Trolling for people! (or Shooting Fish in A Barrel)

Peace on Earth - U2

Another mass shooting in the United States this past week (on Friday December 14, 2012). And I am going to say it again, I don't want to celebrate the name of the shooter and have their name at the forefront of my memory. I am annoyed at myself for remembering Marc Lepine, Paul Bernardo, Ted Bundy etc but I am hard pressed to recall the victims so quickly. That's sad. 

But it is the first thing that comes out in a news story as traumatic as this. We want to know who and why. It seems to me that the perpetrator of these heinous acts seem to take the cowardly route and turn the gun on themselves before society can mete out justice. Among the bodies strewn about the location, the gunman is easily identified with weapons nearby and bullets on the person. The name is released to the media quickly. And then it is repeated over and over again. I will not fall into that frenzy again. The names of 26 victims may be a lot to recall, but I will celebrate their life and mourn their loss and their families sorrow without the attachment of the name (or mental picture of) the one who mowed them down.

And so within moments of the news leaking to the world that a gunman with an assault rifle entered the Sandy Hook elementary school in the picturesque community of Newton, Connecticut, USA and opened fire. From hallway to classroom he sprayed more than 100 bullets and 26 found their mark and claimed a life. Sadly according to some reports, after being shot from a distance the killing became up close and personal and some children were shot up to 11 times. This isn't random, to me it is a personal vendetta that he carried out - but for what reason we may only ever be able to speculate about. Maybe it doesn't really matter why? 20 children never got to give their families one last kiss, 6 adults never got to say good bye to their loved ones. 

But wait, their were two more victims. The gunman and his mother. I understand not wanting to lump the murderer in with the death toll he caused but why is his mother left out? Is it because it was her weapons that were used. Ah yes, it seems that Mom had an arsenal of hand guns and rifles and enjoyed taking her children out for a family outing of target practice. Bizarre behaviour in my mind but I live in a nation that has different outlooks on gun ownership. And this is where I am going with this.


There is no need for your average Joe Citizen to own an assault rifle or automatic weapon of any type. Certainly I think it is time that the parameters of who, how many and what types of guns should be allowed in a household in the United States. NRA be damned. The death toll would not have been so high with a single shot weapon. If there were no weapons ready for the taking in the home, the gun man may have released some of his rage before acting on it. We know that we can get our hands on a weapon if we are really intent on it, but with the time it takes to get it, our murderous rage may be calmed somewhat. But if your second amendment right to bear arms supersedes my right to life then at least please take the deadly velocity out of the equation.  

I equate hunting game with a rifle or shotgun in the same vein as fishing with a lure or live bait. One animal or fish is captured. No excessive killing. Then there is the semi-automatic or automatic weapon that has the capability to mow down an entire herd of animals in moments. Like the fishing net that captures everything in its path with no chance of survival. It is no longer a sport or survival. It is business with a devastating impact, socially or environmentally.  

Melt the Guns - XTC

Bottom line, I suppose is that a mass killing can and does happen regardless of the weapon involved. Case in point, the bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City (168 people dead, many injured), the commercial airliners into the World Trade Center (2,753 dead), Jonestown massacre by poisoning (909 dead). While the number of victims here may be greater, these attacks against humanity where planned out events that took considerable time and preparation. Comparatively, Sandy Hook elementary school had fewer casualties, but an interesting analogy was brought up concerning another elementary school being targeted on the other side of our planet. In China a man with an unknown vendetta against school age children went on a spree that left 23 victims in his wake. The difference being that his weapon was a knife and there was not one fatality! The man was subdued by witnesses. I too, would risk a stab wound over a barrage of bullets to attempt to stop an attacker in his tracks. A no-brainer really. You would expend very little personal energy squeezing a trigger than you would pounding a knife through flesh and bone.  

