Wednesday, October 4, 2017

The field in front of my house is covered in gold and pink. The morning glories are brilliant along the roadway.


I walked the dogs as I pushed the trashcart down to the road. The temperature was cool. The full moon was rising as the sun was setting which doesn't happen that often.

Then in the distance, the coyote call was feigning injury. All my little wolves gathered close. I left the trash truck to the side of the driveway. I picked up my mother's two dragons.

The newest dog, Little Red, is going to be a large dog. However, he was quite scared in that he is probably about 8 months old. My brother's dog Buttons wanted me to carry her. Being a 20 pound chihuahua, the twenty five pounds I was toting was hard enough. I didn't run. But I walked briskly. Fortunately, I have fencing that comes up the driveway for about a tenth of a mile. Once I got to that point, I put my mother's precious dogs down.

My little dog is ferocious and he walked proudly defending the pack. He makes me think of the man whose picture has gone viral standing and flicking a bird to the shooter in Las Vegas. I know many think he was crazy or drunk. But I have known a few men and women who had that defiance in their soul. I think of the movie Braveheart with Mel Gibson about the life of William Wallace.

At least the coyote is only wanting dinner. I'm sure they will discover what motivated this man.

I learned to fire a rifle and pistols as a child. My dad had strict rules. We basically shot beer cans in the creek. My dad did not allow us to shoot turtles. I understand why people want to own weapons. I don't understand why people don't know that regulating their use could prevent some of these tragedies.

In Georgia, we have an open carry law. You are supposed to have a license for this. However, it is illegal for you to be questioned about this decision. Unlike concealed carry, you do wonder if the person has been cautioned that they are the first person law enforcement will take down when shots are fired in a crowd.

I have a friend whose brother was shot by law enforcement behind a Waffle House by police. There was a huge fight going on. Her brother took the gun that was present and held it in the air. If he had put it inside his pants or concealed it somehow and walked away from the fight he might be alive today. His mother told me his clothes had multiple bullet holes in them.

I wasn't going to write about the shooting. It is a burden for us all. I had a Facebook friend who contacted me about the senselessness. I think he knew what a country music fan I am. However, I love the country music from the 60's and 70's the best.

I just wish people would think long and hard before they pay $25 and receive that free bumper sticker that advertises an organisation. Money can be motivation of an organisation to be pig headed and I am talking about the NRA. I'm not against people owning guns. But I am against this mania we have about owning a gun. The more untrained people with firepower; the more horrible incidents are going to happen.

Even with training, what about wisdom. My dad always taught us, you don't shoot someone for stealing your car. A car is a thing. A person should not die for a thing.

Feel free to give me your opinion whether you are for gun control or not. I'm from the South. We make up our history from day to day. The fact that a hundred years ago, not everyone could afford a gun. The expense of a gun and ammunition reduced the number of gun deaths. But lets not let any facts get in the way.

The world has a lot of cruelty and injustice. September 30th in Los Vegas gives us all pause. I could shoot that man a bird too.


15 comments:

  1. When we had a dog, I was concerned about the coyotes in the area and he never went out in the backyard alone at night without one of us being there with him with a big stick. Of course when the coyotes howled (or whatever sound they made) he would hear them inside our house and bark and howl back at them.

    The world does indeed have a lot of cruelty and injustice. Jesus basically said that. I was thinking of writing a post about something similar in that we do live in an evil world, but I couldn't quite get my thoughts in my head down on a piece of paper.

    I'm not fond of guns yet a couple are in residence here. Hubby does all the safety precautions and taught those precautions to son. We too live in an open carry state. I don't see as many people with guns in holsters like I did when we lived in Prescott, but there are lots of signs on different businesses that firearms are not allowed in.

    If people are bent on causing mass destruction and loss of lives, they will find anyway to do it. Plow a car through a busy street, shoot many a gun into a crowd, etc. They will find guns illegally if they have such an intent to do harm. I'm reminded of Rick Warren's son (Rick Warren wrote A Purpose Driven Live in case you didn't know). His son committed suicide with a gun he had purchased off the internet. Assuming his intent was so strong to kill himself, pretty much nothing would have stopped him from finding a way to do so; walk in front of a car, train, etc.

