Tag Archives: mass shootings

Hey…Hey!

Posted on by
Reply

Those of us who grew up in the Viet Nam era of the 60’s and 70’s certainly remember the chant “Hey, Hey, LBJ…How many kids did you kill today?!”

It was heard throughout the country. A cry against a war that should never have been. A war that divided the country and took the lives of so many of our friends and families.

Well, yesterday this idea just hit me after hearing about the 162nd mass shooting in our country. And unfortunately by the time this is published, that number will most likely be higher. 

So I have a new chant we can start using, and it goes like this: “Hey, hey, NRA…how many of your guns killed kids today!? How many people did guns kill today?”

What do think? Could it catch on? 

Would anyone even care?

Or have we become so complacent that the news of a mass shooting just doesn’t affect us anymore? 

That is…unless it’s in your state or your hometown. Unless it affects people you know.

Have we gotten so used to these senseless tragedies…these senseless murders…that we’ve forgotten it’s not just another news story?

It’s a tragedy that happened to people just like you and me. And as the saying goes, “there but for the grace of God go I.”

It could be you or your loved ones next.

WHEN are we going to DO something about this epidemic that’s sweeping our nation?

Your kids could have been at that Sweet Sixteen party in Alabama where 4 young people were killed and 32 injured. Or attending that private school in Louisville. Or your loved ones could have been working at that bank in Louisville. 

Then you’d cry out for change. After it’s too late. 

Hey, hey, NRA…how many of your guns killed kids yesterday? How many more will they kill today?

Those of us who grew up in the Viet Nam era of the 60’s and 70’s remember the chant “Hey, hey,

What’s It Going to Take?

Posted on by
Reply

That’s a good question. And I wish I had an answer. A good answer would be nice. Or even any answer.

But I have none. And obviously there really isn’t one.

Yesterday a bank employee who had heard he was going to lose his job walked into that bank and started shooting employees, probably those who had nothing to do with his employment situation. All in all, 5 people are now dead, several others are in critical condition including a young police officer ten days out of the police academy. He was shot in the head.

Yesterday’s tragedy marked the 145th mass shouting in our country since the beginning of the year. That’s a sad statistic. 

It should be a frightening and sobering statistic, but it’s obviously not as much as it should be, because such events are becoming far too commonplace in our country.

We listen to the news and hear about some deranged individual walking into a crowded area, a school, a concert, a shopping center, a church, a darkened movie theater, and firing away, seeing how many people he or she can kill. 

We shake our heads in disbelief that it’s happened again. We’re outraged. We cry out for something to be done. At least for a day or two.

We offer our thoughts and prayers.

We put memes and pictures on social media reading “I stand with [whatever area was attacked today]” and think that’s all going to help. Because it makes us feel better.

It certainly doesn’t make the victims and their families feel better. Because they lost people that can never be replaced, no matter how many prayers we say. And it doesn’t do anything to stop this ever-growing plague of gun violence that is sweeping our nation.

But then there are others whose answer is…., you guessed it. More guns. Arm the teachers. Armed security in our churches. More armed guards in shopping areas, concerts and the like. Metal detectors in schools, which actually should have been done years ago. Are guns the answers to guns?

And of course, there are calls for more people to buy guns and get concealed carry permits so they’ll be ready for anything. Does it make me feel safer thinking that a person beside me may have a concealed weapon? No. It makes me nervous because I don’t know how an untrained individual with a gun would react in a situation with a mass shooter, particularly if that shooter had an assault rifle. And I don’t know whether that person will think something is about to happen, pull out the gun, and shoot when there’s no reason.

I hear very few politicians on the right calling for gun control. “Oh, we can’t do that,” they say. “The Constitution says we have the right to our guns. We can’t change that.” [Translation: We WON’T change that.

That’s not exactly true. They don’t WANT to change anything. They like the political contributions from all the pro-gun groups.

Actually, we can change our laws without outlawing gun ownership. We can outlaw certain types of guns, like assault weapons. We can write stronger laws regarding gun purchases and gun ownership, training in weapons handling. We can impose special excise taxes on firearm sales. We can license gun owners, and make those licenses renewable after a few years upon passing a test, like we do with vehicles. We can actually enforce the laws we now have, and make it harder for someone who has behavioral health issues to own a firearm. Or harder for someone to buy a firearm for someone else who isn’t legally able to do so.

