I am so saddened everytime I look at the news, whether on TV or the Internet...have you noticed how many murders are happening across this country, not to mention all over the world? Here in Nevada a man walked into an IHOP and, using his AK47, slaughtered 3 people, and wounding 8 others...he ahd a target, the table of National Guardsmen having breakfast. He then took his own life (saving us tax dollars on his trial). They mentioned he had mental health issues, well, duh!
Here in Las Vegas you can see billboards advertising the gun show at one of the same center where they hold arts and crafts shows...interesting billboards, a photo of an assault rifle and a come-on suggesting you and your family can come in and try the guns at a shooting range. An assault rifle!
Is it just me, have my political conservative ideals been somehow lost along the way of how this country is heading for a meltdown? Babies abandoned in dumpsters, old people left to die out of lack of care, politicians becoming monsters who look to lead this country with NO experience whatsoever...fat cats lining their pockets with our money, which is rapicly dwindling down to nothing, and they want to take more from us by cancelling social services that help AIDS, women's helath, abortion clinics (and if you are a man, you have no right to say what a woman should or should not do with her body).
I am trying not to rant here...just want to not feel I am not crying in the desert without a voice, or a friend to listen.
It is extremely hard to keep a sense of balance between what we learn that is bad compared to what we learn is good... Interestingly, our local newspaper makes a concerted effort to provide that balance and is often seen as promoting a life's accomplishment or some other interesting aspect of life on page 1. Half of page 1 is good news and the other half is something under development (a new initiative of the Governor, or a new economic development coming from Washington). Surprisingly, just in today's paper there were three articles about sex crimes and these were in separate articles on pages 3 and 4 of the paper. In the past these might be headlines on page 1. Certainly this is news but there is nothing that says the topic needs to be screamed at the paper's readership. Personally, I like the balance of the local newspaper.
The evening news at 5 pm however is another thing. These young reporters get themselves a guy with a camera and a local investigative issue and try to make news out of it. At times I wonder if this is a training ground for young reporters for such TV programs as "20-20" or "Sixty Minutes." I tend to enjoy many of the TV programs such as these two because they often highlight a real issue. Are they news? Probably not (at least in the traditional sense of the term). But I often find myself cheering for the investigative reporter in such programs for exposing a problem with the local prosecutor or the botched police investigation and finding that the public would never know about that were it not for the report (to a national audience).
Psychologists and psychatrists are likely finding themselves very busy in this day and age because stress and distress is rampant everywhere. Our awareness of what is wrong is more instantaneous. Technology has enhanced our awareness. It is tough for people to keep a sense of balance when they are so stressed at the inequities of life and the troubles involved in providing for one's family. The economy alone bears down on everyone everyday. People have to manage with less and this alone is a source of great stress. Expectations in this country can be a source of distress in an of itself. We have, for example, the expectation that when we get a college degree we will get a job paying a fantastic salary. When that does not happen we see people with PhD degrees acting as greeters at the local department store. The delta between expectations and realities is a real source of distress - add to that a world that is seemingly out of control and it is not hard to see how people "tip over the edge..." It is a cumulative effect. That effect is enhanced because here in west Michigan we instantly know of the crime committed by a guy with an automatic weapon ending the lives of some National Guard soldiers (for example).
One can debate the Second Amendment provisions concerning ownership in this country. There are arguments on both sides. But it clearly defies common sense that guy ownership should be extended to practically unrestricted ownership - there is no reational reason for a person to have a bazooka in their closet, or an automatic rifle more suitable for military purposes than for personal purposes... But, of course, that is personal opinion. The argument that "guns don't kill people, people kill people" is equally luducrous in my opinion. So goes the lack of rational discussion in this country. And such extremes of deciding what guns, owned by who, and for what purpose is an issue settled by the least qualified of all - politicians! With an 82% dissatisfaction rating of the Congress there is ample reason to reflect on what works, celebrate our achievements as a people, and deal realistically with our challenges. Our challenges (including crime) will ever be there and requiring attention. It is, I surmise, a measure of a great people as to how we attend to our challenges.
You are not the only one to reflect on the issues of the time. I suggest only that we attempt to remain balanced. Look for the good, rise above the moment, pray for those less well off than ourselves and make a mark that when our time comes we can say "this was my best... I could do not better..."
Thanks for your post!
everysooften
west Michigan
Just a thought.
Not done with guns, but clearly makes my sad point still valid....do I need to bring up what happened in Sweden?