Guns And Innocence
In under a week, six people have been killed, and another five injured in mass shootings across the United States. Most disturbing is that one of the shooters was a love-lost member of law enforcement, who decided it was all good to kill his ex-girlfriend and her friends at a pizza party of all things.
On Sunday, Tyler Peterson, a 20-year-old police officer, went to see Jordanne Murray, his former girlfriend, at her home, where she and friends were having a pizza party during their high school's homecoming weekend. Disgruntled because of their recent break up, he left and returned with his AR-15 assault rifle -- the civilian version of the M-16 military weapon -- and casually shot seven people, six fatally, before turning his weapon on himself.
Then today, young Asa Coon entered a Cleveland, Ohio high school and shot five students before having his life ended by a gunshot. No cause has been established for his gun-toting tirade, but one can safely bet that the reasoning behind it is just as inane as Peterson's.
Some will now ruminate about how bad guns are, and how we need to strengthen gun laws, and restrict assault weapons availability. Sidebar -- who the hell needs an AR-15 for hunting or self-defense?!
We'll bang on desks and listen as the NRA tells us that the right to bear arms is an essential freedom. Sidebar #2 -- the Constitution actually says:
What well regulated militia is there in 2007? I thought that's why we had an Army, National Guard, an alphabet soup of federal law enforcement agencies, and state, county, and city police departments?
But sure as the night gives way to day, Americans will puzzle over why and how such barbarous events could have occurred, how again our beloved nation "will lose her innocence" in the aftermath of yet more senseless violence.
Bullshit.
America lost her virginity two or three centuries ago, when the new arrivals killed Native Americans by the dozen with firearms, sometimes for sport, sometimes for profit, sometimes for no reason at all.
Well, maybe in retrospect that was "first base."
Surely, the country had her cherry popped when Charles Whitman killed 14 in 1966 at the University of Texas. Nah, I guess that was just copping a feel.
It must've been the 21 dead at that McDonald's in San Diego in 1984; that had to be penetration. No, wait, that just a deep tongue kiss.
Or maybe it was the 23 dead in Killeen, Texas at the Luby's massacre in '91. Nah. That was just really fine oral.
Damn.
Columbine? That HAD to be when America gave it up... Nope. 'Fraid not. You see, that was anal.
Virginia Tech? That could be considered a DP, but who's counting.
And then, I guess all those gun homicides in Baltimore, Philly, Chicago, L.A., Dallas, Miami, and New York were all just pecks on the cheek after some particularly brutal rough-trade...But America is still innocent, by God! As pure as the driven snow...
So maybe Sunday, or today, now that her "innocence" is finally gone, we can get down to business with actually doing away with 99% of the 200 million guns in the United States. I wish I could say that for sure, that maybe finally, America is ready to actually do something about the proliferation of guns on the streets, and get out of the pocket of the gun lobby, and exercise some plain common sense.
Then again, probably not.
But watch, today or tomorrow a sorrow-filled someone will tearfully say to a reporter and cameraman:
On Sunday, Tyler Peterson, a 20-year-old police officer, went to see Jordanne Murray, his former girlfriend, at her home, where she and friends were having a pizza party during their high school's homecoming weekend. Disgruntled because of their recent break up, he left and returned with his AR-15 assault rifle -- the civilian version of the M-16 military weapon -- and casually shot seven people, six fatally, before turning his weapon on himself.
Then today, young Asa Coon entered a Cleveland, Ohio high school and shot five students before having his life ended by a gunshot. No cause has been established for his gun-toting tirade, but one can safely bet that the reasoning behind it is just as inane as Peterson's.
Some will now ruminate about how bad guns are, and how we need to strengthen gun laws, and restrict assault weapons availability. Sidebar -- who the hell needs an AR-15 for hunting or self-defense?!
We'll bang on desks and listen as the NRA tells us that the right to bear arms is an essential freedom. Sidebar #2 -- the Constitution actually says:
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
What well regulated militia is there in 2007? I thought that's why we had an Army, National Guard, an alphabet soup of federal law enforcement agencies, and state, county, and city police departments?
But sure as the night gives way to day, Americans will puzzle over why and how such barbarous events could have occurred, how again our beloved nation "will lose her innocence" in the aftermath of yet more senseless violence.
Bullshit.
America lost her virginity two or three centuries ago, when the new arrivals killed Native Americans by the dozen with firearms, sometimes for sport, sometimes for profit, sometimes for no reason at all.
