Hope

I don't think I need to express my saddness for what happened in Connecticut publicly. It was tragic and most of us can acknowledge that. However I would like to point out something that has been bothering me for a while now. My friend Janine, posted this to Facebook today and I couldn't agree with her more.  

"if I see one more comment like this one.... "If there was one armed, law abiding citizen in that school, this may have been averted -- instead they have to WAIT for the police."........ I don't know... I am so tired of that mentality. It is such a load of bullshit."

Seriously people. 
I don't think that advocating fighting gun violence with more gun violence is going to solve our problem. Guns are capable of one thing and one thing only, serious harm. There is no "good" that comes from firing a gun. Ok, yes you are going to argue with me about responsible gun ownership and use, and that not everyone is crazy. And sure, you're right. BUT at the end of it all, someone/something still ends up dead. Be it for the greater good or not, I don't think a life should be taken so lightly. Just as that person today killed other's children, he was a child of some poor father who I'm sure is grieving the loss of their child and his mother along with the rest of the country. Do I think what he did was right, absolutely not. Do I feel sympathy for him, yes. People don't just get up one day and decide, I think it would be a really grandiose idea to go kill a bunch of kids. No. They go through something that has made them devalue not only the lives of others, but their own as well, so much so that it really doesn't matter any more. 
So instead of us preaching of violence to fight violence. Why don't we preach about compassion and love to fight hate and self loathing. Instead of arguing about gun control and the right to bear arms, how about we say hello, please and thank you and share words of encouragement with each other. Stop bringing people down and being an advocate of hate. Be someone who at least tries to see good in others, or tries to make someone's day a little better. Hold the door for people. Speak kindly. Value others. And be respectful. I know I can't change the world by smiling at someone at work, but at least if that person turns around and goes on a rampage I'll know I did something to try and pull them back from that brink, instead of pushing them over the edge. 
Our culture sucks, and I don't think that's news to anyone, but it's not going to change if we just keep talking about it. Actions speak louder than words, and if we want change we need to be the ones to bring it. 
P.S. I'm not saying I'm a saint. 85% of the time I suck at doing exactly what I'm saying. But I think it's the attempt that makes us better. And I really do set out with the attempt to be a good and loving person. Sometimes life gets to us and we are our own worst enemy, but all you can do is pick everything back up and try again. And that's all I'm asking of anyone.