 |
| Police are searching for a man with a spear gun (Photo credit: epburn) |
By Lawrence W. Daly, MSc
It seems like every day the news event of the day is someone has just walked into their former employers business and opened fire on their former boss and employees. It seems just like yesterday that when a shooting did occur it was a bank robber who was confronted by the police and they shot at each other; the bad guy always being apprehended, sent to the hospital or the morgue.
Those were the good old days. Can you imagine that people shooting each other back in the day was ‘good’? The reason it was good is for the most part innocent people weren’t victimized by a psychologically deranged individual who had lost sight of reality, wanted revenge, and didn’t care who he shot and killed, in the end turning the gun on himself or the police shooting them dead.
The bottom line is what has happened to society in that people have come to the end of the line where they just don’t care anymore. Something inside them snaps and they reach for their weapons and with a plan in mind go to a location where innocent people are and shoot whoever they want, when, where, how, and etc.
Has life become so discombobulated that the morality of society which use to mean something has drifted away like the sage brush in an old Western movie, when the wind would blow it down a dirt road?
 |
| English: A view of the Vincent Thomas Bridge, a suspension span connecting San Pedro and Terminal Island. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Recently, producer Tony Scott drove his car onto the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro and jumped to his death. In evaluating and examining his actions, at least he killed himself without killing another human being. Still the death of Mr. Scott sends chills down my spine thinking that his actions could become a part of a society where financial disasters have caused people to commit domestic violence on each other, divorce the person they have been married to for a life time, assault their child for misbehaving like children do, commit road rage until someone runs them off the road crashing their car into a tree or ditch. Just to clarify this statement, it is unknown why Mr. Scott committed suicide.
 |
| James Holmes (Photo credit: DonkeyHotey) |
It is tough to distinguish between who the bad and good guys are any more. Recently, when one of the Aurora, Colorado James Holmes classmates was asked about Holmes, the classmates replied Holmes had mentioned that he wanted to kill people. This information comes from a motion filed by the prosecutor’s in the case.
Last conversation I had with a classmate I asked him about his wife and children and I don’t recall ever talking about killing people. You have to wonder what Holmes’s classmate was thinking about when he heard Holmes speak these words. My thoughts were really, he told you this and you thought well that was a great conversation, most sane people tell me that they want to kill people.
It is difficult to grasp exactly what has been transpiring since 9/11. What has happened to the world we all live in? Instead of going to a restaurant eat, or take in a movie, or go to work, we have to apply for a gun permit to protect ourselves from the lunatics who have lost their way.
I am no different than any other person who values life and the lives of those I love and care about. Still if I don’t become their protector and guardian who else will step up to the plate and keep them from harm’s way.
Law enforcement is too busy dealing with the other lunatics in their communities to deal with the possibility that the next person walking through the local mall may be armed with an AK-47 which will be used as a method to shoot others like going to the shooting gallery, picking off the ducks as they come across the screen.
 |
| English: At the dedication for the Lakewood Police Department Fallen Officer Memorial, Lakewood Police Officer Gene Sievers comforts a grieving family member of one of the victim of the of the November 29, 2009 Lakewood police officer shooting. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The problem is you no longer can tell what a crazed killer looks like or who would want to hurt you or your family. Normal people don’t wear masks and go around beating up the Batman’s of this world. Nor do people dye their hair orange, arm themselves with 6000 rounds of ammunition, and begin shooting innocent people who only wanted to share a special moment with their friends and family.
Growing up my family and I would listen to the comedian Flip Wilson who use to say, “The devil made me do it!” Is that the problem the devil has decided to fight over who will end society as we know it and those who are destroying people’s lives are part of the devils team?
In the meantime across the waters there are nations fighting each other killing thousands of innocent men, women, and children in the name of religion and specifics causes, which no one seems to understand. Wars between other countries are on the edge and once again the United States has threatened to be the baby-sitters of the world.
If you get on the Internet you can order anything you want either from an American company or a foreign country where bidding wars occur to sell the buyer the best handgun, bullet proof vest, and other military type equipment. Of course none of these companies have to report this information to the authorities because there are no laws which regulate these types of sales.
 |
| English: Studio publicity photo of Donna Reed. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
I remember growing up in a country where I felt safe and it was so easy to know who the cops were and who the robbers were. I knew this because I saw it on the television shows like Lassie, Rin Tin Tin, I Love Lucy, Donna Reed, and other shows where violence was not tolerated. When bad men and women did something wrong the police were always there to apprehend them and take them away.
Now we live in a society where the liberals and conservatives fight over phrases instead of how to deal with an economy that we haven’t seen since the great depression. The need to lay down all the weapons, guns, name calling, anger, assaults, and other harmful things which hurt and kill innocent people should begin today. Unfortunately, the American way doesn’t exist anymore. 23 million people can’t find jobs, 48 million people are on food stamps, and now we are 16 trillion in debt.
 |
| Publicity photo of the I Love Lucy cast: William Frawley (Fred Mertz), Desi Arnaz (Ricky Ricardo), Vivian Vance (Ethel Mertz), Lucille Ball (Lucy Ricardo). (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
People weren’t made to be strong enough to fight the problems which each American has to face. In order to get to work, you have to spend an hour to two hours fighting through traffic just to get to work. Once at work, you are told you are part of the down-sizing which is occurring in your company and now you either have to take a major pay cut or you lose your job or both.
Your family sees you as a failure because you can’t find a job, and you are losing your house you have lived in for the past twenty years because it is either you pay for the food on the table or you starve and pay your house payment.
Times are tough and people are doing the most ungodly things to one another or to themselves. What happened to a loving society where neighbors gathered together to help one another. Where people at church would stop by and drop off food to those who were struggling. God use to be important, but in the consensus only 80% of the country believe there is a God. Good luck to the 20% who don’t believe there is a God.
To rant is good, it provides food for the soul, and it eases the pain that we are all feeling in times where things around us seem to be falling apart. When I turn on the television today, I want to hear about something good, no shootings, no earthquakes, no arguments between the Democrats and Republicans; just something which makes me want to go out into the community and thank God for all the good things that He has done for us.
The next time you see a law enforcement officer, tell them thank you for putting their lives on the line every day. Attempting to keep the crazies like the Holmes away from the people we love, respect, and need to protect. Without these officer’s we are seeing what life would be like without them. Just maybe if some crazed friend talks about killing people you will pick up the telephone and call the police and yell, “HELP!”
0 comments:
Post a Comment