Well, maybe in retrospect that was "first base."
Surely, the country had her cherry popped when Charles Whitman killed 14 in 1966 at the University of Texas. Nah, I guess that was just copping a feel.
It must've been the 21 dead at that McDonald's in San Diego in 1984; that had to be penetration. No, wait, that just a deep tongue kiss.
Or maybe it was the 23 dead in Killeen, Texas at the Luby's massacre in '91. Nah. That was just really fine oral.
Damn.
Columbine? That HAD to be when America gave it up... Nope. 'Fraid not. You see, that was anal.
Virginia Tech? That could be considered a DP, but who's counting.
And then, I guess all those gun homicides in Baltimore, Philly, Chicago, L.A., Dallas, Miami, and New York were all just pecks on the cheek after some particularly brutal rough-trade...But America is still innocent, by God! As pure as the driven snow...
So maybe Sunday, or today, now that her "innocence" is finally gone, we can get down to business with actually doing away with 99% of the 200 million guns in the United States. I wish I could say that for sure, that maybe finally, America is ready to actually do something about the proliferation of guns on the streets, and get out of the pocket of the gun lobby, and exercise some plain common sense.
Then again, probably not.
But watch, today or tomorrow a sorrow-filled someone will tearfully say to a reporter and cameraman:
"How could this have happened here in <INSERT CITY OR NEIGHBORHOOD NAME HERE> ...Today <sniffle, sniffle>...We lost our <voice cracking with emotion> innocence..."
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You know the thing that blew my mind about the Cleveland shooting? I heard one of the witnesses on an NPR story. He said he walked in the bathroom and saw the assailant loading his gun. He closed the door and went to class. When he got to class, his classmates where cutting up and having fun and HE FORGOT ALL ABOUT IT!!!!!!
What the hell kind of brains do these kids have? Is seeing a gunman in the bathroom a normal occurence? How can you forget something like that? I fear that we are raising an unbelieveably dense, unthinking, lemming-like generation of brain dead youths who just shrug everything off. WTF?
Okay, I'm sitting on the train to work with my mouth hanging open...
:-0
TVgigi, I agree with you about the sad, pathetic path our youth may be doomed to take. With the dumbing-down of America, however, we shouldn't be surprised. But yet again, my sensibilities are shaken to the core.
Damn.
I tell ya... I'm in high dudgeon as the Brits say. I sat at my computer last night writing to my senators and congressman about the police state we're turning into.
The comment from the Cleveland teen and the comments of the focus group for the Apple Computer commercial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=624FxhJlVM0
depressed me to no end. We are in trouble if this is how the average American thinks.
Also, why is Osidian Hustle not being read by more folks? I will do my part to pass it on to my friends.
What we are seeing is the insolence and contempt that our youth have for figures of authority. One reason a student wouldn't go running to a teacher or a principal or an adult is because they feel no connection, no trust, no respect for these figures. Unfortunate as it is, the code of ethics reflected in the prison system is being instilled in our schools: Do just enough to get by unnoticed, protect your clique at all costs, don't snitch, and authority figures are seen as the enemy. When the draught of role models no longer offsets negative "authority" figures (gang leaders, ignorant peers, belittling educators, parents more consumed with BET than child-rearing) then we are left with police to do the disciplining and something close to Lord of the Flies in the ghetto.
This is our chickens coming home to roost. Now what are we gonna do about it besides count the bodies?
On the flip side, effaridi, what are we doing as adults to earn the respect of today's youth? Who's manufacturing the guns, paasing the laws, turning a blind eye to inequalities in our educational system? We are - we are charged with protecting and nurturing our youth. We need to buck up, admit we made some dumb mistakes and choices in this area, and do better, one kid at a time. My dh told me last night that our 10-year-old teacher makes a habit of calling the parents of his students to give them a report on their child's progress (or lack thereof). One parent hung up on him. No one's going to tell me that this is this kid's fault, when he or she grows increasingly frustrated and despondent and decides one day, to take a gun and go on a rampage. All because the person or people responsible for his/her development didn't want to take the time to get some constructive feedback abouit helping that young person aim higher in life. I'm looking in the mirror and asking myself, how can I be a better parent so my children can have a fighting chance? The odds are stacked so high against our children, the last thing we can afford to do is stand back and assign wholesale blame. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.