Crazy vs. Crazy: More Guns Please!

If you are a gun owner that obeys the law and takes pride in the responsibility of owning a gun, this post isn't for you. If your name is Cleetus and you are currently stock piling ammunition in your trailer in preparation for the war against the government or zombies, this post isn't for you. If you are a parent or citizen who is sick of reading about senseless gun violence and feels like something should be done, then you need to continue reading this post.

Our founding fathers were comprised of  slave owners, atheist, bisexuals, and men who would not be elected to public office in today's world based on their ideology and values. They crafted a country the best they could for the times they lived in and stated time and time again that changing this country was not a bad thing, but a positive and necessary step in continuing the success of this Democratic Republic.  They would be horrified today as to what we have evolved into, a Nation that is bought and paid for on the corporate level by Oil, Coal, and Guns. None of these industries care about you, your family, your health, or the future. They only have one concern, PROFIT for their investors.

Since we can't have a discussion on guns, thanks to the NRA and their fear tactics, there is no point in stating facts, statistics, or examples of how other countries manage their guns. We are as addicted to guns as heroin addicts and there is no cure in sight. When laws are needed to be written or amended, it's the NRA that crafts them for the politicians, so they can be full of loopholes or watered down. A group of around 5 million people controls all discussion on instruments of death that affects over 300 million.

If the argument is it's "our right", then why can't we own any type of weapon we want? If it's for home protection, how many rounds do you need in one clip? Has anyone ever survived being shot 30,50, 100 times?  If it's to defend yourself against the Government, well, then you are f**king stupid, the government can take you out from a computer screen in Colorado. Are you part of a militia? I doubt it. Do you like just blowing the shit out of things? Fine, could you at least be required to register your gun and keep it locked up? Or my favorite, if you take away all the guns, they will use hammers... OK, I could live with that. A school would have a much better chance dealing with a hammer attack, then an extended clip with multiple shots per second being fired... 90% of Americans want extended background checks. You can't get 9/10 people to agree on almost anything, yet their voice was silenced (by lobbyist)...

So what's the solution? A logical one would be to vote out the politicians that aren't willing to work on a multifaceted approach to gun violence in America, including mental health, background checks, and penalties for people who allow others to use their guns against others, to name a few. Sadly, the ones screaming mental health reform are the same ones who typically vote to cut that type of funding. It's just a good campaign jingle. Solving this problem is a lose-lose because their backers lose money and they have nothing to campaign on. The business of selling fear is a profitable one and good for job security.

For now, that leaves us with fighting crazy with crazy. The people who seek reforms and want to see an end to the senseless slaughters that plague this Nation need to act. How? 1. Buy all the guns and ammo. Keep the shelves at zero inventory until the fanatics are willing to talk, and talk in a respectable, meaningful way that provides common sense solutions while respecting the rights of lawful gun owners. Take away their addiction, starve the beast, and they will be willing to talk, and talk fast. 2. Sexual boycott on a Nationwide scale. Take away all bedroom privileges and there will be a deal within a week. Possibly the only thing that these fanatics & uninformed people crave more than their guns is sex. Take away the boobies, close the strip clubs, and shut down the nudie websites for a week, and by god, there will be a deal. Finally, vote against your party or politician that isn't willing to discuss this. Eric Cantor just got ousted, which leads me to believe that anyone can. Even if that means voting against your principles, just for the sake of this issue, do it. The numbers won't lie...

In conclusion, logic and reason have been trumped by money and fear. Even if we removed all the guns, there would still be violence, but that's not the point. The point is, it's too easy to pick up a gun, steal a gun, obtain one without any record, purchase ammunition, and shoot somebody because they took your parking spot. The third victim in Las Vegas had a conceal & carry permit, so more guns didn't work out well for him. Columbine had two cops on duty...If we are really going to keep ignoring this issue (mental health included) then we should honor our founding fathers and issue every man, woman, and child a musket and require them to carry it at all times. At least then, the odds of walking in to (fill in the blank) and killing multiple people would significantly decrease...

Parents, Say No to Fear!

