Six Word Memoirs on Life Stories

ShellDeFelice says,

We have to be collectively smarter and more loving than to stand for the "nothing can be done " response!

ShellDeFelice says,

Mournfully, we are our own enemy.

Staraj says,

"We have met the enemy and he is us." — Walt Kelly

It's an old and still sad truism, ShellDeFelice.

I watch a number of cable news programs. Perhaps, too many. MSNBC. Also certain CNN programs. And on rare occasion, I even venture over to Fox to listen to their blood-curdling screams. (What the hell do I know? Maybe the sky IS falling.)

Today, on one of MSNBC's shows, a man affiliated with a gun group, whose name I forget, said he proposed that citizens be free to equip themselves with the same firepower the police have, but no more. The police. Not the military. I mulled that over for a couple of seconds, and decided I agreed with him. He was admitting that it was foolish — as well as impractically dangerous — for everyone to have unfettered access to any and all armaments. But if those hired to protect us can carry an AR-15, "we the people" should be able to carry one as well. You betcha.

As for a "call to action" . . . first must come a call for reasoned words. We talk. We talk some more. Left brains and right brains endeavoring to get it — us — together. We agree we'd like to minimize the possibility of another "quiet kid" blasting his way into a school. But we acknowledge that in a theoretical free society, someone legally carrying an AR-15 — who becomes pissed off at the world because his dog got run over — might go off the deep end and start shooting folks in a randomly unlucky bowling alley. We talk about possible actions to minimize carnage in public places. If that's what we decide we want to do. What will it cost? In dollars and hassleness. We ask incisive questions. Just as you have, hieronimo. Indeed, as I expected you would. One hopes good questions will lead to good answers.

Or maybe we do nothing. Except grieve, light candles, and lay flowers, when the next crazy person or just your garden variety miserable asshole decides he can't or won't learn to love himself, and instead is going to check out — but not before taking as many innocents with him as possible. Because . . . "So, there!"

So . . . there's nothing we can do? Maybe nothing will be all that a majority can agree on. Nevertheless, I will continue to do my two-bit Thomas Paine impression anyway. For these are the times when souls should try . . . to save their souls.

Staraj says,

To be sure, alcohol kills. Tens of thousands in various ways each year in the U.S. Slips in bathtubs also kill. But those deaths are not as spectacular as an instance of assault weapons and ammo in the hands of a kamikaze koward bent on maximum casualties. Engendering made-for-TV specials and a flowering of town hall discussions. The spectacular gets the headlines. Headlines get the attention of politicians looking for cheap ways to extend their tenures. Mass shootings are spectacular. None more so than one that removes our littlest ones from Earth. But in examining ourselves and our society because of such horror, we can embark on a further exploration of where we might be able to go.

Shooting tragedies are not problems that need to be solved. They're symptoms of maladies that need to be understood. And then cured or prevented. If only Jonas Salk hadn't been so damn persistent, we would have never been bothered with that pesky polio vaccine and all the lives that it saved. If only human beings weren't generally the inquisitive type, the best and the brightest wouldn't be continually researching ways to improve our understanding of the universe and ourselves, and in the process make discoveries that often improve our lives.

As for "fix-it laws", the most mundane legislation is tinkering. A slight modification of how we interact with each other. We do it all the time, because someone acting on behalf of the masses believes it should be done. We tinker in an effort to make something BETTER. For the betterment of ourselves.

Yes, there is evil in the world. There is also goodness. And much in between. But it's the goodness that calls us to reflect on who and what we really can be at our best. The greatness of men and women can be exalted with our continued tinkering. And in so doing prove Faulkner correct: We will not merely endure, we will prevail.

ShellDeFelice says,

Babies brutaly murdered; gun sales soar. Yes, we are a nation that refuses to be dictated to, esp. when we believe an inalienable right is going to be pried from our tightly clenched fists.
We are also a nation with veins of mental instability and a nation that snaps and breaks and murders small children.
Newtown may have not been a clear call to action with a defined enemy we can brandish our weapons at and then imprison. It should however, be a place to draw a line in the sand and say, Enough.
If not now, then when?

Staraj says,

"What alterations of US law do you think would have prevented the Newtown massacre from happening?" I don't know. Nobody knows. Many of us believe we can predict what WON'T prevent massacres. Many of us believe we can predict what WILL prevent massacres. Lawmakers act on predictions with every bill tendered. They discuss old laws and potential new laws all the time. That's what they do. Discussion. Thinking. Tinkering — if deemed prudent. But to reiterate my earlier admission: Perhaps NOTHING should be done.

