"Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice."
Gabriel Garcia Marquez: "One Hundred Years of Solitude"
If another country came into the US with weapons of mass distruction and killed over 12,000 of our citizens, we would declare war. However, we can't even get a law passed here to outlaw these semi-automatic rifles that have killed our children. We are not safe from within.
Since Sandy Hook, and the threat that maybe something might be done to ban these weapons, there have been over 3 million more guns sold in the US, 25% of them assault rifles. They would sell more but they can't make them fast enough for the demand.
Starting Over: Very eloquently put. I felt that I could leave a lot unsaid in that briefest of posts because readers will know what the implications are. I wrote it just after Sandy Hook but waited until now to publish because events were too raw. The action to be taken should not be a knee-jerk response but needs to be taken with a cool head. I think Obama is brave enough to move forward on this.
Penny the Jack Russell dog and Modest Internet Star: Tell Gary that I feel that the word 'Freedom' has been used and abused for so long that it's real meaning has been lost and it's used as an excuse for whatever one particular lobby group favours. I think it really should mean the ability to live outside the influence of a coercive government. Good dog!
Not a lot else to say really Bazza! When something as terrible as the Sandy Hook incident happens in the States, the usual bleating comes out, 'How did this happen?', 'Why did this happen?'. Your picture says all it needs to! J Follow me at HEDGELAND TALES
Hi John. Yes, I thought those simple stats and picture spoke volumes. As you know, I usually only blog about things that give me pleasure but, sadly, this is important enough to break that rule.
Happened upon this post. How ironic that I should be reading this on such a significant day.
Too bad no one talks about how many children have died "under the knife", so to speak. Today is the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, 50+ million children (1.2+ million a year). . . gone. No one gets upset about that. Maybe we should outlaw the scalpel and other instruments that cause this destruction to innocent children. But no, we use the guise of "it's MY body". P.S. I am a woman, I have carried four children, and they were definitely not my body.
Gun control? Definitely background checks, but law-abiding citizens should be able to have guns. It's their right!
Maybe we should consider more the change in the attitude of the value of life.
Hi Anonymous. Thanks for visiting and for your interesting comments. Perhaps one should consider the 'rights' of the hundreds of thousands of gun victims that there have been. I do believe they have more right to life than an unborn foetus. But we will have to agree to differ on that one! Please call again!
I hate to be obvious, but Americans aren't going to give up their guns. I agree that something should be done to curb the ability to get high powered assault rifles that can shoot a multitude of rounds in a minute or less but guns, altogether, it won't happen. We're a violent country that delights in violent entertainment and hunting.
I hope that they do ban those high powered weapons that are what these young guys have been using to kill kids and teachers in schools. No weapons, really, should be allowed near those areas. It's all very disgusting and disturbing. I've signed several petitions about banning high powered weaponry to the public but I think we all know that the NRA is one of the biggest group of lobbyists that control some of the main parts of our government.
This kind of crap wasn't happening when I was growing up and I think there is a definite mental health problem that's being ignored in this country these days, as well. Most of the shooters that do these mass killings are young boys in school. Mabe they were bullied by their fathers or friends. I don't know. What matters is (1) They get some kind of help before they go nuts and kill a bunch of people and (2) They need to ban the sale of high powered weaponry to the public- country wide. there is a definite lack of empathy after a story fades away. That's the other problem. We need to remember the victims. We need to fix the problem.
Hi Bazza, You brave soul! You decided to bring up this very heated subject. I hope that after Sandy Hook and the clear statistical evidence that our country will take some serious action to regulate firearms. In the meantime, I have Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert to give me some moral commentary and comic relief on the subject.
Kelly: I think what you say is true but oh so sad. The stats tell you one major fact which is that if you keep on loving guns thousands will die every year. I've heard it said that guns don't kill people - people kill people. The fact is that people with guns kill people!
The Snee: Hello stranger! You'd have to be much braver than I to say what I said in the USA than in the UK. I don't think the stats will help but I believe Obama is a brave man and I hope he succeeds in, at least, beginning to stop the madness.
Hi Dixie. Do I detect sadness in your few words or some other feelings? This is a difficult subject and, as you know, I don't usually write about this kind of thing but it seems to have elicited some interesting responses.
All Consuming: And 'rights', like laws, are man-made not given from God. There is no basic reason why any country can not enforce the laws it wants and needs. I am impressed by the eloquence of what many commenters have written.
22 comments:
If another country came into the US with weapons of mass distruction and killed over 12,000 of our citizens, we would declare war. However, we can't even get a law passed here to outlaw these semi-automatic rifles that have killed our children. We are not safe from within.
Since Sandy Hook, and the threat that maybe something might be done to ban these weapons, there have been over 3 million more guns sold in the US, 25% of them assault rifles. They would sell more but they can't make them fast enough for the demand.
A black cloud hangs over my country.
Hi bazza,
My human has been interacting with a number of our American friends regarding this subject on their blogs. He even noted the same stats as you.
