed in the other. I was taught respect, manners, and things like it was not appropriate to hit or hurt another person just because I didn't agree with them or didn't like them! Decline of religion? How about decline of PARENTING?! When you are in the age of free-range parenting, buying kids whatever and not making them earn things, "talking" to kids when they do wrong instead of laying down some hard consequences, etc., it is no wonder we have the problems we have now!
It goes on to quote: "It's not about the guns," Patrick said on ABC on Sunday. "It's about us."
Yes, and no. See, in this country right now, we have a gun obsession! Less than 1/3 of Americans own guns, but there are more privately owned guns in our population than there are people! To be accurate, the number of privately owned guns works out to 1.5 guns per person, if everyone owned a gun! Yes, it may be a "people problem", but with guns so easily accessible, it is so easy for someone who wants to do evil things to get their hands on one. Hell, all the 3 teens in the last couple of weeks had to do was walk into their parents' bedroom and grab it out of the drawer or cabinet, it seems. We have everything from single shot, lower powered rifles to 30 round magazine, high powered rifles. It's a simple rule that even economics uses...the higher the supply, the easier to acquire! And, manufacturers crank more and more out every day! Add all the rhetoric the NRA pumps out, and you have a recipe for disaster!
Also, to note....if you pay attention to the loudest supporters of the 2nd Amendment, it appears most "responsible gun owners" are CHRISTIAN CONSERVATIVES! Kind of blows that "decline of religion" argument. Seems the most religious are the ones buying the most guns and screaming about their rights to own as many and of whatever kind they want...because, you know...that evil government may come out to get you one day. All those guns are going to be really effective against tanks, biological weapons, drones, missiles, etc.
Friday, May 18, 2018
Just so much wrong...
Today's school shooting highlights so many issues in our country right now.
First of all...not going to rehash my positions on gun reform...but 3 school shooting incidents in 8 days is a problem, people!! Here we have at least another 9 children and a teacher dead...more to add to the toll. How many more of these before Congress wakes up and tells the NRA to stuff it, and pass some legislation with reasonable measures to help bring an end to these tragedies?!
Second...how are these kids getting these fucking guns?! I was just reading this morning that the gun the 19-year-old used in Dixon, Illinois (where thankfully no one but the shooter was injured) belonged to his mother. It was a 9mm semi-auto that she purchased in 2012. Now, when these "kids" get guns from their parents to do these terrible things, why are the parents not being held responsible, as well. Okay, sure...the Dixon shooter technically was not a kid, but the mother obviously did not have the gun properly secured if he got hold of it and used it in this shooting! Trigger locks start as low as $10, folks, and renders a gun unusable unless the lock can be broken. With all the talk about "not taking rights away from RESPONSIBLE gun owners", how is it being a responsible gun owner if you do not have your weapon properly secured when not in use?
And finally....and it is a matter of time before this one comes up again...at least two of the shooters in the last 8 days were white. The 3rd (Palmdale shooter) is unknown, as they are not releasing many details due to him being a minor. Important thing to note...all three shooters are in custody! This has been brought up before, especially with the Parkland shooter (who was white). So, you are white, and you just shoot up a school (or at least attempt to), but you are taken into custody alive. However, a black man holding a cell phone in his own yard after being suspected of breaking into cars is killed rather than taken into custody?! A black man pulled over for a traffic violation is killed, rather than taken into custody? A black man selling CDs in front of a store is killed, rather than being taken into custody? Am I the only one who sees the crazy in this?
First of all...not going to rehash my positions on gun reform...but 3 school shooting incidents in 8 days is a problem, people!! Here we have at least another 9 children and a teacher dead...more to add to the toll. How many more of these before Congress wakes up and tells the NRA to stuff it, and pass some legislation with reasonable measures to help bring an end to these tragedies?!
Second...how are these kids getting these fucking guns?! I was just reading this morning that the gun the 19-year-old used in Dixon, Illinois (where thankfully no one but the shooter was injured) belonged to his mother. It was a 9mm semi-auto that she purchased in 2012. Now, when these "kids" get guns from their parents to do these terrible things, why are the parents not being held responsible, as well. Okay, sure...the Dixon shooter technically was not a kid, but the mother obviously did not have the gun properly secured if he got hold of it and used it in this shooting! Trigger locks start as low as $10, folks, and renders a gun unusable unless the lock can be broken. With all the talk about "not taking rights away from RESPONSIBLE gun owners", how is it being a responsible gun owner if you do not have your weapon properly secured when not in use?
