Orlando
For all of those who say they have no words, I have a few.
People have died because their country has failed them. The signs were there, but they went unheeded. Many people in the shooter’s life (I won’t name him here, he gave up his name to commit atrocity, he is merely the shooter…) many people have said he was angry, he would go off on angry, homophobic rants and there were mentions of his violence. A co-worker went to their boss and said ‘hey, this guy’s got problems’, but his words were unheard. Family saw his anger and heard his words, yet did not think they were enough reason to force him to seek help or counsel.
Congress has failed to see wisdom, lobbyists have failed to see anything but their paychecks, and people have died. Friends, neighbors, families have all died because this shithead shooter and others like him were legally able to buy assault weapons. Not hunting rifles, not target guns, assault weapons.
Me? I like guns. Guns are good for hunting, for target practice, for just shootin’ tin cans. They’re good for self- and home-defense. I believe people that enjoy these activities should be able to pursue them.
But I also believe that there is no righteous purpose for owning something like an AR-15, or any of the similar weapons out there. These are not hunting rifles, they are not target rifles, they are only good for one thing, and that is terrorizing the humans around you. (Not “your fellow humans”, because if you’re terrorizing them, you have nothing in common with them. You’re just a fucking asshole at that point, not a human.)
Look, I’ve read my history and I understand what was going on when the boys with the pens sat down and argued around a table for weeks penning the Constitution and the Amendments. At that time, and for the years following, the Second Amendment made a great deal of sense – take the arms from the people, and they become subjects, just like they were under the English kings. Those days are looooooong past though. An armed militia to keep the government yoke in check doesn’t work anymore, because the United States military has more guns than whatever God you believe in, our police have militarized themselves, and there’s no fucking way the populace is ever going to mount a successful armed rebellion against the government.
Not. A. Chance. In. Hell. The South ain’t gonna rise again, dickhead, just give it up.
So. What do we do now?
We get off our asses, pull our thumbs out, and make some changes.
You, and you, and yes, you over there in the corner – go outside, knock on your neighbor’s doors, and talk to them. Get to know them. Try to understand them. I know meeting people is scary, but these are the people that will be closest to you when the zombie apocalypse finally lands, so get to know your team. Find out if they need help, or counsel, or just a damn shoulder to cry on over a beer.
Congress: it’s time to stop taking money from the gun lobbyists that are allowing the people around you to arm themselves with assault weapons and make a stand for sanity. Ban assault weapons. Require sane background checks for all gun purchases. All of them. Gifts too – nobody gets a gun without a check. Come up with something similarly sane for the purchase of ammunition, because really, you don’t need 4000 rounds of 9mm. For those that want to carry a sidearm in public, first you have to pass a psych evaluation, and there needs to be a yearly checkup. This includes police, FBI, DHS, and all the other T.L.A.’s out there.
Manufacturers: First, stop selling assault weapons to civilians. Then build a safe gun. This is the 21st fucking century here, why isn’t there a smart gun yet? The idea is out there, the tech was put forth at one time, and some paranoid assholes shot it down. Trot that sucker on back out here, and let’s make it work. Embeddable RFID chips are easy and safe to use, and can’t be taken away from someone easily or lost. Use this as the basis for your system, and then make it rock-solid. Put a camera in every gun as well so you take a picture every time you fire – instant evidence to support your case for self-defense or defense of others.
Most importantly, and this applies to everyone on this rock: anything or anyone that tries to convince you that killing people that aren’t trying to kill you first is wrong. And I mean actively, fundamentally, 100%, no-two-ways-about-it fucking WRONG.
Stop and think.
Hollerings