Let's Face Reality America

Friday, December 14, 2012 is a date most Americans will forget, but the events of this day will never be forgotten.

For at least two dozen families this day will constantly be seared into every fiber of their collective beings, for this is the day another deranged American hunted and needlessly killed more than two dozen of his - unarmed - neighbors in a small community. And to make matters worse, he killed 20 little children between the ages of 5 and 10 years old. Twenty little children sitting in their school classrooms. Twenty little children loved by their families. Twenty little children who were probably counting the days until Santa Claus arrived. Twenty little children who did nothing to this human hunter armed with an assault rifle and other guns. Twenty little children who were innocent, with their whole lives ahead. Twenty little children now laying in a morgue. Twenty families shattered.

And why did this happen in the greatest country on the face of this earth? We may never know the motive for this unspeakable event because this armed coward dressed in black killed himself, rather than face the consequences of his actions.

Obviously there was certainly something very wrong with this individual. Surely no one in his or her right mind would commit such a horrible act of mass murder. But if he was so ill, so deranged, so in need of help, why didn't somebody take note and do something?

In the United States we have had too many cases of mass murder. While mass murder doesn't happen often, it shouldn't happen at all. Maybe we should pledge - all Americans - that this will be the LAST mass murder in our country. Maybe it is time we take back out streets and protect one another. Maybe we should find a way to ban certain guns because the guns are the weapon of choice for mass murder and the mentally ill seem to be able to get their hands on those guns and use them to end lives, shatter families, and take away the peace we all deserve in this country.

I am all for providing mental health care for all Americans if it makes America a safer and better place in which to live.

And now I am in favor of gun control. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for having guns for legitimate purposes, such as sport hunting or for protecting people faced by wild animals encroaching into residential areas or camp grounds. However, in my opinion, no one in this country needs to own assault guns which are made for hunting and killing people.

The second amendment to our Constitution was written in the 1700s when this country had to have local militias to protect in time of war. We are well past that point in our history. Today we have local police, state police, local sheriffs and deputies, FBI, Border Patrol, ATF, ICE, Homeland Security, many other local, state and national law enforcement agents, plus the National Guard. If the bad guys don't have guns, then the good people don't need guns to protect themselves and their property.

I've heard the argument that guns don't kill people, people kill people. If you want another troubling argument you can say guns don't kill people ... it is the bullets inside the guns that kill. Well how about this one ... what kills are the bullets inside the guns which are held by people who pull the trigger based upon what is going on in their sick heads. Take away the bullets then the guns are irrelevant, then people with issues can't hurt other people.

It's a matter of semantics and we can make every argument under the sun.

Bottom line, if there were no guns and ammo in that Connecticut home this morning, there would be 20 little children snug in their beds tonight dreaming of Santa's arrival and their parents would be planning wonderful Christmas events.

Instead, there are 20 families grieving, picking out tiny caskets, and deciding what clothes in which to bury their children ... BURY THEIR LITTLE CHILDREN the week before Christmas.

In my mind, it's time to quit standing behind the second amendment and decide what is important in this country. How many more have to die before we stand up and say enough is enough?

Come on America! Take a stand! Prove we are a civilized nation where we value life more than a 230 year old clause in the Constitution ... a clause that is proven to be abused in this 21st century America.

As Americans the best Christmas gift we can give to our nation, each other, our children, and our children's children is to take a stand, join together, make our voices heard in Washington and demand gun control that is in line with the way our country and our people exist in the 21st century.

I'm a news junkie, and that's what a news junkie thinks!

Now Is The Time

It's been three years since I have written anything on this blog, and it has been a very rough three years for me and so many other Americans.

Tonight - November 5, 2012 - America is at a turning point. Barack Obama has been re-elected President of these United States. That word, United, is so very important.

President Obama was reelected, but no one can call the outcome of this election a mandate. Tonight we might be a country united in terms of how we face the rest of the world; but we are far from united within our own borders.

Tonight we are a country divided by those who have jobs and those who do not have jobs. We are a country divided by those who have health insurance and those who can not afford insurance even though they work every day. This is a country divided by those who pay the bulk of income taxes and those they believe do not pay their fair share. Our homeland is divided by those who value a woman's right - by law - to control her reproductive desires and those who want to change the law. This nation is divided in our foreign policy where some believe our president is "weak" and apologizes for the causes of our country and its allies. We sit here tonight divided over immigrants illegally coming into this beautiful land searching for a better way of life. We have a divided nation when it comes to energy; the foreign oil we import, the oil we drill and don't drill, the profits made by oil companies, the prices we pay, and the dent this commodity puts on everybody's budget. We are a country divided over the union of marriage where some couples take for granted the opportunity to marry while others stand on the sidelines waiting and wanting their unions recognized. We are a nation divided over the color of human skin almost 50 years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act.

We are a country divided is so many - too many - ways. Yet, we pull together and are united when we must unite. We were united when those airplanes plowed into those New York towers. We were united when another of those planes plunged into the Pentagon, and another plane filled with heros plummeted into a Pennsylvania field. As Americans we united together to see men and women go off to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. We see Americans unite when our fellow citizens face national disasters. We stand together - united - to clean-up, feed, and hold the hands of those who suffer. We are Americans and we unite as volunteers for non-profit agencies and to raise money to fight disease. As parents and non-parents we unite to repair schools so that our kids are educated and will be able to contribute locally and compete globally.

What does this contrast of division and union tell us? It tells us we come together to beat our enemies, protect our families and loved one, and insure the future of our great republic.

Tomorrow morning - Wednesday, November 7, 2012 - with President Obama in the White House, democrats leading the U.S. Senate and republicans controlling the U.S. House of Representatives, Americans MUST UNITE and demand our elected officials work together. As citizens who pay the salaries of the president and the congress we MUST ENCOURAGE AND DEMAND the bickering end, party politics are set aside and the stalemates are brought to a screeching halt.

Americans spoke at the election polls today and Americans must speak tomorrow and every day to have our elected officials understand NOW IS THE TIME, this downward spiral of the United States and its citizens is over.

It is the responsibility of each citizens to tell - and yell if necessary - our leaders that we care about the present and future of this great country and that they - elected officials - had better take notice and care about the things about which we care.

Today is a turning point. Our president is getting a second chance to impact this great country. He can be a lame duck president who bickers with the Congress, or he can be a presidential leader who leaves a true legacy where he brings a divided nation together ... together as the GREAT United States of America.

.. I'm a news junkie - that's what I think!