And finally....and it is a matter of time before this one comes up again...at least two of the shooters in the last 8 days were white. The 3rd (Palmdale shooter) is unknown, as they are not releasing many details due to him being a minor. Important thing to note...all three shooters are in custody! This has been brought up before, especially with the Parkland shooter (who was white). So, you are white, and you just shoot up a school (or at least attempt to), but you are taken into custody alive. However, a black man holding a cell phone in his own yard after being suspected of breaking into cars is killed rather than taken into custody?! A black man pulled over for a traffic violation is killed, rather than taken into custody? A black man selling CDs in front of a store is killed, rather than being taken into custody? Am I the only one who sees the crazy in this?
Monday, April 23, 2018
So, it's been at least a few weeks...
...since we have had a shooting to hit the headlines, so I guess we were due, right?
Here is the irony in this past weekend's shooting...it just blew the pro-gun folks' stance of "it takes someone with a gun to stop someone with a gun" right out of the water! To make the issue sting even more (though I hate bringing race into this), a white mentally deranged man was disarmed by an unarmed black man! But seriously...the shooter was stopped by someone without a gun! Imagine that!
Now, when you get to the background of this situation, one cannot help but shake their head and wonder what certain parties were thinking. This shooter back in May 2016 had a delusion that singer Taylor Swift was stalking him. At that time, family members were concerned about the fact that this guy owned several guns and appeared to be a bit unstable. Then, in August 2017, he is arrested for trespassing when he compromised a security barrier at the White House. The charges were dropped after he had completed his community service. However, after completing said service, authorities moved to seize his guns and owner's ID after an interview with him where they became concerned.
Here is where it gets sketchy! At some point after, said guns are turned over to this guy's dad. We don't know what happened after that...only that the gun found at the scene at the Waffle House was in fact one of those previously seized guns, indicating that dad apparently gave the weapons back to this mentally unstable person, who now didn't hold a valid gun license/ID!
What this situation has done is uncovered another major hole! In my opinion, when these guns were seized once the person was deemed a risk, they should have been sent to be destroyed...not returned into the population, and surely not turned over to anyone close to the shooter where they could have easily returned to his possession. I want to know how it was even cleared for the dad to have the guns...under what circumstances was THAT decision made!
I do have to really grab hold of this fact, though, that the shooter was disarmed by an unarmed man. I don't care what race he was...he proved that you don't need a gun to stop a person with a gun! That is big!
Here is the irony in this past weekend's shooting...it just blew the pro-gun folks' stance of "it takes someone with a gun to stop someone with a gun" right out of the water! To make the issue sting even more (though I hate bringing race into this), a white mentally deranged man was disarmed by an unarmed black man! But seriously...the shooter was stopped by someone without a gun! Imagine that!
Now, when you get to the background of this situation, one cannot help but shake their head and wonder what certain parties were thinking. This shooter back in May 2016 had a delusion that singer Taylor Swift was stalking him. At that time, family members were concerned about the fact that this guy owned several guns and appeared to be a bit unstable. Then, in August 2017, he is arrested for trespassing when he compromised a security barrier at the White House. The charges were dropped after he had completed his community service. However, after completing said service, authorities moved to seize his guns and owner's ID after an interview with him where they became concerned.
Here is where it gets sketchy! At some point after, said guns are turned over to this guy's dad. We don't know what happened after that...only that the gun found at the scene at the Waffle House was in fact one of those previously seized guns, indicating that dad apparently gave the weapons back to this mentally unstable person, who now didn't hold a valid gun license/ID!
What this situation has done is uncovered another major hole! In my opinion, when these guns were seized once the person was deemed a risk, they should have been sent to be destroyed...not returned into the population, and surely not turned over to anyone close to the shooter where they could have easily returned to his possession. I want to know how it was even cleared for the dad to have the guns...under what circumstances was THAT decision made!
I do have to really grab hold of this fact, though, that the shooter was disarmed by an unarmed man. I don't care what race he was...he proved that you don't need a gun to stop a person with a gun! That is big!
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
How did they NOT know?