                                                                        

But this tragedy is really not just about the argument for or against gun ownership. It is about mental illness as well. For I think it is safe to say that someone who flies into a murderous rage and takes a weapon to slaughter countless innocent people before himself is not quite right in the head. Whether it is a means to an end in seeking revenge and final retribution for wrongs that have been committed against the attacker, or some perverse ideal of achieving infamy and notoriety for all the days after our life - the thinking process is skewed. 

Considering this picture, it is true that the steps are harder to climb than it is to walk into the visually attracting gun store, but sometimes we have to swallow some of our own pride to reach out and climb those stairs. It is not an easy thing for people to go against societal expectations and admit that we are weak and incapable of handling life and need help. And often times we don't know ourselves that we need help and can't cope on our own. But that doesn't mean that it is society's fault if we don't recognize that need. Some people go to the doctor for a small ache or pain and practice preventative care, some people are riddled with cancer before they know something is not right. The same can and does hold true for mental illness. We don't necessarily know that the way we view the world is skewed, our neighbours and society tell us that problems are solved with guns. Movies and media preach the notoriety garnered by revenge. It's what we learn and know. Restriction of access to guns will not stop mass violence against humanity but it might make it harder. What the US is doing now sure isn't working! 

I'm familiar with the mental health system in Canada. Unless you are in crisis (ready to snap) there are simply not enough professional to care for the growing number of people who are having difficulty coping with society's expectations. And of course there are always abuses to the system that makes it harder for those in real need. For every little misbehaviour it seems that parents are running to look for a diagnosis to be used as an excuse for what is nothing more than lack of effective parenting. And where there is a real problem with a dysfunctional teen, parents are often oblivious because of the demands that are placed on them from family and work obligations. 

I don't know what the answer is. I do know that someone had to recognize when I was in crisis and take steps to remedy it because I wasn't climbing those stairs to shout it out for the world to hear.  

If someone has it in their head that they are going out with a bang, banning gun ownership is not going to stop them. We can't outlaw knife ownership, and certainly vehicles have been used to intentionally kill the innocent. We can't ban cars. Most schools are locked to the public, but there will always be the crack that someone slips through. Tragedy on a grand scale can happen at a school, business, shopping venue or public transit. We can't prevent it all but we have to try and make it harder to do the deed and help the ones we can. That is all



Final note: Morgan Freeman has had some words to share about this topic and it isn't difficult to find the associated commentary shared all over social media sites.  I would like to share that according to snopes.com, Morgan Freeman never made the comments attributed to him. But I did! The synopsis of his first paragraph is found in my musings from October 2012 entitled You Don't Have to Win the Race to Succeed! This is the link. http://pinkpantherfancanada.blogspot.ca/2012/10/you-dont-have-to-win-race-to-succeed_9.html

Final Final note: There was a lot of commentary about this subject posted on the internet and on social media and much centered around the unprovoked attack, gun ownership and mental illness. But there was one comment that was different and stopped me in my tracks to re-read it several times. While expressing great sorrow and compassion for the victims and families in Connecticut, there was a resentment that hundreds of children have been massacred at the hands of the US Drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen. On one hand the American people are expected to be grief stricken by the senseless actions of a madman while at the same time be supportive of the government and people who continue to kill children and innocent people off their shores filling an agenda that is possibly just as insane. But permissible and not questioned in the name of war. Hmmmm?

Credit where credit is due:
snopes.com
pinkpantherfancanada.blogspot.ca

I-rish I was Irish

Barrett's Privateers - Signal Hill

Nobody does this song with as much passion as Signal Hill, but this is the song that got the party rolling for me last night during the annual St. Paddy's Day festivities, not in Halifax or Dublin but a wee watering hole in Streetsville. The happiest day of the year it is said. And everybody it seems becomes Irish for a day - the whole day. And being as for the first time in 5 years the day fell on a Saturday, people were determined to do it up right. I know people who were in the bars downing the sudsy brew at 7 am - Halifax really knows how to do it up right! Locally, the consensus seemed to be more around a noonish start time. Either way, the popularity of the event seems to be growing, of course it is another way for the corporations to squeeze a few more dollars from our pockets. The displays of the Pride of the Irish and all things green took up aisles in the stores rivaled only to the space given to Halloween and Valentines Day. It's a bit like Halloween because the paraphernalia for sale is to decorate ourselves - Be on the lookout for leprachaun costumes next year! Mardi Gras type beads, stovetop hats and shamrocks - all green and a lot of glitter. But to be authentic it must be Kelly green or the Emerald green synonymous with the Island where it all began. 

