Once again we see faced with the ugliness and horror of what a gun in the wrong hands is capable of doing. You will hear numerous television interviews with the countries top psychologists over the next couple of weeks about why this man did this and what could drive someone to such madness, the story will either fade away or be replaced when the spawn of Snooki's drunken irresponsibility enters the world or Miley decides to reviver her career by posing nude with her dad again. This tragedy will be brushed under the rug until another piece of s**t gets his hand on a gun.
We do not need to waste our time discussing mental illness. We do not need to talk about heightened security. We need to keep weapons out of the hands of those who have no need for them and who will only bring pain once they acquire them. Not to repeat myself, as those of you who read this blog already know that I previously did a post on the second amendment, but it is the right to raise an army against tyranny that must not be infringed, it is not the right to arm yourself like Dirty Harry and take the lives of innocent people. Besides, let us not forget that those words were written over two hundred years ago at a time when the democracy and stability of this country was at risk. This same time this was written, slavery was still considered okay and women were not allowed to vote, among a slew of other ill considered laws.
This animal was able to get his hands on over six thousand rounds of ammunition. How does this not set off a red flag? How is there no data base in check that keeps track of all of these rounds of deadly ammunition? I am almost more frightened by the fact that he was able to obtain the guns and ammo legally, and still stay under radar, than I am by the heinous and cowardly act he committed.
I am beyond tired of hearing people say that it is their right to own a gun. It is my right to be able to go see a film and not fear for my life that some freak who never passed any background checks was able to go to his local twenty four hour wal-mart and buy a gun. Do not give me the sport b.s. either, if you want to take up a sport try bowling or golf. Hell, you can drink while playing those sports and get away with wearing funny outfits.
As far as hunting is concerned, which I personally think is a load of garbage because unless you are an Inuit there is practically a food store every two miles, you should be allowed to rent an appropriate rifle upon entering a designated area and must return it when your innocent animal killing spree is over.
I agree that big brother already has a lot of say in our lives but this is one area where I would be fine giving them even more power. As far as arming ourselves against tyranny, history has shown that there has been more successful non-violent rebellions than the countless failed armed revolts. Though it is an old cliche... the pen is still mightier than the sword.
Is it hot in here or am I Crazy!!!
Monday, July 23, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Boy Scouts keep Ban on Homosexuals... Really?
The Boy Scouts of America have decided to keep their ban on homosexuals becoming scouts or den leaders. Are they serious? Is this really the type of morals that we want to instill in the future men of this country? It is hard enough being a young man, and you are influenced and shaped by so many factors (music, television, books, etc...) that an organization like the Boy Scouts should be there encouraging the youth to accept everyone. How can we continue to see all of these advertisements and programs preaching against bullying yet still allow one of the oldest youth groups in this country to teach exclusion? Young people, especially homosexuals, will have to face enough exclusion, from not making the cut on an athletic team to not making the grades for academic clubs.
What about the homosexual men whose children are boy scouts and who would make great den leaders? It is a shame that these men are still not allowed to bond with their sons while also teaching the value of acceptance to other members of the pack. Besides, if my son was in the boy scouts I would much rather he make a bird house with a fashion minded homosexual than some sloppy drunk with the red vein running through the bridge of his nose ( I am referring to my boy scout leader and the seven weeks we spent on a milk carton bird house that didn't even survive the ride home!!!)
And exactly what are the Boy Scouts of America afraid of? It is not like homosexuality is contagious, it is not like chicken pox. And by the time children are old enough to join the boy scouts I am pretty sure that they have encountered a gay person. And lastly, I always assumed that a group who excluded women and forced their members to wear yellow ascots promoted homosexuality!!!
Is it hot in here or am I Crazy?
What about the homosexual men whose children are boy scouts and who would make great den leaders? It is a shame that these men are still not allowed to bond with their sons while also teaching the value of acceptance to other members of the pack. Besides, if my son was in the boy scouts I would much rather he make a bird house with a fashion minded homosexual than some sloppy drunk with the red vein running through the bridge of his nose ( I am referring to my boy scout leader and the seven weeks we spent on a milk carton bird house that didn't even survive the ride home!!!)
And exactly what are the Boy Scouts of America afraid of? It is not like homosexuality is contagious, it is not like chicken pox. And by the time children are old enough to join the boy scouts I am pretty sure that they have encountered a gay person. And lastly, I always assumed that a group who excluded women and forced their members to wear yellow ascots promoted homosexuality!!!
Is it hot in here or am I Crazy?
