sad story

Details are still emerging but it looks to be more proof that carrying a gun doesn't protect you from gun violence.

A US mother who openly carried a gun to her 5 year old daughter's football game last year was shot dead this week. (story here)

Whether she was carrying her gun at the time and who was responsible for the shooting are still being investigated.

Her open advocacy for her right to carry a gun did nothing to protect her from getting shot. Nor did it keep the trauma of that kind of violence from her 3 young children.

I could give another speech on gun control, but i think i've already made myself very clear on the topic.

The Fast Food Rant

What is to follow is pretty much a fast food rant. It serves up a little bit of something similar to meat but without any real substance. Mainly this is due to my laziness...same reason i eat fast food actually.

1) Did you see the USA democrats confront the republicans on their sex abstinence program? Democrats want to include tips for safe sex not just abstinence in the sex education programs. Republicans are having a hard time of it though, but it's so important that these three-times-divorced republicans learn about safe sex or else they'll just keep getting caught in public toilets with their pants down for the wrong reasons!

2) Apparently skinny mummy needs a tummy tuck. I'm so glad they made a book for the kids of Hollywood parents. Now there is one less thing they will have to discuss with their psychologist when they grow up and get arrested for DUI's of their own.

3) Who knew that America's gun laws would benefit criminals in other countries?! This is what happens when you are so paranoid about people coming into your country that you search every car coming in for an apple, but wave though the cars going out, even when its a black van, heavily loaded with small arms and artillery...oh yeah, and the limp arm hanging out that back is probably just one of those Halloween props.


And that has been my fast food rant.

worth it?

I somehow doubt these numbers take into consideration the mass shootings that are becoming part of our society on a daily basis. So far this month there have been 6 mass shootings in the USA that have made international headlines. This isn't a problem with outlaws getting guns. This is a problem of ordinary people buying guns legally and then shooting people with that legal gun. If your sick of it like me, do a bit of research and find your state representative's email address online. Send him/her an email and explain your concerns and what you want to be done. I'm not suggesting an all out ban on guns, i'm talking more mandatory education on gun safety, free counselling clinics in EVERY AREA, or better background checks on gun buyers. Some simple steps would save a lot of lives. Are they worth it?

Another Shooting in the USA..

It seems like every week we get a new story about a shooting in the states. Last week it was a part-time police officer who went crazy over an ex-girlfriend and shot several people. This week it was a boy who took a gun to school and wounded teachers and classmates before killing himself. Later in the week we heard of a boy who was planning another school attack!

Its strange that these stories of tragedy should become so common place in America. With all the hype of security, it seems that people are feeling less secure. If there was a better way for the gunmen to get what they wanted, do you think they'd have been gunmen?

We can easily push this off as crazy people acting out...but crazy people do not just reside in America (contrary to popular belief and most evidence). There are crazy people all over the world, yet for whatever reason there are fewer shootings coming from the UK, the EU, and Australia.

I personally believe that the reason shootings are less frequent in these countries is because the citizens feel more secure. Its not about the security measures that the governments are taking. Its about people feeling like they have control over their life.

Whatever it takes to get a solution, it needs to happen soon. i don't think the country needs any more death by guns next week.

Gun control and me

Having grown up in America, I know that the gun control issue is HOT. No one likes the idea of more legislation on gun ownership (they feel that it takes away their freedoms granted in their constitution), yet many people agree that something must be done to prevent the mass deaths of students (which seem to be the main target of late).

There are a few things that make me uneasy about this though.

1.) The general public are willing to fight tooth and nail for their right to own a personal semi-automatic hand gun, but don't find it neccissary to fight as hard for their right of free speach or their right to assemble.

2.) The media cover gun deaths only when they range higher than 3 at a time...and even that is beginning to become less common. If the media (everywhere) were to cover the gun related deaths of every single person from their country, I wonder if we might become a little bit more aware of the power we wield over life.

3. the government seems to back the idea of a 'safer' America with less or no immigrants. Suggesting that the only danger America ever faces is from outside. Maybe they should take down their welcome on the Statue of Liberty then...

("Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.")

The irony is that Americans are developing a reputation outside their country as gun-toting-christian terrorists. The idea that 'all america owns guns' is so prominate, i have many friends who have no wish to ever travel to America for fear they will be shot! "After all", they say, "I'm not white or Christian, they might mistake me for a target".