One of the benefits of growing up in the 70's was we only had 3 channels and the news was on at 5:30. If memory serves me correctly, the networks went off the air shortly after Carson by way of the National Anthem. I walked to school, through the woods, rode in a car without a seat belt (sometimes laying in the back window), played outside from dusk to dawn (returning home when I heard the sound of my mothers voice), and drank from the water hose on a regular basis. I'm pretty sure most of the kids in my neighborhood experienced the same way of life.

Then shortly after 9/11, we had our first child and it seemed like every aspect of life had been plunged in to fear. If I didn't immediately buy a Hummer, my family would die. I plugged every electrical outlet, bought a Nascar inspired car seat, helmets for damn near every activity known to man, and was told if I let my child out of my sight for 5 minutes, she'd be on a milk carton the following morning. I was receiving weekly emails about the dangers of food, the Internet, soda, plastic, collapsing cribs, baby food, vitamins, immunizations, flame retardant clothing, lawn darts, television, video games, shark attacks, killer bees, and Chris Hanson was on every channel showing me that every neighborhood in America had a rapist living near by...

Because I was a new parent, I was eating this stuff up, losing sleep, and turning my house in to a foam padded fortress of solitude. Then something happened, my first child lived and became a big sister. A few years later, she became a big sister to her new brother, and it dawned on me, I had been fed a lot of bullshit! I'm not dismissing all of the information provided, but a dropped Cheerio, by kid number two, wasn't responded to in the same manner as if she had dropped a live grenade in the dining room... Our front yard wasn't a valet service for child rapists and living in Missouri, I had no reason to fear sharks!

We began enjoying our children more, realizing that dirt was good for their white blood cells, and came to the realization that we could have bought Disney World with the money we spent subscribing to the fear. However, the fear police didn't let up and two new warnings have been issued. 1. putting your kids name on the back of their t-ball jersey aided child molesters in their efforts to rape your child... 2. Family decals on the back of your minivan alert criminals as to how many people live in your home...

Really? You mean to tell me, that if he/she doesn't know the child's name, they aren't interested? My response, put your kids phone number and address on the back of the jersey. Then when the piece of shit rings the doorbell, answer it with a double barrel to the mid section. As to the window stickers, again, if they think we have Chewbacca and R2-D2 living with us, then I hope they are smart enough to stay away, because that also may imply I have a light saber too...

Being a parent is an awesome responsibility, sometimes overwhelming, but the rewards are immeasurable. Subscribing to every fear issued by the 24/7 news cycle that is driven by advertising revenue (instead of reporting factual news), and watching countless hours of cable television devoted to parental horror stories is no way to live. Yes bad things can happen (and it's horrible when they do), but if you are an active participant in your child's upbringing and apply a pinch of common sense, then you can spend more time enjoying your children  and less time fearing things you have little control over, like shark attacks in Missouri...

ACHTUNG! Not again...

Look familiar? It should. If it doesn't, then maybe it's time to stop googling images of Rhianna's dress from this past week. Google this image, and then pick up a history book... I've been hearing a lot of talk lately about how the "Far Right" is gaining power in Europe, however, I think there may be a difference between the far right in Europe and the far right in America. So next time you see a news channel reporting on the far right coming back or a buddy tells you that Europe's on the "right" track, think again.

The Depression of the 1930's was a global one and many took advantage of this in Europe for political/military gain, which was one of the major factors that eventually plunged the world into war. Tens of millions of people died to end this type of hate and create a world in which humans would ensure that this would never happen again....

Many countries, including our own, have been in an economic recession for several years and economists stop just short of using the word Depression. Economic hardships lead to fear and there is nothing more dangerous than those that would prey upon it. As human beings, we owe it to the men and women of the past that made the ultimate sacrifice for this planet not to go down this road again. If we do, this time, I don't see the FDRs and Churchills coming to save us, they don't seem to exist anymore...

"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it" -George Santayana


P.S. It's the 70th Anniversary of D-Day...

Enough with Graduation already...