As I read recent headlines about all the trouble in the Trump camp with the recent raiding of his attorney's offices, I continue to ask myself how did Evangelical Christians ever back this man in the first place?! I've seen article after article, and post after post, about how Trump is the home of Christians to turn this country around, and how his Presidency was prophesied. I see the very same people I used to attend church with who claimed Obama was really a Muslim, and only pretended to be Christian, now backing Trump with full support...talking about prayers for our leader! When his past discretions are reported on, it is dismissed by these same people as "fake news", the "victims" are "liars", or Trump is given a pass based on the fact that God is merciful and forgiving...claiming that Trump is no longer THAT man and has changed his ways!
There are some that are now starting to turn their back on Trump, as further things are revealed. However, none of what has been revealed is of no surprise to those of us who have actually paid attention over the last 2-3 decades! None of these things in the headlines today are of any surprise to me. I warned people during the primaries that this was exactly the kind of man Trump was! His womanizing was never a secret. The doorman saying that Trump has a "secret lovechild with a housekeeper" is of no surprise! His flip-flopping is exactly what I expect of him. And quite frankly, his poor judgments as a businessman that led to 7 Trump Corp bankruptcies is showing in a big way. What is happening is EXACTLY what I expected to happen if Trump were elected. I've paid attention over the years. I knew what kind of man he was!
That is why I have to ask how they didn't know. I mean, a lot of these people I see in support of Trump are at least 1-2 decades older than I am, so they have had even longer to hear of Trump's reputation. It was never a secret...but always out there for all to see! He has never been a very private person.
Of course, I then have to look at things and experiences in my personal life with a family who made themselves to be sold out to Christ. I was married for 14 years to a man who lead the world to believe he was some man of God...he was even in church leadership (we both were). His third affair while we were married was as plain as the nose on anyone's face, as he and the other woman carried on flirting in church every Sunday. If that wasn't clear enough, he married that very same woman within about 3 1/2 months of our separation! He was NEVER asked to step down from his position. As a matter of fact, I know for certain that he is still on the praise team and the head of sound for that very same church.
I left church completely shortly after the separation of my ex. The hypocrisy, among other things, was just too much, and I couldn't allow that to be in my life any longer. I guess it really should be of no surprise to me that these Evangelicals are backing a man like Trump! Most of the churches I know of these days like to preach that "prosperity gospel" and Trump is exactly the man that brings that gospel some extra fire. The only problem is that these people don't realize that they are too low on the totem pole for Trump's kind of prosperity! He won't help put more money in their pockets...he and the GOP are out to destroy them and the rest of the middle class! And they call us sheep!
There are some that are now starting to turn their back on Trump, as further things are revealed. However, none of what has been revealed is of no surprise to those of us who have actually paid attention over the last 2-3 decades! None of these things in the headlines today are of any surprise to me. I warned people during the primaries that this was exactly the kind of man Trump was! His womanizing was never a secret. The doorman saying that Trump has a "secret lovechild with a housekeeper" is of no surprise! His flip-flopping is exactly what I expect of him. And quite frankly, his poor judgments as a businessman that led to 7 Trump Corp bankruptcies is showing in a big way. What is happening is EXACTLY what I expected to happen if Trump were elected. I've paid attention over the years. I knew what kind of man he was!
That is why I have to ask how they didn't know. I mean, a lot of these people I see in support of Trump are at least 1-2 decades older than I am, so they have had even longer to hear of Trump's reputation. It was never a secret...but always out there for all to see! He has never been a very private person.
Of course, I then have to look at things and experiences in my personal life with a family who made themselves to be sold out to Christ. I was married for 14 years to a man who lead the world to believe he was some man of God...he was even in church leadership (we both were). His third affair while we were married was as plain as the nose on anyone's face, as he and the other woman carried on flirting in church every Sunday. If that wasn't clear enough, he married that very same woman within about 3 1/2 months of our separation! He was NEVER asked to step down from his position. As a matter of fact, I know for certain that he is still on the praise team and the head of sound for that very same church.
I left church completely shortly after the separation of my ex. The hypocrisy, among other things, was just too much, and I couldn't allow that to be in my life any longer. I guess it really should be of no surprise to me that these Evangelicals are backing a man like Trump! Most of the churches I know of these days like to preach that "prosperity gospel" and Trump is exactly the man that brings that gospel some extra fire. The only problem is that these people don't realize that they are too low on the totem pole for Trump's kind of prosperity! He won't help put more money in their pockets...he and the GOP are out to destroy them and the rest of the middle class! And they call us sheep!