    I personally think we just need to keep on praying, for those that pray and have faith, and watch our backs (literally) wherever we go. And to remember no one leaves this world alive and no one is guaranteed a tomorrow.

    betty

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    1. I've got Rick Warren's book. I'll be reading about evil so I can write my bad guy right. It will be a good thing to read afterwards to clean my brain. It is sad about his son. Depression is a real illness. I'm just glad they are getting real treatments for it. Maybe they can cure it in the future.

      I own guns and know how to use them. But, I am not keen on them by any means. I hope all my dogs will be deterrent enough.

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  2. I agree with Betty that if people are determined, they will find a way. And often it is with illegal guns - automatic weapons.
    I liked your father's attitude - people should not die for things.

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    1. I agree they will find a way. But I do think we could make it harder. I think having guns registered could have sent out warning bells that the man was amassing so much. They keep records of fertilizer purchases that can be used to make explosives.

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  3. Allowing any whackado to have a gun is dumb. Yeah, they will find a way. But if they deal with shady crooks, cops can catch them in sting, crook could take their money and shoot them in the face, saving everyone the trouble, or they could get something more harmless like a knife after failing. Nothing wrong with owning a gun for people who have a brain, but needing to own automatic this and sniper rifle that is stupid. But many love their guns and it is $$$$$ that drives it, and crazy loons.

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    1. Money is a big part. There was a gun shop that ran ads on the radio warning that Obama was going to take their guns. There has been an uptick in gunsales. The worst part is some of these people need to spend their money on their household not guns or tattoos for that matter.

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  4. Too many guns in America!!! Have a good day Diane

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    1. So very true Diane. I am in a minority with my opinion. But we don't need everyone and their brother having a gun.

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  5. I thought I had commented - I certainly ticked the box for follow up comments.
    I really don't understand the mindset. Guns are rare here. For which I am thankful. We had one massacre and the Government stepped in.

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    1. I find myself having read a blog with a comment in mind, then someone wants something and I am up and about. So I have been quite bad at leaving comments for too long.

      Our love affair with the gun goes back to the American Revolution. Every once in a while, a late night talk show host will read portions of our Declaration of Independence to people. They are shocked about talked about it being a right to overthrow the government.

      The problem is exasperated in that politicians manipulate people and votes with so called protections of the 2nd Amendment. I just hope we don't have to have so many more of these incidents to get more realistic gun laws.

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  6. Too many guns in the US, indeed. Like you, I'm not against people owning guns. But, also like you, I do believe regulations are an absolute must. Someone posted on Facebook a list of things that are more regulated than owning a gun in the US, and it was hilarious. Wish I'd kept the link.

    Glad you're keeping those mini wolves safe from the coyotes :) And thanks for popping over at Quiet Laughter... Always a joy to find your name in the comments.

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    1. Thank you Guilie. I am looking forward to your book about dog rescue.

      Our attitudes toward guns needs some improvement.

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  7. There are so many check points for owning a gun legally, like background checks. But it's a balance between our right and government control. They do what they can to keep guns out of the hands of loonies. But an automatic machine gun is illegal for everyone outside of law enforcement and military and all the checkpoints in the world for legal guns isn't going to make a difference there. Contraband weapons is big business and that's what we need to go after.

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  8. Pretty flowers!

    Glad you took wonderful walk with your pets dear Ann!

    How great that you learnt shooting from your father.

    One of my uncle who had rifle used hunt birds and It was Scary for me.

    Having guns or anything is not a bad thing actually, what makes it horrible is our attitude towards it towards life and people.

    What happened in Vegas is Painful and dreadful to bear.
    In my country one city is going under the extreme terror of serial killer who is attacking on girls in streets with dagger.

    Dagger is thing that almost each house has but attitude turnnturnned it into death for innocent

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  9. My dad was from Tennessee. Even though we lived in California, he had guns, went hunting etc. My sister and I were taught about guns from an early age. My sister didn't like guns - I thought they were okay and liked to shoot them. He gave me his shotgun he had when he was a boy. I still have it.

    I believe the guns today are too powerful. No one needs that much fire power! I would like to see all automatic weapons outlawed.

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