Monday, July 16, 2012
The Time to React is Long Overdue!!!
The middle class has all but disappeared, we have been engaged in warfare for over a decade and when most people reach into their pockets all they feel is their leg. How much longer can we take this? What will be the breaking point?
There are many ways to revolt and let your voice be heard and as most of the people who visit this site already know, I am anti-violence. With that being said, think about all of the people in history who have chosen the spoken word and the power of print above the saber and the gun. Think of John Lennon and Yoko Ono sitting in their bed during their love in protesting the war and violence in the world. Think about Rosa Parks and the many others like her who refused to sit in the back of the bus or those who participated in sit ins at white only counter tops demanding service. Remember Walt Whitman and his refusal to pay taxes to a government that still supported slavery, even to the point of finding himself imprisoned. Who could ever forget the picture of a young man in Tiananmen square standing his ground against a tank, risking his life. And of course the powerful words of Martin Luther King will forever echo in the halls of history. The list goes on and on, from women in the congo refusing to be intimate with their husbands until the wars stop to the swarm of people representing the 99% setting up camp on wall street.
The point is, you do not have to go to extremes to be heard. You do not have to be a celebrity (but it helps), and you do not have to be wealthy. All you have to be is concerned and involved. There are soup kitchens who would love a helping hand, if you can't find one, do one better and start one. You can start a blog concerning something you are passionate about. If you do not like the local politic scene, run for office. If you care for animals, volunteer at a shelter. Just do something!!! There are so many outlets to be heard nowadays that one only has to choose what they are most comfortable doing. Between social media networks and the affordable power of print there is no reason for your voice to be stifled.
Of course, you could always be a lazy bastard content with viewing life from the sidelines and accepting whatever fate comes your way, just remember don't complain when the shortest straw is drawn for you...
Is it hot in here or am I Crazy???
There are many ways to revolt and let your voice be heard and as most of the people who visit this site already know, I am anti-violence. With that being said, think about all of the people in history who have chosen the spoken word and the power of print above the saber and the gun. Think of John Lennon and Yoko Ono sitting in their bed during their love in protesting the war and violence in the world. Think about Rosa Parks and the many others like her who refused to sit in the back of the bus or those who participated in sit ins at white only counter tops demanding service. Remember Walt Whitman and his refusal to pay taxes to a government that still supported slavery, even to the point of finding himself imprisoned. Who could ever forget the picture of a young man in Tiananmen square standing his ground against a tank, risking his life. And of course the powerful words of Martin Luther King will forever echo in the halls of history. The list goes on and on, from women in the congo refusing to be intimate with their husbands until the wars stop to the swarm of people representing the 99% setting up camp on wall street.
The point is, you do not have to go to extremes to be heard. You do not have to be a celebrity (but it helps), and you do not have to be wealthy. All you have to be is concerned and involved. There are soup kitchens who would love a helping hand, if you can't find one, do one better and start one. You can start a blog concerning something you are passionate about. If you do not like the local politic scene, run for office. If you care for animals, volunteer at a shelter. Just do something!!! There are so many outlets to be heard nowadays that one only has to choose what they are most comfortable doing. Between social media networks and the affordable power of print there is no reason for your voice to be stifled.
Of course, you could always be a lazy bastard content with viewing life from the sidelines and accepting whatever fate comes your way, just remember don't complain when the shortest straw is drawn for you...
Is it hot in here or am I Crazy???
Monday, July 9, 2012
I too am guilty... Materialistic Gluttony!!!
Last week I downloaded a game called Logo Quiz. I was able to successfully name the majority of the logos that the game displayed. As silly as it sounds, that is quite sickening considering I cannot name all the supreme court justices, that I could not fill in a map of the United States and would not be able to identify the different phases of the moon. I am embarrassed to say that even with all my b.s. about trying to be different, I too am guilty when it comes to buying into this materialistic attitude.
It is a sad state of affairs when the citizens of this country can easily sketch the emblems of every designer car and can sing the jingle of most fast food joints but they would give a blank stare if asked to recite the Bill of Rights or the Pledge of Allegiance. We have become so impressed with what money can buy that we are blinded to so many other things around us. Kids today want the latest video games and sneakers more than they want to spend time with their family.