Friday, April 6, 2018
What the YouTube shooting tells us.
I've waited to respond on the YouTube shooting until the facts could be sorted out. This is because in the days following the shooting, I've heard so many different accounts of the who the shooter was and why she did it, that I wanted to be sure of what was true before I started to discuss the issue.
Here are the actual facts:
1. Shooter used a handgun that she purchased legally (as it was registered to her). Now, what this tells me is that the common sense gun laws that California has did work...to an extent. No one was killed (other than the shooter killing herself), and only 3 people were injured. Had the shooter used an AR-15 (which is very hard to purchase in California due to state laws), this could have been a very different and darker story! I've already posted about the difference in damage between the caliber of bullet used in most handguns vs that of the AR-15, and how much more damage the bullet of an AR-15 does. This is due to the bullet moving faster than that of a handgun...and most of the damage is done from the kinetic energy of this round entering the body. I've also pointed out that due to the low recoil of an AR-15, it is much easier to rapid fire...spray and pray, if you will...which doesn't really require a great deal of aim if you shower a crowd with bullets! A handgun, on the other hand, has much more kick (aside from the bullet leaving the barrel at a slower speed than that of an AR-15), requiring the user to have to spend even a few seconds recovering themselves. Unless you are an expert shooter with lots and lots of practice, the chance of you rapid firing with a handgun are much lower than that of an AR-15. For this reason...the damage in this case was minimized.
2. The shooter was NOT Muslim. I've seen a lot of posts so far saying that the reason people are quiet is because the shooter being Muslim does not fit the left narrative. I've taken my time, and waited for the facts...and no, the shooter was NOT Muslim. Vegan? Yes. Does being vegan equal being violent? Unfortunately, this is what so many believe thanks to how crazy PETA supporters get. Seriously...PETA does not help the vegan cause. I know a whole lot of people who are vegan who are very peaceful people, and think that PETA is a bit crazy!
3. The shooter's motive was her dissatisfaction about how many views her videos were getting. This was not a domestic issue and some vendetta against an ex-boyfriend as I've seen reported. Why would someone be upset about YouTube views? Because that is how some people actually ear a living! Yes, there are professional YouTube folks out there that make a rather decent living off of their videos. That said, yes...there has been several complaints in the last 2-3 years about the algorithms that YouTube is using and such, and how many YouTubers have seen a decrease in revenue because of YouTube algorithms and policies. But seriously....has anyone actually watched the bits of video made available (as I believe her channels are down) that this woman produced? I really, really hope she was totally acting, because, yeah...something appears off with her. I'm going to go out on a limb and say content probably turned a lot of viewers away!
Now, there are still questions about whether or not the local police were warned at all. The shooter's father said he tried to warn the police. The police are saying the father did not warn them of a threat, and that he didn't seem too concerned that his daughter would do something bad. Would be interesting to know if there really was a ball-drop in this case.
Bottom line...the reason that there probably isn't a lot of chatter about this instance is because it wasn't as tragic as it could have been! In a way, common sense gun laws worked! I've never said that the things I've suggested would stop ALL shootings...I've only stated that they would make it more difficult for evil people to get guns, and by limiting the types of guns and size of mags, that there would be fewer casualties in the case that a shooting still occurred. The latter was definitely proven in this case...3 injuries, and only the shooter dead...as opposed to the carnage that there would have been with an AR-15!
Here are the actual facts:
1. Shooter used a handgun that she purchased legally (as it was registered to her). Now, what this tells me is that the common sense gun laws that California has did work...to an extent. No one was killed (other than the shooter killing herself), and only 3 people were injured. Had the shooter used an AR-15 (which is very hard to purchase in California due to state laws), this could have been a very different and darker story! I've already posted about the difference in damage between the caliber of bullet used in most handguns vs that of the AR-15, and how much more damage the bullet of an AR-15 does. This is due to the bullet moving faster than that of a handgun...and most of the damage is done from the kinetic energy of this round entering the body. I've also pointed out that due to the low recoil of an AR-15, it is much easier to rapid fire...spray and pray, if you will...which doesn't really require a great deal of aim if you shower a crowd with bullets! A handgun, on the other hand, has much more kick (aside from the bullet leaving the barrel at a slower speed than that of an AR-15), requiring the user to have to spend even a few seconds recovering themselves. Unless you are an expert shooter with lots and lots of practice, the chance of you rapid firing with a handgun are much lower than that of an AR-15. For this reason...the damage in this case was minimized.
