Would It Be Fair To Say..
Would it be fair to say that people who are unwilling to compromise on the issues of guns to reduce the amount of people being killed, love their guns more than they respect life?
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WalksWith · 56-60, F
Written by one of the Uvalde victims moms:
"The chicken soup in her thermos stayed hot all day while her body grew cold.
She never had a chance to eat the baloney and cheese sandwich. I got up 10 minutes early to cut the crust off a sandwich that will never be eaten.
Should I call and cancel her dental appointment next Wednesday? Will the office automatically know?
Should I still take her brother to the appointment since I already took the day off work? Last time Carlos had one cavity and Amerie asked him what having a cavity feels like.
She will never experience having a cavity.
She will never experience having a cavity filled.
The cavities in her body now are from bullets, and they can never be filled.
What if she had asked to use the bathroom in the hall a few minutes prior to the gunman entering the room, locking the door, and slaughtering all inside?
Was she one of the first kids in the room to die or one of the last?
These are the things they don’t tell us.
Which of her friends did she see die before her?
Hannah?
Emily?
Both?
Did their blood and brains splatter across her Girl Scout uniform?
She just earned a Fire Safety patch.
What if it got ruined?
There are no patches for school shootings.
Was she practicing writing GIRAFFE the moment he walked in her classroom, barricaded the door and opened fire?
She keeps forgetting the silent “e” at the end.
We studied this past weekend, and now she doesn’t need to take the spelling test on Friday.
None of them will take the spelling test on Friday.
There will be no spelling test on Friday.
Because there is no one to give it.
And no one to take it.
These are the things I will never know:
I will never know at what age she would have started her period.
I will never know if she had wisdom teeth. (Or if they would have come in crooked.)
I will never know who she spoke to last. Was it the teacher? Was it her table partner, George? She says George is always talking, even during silent reading.
Did she even scream?
She screamed the lyrics to We Don’t Talk About Bruno at 7:58 AM as she hopped out of my car in the circle drive.
She always sings the Dolores part, her sister sings Mirabel and I’m Bruno.
“And I wanted you to know that your bro loves you so
Let it in, let it out, let it rain, let it snow, let it goooooo……..”
Did the killer ever see Encanto?
Could we have sat in the same row of seats, on the same day, munching popcorn?
What if Amerie brushed past him in the aisle? Did she politely say, “Excuse me,” to the boy who would someday blow her eye sockets apart?
Was he chomping on bubble gum as he destroyed them all?
If so, what flavor?
Cinnamon?
Wintergreen?
Was the radio on as he drove to massacre them? Or did he drive in silence?
Was the sun in his eyes as he got out of the car in the parking lot?
Did his pockets hold sunglasses or just ammunition?
These are the things I will never know.
There is laundry in the dryer that is Amerie’s.
Clothes I never need to fold again.
Clothes that are right now warmer than her body.
How will I ever be able to take them out of the dryer and where will I put them if not back in her dresser?
I can never wash clothes in that dryer again.
It will stand silent; a tomb for her pajamas and knee socks.
Her cousin’s graduation party is next month and I already signed her name in the card. Should I cross it out?
That will be the last card I ever sign her name to.
The dog will live longer than she will.
The dog will be 12 next month and she will be eternally 10.
What will the school do with her backpack?
It was brand new this year and she attached her collection of keychains like cherished trophies to its zipper.
A beaded 4 leaf clover she made on St. Patty’s Day.
A red heart from a Walk-a-Thon.
A neon ice cream cone from her friend’s birthday party.
Now there will be no more keychains to attach.
No more trophies.
Surely they can’t throw it out?
Would they throw them all out?
19 backpacks, full of stickered assignments and rainboots, all taken to the dumpster behind the school?
Is there even a dumpster big enough to contain all that life?
These are the things someone else knows:
The moment the semiautomatic rifle was put into his hands--was “Bring Me a Higher Love” playing in the gun store? “Get off my Cloud” by the Rolling Stones? Maybe it was Elton John’s “Rocket Man.”