It's graduation season across America which means thousands of America's youth will face a tough decision, plunge themselves into debt for a degree that may land them a job or join the workforce now and compete with college graduates for a counter position at McDonald's... However, there seems to be a growing, yet disturbing trend, that bucks the previous statement. Pre-school graduation, Kindergarten graduation, 5th grade graduation, and 8th grade graduation? What the Hell? This can't be serious, oh, but it is!

After World War II, a High School Diploma meant everything and a college degree almost guaranteed you success. When I graduated in 1991, a High School Diploma was expected at minimum and everyone was brainwashed to go to College. Currently, a High School Diploma means you lived for 4 years and unless you get a specialized degree, a Bachelors isn't hardly worth the paper it's written on... 

The problem is, we the people, were sold a bunch of crap, told we were special and decided to quit making things. We forced generation after generation to get meaningless college degrees until we hit critical mass. Not everyone is college material and we still need labor intensive jobs, but we have come to believe those are beneath us, even though they pay really good money. So now, many of us stare at computer screens and the hardest decision we face is where to go to lunch for an hour...

Now we have taken it too far. We've leveled the playing field to the point that there is no game or winner, in fact, everybody wins, even if you don't play! Kids are now being rewarded every couple of year, for moving up. You can't hardly flunk a kid anymore (today's parents are more interested in being their child's best friend, than their parent), so this isn't a milestone, it's referred to as NEXT. Yet, on a daily basis, I gaze upon social media to see the gowns, flowers, parties, parades, and mass hysteria over little Billy or Suzie passing that major milestone of participating in another year of school.

What's the fix? Well, for starters, parents need to be parents first and raise their children to be honest, respectful, and behave in a public setting. Second, they need to be fed correctly and not sent to school on a diet of sugar and sugar. Third, parents need to get back to the idea of supporting the teacher (which means bringing back the grade of F) and understanding that their child is not a Prince or Princess (and that's OK). Fourth, re-instate P.E. on a daily basis, including dodge ball and games that have winners and losers (participation ribbons can go f-themselves)...Finally, tell Hallmark to go to hell! We have enough trivial holidays as is and adding more sub-categories of graduation to the mix is just a continuation of the message we keep reinforcing to our children that winning/celebrating all the time is normal and should be expected (The movie Idiocracy was intended to be a comedy, not a blueprint). Until then, things will only get worse and in a few years, I'll be attending potty training graduation, winter break graduation, and spring break graduation...

Summer Time Ignorance: As American as Apple Pie

For many of us school will be out this week, which will kick off summer! The kids will take a few months off from school, forgetting most of what they have learned, so that when they go back, the underpaid/under appreciated teachers will have to spend the first two weeks bringing them back up to speed (putting us even further down in the rankings of education around the world)...That really doesn't matter, because as Americans, we have more important things to do than learn, it's time to grill, swim, travel, and eat as many different fried foods as we can during this short window of ever increasing warm weather...

However, there are two things associated with summer that really frost my ass: Visors & Sunburns.

Unless you are a female (preferably a tennis player of Eastern European Decent), wearing a visor makes you look like the newly elected "King of all Douche Bags!" Either wear a hat or don't. Spare me the lecture that visors are cooler than hats, with 21st century technology, hats can be cool too (without the stigma attached), while protecting the top of your head. Wearing a visor sends out a message that you think you are smarter than most when it comes to head gear (while burning the top of your head), but not smart enough to be taken seriously while playing sports....As to bald men wearing visors? WTF? You need to be studied asap, so they can find a cure for this level of stupidity. Thankfully Americans rejected the vucket (a bucket hat type of visor) or we might as well surrender to the Chinese.

As to sunburns, this is American ignorance at it's finest. I'm not talking about an accidental burn or you fell a sleep in the hammock, I'm talking to ignorant white people that should, by now, know better. A sunburn isn't a badge of honor, it doesn't memorialize your float trip, or show your ex that you can party without him/her. This says that you reject science, LOVE the idea of getting cancer and leaving your family for an early grave. You should just stand on the mountain top and scream to the world, "look at me, I'm one of the dumbest motherf**kers to have ever walked the earth and I'm damn proud of it!"