And all he got was they wouldn't tolerate having their "freedom" taken away.
As Arleen states, their is a black cloud over America and they need to rethink their gun laws and fast!
Penny the Jack Russell dog
Starting Over: Very eloquently put. I felt that I could leave a lot unsaid in that briefest of posts because readers will know what the implications are. I wrote it just after Sandy Hook but waited until now to publish because events were too raw. The action to be taken should not be a knee-jerk response but needs to be taken with a cool head.
I think Obama is brave enough to move forward on this.
Penny the Jack Russell dog and Modest Internet Star: Tell Gary that I feel that the word 'Freedom' has been used and abused for so long that it's real meaning has been lost and it's used as an excuse for whatever one particular lobby group favours.
I think it really should mean the ability to live outside the influence of a coercive government.
Good dog!
Lots of people trumpet on and on about "freedom to ..." while remaining strangely silent on the converse "freedom from ..."
The statistics say it all.
From the illustrious pen of the fabulous Sir Tom Eagerly:
I think I'll stay here in good old Blighty and keep my shotgun securely locked up old boy!
Botanist: Absolutely. Hiding behind the 2nd Amendment is cowardly.
It is an Amendment after all and can't be sacrosanct!
Sir Tom Eagerly: That's right Sir Tom. A gun in the hands of an inebriate would be even more dangerous!
Not a lot else to say really Bazza! When something as terrible as the Sandy Hook incident happens in the States, the usual bleating comes out, 'How did this happen?', 'Why did this happen?'. Your picture says all it needs to!
J
Follow me at HEDGELAND TALES
Hi John. Yes, I thought those simple stats and picture spoke volumes. As you know, I usually only blog about things that give me pleasure but, sadly, this is important enough to break that rule.
Happened upon this post. How ironic that I should be reading this on such a significant day.
Too bad no one talks about how many children have died "under the knife", so to speak. Today is the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, 50+ million children (1.2+ million a year). . . gone. No one gets upset about that. Maybe we should outlaw the scalpel and other instruments that cause this destruction to innocent children. But no, we use the guise of "it's MY body". P.S. I am a woman, I have carried four children, and they were definitely not my body.
Gun control? Definitely background checks, but law-abiding citizens should be able to have guns. It's their right!
Maybe we should consider more the change in the attitude of the value of life.
Just my thoughts!
Hi Anonymous. Thanks for visiting and for your interesting comments.
Perhaps one should consider the 'rights' of the hundreds of thousands of gun victims that there have been. I do believe they have more right to life than an unborn foetus. But we will have to agree to differ on that one! Please call again!
I hate to be obvious, but Americans aren't going to give up their guns. I agree that something should be done to curb the ability to get high powered assault rifles that can shoot a multitude of rounds in a minute or less but guns, altogether, it won't happen. We're a violent country that delights in violent entertainment and hunting.
I hope that they do ban those high powered weapons that are what these young guys have been using to kill kids and teachers in schools. No weapons, really, should be allowed near those areas. It's all very disgusting and disturbing. I've signed several petitions about banning high powered weaponry to the public but I think we all know that the NRA is one of the biggest group of lobbyists that control some of the main parts of our government.
This kind of crap wasn't happening when I was growing up and I think there is a definite mental health problem that's being ignored in this country these days, as well. Most of the shooters that do these mass killings are young boys in school. Mabe they were bullied by their fathers or friends. I don't know. What matters is (1) They get some kind of help before they go nuts and kill a bunch of people and (2) They need to ban the sale of high powered weaponry to the public- country wide. there is a definite lack of empathy after a story fades away. That's the other problem. We need to remember the victims. We need to fix the problem.
Hi Bazza, You brave soul! You decided to bring up this very heated subject. I hope that after Sandy Hook and the clear statistical evidence that our country will take some serious action to regulate firearms. In the meantime, I have Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert to give me some moral commentary and comic relief on the subject.
Kelly: I think what you say is true but oh so sad. The stats tell you one major fact which is that if you keep on loving guns thousands will die every year.
I've heard it said that guns don't kill people - people kill people.
The fact is that people with guns kill people!
The Snee: Hello stranger! You'd have to be much braver than I to say what I said in the USA than in the UK.
I don't think the stats will help but I believe Obama is a brave man and I hope he succeeds in, at least, beginning to stop the madness.
Thanks for sharing Bazza.
Hi Dixie. Do I detect sadness in your few words or some other feelings? This is a difficult subject and, as you know, I don't usually write about this kind of thing but it seems to have elicited some interesting responses.
I am entirely with Gary and Penny on this one, as I'm sure you know. 'Rights' tsk. It's an old but - the right arm bears springs to mind.
Extreme sadness.
All Consuming: And 'rights', like laws, are man-made not given from God. There is no basic reason why any country can not enforce the laws it wants and needs.
I am impressed by the eloquence of what many commenters have written.
Dixie: We are united on that point.
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