Did the Outback Oasis salesperson hesitate as they slid him 375 rounds of ammunition?
not my problem my kids are grown and out of school
Or I don’t have kids, so I don’t have to worry about their skulls getting blown across the naptime mat 
Or fingers crossed there’s a good guy with an equally powerful gun that will stop this gun if needed
Did they sense any danger or were they more focused on picking that morning’s Raisin Bran out of their teeth?
My Nana used to say, “Pay attention to what whispers, and you won’t have to when it starts screaming.”
But now I know there is a more deafening sound than children screaming.
More horrific even, than automatic rifles on a Tuesday morning.
I beg the world:
Pay attention to what’s screaming today, or be forced to endure the silence that follows."
"The chicken soup in her thermos stayed hot all day while her body grew cold.
She never had a chance to eat the baloney and cheese sandwich. I got up 10 minutes early to cut the crust off a sandwich that will never be eaten.
Should I call and cancel her dental appointment next Wednesday? Will the office automatically know?
Should I still take her brother to the appointment since I already took the day off work? Last time Carlos had one cavity and Amerie asked him what having a cavity feels like.
She will never experience having a cavity.
She will never experience having a cavity filled.
The cavities in her body now are from bullets, and they can never be filled.
What if she had asked to use the bathroom in the hall a few minutes prior to the gunman entering the room, locking the door, and slaughtering all inside?
Was she one of the first kids in the room to die or one of the last?
These are the things they don’t tell us.
Which of her friends did she see die before her?
Hannah?
Emily?
Both?
Did their blood and brains splatter across her Girl Scout uniform?
She just earned a Fire Safety patch.
What if it got ruined?
There are no patches for school shootings.
Was she practicing writing GIRAFFE the moment he walked in her classroom, barricaded the door and opened fire?
She keeps forgetting the silent “e” at the end.
We studied this past weekend, and now she doesn’t need to take the spelling test on Friday.
None of them will take the spelling test on Friday.
There will be no spelling test on Friday.
Because there is no one to give it.
And no one to take it.
These are the things I will never know:
I will never know at what age she would have started her period.
I will never know if she had wisdom teeth. (Or if they would have come in crooked.)
I will never know who she spoke to last. Was it the teacher? Was it her table partner, George? She says George is always talking, even during silent reading.
Did she even scream?
She screamed the lyrics to We Don’t Talk About Bruno at 7:58 AM as she hopped out of my car in the circle drive.
She always sings the Dolores part, her sister sings Mirabel and I’m Bruno.
“And I wanted you to know that your bro loves you so
Let it in, let it out, let it rain, let it snow, let it goooooo……..”
Did the killer ever see Encanto?
Could we have sat in the same row of seats, on the same day, munching popcorn?
What if Amerie brushed past him in the aisle? Did she politely say, “Excuse me,” to the boy who would someday blow her eye sockets apart?
Was he chomping on bubble gum as he destroyed them all?
If so, what flavor?
Cinnamon?
Wintergreen?
Was the radio on as he drove to massacre them? Or did he drive in silence?
Was the sun in his eyes as he got out of the car in the parking lot?
Did his pockets hold sunglasses or just ammunition?
These are the things I will never know.
There is laundry in the dryer that is Amerie’s.
Clothes I never need to fold again.
Clothes that are right now warmer than her body.
How will I ever be able to take them out of the dryer and where will I put them if not back in her dresser?
I can never wash clothes in that dryer again.
It will stand silent; a tomb for her pajamas and knee socks.
Her cousin’s graduation party is next month and I already signed her name in the card. Should I cross it out?
That will be the last card I ever sign her name to.
The dog will live longer than she will.
The dog will be 12 next month and she will be eternally 10.
What will the school do with her backpack?
It was brand new this year and she attached her collection of keychains like cherished trophies to its zipper.
A beaded 4 leaf clover she made on St. Patty’s Day.
A red heart from a Walk-a-Thon.
A neon ice cream cone from her friend’s birthday party.
Now there will be no more keychains to attach.
No more trophies.
Surely they can’t throw it out?
Would they throw them all out?
19 backpacks, full of stickered assignments and rainboots, all taken to the dumpster behind the school?
Is there even a dumpster big enough to contain all that life?
