4 Years Since Parkland and it Still Hurts

Valentine’s Day is supposed to be a day celebrating love.

For the students, staff, parents, and the general Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School community, this day will always be a day of heartbreak and grief. Four years ago Monday, seventeen people were murdered by someone who had no business carrying a gun.

I have no connection to anyone involved, but my heart still breaks the same. The young people whose lives were taken had nothing but a bright future and limitless possibilities in front of them. The adults who were also taken were just doing what they loved: teaching. The only reason that they are not among the land of the living is that some within the United States care more about their firearms than keeping their fellow Americans alive.

People are still trying to silence us, telling us how to sound, how to act, who we should and shouldn't call out.

Four years later, we continue to call B.S. @callmeX pic.twitter.com/gcmyjPs8IF

— March For Our Lives ☮️ (@AMarch4OurLives) February 17, 2022

Later this year is the 10th anniversary of Sandy Hook. Had this tragic event not happened, the children who were slaughtered would be teenagers. The company that manufactured the weapon that killed the students and their teachers, Remington Arms, will be paying $73 million dollars to nine families of the victims.

We know that this money will not bring back those who were killed or take away the trauma of those who were left behind. If nothing else, it sends a message to gun manufacturers and distributors. If one of your products was used to kill by someone who should not have had access to it in the first place, you will not get off scot-free. You will pay, one way or another.

We cannot go back in time and undo what has been done. But we can honor their memory by preventing another massacre with nationwide and airtight gun laws. Only then, will we be able to allow them to rest in peace and us to finally breathe.

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Two Years After the Parkland Shooting, Nothing Has Changed

Since the massacre at Columbine High School in 1999, politicians and multiple Presidential administrations have spoken of, but have not enacted reasonable gun control laws. The result of this inaction is far too many gun massacres since then and an incomparable loss of life.

Today is the second anniversary of the Parkland shooting. When my generation went through Columbine, we were too shocked and sad to do anything. The kids from Parkland, though shocked and sad, did something.

They demanded change. They stood up for their murdered classmates and teachers. They did not back down from politicians who gave them lip service about gun control and the lack of gun control laws. They called out the NRA and the politicians who are in the back pocket of the NRA.

I wish that my generation had been able to use our collective voices as the kids from Parkland and this current generation has. Perhaps things might have been different. But we cannot go back, we can only go forward. Only then we can honor the memory of those lost and protect others from what these kids have experienced.

May the memories of those murdered that day be a blessing to us all. Z”l.

Just This Once, a Good Person With a Gun Stopped a Bad Person With a Gun

Gun control is one of those issues with the potential to tear this country apart. Among the many arguments against gun control is the following: “a good person with a gun can stop a bad person with a gun”.

On Sunday, at a small church in Texas, a man walked in and started firing. It could have been a massacre. But it was stopped by members of the church security team, two of whom gave their lives to save the lives of their fellow parishioners.

In this case, the fact that the security team was armed saved lives. That much is true and not up for debate. However, I still believe that this country needs common sense gun laws. It does not take a genius to understand to put two and two together. Lax and varied gun laws lead to mass shootings. A national gun law that mandates universal background checks is absolutely necessary.

Too many in this country have been lost to mass shootings. Until we take action, we will continue mourn for those who were taken by gun violence.

I Have a Mental Illness, I Didn’t Shoot Anyone Yesterday

This past weekend, as we all know, was one of the bloodiest in American history. Two mass shootings killed 31 people (as of Tuesday) and injured many more. One of the first questions that many ask is why this happened.

Some may state that the accused shooter was mentally ill.

I, like millions of others around the world am mentally ill. It has been my unwanted companion for far too long. I have yet to (and it is unlikely that I ever will) purchase a gun for the sole purpose of killing innocent people.

I wish our leaders would stop pointing fingers and ask the hard questions. At this point, as a nation, experienced too many mass shootings to point fingers at outside influences. That is taking the easy way out.

Video games are not the cause of mass shootings. Neither are the Internet or mental illness. It is our lax gun laws that cause mass shootings. It is the NRA and the gun lobby who have some of our politicians in their back pocket.

We need the red flag law and the universal background checks installed and enforced as national law now. We needed to tighten up our gun laws yesterday.