2. The shooter was NOT Muslim. I've seen a lot of posts so far saying that the reason people are quiet is because the shooter being Muslim does not fit the left narrative. I've taken my time, and waited for the facts...and no, the shooter was NOT Muslim. Vegan? Yes. Does being vegan equal being violent? Unfortunately, this is what so many believe thanks to how crazy PETA supporters get. Seriously...PETA does not help the vegan cause. I know a whole lot of people who are vegan who are very peaceful people, and think that PETA is a bit crazy!
3. The shooter's motive was her dissatisfaction about how many views her videos were getting. This was not a domestic issue and some vendetta against an ex-boyfriend as I've seen reported. Why would someone be upset about YouTube views? Because that is how some people actually ear a living! Yes, there are professional YouTube folks out there that make a rather decent living off of their videos. That said, yes...there has been several complaints in the last 2-3 years about the algorithms that YouTube is using and such, and how many YouTubers have seen a decrease in revenue because of YouTube algorithms and policies. But seriously....has anyone actually watched the bits of video made available (as I believe her channels are down) that this woman produced? I really, really hope she was totally acting, because, yeah...something appears off with her. I'm going to go out on a limb and say content probably turned a lot of viewers away!
Now, there are still questions about whether or not the local police were warned at all. The shooter's father said he tried to warn the police. The police are saying the father did not warn them of a threat, and that he didn't seem too concerned that his daughter would do something bad. Would be interesting to know if there really was a ball-drop in this case.
Bottom line...the reason that there probably isn't a lot of chatter about this instance is because it wasn't as tragic as it could have been! In a way, common sense gun laws worked! I've never said that the things I've suggested would stop ALL shootings...I've only stated that they would make it more difficult for evil people to get guns, and by limiting the types of guns and size of mags, that there would be fewer casualties in the case that a shooting still occurred. The latter was definitely proven in this case...3 injuries, and only the shooter dead...as opposed to the carnage that there would have been with an AR-15!
Monday, March 26, 2018
The Definition of Hypocrisy
When the very people who defended their right to fly this flag, claiming that it represented their ancestors and their struggles, and not the ideals of slavery, etc.:
hate on this girl for wearing a patch of the Cuban flag she wears as acknowledgment of her father's Cuban roots, claiming that it means she supports the Communist government of that country:
Can they be more obvious in their beliefs that things only apply when it benefits them?
hate on this girl for wearing a patch of the Cuban flag she wears as acknowledgment of her father's Cuban roots, claiming that it means she supports the Communist government of that country:
Can they be more obvious in their beliefs that things only apply when it benefits them?
Sunday, March 18, 2018
The world could learn from my escape room experience!
A couple of days ago, a handful of us from the dance studio participated in an escape room as part of a birthday celebration of one from our dance family. As we are going through the orientation for the room, we find out that the completion rate for this particular room is only 17%. We look at each other, but we still have some hope we can do this...and if we don't beat it, at least we had fun, right?
Now, this group of folks is probably as different as any group can be. We are not a typical mix of people who would choose to be friends off the street or in the workplace. Our ages are all over the place, different religious beliefs, different backgrounds, very different fields of work and hobbies. The ONE thing that connects us is dance, and the fact that we have been dancing together for years. We are a family!
When it came to the escape room, we ended up beating it, with 2 minutes and 11 seconds left on our time! After the rush was over, and I got to thinking about our amazing feat, I thought about how all of us contributed something to solving this room. We had to find combinations and codes that helped us open things to gain access to other codes or clues. Some of these codes came from other clues that were basically puzzles to solve. Others were a bit sneaky, where you had to be in the exact spot of a room to see them painted on the wall. Even another was in some "graffiti" that didn't come right out and give you the number, but each thing written was a clue to a number (i.e., it referenced a part of a song or something). I don't think any of us would have been able to find all of the clues ourselves, because there were so many different ways they were hidden, and if we were in there with like-minded people, we probably would not have seen them all due to thinking too much the same way. However, because of our diversity and the fact we all saw the world just a bit different, we were able to get all the clues...everyone had something to contribute! No one's clue was more important than another clue, because they were ALL needed to solve the larger puzzle! That means that no one person's view of things in the room was more important...because we all needed to see the room a bit different to ultimately succeed...and probably none of us would have been able to get through it alone.