There are a thousand things that you can do that cost absolutely no money. There are nature hikes that no movie can compare to. There are lakes to fish that every download would fail in comparison to. There are countless elders who are just waiting for someone to talk to, someone to tell their story to... stories that cannot be duplicated in any lame reality show which so many people sadly live vicariously through. In our never ending quest for the best and biggest we started to overlook what was right in front of us. People are so used to being entertained and catered to, with all the luxuries that they think they can afford (most live way above their means) that they have long forgot about the little things that they once enjoyed. Everyone is so obsessed with outdoing their neighbors that they lost track along the way somehow confusing physical assets with happiness and enlightenment.
My new goal is to become more of a minimalist. To focus more on the mental and the spiritual and not the physical... until then, I am going to go to sleep on my Ralph Loren silk sheets:)
Is it hot in here or am I Crazy???
It is a sad state of affairs when the citizens of this country can easily sketch the emblems of every designer car and can sing the jingle of most fast food joints but they would give a blank stare if asked to recite the Bill of Rights or the Pledge of Allegiance. We have become so impressed with what money can buy that we are blinded to so many other things around us. Kids today want the latest video games and sneakers more than they want to spend time with their family.
There are a thousand things that you can do that cost absolutely no money. There are nature hikes that no movie can compare to. There are lakes to fish that every download would fail in comparison to. There are countless elders who are just waiting for someone to talk to, someone to tell their story to... stories that cannot be duplicated in any lame reality show which so many people sadly live vicariously through. In our never ending quest for the best and biggest we started to overlook what was right in front of us. People are so used to being entertained and catered to, with all the luxuries that they think they can afford (most live way above their means) that they have long forgot about the little things that they once enjoyed. Everyone is so obsessed with outdoing their neighbors that they lost track along the way somehow confusing physical assets with happiness and enlightenment.
My new goal is to become more of a minimalist. To focus more on the mental and the spiritual and not the physical... until then, I am going to go to sleep on my Ralph Loren silk sheets:)
Is it hot in here or am I Crazy???
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
The cost of independence...
Today we celebrate our independence. Now, before you go outside in some hideous red, white and blue shirt, drink yourself into an oblivion and watch your neighbor's kid blow off his index finger with a cherry bomb made in a third world sweat shop, I feel that you owe it to those who risked it all to provide you with the freedom that so many of us take for granted today.
Freedom is something that cannot be priced. It cannot be truly appreciated until it is gone. Ask anyone who has been incarcerated what the most precious thing in the world is and I am sure they will tell you it is the feeling of being free. To live independently, without rule from tyranny, without censorship. The importance of freedom is never stressed enough until it is being infringed or it is too late.
All too often I hear and read people bad mouthing America, bad mouthing our President and his healthcare system and just rotten attitudes towards the government in general. My only problem with these people is that the whole time they are ranting, they never stop and and give credit to the government that actually allows them to question, allows them to rant and rave. They need to take a step back and at least acknowledge that they have been given the freedom and liberty to speak their mind and make change. Some other countries sentence their subordinates to death or prison for the simple act of thinking against the rule of the land. Here we have the freedom to not only speak out against the law but the power to take to the streets and possibly change it.
I sit at my computer able to type whatever I like without fear. I will go outside later and go wherever I please shrouded by the protection that freedom brings with it. I do not always agree with this country. I often fear the decisions that we make might destroy us some day. But, I still fly the flag in front of my house 365 days a year and will always be grateful for the freedom that this country grants to its citizens. Maybe you should be too...
Is it hot in here or am I Crazy?
Freedom is something that cannot be priced. It cannot be truly appreciated until it is gone. Ask anyone who has been incarcerated what the most precious thing in the world is and I am sure they will tell you it is the feeling of being free. To live independently, without rule from tyranny, without censorship. The importance of freedom is never stressed enough until it is being infringed or it is too late.
All too often I hear and read people bad mouthing America, bad mouthing our President and his healthcare system and just rotten attitudes towards the government in general. My only problem with these people is that the whole time they are ranting, they never stop and and give credit to the government that actually allows them to question, allows them to rant and rave. They need to take a step back and at least acknowledge that they have been given the freedom and liberty to speak their mind and make change. Some other countries sentence their subordinates to death or prison for the simple act of thinking against the rule of the land. Here we have the freedom to not only speak out against the law but the power to take to the streets and possibly change it.
I sit at my computer able to type whatever I like without fear. I will go outside later and go wherever I please shrouded by the protection that freedom brings with it. I do not always agree with this country. I often fear the decisions that we make might destroy us some day. But, I still fly the flag in front of my house 365 days a year and will always be grateful for the freedom that this country grants to its citizens. Maybe you should be too...
Is it hot in here or am I Crazy?
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