I feel like right now, this nation is at a turning point. We can continue on the same path that we have been going on and lose more innocent lives. Or, we can finally take a stand and ensure that this generation does not become the generation that is killed by mass shootings.

Only then will this madness finally stop.

Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment Is Killing America’s Heartland Book Review

Sometimes, the enemy is found within and not without.

Earlier this year, the new book, Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment Is Killing America’s Heartland, was published. Written by Professor and Psychologist Jonathan M. Metzl, the book talks about how the policies and beliefs of the conservative movement are hurting and not helping those who adhere to those beliefs.

In the book, Dr. Metzel delves into topics such as the ACA, the debate about America’s gun laws and other topics that continue to divide this country and ultimately shortening the lives of the men whom he interviewed.

Some might see this book as slightly academic in nature. I think in a certain light, it is an academic book. But, from my perspective, it is a cultural and sociological review of a sector of our country that many of us either dismiss or don’t consider because they are not part of our daily lives. I think this book is an important read, especially as we get closer to the 2020 Presidential election.

I recommend it.

I Blame You, Mr. President

When boiled down to a simple job description, the job of the President of the United States is to protect and serve the American people. Their job is not to serve and protect wealth donors/lobbyists or a specific group of citizens.

And yet, this President has done both.

His openly racist comments and double talk about the continuing gun violence has led to an epidemic of massacres in this country. Yesterday, the list of mass shootings in the United States added two more communities to this gruesome and bloody list: Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas.

At this point, I am ready to throw my hands up the air. It is well beyond frustrating that some of our elected politicians (you know who included) continue to look the other way or give lip service to this continuing crisis. Will it get to the point that we will have to go through airport level security every time we leave our homes?

Personally, I blame you know who. The accused gunmen were Caucasian men who used racist rhetoric and beliefs as a reason for their actions. It does not help that you know who has openly expressed racists beliefs without being checked by those who can check him. It also does not help that he has given lip service to those who have experienced gun violence while supporting the NRA.

I don’t want to have to go through airport style security every I have leave my home. But at this point, it feels like that may be the only option. That is, unless some of our elected politicians grow a pair and fight for the citizens who were elected to represent them.

When Will We Reach the Breaking Point? Another Mass Shooting in America

As Americans went to bed on Sunday night, we were reminded that gun violence and mass shootings are a plague that has yet to be cured.

Earlier today, a disgruntled employee walked into a Mississippi Walmart and starting shooting. He killed two of his colleagues and injured an officer.

I am so sick and tired of turning on the evening news or picking up a newspaper and learning of another mass shooting. What is the breaking point? How many innocent civilians must die before Washington wakes up?

Wherever you are, hug your loved ones and thank your lucky stars that you lived to see another day. Two people are unable to do neither today because they died of unnecessary gun violence.

This Weekend, Four More Citizens Died From Mass Shootings

When the weekend comes, we want to relax. We want to enjoy our precious time off and not worry about what is going on in the world. But unfortunately, we have to.

As I see, the issue of the gun laws in this country should be non-existent. We respect the rights of those who are legal gun owners and of sound mind while taking guns out of the hands of criminals.

Unfortunately, the issue is not straight forward. The messiness and arguments have opened the door to too many mass shootings in this country. This weekend, there were two mass shootings.

On Saturday night, the citizens of Brownsville were enjoying a lovely summer evening with their annual “Old Timers” festival. Then shots rang out. By the time it was over, one man was dead and eleven were injured.

In California, it was a beautiful day out. Guests at the Gilroy Garlic Festival were enjoying the day and spending time with their families. Then someone starting shooting. Three people were killed, two of whom were under the age of eighteen. The accused gunman (who shall not be named on this blog) killed his victims with an Ak-47 style rifle. It was purchased in Nevada, where it is legal to purchase this kind of weapon. In California, one may only acquire this type of weapon via illegal means.

Enough is enough. How many citizens must die from mass shooting because Washington does something? California Governor Gavin Newsom blasted Republicans for their inaction and frankly, I couldn’t agree with him more.

It’s time to put the lives of our citizens ahead of our guns or the lobbyists who are directly responsible for preventing real world gun reform. But until certain members of Congress step up to the plate, mass shooting and the unnecessary loss of life will continue.