This got me thinking about problems in our country...and in the world. If only the rest of the world could see how we worked together in that room...without fighting or arguing. We just stayed focused on the prize...which was beating the room. In the end, we celebrated each person's contribution, because they were all important. How the world would be a better place if we operated like we did in that room!! What if everyone acknowledged that everyone's skills...from the janitor to the scientist finding a cure for a disease...served a purpose and was important to the end goal? I mean...we need our trash picked up and things to be cleaned just as much as we need cures for sickness. There are also about a billion things we need in-between...people who make clothing or cars, people who keep the back end workings of our cell phones and streaming services going, people who help protect our communities and our homes. No one is cut out for all of the jobs! We tend to take jobs and do things based on our beliefs...religious our otherwise. Our brains are wired differently with some people being more analytical with others being more creative. Even our physical build can dictate what we have to contribute, with some people being naturally stronger than others, or the fact that some jobs require smaller people while others require larger. The things we can contribute are no more important than the next person! We need ALL of the pieces for the world to run...just like we needed the differences between us in that room to beat it! If only the world could learn to have respect for each other and be able to work together like we did in that room, it would be a much better place!
Now, this group of folks is probably as different as any group can be. We are not a typical mix of people who would choose to be friends off the street or in the workplace. Our ages are all over the place, different religious beliefs, different backgrounds, very different fields of work and hobbies. The ONE thing that connects us is dance, and the fact that we have been dancing together for years. We are a family!
When it came to the escape room, we ended up beating it, with 2 minutes and 11 seconds left on our time! After the rush was over, and I got to thinking about our amazing feat, I thought about how all of us contributed something to solving this room. We had to find combinations and codes that helped us open things to gain access to other codes or clues. Some of these codes came from other clues that were basically puzzles to solve. Others were a bit sneaky, where you had to be in the exact spot of a room to see them painted on the wall. Even another was in some "graffiti" that didn't come right out and give you the number, but each thing written was a clue to a number (i.e., it referenced a part of a song or something). I don't think any of us would have been able to find all of the clues ourselves, because there were so many different ways they were hidden, and if we were in there with like-minded people, we probably would not have seen them all due to thinking too much the same way. However, because of our diversity and the fact we all saw the world just a bit different, we were able to get all the clues...everyone had something to contribute! No one's clue was more important than another clue, because they were ALL needed to solve the larger puzzle! That means that no one person's view of things in the room was more important...because we all needed to see the room a bit different to ultimately succeed...and probably none of us would have been able to get through it alone.
This got me thinking about problems in our country...and in the world. If only the rest of the world could see how we worked together in that room...without fighting or arguing. We just stayed focused on the prize...which was beating the room. In the end, we celebrated each person's contribution, because they were all important. How the world would be a better place if we operated like we did in that room!! What if everyone acknowledged that everyone's skills...from the janitor to the scientist finding a cure for a disease...served a purpose and was important to the end goal? I mean...we need our trash picked up and things to be cleaned just as much as we need cures for sickness. There are also about a billion things we need in-between...people who make clothing or cars, people who keep the back end workings of our cell phones and streaming services going, people who help protect our communities and our homes. No one is cut out for all of the jobs! We tend to take jobs and do things based on our beliefs...religious our otherwise. Our brains are wired differently with some people being more analytical with others being more creative. Even our physical build can dictate what we have to contribute, with some people being naturally stronger than others, or the fact that some jobs require smaller people while others require larger. The things we can contribute are no more important than the next person! We need ALL of the pieces for the world to run...just like we needed the differences between us in that room to beat it! If only the world could learn to have respect for each other and be able to work together like we did in that room, it would be a much better place!
Monday, March 12, 2018
The NRA Strikes Again!
Read news this weekend that just as soon as Florida passed a bill increasing the age to buy ANY firearm in the state to 21, the NRA has swooped in with a lawsuit claiming that such is unconstitutional! Really? If a person under the age of 21 is deemed not old enough to consume alcohol, how can you say they are old enough to purchase any kind of firearm, which is even more dangerous?
