choice

  The "gun violence" is once again in the news. First off, no gun was ever violent, only the people using them. That needs to be understood before any intelligent discussion could take place. As long as the gun is blamed its' impossible to hold people accountable. If we didn't have alcohol there wouldn't be DWI's either. Makes as much sense as blaming the gun. The surgeon general released a rather lengthy paper on this, and I did attempt to read it. I didn't get far. All the studies and statistics. It reminded me of a ball cap I once owned. On that cap it said, if you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit. A lot of that was contained in the few paragraphs I managed to get through. One conclusion the surgeon general reached was he thought the increase in gun violence was increasing mental health problems. I just had to say, I think it is the other way around! It's the mental health of people that is leading to people shooting each other! The gun is simply the tool of choice. 

  Now I realize I don't have any advanced degrees; I realize I'm old and not a "professional;" anything. But I do know something about people. I've been around a lot of people in my lifetime, being in the service I had to live closely with those of many different cultures and mindsets. For the most part people tend to follow the trends. In short, they pretty much react to things the way they have been taught. And yes, the lessons are different today from when I was a kid. I grew up in the fifties and sixties. The boomers. It was the time when boys were boys and girls were girls. No confusion about any of that. A time when a man stood his ground and fought like a man. We didn't pull out knives or guns! That was the stuff of movies. We didn't do it because we had enough sense to know you could get seriously injured in that way. And not only that, but it was also the coward's way. 

  The mental health of the nation is in jeopardy. For me it's due to a lack of accountability. Ever since I can remember I was told, you do that, and you'll go to hell for certain! Killing someone was one of those things. Not only were you going to hell, but you probably will also get the electric chair! It's not going to be good. You were going to be to account for your misdeeds criminally, civilly and socially. No, we don't hire troublemakers here. No, we don't hire criminals and felons! You will not be counseled, placed in special programs and given any advantages because you are recovering. Not happening. The objective being don't screw up in the first place! And if you do, try to keep it as quiet as possible, and never repeat that mistake. 

  Know why more people are using a gun to settle their differences or act out? The answer is simple. It's personally safer to do that. In that way I can harm others without too much risk to myself. It is certainly a lot safer than just punching you in the face. Sometimes the other person punches back, harder and faster than you! They are choosing guns for that reason and that reason alone. That's the reason there are mass shootings as well. Quite difficult to have a mass beat down unless you're Bruce Lee or Arnold the terminator! So, it is a choice. I'm choosing the tool for the job. Wanting to do the job is the issue, not the tool. At one time in America a man would call another one out because they had impugned their honor. A duel would ensue, you choose the weapon. Today, a semi-auto rifle or pistol is the weapon of choice. It's the person doing the choosing! 

 The deal is this. Until we start holding those using a gun accountable for their actions it will continue. That accountability needs to be swift and sure. It also needs to be very public! Do this and this is what happens! And it happens quickly! No more of this waiting twenty years on death row, you got until tomorrow! You may not believe in heaven, but I will make you believe in hell. You'll believe it because you will see it before you expire. I'll make sure of that.   "Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword". Just substitute gun for sword. I'd practice what I preach! Those guns will become a lot less violent in short order.