We need to stop these senseless acts of violence by cowardly individuals who think the only answer to their problems is to destroy other peoples’ lives and families. They don’t care what suffering they cause; they probably don’t even think or care about it. Yes, these shooters havr at least diminish e emotional and mental issues, and that needs to be addressed as well.

But we also need to rethink our country’s love of guns. I’m not against hunting, but you don’t need an assault weapon to hunt for wildlife. 

I don’t have all the answers, but we need to start looking for answers in a serious way. There have to be things that can be done to stop these senseless tragedies. Hiding our heads in the sand doesn’t cut it. Praying for the victims doesn’t ease their tragedy. Donations made in the victims’ name doesn’t erase what happened or make it better.

Please, let’s contact our elected officials and demand legislation that can help to end or at least diminish these tragic acts of violence.

 Before your family or mine is another victim.

Parents, Hold Your Children Close

Posted on by
Reply

Because you don’t know what tomorrow will bring.

Too many parents have dropped their children off to school one morning, told them to have a good day, and said, “I’ll see you later.”

And they didn’t. Many even forgot to kiss them or tell them they loved them when they said their last goodbye.

Too many parents have gotten in an argument with their kids before they sent them off to school, and actually were relieved they didn’t have to deal with them until later that day.

But later that day they didn’t have the chance to deal with them…and never would again.

Sometimes we take the most precious things in our life for granted. And we don’t realize it.

Until it’s too late.

Today I’m thinking about all the parents whose children were victims of mass shootings. Parents who every day have to face a loss that’s beyond the scope of anything most of us have ever had to deal with.

They surely look back on the times they argued with their kids, yelled at them, and at times probably wish they’d never had them. Which of course they didn’t mean. And regret those thoughts and words for the rest of their lives.

But times change; circumstances change. And when the unimaginable happens, parents’ lives are changed forever, and not for good. They can’t take back things they wished they’d not said. They can’t apologize.

They can only live in the land of regret for the rest of their lives.

No parents are perfect. No children are perfect. But despite the problems and frustrations involved in raising children, they all love each other no matter what.

Families deserve the chance to love each other and grow together. Parents have the right to raise their children into adulthood.

And children have the right to a happy childhood and the right to grow from a child into an adult.

They don’t have the right to have that opportunity stolen from them by someone filled with hate and carrying a gun. Someone whose only motive is to destroy others with no regard for anything else.

Parents, hold your children close. Tell them you love them. Because they are a precious gift like no other you’ll ever have. 

Parents, and grandparents, make your voices heard. It’s time to stop the senseless violence against our children that we’re seeing far too often. It’s time to speak up and demand change.

I do not want to hear about another senseless mass shooting, especially in a school where our children should be safe and not fearful. But unfortunately I probably will.

What is all of this doing to our children? They see the news reports, and worry about the “what if’s”. They shouldn’t have to. Growing up is hard enough without worrying about someone coming in to your school with a gun and trying to shoot you.

Parents, hold your children close and love them for all they’re worth. 

Because their worth is immeasurable.

Enough is enough

Posted on by
1

I’ve had it. I’m done. Monday’s actions put me over the edge.

So far this year there have been 129 mass shootings. There have only been 86 days in the year.

I’m over hearing about school shootings. There’s no excuse for this to continue.

How many more parents’ lives will be devastated? How many more families will be destroyed?

How many more young lives will be senselessly lost until we decide to act and DO SOMETHING?!

How many more families will send their children, the most precious beings in the world, to school to learn and be with their friends,  and then a few hours later get that call no parent should ever get? The call that basically ends their world?

As a parent and now a grandparent to three of the most precious human beings in the world, my heart breaks, and aches, and cries out for justice and an end, once and for all,  to this madness.

Our schools are not safe. Doors are left unlocked, and unguarded. Entrances are not guarded or monitored. Guards are not employed. Safety measures are not being taken. Metal detectors are non-existent. Searches of backpacks don’t happen. 

Why? Budgets possibly. Or not wanting to “offend” someone. Not wanting to check out a warning that was given because it wasn’t thought to be credible, and no one wanted to take a chance they’d be wrong.

I’m done with this. I’m appalled. I’m angry. I’m livid. And I’m tired of no one wanting to take the action that’s needed to prevent more of this senseless violence.