Okay, no I know the argument by heart already. "Oh, they aren't old enough to buy a gun at 18, but they are old enough to die for YOUR freedom?" The answer is...NO! I know what the laws say, but I don't think an 18 year old is old enough to be sent into war do die for this country! Enlist? Okay, sure...but don't deploy until they are at least 21. There are too many young men and women being sent into war zones with only a few weeks of training, and they simply don't have the emotional or mental maturity yet to deal with what they will see or have to do over there! What happens is that so many come back...mentally screwed up for life...to a home where the mental health system is failing them! I'm not saying that 3 years is going to prevent it, but it is amazing what a difference just 3 years makes when it comes to mental and emotional maturity!
And would it really hurt to keep these young men and women back a couple or few years to give them additional training? So that maybe they can do more than carry a rifle and be cannon fodder? Train them to operate tanks or drones. Train them to be mechanics on Navy ships. Hell, even put them in the classroom to get a head start on their higher education! Give them time to mature, to learn, and maybe give them some skills so that when they do come back home, it is easier for them to integrate back into civilian life should they decide to not re-enlist!
But I digress in order to ask the question I get a billion times when I say that no person under the age of 21 should be allowed to buy a firearm! I will stick to that, as well as my opinion about sending our young men and women to be killed! Alas, the NRA strikes again! This will be a case to watch, as I am afraid that money and special interest will again prevail, and cripple the security of this country...just like it did when they won the ruling that caused our background check system to forever be broken! The NRA do no represent people...not even their 5 million members! They represent gun manufacturers...PERIOD! They will fight anything that would potentially mean fewer gun sales. We MUST stop giving lobbyists and special interests control of this country!
Okay, no I know the argument by heart already. "Oh, they aren't old enough to buy a gun at 18, but they are old enough to die for YOUR freedom?" The answer is...NO! I know what the laws say, but I don't think an 18 year old is old enough to be sent into war do die for this country! Enlist? Okay, sure...but don't deploy until they are at least 21. There are too many young men and women being sent into war zones with only a few weeks of training, and they simply don't have the emotional or mental maturity yet to deal with what they will see or have to do over there! What happens is that so many come back...mentally screwed up for life...to a home where the mental health system is failing them! I'm not saying that 3 years is going to prevent it, but it is amazing what a difference just 3 years makes when it comes to mental and emotional maturity!
And would it really hurt to keep these young men and women back a couple or few years to give them additional training? So that maybe they can do more than carry a rifle and be cannon fodder? Train them to operate tanks or drones. Train them to be mechanics on Navy ships. Hell, even put them in the classroom to get a head start on their higher education! Give them time to mature, to learn, and maybe give them some skills so that when they do come back home, it is easier for them to integrate back into civilian life should they decide to not re-enlist!
But I digress in order to ask the question I get a billion times when I say that no person under the age of 21 should be allowed to buy a firearm! I will stick to that, as well as my opinion about sending our young men and women to be killed! Alas, the NRA strikes again! This will be a case to watch, as I am afraid that money and special interest will again prevail, and cripple the security of this country...just like it did when they won the ruling that caused our background check system to forever be broken! The NRA do no represent people...not even their 5 million members! They represent gun manufacturers...PERIOD! They will fight anything that would potentially mean fewer gun sales. We MUST stop giving lobbyists and special interests control of this country!
Friday, March 9, 2018
What about the kid with a bomb?!
There have been a lot of pro-gun activists this week pointing out that earlier in the week, a kid who was an ISIS sympathizer/supporter showed up to a Utah school with a bomb in his backpack. Now, because of a malfunction, his backpack started smoking, and he was caught before any damage was done.
Pro-gun activists are quick to jump on the fact that this has not gotten the kind of news coverage that the Parkland shootings did...claiming it is because it doesn't meet the narrative for gun control! What they fail to acknowledge is that incidents happen all the time that aren't reported on the national front. Why? Because no one is harmed! There have been many more than 12 cases of a someone with a gun on a school campus since January...but you only hear about the 12 where someone was actually injured or hurt. "But he had a bomb...proves that taking away guns won't solve the issue!" Again, MOST of us are not calling for the disarming of a nation...we are not out to take away your damn guns! What we want is for it to be harder for evil or unstable people to have access to guns! Guns are more common, because they are easier! There are many more cases of guns being used to hurt people than there are bombs, because bombs require more work! I've said this before. You have to gather the ingredients and parts. You have to find the instructions on the web. You have to construct the bomb without blowing yourself up! Most people are going to go to all that work.