So when you hop in your over sized truck (complete with naked lady mud flaps and truck nuts) heading to the fried goat ball extravaganza on the banks of dumb f**k river, remember to wear a hat and put on sunscreen. I know this is asking a lot, but you may even have to reapply the sunscreen every hour, so rest up, because this is going to consume some brain cells. Don't do it for me, don't even do it for America. Do it for your children or significant other, that will one day have to take care of you as you suffer from skin cancer. If this is asking too much or you are from a state that doesn't believe in science, then please ignore, and burn yourself as often as you can, so we can remove you from the gene pool.

Say THANK YOU NOW, There may not be a tomorrow...

Friday will mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day. Sadly, some of you won't know what this is and will need to google it, others will say, that was a long time ago, what does it matter? It matters, because you wouldn't be where you are today if it weren't for the actions of the Men and Women of that Era... We are losing about 1,200 of these REAL Heroes each day, which means in around 3 years, they will no longer exist in the physical realm. They aren't asking for a Thank You, but that doesn't mean it isn't your obligation to do so.

This generation grew up during the Depression and was then plunged into the deadliest war this world has ever known. When they came home, they went to work. They built this country in to a Super Power and bestowed upon future generations a lifestyle they were never afforded. They never complained or asked what's in it for me. They gave everything, including their lives, so that we, future generations, would never have to suffer and endure like they had to.

The current state of this Nation and the World needs to pause and reflect upon this generation, set aside the gridlock/partisanship and understand what it's truly like to be an American. We need to understand that working together, towards a common goal, is not a bad thing. Europe needs to wake up and wake up quickly as they continue to march down the road of fascism, again, as country after country elects more and more hate filled fascists to their governments, which echo the horrors of yesteryear.

Why do you need to say THANK YOU? So as they take their last breaths on planet Earth, they will know that their efforts were not in vain and they can finally rest in the peace that they deserve and that they've earned.

Can't we all get along? (Yes, if we communicate)

Are we all racist? No. Next issue... Racism is taught, handed down from parent/guardian to child. You are not born racist. In fact, you can be a racist, then through education, transform into a non racist... In today's world of over over-hyped political correctness, we jump to the conclusion too early that someone is racist, without exploring the issue at hand. Why? Because race is a subject that makes us uncomfortable, much like being in 5th grade & hearing "The Sex Talk" for the first time or debating the existence of God. The key is communication.

Recently, Mark Cuban was the next social figure to land in the political correctness hot tub because he said if he saw a black male in a hoodie, at night, he would cross the street...The second half of that comment was, if he saw a tattooed white male on the other side, he'd cross back over...That's not racism, that's either instinct or at worst prejudice. However, it's easier to throw out the term racist, because 9/10 times, that ends the conversation, but that benefits no one and just kicks the race can down the road. Maybe, if there was a word to describe White people (other than cracker or honky) that had the ramifications of other racial slurs, more progress would have been made by now.

For example, in college I went to a house party and when I arrived, I was the only white person there. My blood started pumping, fear started creeping in, I got some awkward looks, but five minutes later, everything was OK. The party was great, and I had a good time. Why? I opened the doors to communication, set aside my initial fear, and used my brain. I wasn't invited to the party to be murdered, I was invited because they wanted me there...Conversely, later that same year, I went to a Country & Western Bar, where I spent the entire evening trapped against the wall, paralyzed with fear and unable to have a good time.  I allowed my initial instinct/prejudices to over ride my brain, paralyze me with fear, and shut down all communication skills... 

I know I paraphrased Rodney King's comment in the title & this being the 20th anniversary of OJ is a completely separate issue, but both events polarized this Nation, and to this day, debate rages on with both issues. That, however, is a good thing. Communication is the key to solving all problems. If we continue to bury our heads in the sand every time something hits the news that makes us uncomfortable, what gains do we make as a whole? We stop evolving as a species and create larger divides among us.

This year, California has become one of the first states where the White race is the minority. The Nation as a whole, is expected to follow in the next 30 years or so...Now is the time to have open, dyadic communication, resolve the ills of the past, move forward, and educate the future leaders of this Nation, so that instead of seeing a spike in racism as 2043 approaches, our children grow up only reading about it and asking why we were once so stupid...