12.21.2012 – Can We At Least Talk About It?

 

 

I’m not really anti-gun. I’m certainly not pro-gun. One thing is for sure with me, though, I do NOT  get this country’s love-affair with the all-mighty gun. I just don’t get it. But it’s become obvious to me that SOMETHING has to change. There have been far too many mass-shootings and horrible gun-related tragedies in our country lately for us to just turn a blind eye to the issue. And it sure seems like we can’t even come together and have a discussion about it.

I don’t know what the answer is. I’m just some middle-aged guy in an average city just trying to do what I do to survive in this world and take care of my family. I don’t have any kind of deep insight as to what the answer is. All I know is that there are statistics to be had that do not lie. Compared to other affluent countries on this planet we are leading the race in gun violence. Frankly a race I would be happy to finish last in. And what is different about those countries? MUCH stricter gun laws.

A Recent announcement by the NRA advocates putting even MORE weapons out there. I tend to think this is a bad idea. We want LESS bullets flying around our society, not more. And if the advocates think that more guns in the hands of the general populous is a good idea, I really have to disagree. “People” aren’t able to drive their cars properly. How are we to expect “people” to handle a gun properly in an intense situation like we’ve had lately. It’s my belief that there would have been MORE casualties as a result.

Look, I don’t propose a ban by any stretch. But I also don’t think that regular civilians have any reason to have high-capacity, rapid shooting assault rifles either. I also think that psychiatric screenings would be a VERY good idea before one can get a weapon.

Do I think those things will prevent the awful events we’ve seen lately? Not really. I try to be realistic in these situations. A deranged person is most likely going to find a way to do the evil he or she’s been contemplating. However, I really think we need to have serious discussions on how to start moving in the right direction. Right now each side is just digging their heals in deeper, and as always, we will get nowhere.

Can we at least talk about it? Probably not, but it was a nice thought anyway.

02.18.2011 – He ‘rejected Christ’ because ‘He’s a father’

What a great read this is. It really shows the loving, kindness, and acceptance of some groups of ‘godly’ folks. (sarcasm heavily laced here).

After his run-in with the church folks, this writer ran into an issue when his son was upset and worried that he or is parents were going to die. His response is great:

As a father, I was about to tell my terrified son the fairy tale equivalent of this: “If he didn’t want to end up locked in a dark, dank basement filled with spiders and child molesters and murderers, then he should love me with all his heart and soul, and if I believed he was sincere, then I wouldn’t lock him down there forever. I would tell him I sacrificed myself to work very hard for him, and that I was giving him this gift of a chance to live upstairs with me forever. However, if he didn’t want it, then it was out of my hands and he would have to go to the basement and be locked in there, away from the warm beacon of my love forever.”

I couldn’t tell my child this. I couldn’t tell him that invisible demons were real.

 

It’s sad, to me, that the people of his church would get so bent out of shape about political issues. I don’t think this is a rare event either. I remember from back when I was going to church in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s, that politcs where being ‘preached’ at that time. I can only imagine how much worse it is now.

11.02.2010 – Today I Choose

Today I choose. And while I believe that all politicians inevitably kowtow to the money that got them where they are, I choose what, in my mind, is the lesser of two (or more) evils. I would much rather use my valuable vote on the folks that I think are actually qualified for the jobs they desire, and those who I believe are actually interested in the service of the public. However, I know that if I were to use my vote on those folks my vote would be wasted. It would not to any damage to the greater of the two (or more) evils that are most likely to win. The folks I speak of do not bow down to the highest bidder, and therefore don’t have a voice in today’s political world. They are the independents, the moderates, those not affiliated with either of the two major parties. The majority of the general populous does not do the hard work to dig and find what these people are all about. The majority grasps in their mouths the loaded spoon that they are offered and swallows. They willfully accept the status quo, while at the same time complaining about the woes of our society and the damaged system that they so eagerly participate in. While I hate politics in general, I hate apathy and hypocrisy even more.

So, today I choose. I choose with reluctance and reservation, but I choose nonetheless.

05.07.2010 – What Does Prayer Do? An Honest Question

In the wake of yesterday’s National Day of Prayer I got to thinking this morning. What do believers think that praying actually accomplishes? I don’t mean that to sound disrespectful. I honestly would like to know how you resolve that in your head. I mean, in the perspective that I was raised with God is perfect, unchanging, all-knowing, etc. Do you honestly think that your prayers are going to change his mind about anything? If so, how? And if not, why continue? I would love some feedback from believers and non-believers alike on this.

On a related note, A local news station posted the NDP topic on their Facebook fan page yesterday, and I’m just stupefied at some of the comments (bad grammar included):

the left wing federal judge should be removed from the bench.Why are we giving up our rights.

How can praying be unconstitutional? And I agree – we all should pray every day!

Why is it that all other forms of religion are considered acceptable but to be a Christian is to be and acknowledge our beliefs seems to be the ultimate taboo?

that federal judge needs to wake-up! where does he turn in his darkest time? bet he prays!

So, yeah, I couldn’t help myself and responded:

so many comments here just make me *facepalm*. the judge in NO WAY determined that you are not allowed to pray. Only that the government cannot ENDORSE a national day of prayer. the judgement did NOTHING to change your freedom to do so or NOT do so. And that’s the way it SHOULD be. If you want to pray…you pray. If you don’t…you don’t have to. It can be a national day of prayer if the churches or other organization want to promote it, but the government needs to stay neutral. Any who think that’s NOT the way it should be are asking for us to live in a theocracy. Think for a few minutes about what that really means. A free country needs to be free for ALL. Not just the majority.

03.23.2010 – Healthcare Hate

If there’s one thing that this week’s current events have shown me, it’s the amount of hate, selfishness, and close-mindedness of people in general. I suppose that it might just be that I’m surrounded by conservatives from my childhood and family, but it certainly seems that the vast majority of the people I find myself around are seriously pissed off about this thing, and I’m not even sure they understand why.

Take, for instance, THIS lovely post from one of my Facebook friends this morning:

It is not my responsibilty to provide others with healthcare. Maybe that is a heartless attitude but it is the truth. Where does it end? Should there be a tax now to provide everyone with clothes and groceries, how about heating bills? You do not have a right to healthcare it is a responsiblity. I keep hearing people s…ay well at least he’s standing behind something he believes in… Bullshit. I have absolutely no clue what the heck this guy is doing. The rate of unemployment is terrible we are in the middle of a war and he chooses to put all his time into the healthcare bill. This smells like a personal agenda. That is not his job.

This person does bring up a good point though. Maybe if we weren’t spending trillions of dollars on this bullshit war the new healthcare bill wouldn’t be such a big deal. I know I would MUCH rather my tax dollars go to help people in our country get quality healthcare than to send our troops overseas to kill and be killed. Of course, I’m a humanitarian, and find all life to be valuable. So, I’m sure my opinion is skewed, but I’m perfectly ok with that.

I don’t have enough time in my personal life to keep up with this stuff, so how can I make a call on it yet? How do all these people actually have the time to learn the ins and outs of this package already? Wouldn’t that take a tremendous amount of time? It seems to me that they might be forming their opinions just based on the fact that they feel like ‘their team lost’.

Anyway, I think everyone needs to chill out and let the dust settle before jumping off a bridge. Myself included!

10.11.2008 – Quote

“When presented with a choice that is NOT a real choice, it is better to abstain than compromise!”

-me