Thoughts, Prayers, and Nothing.

Thoughts, Prayers, and Nothing.

A political Rant. You have been warned.

Another day, another mass shooting. 50+ dead, 500+ injured. Let that sink in for a bit. Yep, you read that right. This has turned into the new normal.

Starting in a day or two will be the first of the funerals. Are you ready for that? Soon you will be hearing and seeing the names and faces of the dead and the stories of the living. Are you ready for that? Already, the great “thinkers,” from their bunkers, are saying that this a huge Government cover-up to take their guns. Ready for that? Are you ready to hear some politicians, spokesmen, or lobbyist say that these deaths and injuries are just the price we must pay for “freedom?” ‘Merica!

But let’s get to the feels and put these numbers in a context to help you. The average High School classroom has 25-30 kids in it. That’s two classrooms full of the dead. An NFL team has 53 players. For the military minded, a Platoon of solders is 42 men. The Boring 777 carries 451 people, while the Airbus A380 carries 525. This is just a comparison. The exact numbers of dead and injured won’t be known for days.

But it doesn’t matter, does it? They are just images on a screen, not anybody you know. You didn’t get upset when 20 kindergarteners where slaughtered, 50+ country music fans mean nothing. And at this point I will start hearing, “But that’s not fair. It’s not the same. You don’t know what you are talking about. “ But you see that is where you are wrong. I know just as much as you, maybe more because I have been paying attention. Have you?

So, now we start to talk about the problem. Both sides will harden there points of view. Pro-gun folks will talk about the Second Amendment and the “Good guy with a gun” myth. The Gun control folks will talk about too many guns and the ease upon which to get them. And neither will listen to the other side and admit that there might be something to be learned from the other.

I’m on the Gun control side. Yes, there are too many guns (113 guns per 100 people). And the ease of access? Terrorist experts are saying that this is a national security crisis. But I will admit the others have a point too. When people buy them legally and get training, I have no problem. I don’t want your guns. Here’s something to blow your mind. This libel has fired different types of guns and likes it.

Here is the question I ask all the time to my pro-gun friends: How do we stop the bad guys from getting them? I will get an answer about there is no way, because they will steal them or buy them on the Black Market. But, they won’t really provide an answer and just this will prove my point doesn’t it?

And of course, we are getting the politicians and people on social media offering their “Thoughts and prayers” to the families and injured. Which just says, “I don’t want to do anything or talk about it. I’m beholden to a special interest (Left or Right).” All this does is give a false sense of caring and lets the sawyer feel good about themselves. But, it just shows a great level of Hypocrisy.

So, what can done? I have given my ideas on multiple occasions. You know my thoughts. But, here is the thing you and I both know. Nothing is going to happen. People on both sides will yell and scream their talking points. It will be in the national media for a week, at most (longer in the local press), and we will all forget about it moving to the crisis. Of course, it will be brought up after the next mass shooting. But, will that be the one where you or someone close to you is shot? Who knows?

As the Writer/Blogger Jim Wright has stated: “You want a better country, be better citizens.” I couldn’t agree more.