These are the things someone else knows:
The moment the semiautomatic rifle was put into his hands--was “Bring Me a Higher Love” playing in the gun store? “Get off my Cloud” by the Rolling Stones? Maybe it was Elton John’s “Rocket Man.”
Did the Outback Oasis salesperson hesitate as they slid him 375 rounds of ammunition?
not my problem my kids are grown and out of school
Or I don’t have kids, so I don’t have to worry about their skulls getting blown across the naptime mat 
Or fingers crossed there’s a good guy with an equally powerful gun that will stop this gun if needed
Did they sense any danger or were they more focused on picking that morning’s Raisin Bran out of their teeth?
My Nana used to say, “Pay attention to what whispers, and you won’t have to when it starts screaming.”
But now I know there is a more deafening sound than children screaming.
More horrific even, than automatic rifles on a Tuesday morning.
I beg the world:
Pay attention to what’s screaming today, or be forced to endure the silence that follows."
View 2 more replies »
@Spunkylama Sadly, l'll bet some of them might jump to blaming themselves for not being there with a gun to defend their kids, or rationalizing that arming teachers isn't a better idea than living in an utterly uncivilized world where, at every moment, in every place, we need to be ready to defend yourself by force from the 'other.'
Many of these more guns everywhere folks are the same folks that see nothing wrong with lying or commiting crimes as long as they're not the victims.
It's a dog eat dog world in their eyes, and they're not really interested in enlarging their pack.
Many of these more guns everywhere folks are the same folks that see nothing wrong with lying or commiting crimes as long as they're not the victims.
It's a dog eat dog world in their eyes, and they're not really interested in enlarging their pack.
This message was deleted by the author of the main post.
bijouxbroussard · F
@Spunkylama Alas, Misty’s right. Those are the people who demand that the school should’ve armed the teachers, the janitor, the lunch lady…
It’s always about who should’ve had a gun—instead of the person who should not have had one.
In the Uvale case, 19 trained police officers were armed.
It made no difference to the armed teenager.
It’s always about who should’ve had a gun—instead of the person who should not have had one.
In the Uvale case, 19 trained police officers were armed.
It made no difference to the armed teenager.
I'd love to agree, but it's a little more complex than that.
I may rant about it, but I really don't think that everyone who votes for politicians who do nothing to alleviate gun violence actually are sexually attracted to guns or even use them personally as a substitute for other emotional or sexual gratification.
We've got ourselves into an us vs them atmosphere, I think, where lots of folks seem to support stuff like a few dead kids, or restricting a few slutty stupid women because they're more afraid of what would happen if the "other side" wins, replaces them with dirty brown immigrants, let perverts into women's bathrooms, keep their daughters from winning Olympic Gold through unfair competition, raises their taxes to pay for others, or educates their kids to the point where they reject their beliefs.
I may rant about it, but I really don't think that everyone who votes for politicians who do nothing to alleviate gun violence actually are sexually attracted to guns or even use them personally as a substitute for other emotional or sexual gratification.
We've got ourselves into an us vs them atmosphere, I think, where lots of folks seem to support stuff like a few dead kids, or restricting a few slutty stupid women because they're more afraid of what would happen if the "other side" wins, replaces them with dirty brown immigrants, let perverts into women's bathrooms, keep their daughters from winning Olympic Gold through unfair competition, raises their taxes to pay for others, or educates their kids to the point where they reject their beliefs.
@Graylight I'd generalize it all in terms of antisocial or sociopathic behavior, for the most part, especially when you factor in the fundamental embrace of dishonesty and failure to respect others as human beings.
Honestly, I think women are big victims here, but their sons still suffer as well, because the overarching theme here is to reject social norms of cooperation that allowed human beings to form civilizations.
The US vs them, and it's ok to lie to, or kill "them," to protect "us" seems, although always a part of human nature, to be the predominant unifying force behind those embracing Trumpism and what passes for conservatives these days.
Honestly, I think women are big victims here, but their sons still suffer as well, because the overarching theme here is to reject social norms of cooperation that allowed human beings to form civilizations.
The US vs them, and it's ok to lie to, or kill "them," to protect "us" seems, although always a part of human nature, to be the predominant unifying force behind those embracing Trumpism and what passes for conservatives these days.
coolnudist · 70-79, M
nudistsueaz · 61-69, F
@OggggO Not with a rock but with airplanes, buses, trucks, diesel / fertilizer....need I go on?