We accept that we live on a planet with 7 billion people and counting. We have multitudinous cognitive abilities and myriad ethos. We are not clones. Had that been the case at our beginning, we wouldn't have survived beyond a generation. Variegated multiplicity is both our strength and our challenge.

Yes, we're quite a collection. A tiger, as it were, that perhaps cannot be tamed. So, we acknowledge this current reality, and try to keep the tiger under control as best we can. The price the tiger pays for not being able to escape control. Controlling the price the controller pays for not taming the tiger. The irrefutable paradox being that we are the tiger and also the controller. Controlling while trolling for solutions.

Mechanistic methodologies solve or control mechanical problems. Humanistic methodologies solve or control human problems.

Does America have a gun problem? Depends on how many believe it actually is a problem . . . in need of methodologies for control . . . leading to a solution.

Staraj says,

Apologies for the belated response; however, those niggling duties, which comprise my livelihood, cannot be held in abeyance indefinitely.

I've never said I believe "guns cause violence". Guns are quite obviously machines designed to send a projectile on a mission to kill or maim an animal or person. On occasion, the mission is born of violence. Can speech cause violence? Sometimes. Say the wrong thing in certain neighborhoods about someone's mama, and you've got a fight on your hands. Videos? Depends on the person. As a kid, I watched The Rifleman riddle the bad guys with bullets every week. His superhuman prowess never made me even think about shooting up a school or mall because of perceived slights. But that's just me.

As for liberty . . . it cannot be quantified, but it can be qualified. And regularly is. To wit:

"The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man falsely shouting fire in a theater and causing a panic. . . . The question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent." — Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

"Substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent." Well, I suppose the boys and girls in DC are about to have a huge spitball fight over evil and whether they or anyone can or should do something about it. But let us not fear for them. They'll all survive to collect their next paychecks.

As for an actual fire in a theater, go ahead and shout. No fire and you shout? Apparently, you're going to stand trial. So, we walk around with fluctuating degrees of liberty and safety. In search of balance. That much-ballyhooed happy medium. A mass school shooting is very upsetting to the national perception of balance and the customized happy medium we each pursue continuously. C'est la vie.

There's a lot of dust in the air presently. Let's see where it settles. And on whom.

BTW — A small army of Gorts patrolling Earth would bring us peace. No?

Klaatu barada nikto.

Staraj says,

What do we call what we have now?

Staraj says,

Sad to say, desolation describes the lives of some — even dwellers in big cities. ESPECIALLY some dwellers in big cities. A poignant irony. Worse still, some of those desolated dwellers — of any size city or town — choose to end their desolation with carnage. So, that puts us back at the square one of healthy self-worth. Not eliminating guns. Eliminating self-hatred.

Staraj says,

And not all clinically narcissistic assholes go on killing sprees. Although, they do make life miserable for their family members and co-workers.

There are some beautifully manicured lawns to be found from sea to shining sea. The caretakers of those lawns spent a lot of time and effort to eliminate plants that have been designated as "weeds". But the elimination only took place in a relatively small circumscribed area. Elsewhere, these plants thrive. They've been marginalized.

We shouldn't eliminate narcissists, of course. However, they can be marginalized. Just as we marginalize those who violate written laws. This allows the rest of us to continue manicuring the lawn. Even as we know weeds grow in many places, we keep manicuring.

Staraj says,

What you call a dispute, I call an exchange. Dare I say, even "a call to action" (or inaction). Some of the other sixers have indubitably been watching from the sidelines. Perhaps, they will talk amongst themselves and to others about what we said. Extended action, as it were. More dialogue.

Now an admission: I stopped reading fiction (knowingly) decades ago. And I cannot tell you why. (Same thing for fictional television programs.) I have never read a single work of Faulkner's. Nor many other famous authors — distant past, past, and present. But of course, I am familiar with Faulkner's famous Nobel acceptance quote. As for the black non-Compsons . . . Enduring is the prerequisite for prevailing.

I'll close with this: I see the glass neither half full nor half empty. If the glass has water in it and I am thirsty, I drink. Thus is my optimism slaked. And I endure to mount an attempt at prevailing.

Dragonflower says,

You two would make Thanksgiving dinners so much more civilized. Nice discussion with no fisticuffs.