The lawmakers don’t want to ban assault weapons because the Constitution gives us the right to have firearms. But it doesn’t say we can’t make laws that make sense.

But they also don’t want to offend the NRA, because they get campaign money from them so they can continue to win elections.

The gun laws we have need to be enforced, and we need to ban assault weapons. Laws do not need to be overlooked because someone might get upset. Or someone might lose their campaign monies.

People….It’s time to make a stand.  It’s time to actually DO SOMETHING to stop this craziness! Our children’s  very lives are at stake. And if you don’t believe me, that’s your problem. Look at the news. Look at what’s happening. Put yourself in other people’s places.

Our children are not only the most precious people in our world, they are the future of our country.

And they deserve to have their chance at that future.

I pray there will be no more incidents. But I’m also a realist. Until something is done, there most likely will be.

For those of you who say we can’t ban these weapons, or tighten gun laws, imagine how you’d feel if one of those children that was murdered were your child or grandchild.

Then tell me how you’d feel. 

I’m thankful my grandchildren are safe right now, and I continue to pray daily for their safety. But we need real action, and laws enacted that will help to prevent future such acts. And enforcement of those laws. It’s up to each of us to make our voices heard. And to speak for those who no longer can, because they’re still crying out and asking “why?”

And I have no answers for them.

Except that the ones that could actually do something did nothing.

39 is Far Too Many

Posted on by
Reply

The first thing I read in the news the other morning was about ANOTHER mass shooting. Another in California. California’s THIRD in as many days.

But this isn’t about California. It isn’t about all the recent mass shootings at Walmart. 

It isn’t about school shootings.

It’s about our country’s refusal to realize that something has to be done to stop this madness. 

And that doesn’t mean we need to license more people for concealed or open carry.

It doesn’t mean we need to arm our teachers in their classrooms. They’re there to teach, not stop a gunman from shooting their students. Or a student shooting other students.

We need to make changes in our gun laws. And we need to change our attitudes about guns, as well as our attitudes about mental health.

Yes. Mental health. Because these people who are committing these horrendous acts of cowardly terrorism are most definitely in need of intervention. 

In the aftermath of these horrific incidents it’s very often discovered that a majority of the perpetrators have exhibited signs of serious and disturbing emotional and psychological problems. Which unfortunately are very often being largely ignored by friends, family, or coworkers.

Could some of these massacres have been prevented if people had spoken up instead of turning away and ignoring what they saw? Possibly. But we’ll never know, will we? Because so many people just don’t want to get involved.

But maybe at least some more massacres could be prevented if people took more careful note of others around them doing or saying things, posting things, that possibly could be an indication of a problem, and letting someone know. But then again, too many people like to ignore such things, afraid of retaliation or retribution from others. So they stay silent, and when something happens, that’s when they speak up. 

After it’s too late.

But this does not negate the need for stricter gun laws. AND the need to enforce those laws rather than oftentimes look the other way when someone wants to purchase a firearm who doesn’t meet the criteria under the law.

And by all means, we need to pass a ban on assault weapons. No one needs them for hunting. They are weapons for war, for quick kills. Why does Joe Public need one? And don’t tell me it’s to defend his family, because there are other ways. Yes, the Constitution allows us to keep and bear arms, but laws are designed to regulate how that is done.

And yes, I understand that there will always be an element of society that will find ways to acquire weapons no matter what. And in that case, when they’re caught, we need the laws to be strictly enforced, with no plea bargains. And all rights to gun ownership resulting in a lifetime ban on future gun ownership or possession with harsher penalties for violation. 

And what about educating gun owners on the proper and safe methods of securing their firearms? Perhaps even requiring those who legally own a firearm being required to take a safety course every so often in order to keep that license to own a gun? Don’t we have to have our drivers licenses renewed on a regular basis? What’s the difference?

By now I’m sure many of you will have tuned out and think I’m crazy to suggest any such limitations in gun ownership. After all, it’s their right!

Well let me close by asking this question? How would you feel if your loved one was killed or hurt in a mass shooting? What if there were a shooting at your child’s school? Would you still think there’s no need for stronger gun control laws? Picture yourself getting that phone call or seeing it on the news.

My friends, it’s time to make our voices heard and come up with a solution to these problems. Before there are more mass murders. 

Even one more is too many.