Shooting in Aurora

Yesterday marked one of the largest massacres in the U.S.  It was a bit difficult to believe.  I know that there are sick and crazy (not good crazy, but bad crazy) people out there, but this was one of the reasons we moved from California.  I knew that bad people exist everywhere, but I never thought it would happen here, despite what happened at Columbine High in '99.

I guess I was a bit naive to believe that.

I woke up yesterday and talked to my mother, who told me about the tragedy.  I immediately started freaking out.  I had yet to find out it happened in Aurora.  I knew I had friends who would be seeing the movie at midnight.  I can't remember what went through my head at that moment, but I do know that there is nothing more scary than wondering if your friends have been shot.

"Where did this happen?" I asked my mom.

"Aurora," she said.

No friends in Aurora.  I was a bit relieved, but at the same time, I could just feel that ache in my chest.  That physical pain you get something absolutely tears at you (who knew heartbreak wasn't just emotional?).  Not just the fact that people died and were injured, but also the fact that people had to watch that.  Adults and children.  I feel terrible for the people who watched people die, but the children?  I am disgusted with the fact that a monster would rob them of their innocence like that.  When my sister found out, she commented, "Well, that's not very nice.  He must not read his Bible."  I wish I could have her innocence.

Later, my mom came up from the basement and asked if I wanted to watch Lost with her.  She needed to get her mind off of it and some other things, so I said yes.  We'd never seen the show before and we quickly became addicted.  It provided a good distraction and the plot drew us in.  We ended up watching it for hours.  All the TV channels had something about the massacre on them (we only get a few channels, so I can't speak for all of them, obviously, but still).  I'm sure that they're going to continue reporting about it for a bit, so it's just going to be Netflix for right now.

Please keep the victims' families and the other people at the theater in your thoughts and prayers.

Guns

I've decided that posting about politics, even though I've done it before, is probably not the best idea.  I don't have a ton of readers, though, and if you don't like it, don't read it.  It's probably not the best thing on Facebook, but this is my blog, and I'll post whatever I feel like posting.

I will warn you right here that this post might frighten a few people because I talk about a few different ways that people can be murdered.  Read with discretion.  (That was so cool to say.)

So this morning, I was feeling absolutely terrific.  Until I watched this video.  I couldn't make it all the way through because I felt sick.  Not just a "my blood is boiling" sick.  It was a literal stomach churning sick.  And I can't tell if this video did that all on its own or if the coffee I had helped.

My first question is this: How the heck is gun control going to make us safe?  If anything, it's going to make us less safe, not more.  Because there will be people who will use guns despite the fact that it will be illegal and the rest of us will be unarmed.  If some guy comes into my house uninvited, I will shoot him, no questions asked.  I will protect myself and my family (even though it's just my dad that has access to the guns when we're at home and not at the range, not me).  But if he's armed and I'm not?  That means I have no way to defend myself.  Because trying to defend yourself when your opponent has a gun is pretty futile.  If I do have a gun, and he also has one, then I can easily shoot him before he gets to me.  I would have no regrets about it.

Now here comes another question: What if we're both unarmed?  If there's an intruder, you never know if he has a gun on him.  But for the argument's sake, let's say he's not.  If I don't have a gun because of this silly treaty either, then guess what I'll do?  I'll do whatever it takes to get him the heck away from me.  I will use whatever else I can think of to defend myself.  I'll use my fists (even though I seriously can't punch - ask anyone), one of the steak knives in the kitchen, whatever.  The only time I would EVER kill a person is out of self-defense, and taking a gun away isn't going to stop that.  There will be people who will still murder.  There are more ways to kill a person than with a gun, so taking the guns away won't lower the amount of murders that happen.  And people will still own guns - making it illegal doesn't mean every single gun owner out there will immediately let go of their guns.  You might as well ban everything else if you're really bent on keeping the crime rate low, Mr. President.  Anything and everything can be used as a weapon.  If you want people to stop stabbing, ban scissors.  If you want people to stop suffocating others, ban plastic bags.  I could go on and on, but I think you get the point.  The only difference is that guns are more effective than any other weapon.

My final question: How do you think we've been fighting wars?  And how will we fight in the future without firearms?  We will be toast if we don't have them.

You have no reason to fear gun owners.  George Washington once said, "The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference."  The majority of gun owners own guns to protect themselves and use them for recreation (hunting, for example), not to kill or harm people.  The only people to be feared are the ones who misuse guns.  I am not losing my second amendment rights without a fight.  "They'll have to shoot me first to take my gun."  (Roy Rogers, everyone.)

If you want to debate with me on this issue, I'd be more than happy to do so.  My only requests are that we do it in person and that you are civil about it.  If you start to hurl insults at me (which has happened to me - one of the big reasons I usually don't get into debates - seems like no one can be civil and respectful about it), I will immediately leave.