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Graylight · 51-55, F
Empathy extends as far as one's reach for most people. Family, some friends. Beyond that, one's own needs and desires take over.
It's easy to avert one's eyes from a victim, to turn the page. Harder to place their face over your own loved one's. To imagine sitting at a table helping with homework, riding in the car when your child's favorite song came on, watching her run off to the bus and wishing her happiness on her first school day. Of opening a drawer to find the keychain your husband always carried and no longer needs. Of remembering an upcoming birthday only to realize no gift is necessary this year or ever again.
We don't stop to think of these things, to place ourselves so that we might be able to connect on a human level.
Hell, we can't do it standing in line. How is society at large going to accomplish it.?
It's easy to avert one's eyes from a victim, to turn the page. Harder to place their face over your own loved one's. To imagine sitting at a table helping with homework, riding in the car when your child's favorite song came on, watching her run off to the bus and wishing her happiness on her first school day. Of opening a drawer to find the keychain your husband always carried and no longer needs. Of remembering an upcoming birthday only to realize no gift is necessary this year or ever again.
We don't stop to think of these things, to place ourselves so that we might be able to connect on a human level.
Hell, we can't do it standing in line. How is society at large going to accomplish it.?
nudistsueaz · 61-69, F
Subsumedpat · 36-40, M
nudistsueaz · 61-69, F
@Subsumedpat 100% correct.
azgp01 · 70-79, M
Remember, this idiot "allegedly" TOLD people/social media he was going to kill his grandma and then go to the school!! How many people informed ANYBODY about this...ZERO! Wake up people, you hear crazy talk, then report it!! BECAUSE it can save lives! Now, the police may or may not have the resources or ability to do anything, but that is a different discussion! Point being....most of these mass shooters show their cards early enough to be stopped if people would pay attention! BTW, I own ZERO guns!
marciamom · F
If you are sold on the idea that the guns are the problem, then yes. But are the guns the problem?
@marciamom Yes, but we can't compare a staple gun to an AR15..
@marciamom When, in life, have you really only had one problem, as opposed to several things contributing to cause problems?
OP reduced things to binary, and it's easy to say that's wrong, e.g, if you value some lives more than others or have other issues with the question, but the response that guns are not "the" problem, is quite frankly, really maddening.
Yes, its hard to argue with the fact that guns don't kill people and they are just tools, but tools have their place, like explosives and toxic chemicals, and as long as we're stuck with a binary discussion about guns in everyone's hands everywhere at all times vs no guns anywhere legally, we'll continue to make no progress in dealing with the problem.
Sorry if I jumped on my soapbox, but binary thinking is one of my pet peeves.
OP reduced things to binary, and it's easy to say that's wrong, e.g, if you value some lives more than others or have other issues with the question, but the response that guns are not "the" problem, is quite frankly, really maddening.
Yes, its hard to argue with the fact that guns don't kill people and they are just tools, but tools have their place, like explosives and toxic chemicals, and as long as we're stuck with a binary discussion about guns in everyone's hands everywhere at all times vs no guns anywhere legally, we'll continue to make no progress in dealing with the problem.
Sorry if I jumped on my soapbox, but binary thinking is one of my pet peeves.
Changeisgonnacome · 61-69, F
No. It's political. But always never go towards a solution if you are a Dem.
It's in the area of making sense around human rights. Nobody wants that! You'd end up changing.
It's in the area of making sense around human rights. Nobody wants that! You'd end up changing.
SumKindaMunster · 51-55, M
Nope, not fair at all because its a distortion and entirely insincere.
Again, you aren't interested in discussing this issue.
You want punching bags, not solutions.
Again, you aren't interested in discussing this issue.
You want punching bags, not solutions.
ChipmunkErnie · 70-79, M
Yes -- but they'd never admit it.
Fukfacewillie · 56-60, M
This message was deleted by the author of the main post.
Changeisgonnacome · 61-69, F
@sunsporter1649 it's good to bring up ANTIFA. This is how Americans want things. The level of shooting is fine.