I resisted writing about Orlando here, because I try to reserve this space for things I don't think you can find elsewhere. That is, I don't want to parrot what everyone else is saying...if you want to hear that, go read the news like I do.
My heart is with all those affected by this. Of course. Though I tend to show that more in Facebook than on my blog.
Yet I found myself writing, still, even though I have no answers to offer -
Because I am so sick of people being murdered like this. It seems to be happening more and more often, more and more frequently. And yet the political views are just more and more entrenched (and nothing will probably happen.) Those who support gun control are all like "Now will you do something?!?" and those who oppose it are all like "Gun control isn't the answer" (though I haven't really heard an alternative, unless it's to make sure everyone is armed and end gun free zones.) Add in a hefty does of "it's radical Islam that's the threat!" and "most of the mass shootings aren't done by Muslims!" and all you've got are people entrenching into their own point of views.
And, of course, showing sympathy for those affected. (Though even there, there's a tinge of politicking...as you get so-called Christians who seem to rejoice in the murders.)
So what do I have to offer? What new and novel idea can I come up with, that would prevent further tragedies like this from happening?
I got nothing. Maybe, though I rather like the right to bear arms, maybe it's time to accept some changes. As some articles have been pointing out, just because you carry a gun doesn't mean you're prepared to take down a shooter. Hell, I did weapons qualification in the Army every year...and I know exactly how rusty you can get when you only do it once a year. I'm not sure I'd react correctly if I were involved in a situation like that today, so I think it's kind of silly to expect a mass of armed civilians to be capable of stopping something right away. So does every bar, every movie theater, every school, every shopping mall and public park require an armed guard now?
I don't exactly like the idea of gun restrictions, but I'm so sick and tired of these mass murders. So what are our options? What else is out there?
What do the people who commit atrocities like this get out of doing it? Why does anyone find it appealing in the first place? Is it a failure of our society, our isolation at work? The inability to see other people as human and deserving of life? A desire to burn it all down and make everyone else suffer the way you think you are?
There's just something not right about this, and yet it keeps happening. And the same old and tired arguments get trotted out each and every time, angrier and more frustrated each time.
My heart is with all those affected by this. Of course. Though I tend to show that more in Facebook than on my blog.
Yet I found myself writing, still, even though I have no answers to offer -
Because I am so sick of people being murdered like this. It seems to be happening more and more often, more and more frequently. And yet the political views are just more and more entrenched (and nothing will probably happen.) Those who support gun control are all like "Now will you do something?!?" and those who oppose it are all like "Gun control isn't the answer" (though I haven't really heard an alternative, unless it's to make sure everyone is armed and end gun free zones.) Add in a hefty does of "it's radical Islam that's the threat!" and "most of the mass shootings aren't done by Muslims!" and all you've got are people entrenching into their own point of views.
And, of course, showing sympathy for those affected. (Though even there, there's a tinge of politicking...as you get so-called Christians who seem to rejoice in the murders.)
So what do I have to offer? What new and novel idea can I come up with, that would prevent further tragedies like this from happening?
I got nothing. Maybe, though I rather like the right to bear arms, maybe it's time to accept some changes. As some articles have been pointing out, just because you carry a gun doesn't mean you're prepared to take down a shooter. Hell, I did weapons qualification in the Army every year...and I know exactly how rusty you can get when you only do it once a year. I'm not sure I'd react correctly if I were involved in a situation like that today, so I think it's kind of silly to expect a mass of armed civilians to be capable of stopping something right away. So does every bar, every movie theater, every school, every shopping mall and public park require an armed guard now?
I don't exactly like the idea of gun restrictions, but I'm so sick and tired of these mass murders. So what are our options? What else is out there?
What do the people who commit atrocities like this get out of doing it? Why does anyone find it appealing in the first place? Is it a failure of our society, our isolation at work? The inability to see other people as human and deserving of life? A desire to burn it all down and make everyone else suffer the way you think you are?
There's just something not right about this, and yet it keeps happening. And the same old and tired arguments get trotted out each and every time, angrier and more frustrated each time.
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