Guns are used in far more intentional attacks on people than bombs or cars, but you can't tell the pro-gun activists that. They will point you to drunk drivers and general accidents due to reckless driving or what not, and point out that more people are killed by cars every year than guns. They will fail to also note that very, very few of those deaths are intentional. Hardly anyone says on a Friday night, "I'm going to go get drunk, and then I'm going to go kill someone with my car." No one says, "I'm going to leave the house today and go blasting through a red light and kill someone while playing on my cell phone." The difference is intent!
Of course, then they come at you with the medical stats, about how many people die every year by this and that...heart disease, stroke, whatever. Guess what, everyone dies at some point. When that is for each person, no one knows. If we don't die by the actions of another person, our bodies will eventually start breaking down...some sooner than others, based on genetics. A guy I dated back in my early 20's...his dad died in his 40's due to a severe heart attack. The guy I used to date? I found out a few years ago that he died just shy of age 50...due to a severe heart attack! Could it have been avoided? Maybe, but the point is, genetically, that is what he was already at risk for. There is no promise that anything he did in his life would have changed anything dramatically. There are plenty of people who have eaten healthy and exercised that still had heart attacks! While diet and exercise, yes, reduce your risk, depending on your exact genetic markers, there is no guarantee. Just like I've known people who smoked all their lives, and still lived well into their 90's without a trace of cancer...because of their genetics! So, don't start throwing "natural causes" numbers at me with relation to a gun argument!
Actually, I'm rather surprised that not more of the media picked up the backpack story, because of the ISIS tie, I would have fully expected certain folks to jump on the "see this is why we need immigration reform" narrative again!
Pro-gun activists are quick to jump on the fact that this has not gotten the kind of news coverage that the Parkland shootings did...claiming it is because it doesn't meet the narrative for gun control! What they fail to acknowledge is that incidents happen all the time that aren't reported on the national front. Why? Because no one is harmed! There have been many more than 12 cases of a someone with a gun on a school campus since January...but you only hear about the 12 where someone was actually injured or hurt. "But he had a bomb...proves that taking away guns won't solve the issue!" Again, MOST of us are not calling for the disarming of a nation...we are not out to take away your damn guns! What we want is for it to be harder for evil or unstable people to have access to guns! Guns are more common, because they are easier! There are many more cases of guns being used to hurt people than there are bombs, because bombs require more work! I've said this before. You have to gather the ingredients and parts. You have to find the instructions on the web. You have to construct the bomb without blowing yourself up! Most people are going to go to all that work.
Guns are used in far more intentional attacks on people than bombs or cars, but you can't tell the pro-gun activists that. They will point you to drunk drivers and general accidents due to reckless driving or what not, and point out that more people are killed by cars every year than guns. They will fail to also note that very, very few of those deaths are intentional. Hardly anyone says on a Friday night, "I'm going to go get drunk, and then I'm going to go kill someone with my car." No one says, "I'm going to leave the house today and go blasting through a red light and kill someone while playing on my cell phone." The difference is intent!
Of course, then they come at you with the medical stats, about how many people die every year by this and that...heart disease, stroke, whatever. Guess what, everyone dies at some point. When that is for each person, no one knows. If we don't die by the actions of another person, our bodies will eventually start breaking down...some sooner than others, based on genetics. A guy I dated back in my early 20's...his dad died in his 40's due to a severe heart attack. The guy I used to date? I found out a few years ago that he died just shy of age 50...due to a severe heart attack! Could it have been avoided? Maybe, but the point is, genetically, that is what he was already at risk for. There is no promise that anything he did in his life would have changed anything dramatically. There are plenty of people who have eaten healthy and exercised that still had heart attacks! While diet and exercise, yes, reduce your risk, depending on your exact genetic markers, there is no guarantee. Just like I've known people who smoked all their lives, and still lived well into their 90's without a trace of cancer...because of their genetics! So, don't start throwing "natural causes" numbers at me with relation to a gun argument!
Actually, I'm rather surprised that not more of the media picked up the backpack story, because of the ISIS tie, I would have fully expected certain folks to jump on the "see this is why we need immigration reform" narrative again!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)