With about ten days to go before the end of the Mayan
calendar I began doing a countdown to the end of the world.
Naturally it was all in jest as I certainly don’t believe
that 12-21-12 will be the date when the Earth blows up or anything remotely
similar.
But for some people it will be the end of existence for them since people naturally, and even un-naturally, die every day.
With about 8 days left in the countdown the mass murder of 26 innocent people took place in a little town in CT, 20 of whom were children mostly 5 or 6 years of age.
A countdown even in jest seemed inappropriate for a few days and I’ve just sort of stopped it even after a few more passed.
Some people are really freaked out about this and some places have taken measures to make sure that floods of people don’t make their way into these places space to do bizarre end-of-the-world things.
But for some people it will be the end of existence for them since people naturally, and even un-naturally, die every day.
With about 8 days left in the countdown the mass murder of 26 innocent people took place in a little town in CT, 20 of whom were children mostly 5 or 6 years of age.
A countdown even in jest seemed inappropriate for a few days and I’ve just sort of stopped it even after a few more passed.
Some people are really freaked out about this and some places have taken measures to make sure that floods of people don’t make their way into these places space to do bizarre end-of-the-world things.
So many others are far more articulate than I when debates begin about things like gun control and mental illness so it rarely makes sense to get in the middle of them when the debate gets heated. Even after when I read things that make sense that I could pass on to others it doesn’t make much sense because these things have made their way around the social media networks and I’m just parroting at that point.
There are a couple of things that I read or noticed that I thought were interesting to note though and I will parrot them accordingly:
- Doctors accidentally kill more people in the US than guns purposely do. Yes, doctors save lives too, but so do guns when criminals know that potential victims have them.
- The flu killed 5 times as many people in the US as guns did in 2010 (50000 to 11000 - source CDC) Let's not get into heart disease and cancer stats.
- Alcohol induced deaths in 2010 were just over 25,000. We know what happened when alcohol was banned in this country.
- President Obama wants to tighten gun control but just sold 20 F-16 fighter jets to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. You know, that group that basically wants to kill as many non-believers as possible.
- Heroin, Cocaine, Meth and all sorts of drugs are banned
and illegal in our country yet there continues to be a growing problem with
them in our country.
- 446 school-aged children have been shot in Chicago this year, which supposedly has the toughest gun laws in the country. On the day of the Newtown massacre, 10 teens were shot in Chicago, 4 of who were killed. Just another day; no headline news of note to read there.
- 446 school-aged children have been shot in Chicago this year, which supposedly has the toughest gun laws in the country. On the day of the Newtown massacre, 10 teens were shot in Chicago, 4 of who were killed. Just another day; no headline news of note to read there.
- Since Australia’s
gun ban, armed robberies are up 69%, assaults with guns up 28%, gun murder up 19%,
and home invasions up 21%. That, my friends, is called evidence that gun bans
are not working.
- In 1929, the Soviet Union
established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable
to defend themselves, were rounded up and
exterminated.
- In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
- Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.
- China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.
- Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. (Seems that the end-of-the-world date was a little off for them.)
- Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
- Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
- In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
- Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.
- China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.
- Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. (Seems that the end-of-the-world date was a little off for them.)
- Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
- Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
There is this other argument
about assault rifles and semi and automatic weapons. My understanding of the
whole debate about guns when the US Constitution was created is that the 2nd
amendment was written so that citizens could defend themselves against a
government out of control. At that time the government didn’t have tanks and
bazookas and grenades and chemical weapons and F-16 fighter jets. They had
single-shot rifles. Citizens had the chance to fight on an even playing field.
It would be a bit extreme to suggest that citizens should be able to go out and buy tanks to defend themselves but its patently obvious that even with the ability to buy an automatic weapon that we are way overmatched if a battle ever came down to the citizenry and the US Government forces.
It would be a bit extreme to suggest that citizens should be able to go out and buy tanks to defend themselves but its patently obvious that even with the ability to buy an automatic weapon that we are way overmatched if a battle ever came down to the citizenry and the US Government forces.
Here is the 2nd Amendment
to the US Constitution, for those who haven’t actually read it in a while, or
ever.
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.
I have heard some people read that sentence and state, emphatically, that to own a gun you have to be part of a militia.
I read it clearly as two different things – a militia and the people.
I am placing an “and” in there where the comma is but to me the comma is the “and.”
But let’s take the first part which says “militia.” What does that word conger up in your mind these days? Terrorist group, perhaps? That is what gets sold to us these days by the leftist media. American militia groups are on watch lists in this country but it seems to me that if they are well regulated they should be just fine. How do we end up categorizing a militia as a terrorist group today?
I have a deep concern about giving any government too much power. Just look at some of the above examples I posted about what has happened in countries where governments took away guns from people.
I feel the same way about taxation in this country. I consider money to be powerful. Take a dollar and consider that one unit of power. The more dollars that the government takes from us through taxation the more units of power that they have. When a government devalues that dollar by printing more of them, they are taking power from us. This is something to fear, in my opinion. I don’t care who is in office, Democrat or Republican, they do not get the power. Our Constitution was written to guard against that. Yet I still hear people talking about how it is out of date or is a “living and breathing” document that can be changed because society changes. (There is an amendment procedure to deal with that so in that sense it is living and breathing.) But who are the ones who always seem to want those changes? The ones who want us to pay more taxes and remove guns from our homes thus taking power out of our hands. Does that make sense at all? DOES THAT SINK INTO HEADS AT ALL?!?!?!?!
I have heard some people read that sentence and state, emphatically, that to own a gun you have to be part of a militia.
I read it clearly as two different things – a militia and the people.
I am placing an “and” in there where the comma is but to me the comma is the “and.”
But let’s take the first part which says “militia.” What does that word conger up in your mind these days? Terrorist group, perhaps? That is what gets sold to us these days by the leftist media. American militia groups are on watch lists in this country but it seems to me that if they are well regulated they should be just fine. How do we end up categorizing a militia as a terrorist group today?
I have a deep concern about giving any government too much power. Just look at some of the above examples I posted about what has happened in countries where governments took away guns from people.
I feel the same way about taxation in this country. I consider money to be powerful. Take a dollar and consider that one unit of power. The more dollars that the government takes from us through taxation the more units of power that they have. When a government devalues that dollar by printing more of them, they are taking power from us. This is something to fear, in my opinion. I don’t care who is in office, Democrat or Republican, they do not get the power. Our Constitution was written to guard against that. Yet I still hear people talking about how it is out of date or is a “living and breathing” document that can be changed because society changes. (There is an amendment procedure to deal with that so in that sense it is living and breathing.) But who are the ones who always seem to want those changes? The ones who want us to pay more taxes and remove guns from our homes thus taking power out of our hands. Does that make sense at all? DOES THAT SINK INTO HEADS AT ALL?!?!?!?!
The end of the world isn’t
coming Friday for most of us. I’m not worried about that. I am, however,
certainly more worried about many other things that are related to what is
written above here.
Please trust that I have only thought about this an hour or so
today and only today. I have otherwise kept my vow of focusing on the positive
during this Holiday season, which has been
fantastic for me thus far. I am fully confident that Christmas will come and
it, too, will be awesome. I wish all of my friends a healthy and happy holiday
season and a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year (just in case I don’t
write again…and it won’t mean because my world has ended, it will only mean that
I am busy having fun and enjoying myself.)
Done
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