Staraj says,

Depends on whether or not hieronimo would make a grab for the neck. I don't share that part with ANYONE.

Staraj says,

My neck or the turkey's.

ShellDeFelice says,

I had to "peace out" early in this exchange...the banter flew over my head!

Staraj says,

That just proves you're grounded. I'm envious.

TawnyPort says,

I watched the combined remains of the two first grade classes directly affected by the shooter's rampaige at Sandy Hook Elementary School selecting their lunches today in the "new" cafeteria. While some of the kids seemed like usual kids (albeit quieter), I was struck by how lost and unfocused the remaining twin (her brother was killed in a failed attempt to escape) appeared.

These children have had extreme violence thrust forever into their young lives. Who knows what ramifications lie ahead of them in the years to come? If that is not enough reason for sensible, politics-free, debate and resolution over gun control in this country, then we are doomed to keep repeating this kind of history over and over again.

ShellDeFelice says,

Sweetly framed Staraj, grazie. And TawnyPort this made me cry, again.

Dragonflower says,

Hopefully, the children will be loved and protected so they can feel secure again. I think of them everyday. Sending loving and gentle thoughts to TawnyPort and the children. Sending hopefilled thoughts to Washington and our leaders to make wise decisions.

TheUnknownComic says,

Don't worry an assault weapons ban will soon be in place and we all be safe just like in Columbine in 1999. It worked so well then that we should do it again. React with emotion, rally for "change" and you will get what you deserve. I look forward to 4 years from now when whoever runs under the Democratic Party ticket tries to plead that it was still all George Bush's fault.

Staraj says,

Cynicism + Pessimism vs. Philanthropy + Optimism = Reality

The sum of our parts changes every second. Change is the constant. We are the variable.

Due: the math.

ShellDeFelice says,

Staraj you are wise and kind. Thank you for this last paragraph it increases my hope.

Staraj says,

And I thank you, ShellDeFelice. Let us spread hope together. :-)

L2L3 says,

I've yet to hear any reasonable rationale for why private citizens need to own automatic or semi-automatic weapons, other than versions of "Because...by God." If some is unable to fire a weapon and hit their target in the first or even second shot, they certainly don't need a gun that they can randomly spray dozens of bullets with. If their aim is so bad, perhaps a .12 gauge would be the solution. I own not one, but a small arsenal of guns. I feel underwhelmed and unthreatened by the notion of an assault weapons ban. I've got both the bear and intruder threats covered. Does anyone feel more threatened than that?

kisskissgirl says,

I do not see the necessity of private citizens owning assault weapons. But just like a drunk driver getting behind the wheel of a car or a sixteen wheeler; the truck may create more mayhem than the car if involved in a drunk driving accident, but do we blame the cars for the accident? I think not. Banning assault weapons may abate the body count, but it doesn't eliminate the cause. It is a good start but more needs to be done (and eliminating all arms is not the answer - let' not be foolish now).
There also could be a good argument about the prevalence of violence that society is exposed to today, but cartoons have always been violent and even the old gangster or western movies had shoot-'em up, scenes. The crux of the problem is not the weapon per se, it is much deeper than that simplistic view. The facility of obtaining the weapon should be alarming, the fear should not be for the citizen arming himself for protection, as L2L3 so wittingly pointed out, but the concern should be for intruder/criminal that will always be able to obtain some form of arms.

TheUnknownComic says,

L2L3 - there is a Chinese speaker who was in Tiamen Square and said that he wished they had a few million rifles but they didn't because they were outlawed. The Chinese constitution has a lot of the same guarantees as ours, except for the right to bear arms. Also, they are going after "high capacity" magazines. This is with a Republican House, if it is Democratic controlled I'm sure it will get worse.

As for the root of the problem, Terminator 2 said it, "it is in our nature to kill ourselves".

kisskissgirl says,

As it's said...."live by the sword....die by the sword."

L2L3 says,

I hear no rational person or party suggesting outlawing guns. The Chinese comparison is good rhetoric but lacks any real-time relevance to the specifics of the issues being questioned. It is the most common tactic, however, to generalize and overstate the issues in order to convince the masses that they'll panted over by some imaginary broad political brush.

TheUnknownComic says,

Good rhetoric - assault weapons ban is not rhetoric it is what is being proposed. How is that not real-time relevant?

Staraj says,

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/17/opinion/australia-banned-assault-weapons-america-can-too.html?ref=opinion&_r=1&