We Have a Problem

For a number of reasons, I haven't been able to post a thing in nearly a week.

The shooting tragedy in Tucson pretty much eliminated whatever glimmer of hope I might have had for the future of this nation. Rather than serving as a wake-up call, it seems to have simply reinforced the reality that we are a gun nation, addicted to guns, and I can't imagine what will change that.

Erich Pratt, the director of communications for Gun Owners of America, said his organization and others were girding for at least a skirmish in Congress. “But I think after the November election it’s going to be very tough for Carolyn McCarthy and even the Peter Kings,” he said “Why should the government be in the business of telling us how we can defend ourselves?”

Mr. Pratt added: “These politicians need to remember that these rights aren’t given to us by them. They come from God. They are God-given rights. They can’t be infringed or limited in any way. What are they going to do: limit it two or three rounds. Having lots of ammunition is critical, especially if the police are not around and you need to be able to defend yourself against mobs.”

Honestly, how do you combat "God-given rights" even when we stand face to face with an unfathomable slaughter of innocent people?

We don't even seem willing to take small steps in addressing this problem in our culture. Therefore, killing sprees will continue, and regardless of how many "law-abiding" citizens are packing heat, our communities are not going to be safer. That is simply false.

I have a God-given right to go shopping at the mall but that doesn't mean I have the right to park right at the entrance, or to drive my car through the glass doors and park directly in front of Banana Republic! There are common-sense rules and regulations we live with daily, most of which are an inconvenience, but we understand the necessity.

So many of these people flouting their "God-given rights" to stockpiling all sorts of weaponry are the same people who are extremely vocal about restricting the God-given rights of others, whether it's a woman's right to choose, the right to use cannabis, the right to marry whom we love, etc.

Ironic, isn't it?

I am not naive enough to believe we'll ever stop gun violence, even if we were to ban gun ownership entirely. Over time, it would begin to have an impact, but with tens of millions of guns out there now, it would take generations. However, guns will not be banned, despite the feelings of many that Obama is coming after them. I doubt that we will even take steps to ban or even attempt to control the sale of high-capacity magazines.

So I will just sit back and observe this nation as it continues to unravel.

Have a nice day!