In the last while there seems to be an explosion in the popularity of St. Patricks Day. Not just with those of bar age either. This year would be an exception, but maybe it's the time of year that it falls. Mid-March, we are finally beginning to see the tail end of winter and are ready for a party and a celebration. For some of us - get that mirror away from me lol - any excuse to party will do! The bars and the beer companies go all out to bring in the thirsty with promotional giveaways throughout the night, and we oblige by lining up, then waiting in holding areas before we are let in. But we feel so lucky when finally we become one of the chosen to get in, because through those doors are the friendliest people you will meet. More than any other day in a bar everyone is friendly. Like a family - we are all pretending to be Irish for the day. What is gone from the typical Saturday night at the bar is the fake people dressed to kill looking for a companion to brighten the darkness of the lonely nights. People who have no business wearing pajama pants in public are wearing them tonight because they have shamrocks on them. People are wearing "Kiss me I'm Irish" boxers over track pants - they look ridiculous and they fit in. This is not the meat market of typical Saturday night it is all about the congeniality. 

And to that end, here is a little shout out to the Meadowvale gang that we met. What an awesome bunch of people! New friends, neighbours and high school friends all getting along and enjoying each other but still with enough joy and laughter to share with even more people. You made the evening even more fun! I will look for you when I am cruising above the clouds :)

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May there always be work for your hands to do.

May your purse always hold a coin or two.

May the sun always shine on your windowpane.

May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain. 

May the hand of a friend always be near you.

May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Ireland, is a place that I have always had an odd attachment too. I say odd, because I have no known heritage to the people of Ireland. But for as long as I have been able to remember, I have wanted to go to there - more than that, I have felt like I need to go there. Long before the days of the internet, I wanted to see and experience the beauty of the land and the people. My knowledge was limited to the awareness of the Irish Potato famine and the violence and devastation caused in the name of religion. Yet in the heyday of the bombings, I longed to go while friends wondered if I had lost my mind. The only thing that deterred me was money. I could barely make it across the street let alone across the world. 

Is it the struggles of the people? The harshness of the economic climate? The history of oppression and poverty? There is a beauty that emanates in the words of the poems, the blessings and the pre-drink cheers. There is a romanticism in the names of the places - Killarney, Galway Bay and Kilkenny. The is a depth in the lyrics sung by the artists like Chris DeBurgh, U2, the Cranberries - a richness in the voices that reminds me of the rich green grasses, the rhythm of the waves pounding the shores. 

You can have your Mexican and Jamaican all inclusive vacations on the sandy beaches. I dream to go to Ireland over anywhere else save maybe Scotland - ayi those kilts! ;)

I-rish you a very nice place to live,

I-rish God's greatest gifts he'll give.

I-rish you health, wealth and more.

I-rish your smilin' face were at my door!

Remembering the Horror 10 Years Later

 PEACE ON EARTH -U2
This song was played frequently after the disasters of 9-11. It was as appropriate then as it is today.




There are a few moments in one's life that are so profound and incredulous that we can't help but have certain images forever ingrained in our memories. I have a few more than the average person but we all have personal ones as well as the ones we share with humanity.


It is the media who tells us and reminds us that we will forever remember where we were when we heard about or saw:
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassination in Dallas
- The first lunar landing and steps on the moon and hearing those infamous words "One Small Step..."
- The Challenger exploding moments after take off
- Hearing that Elvis, John Lennon, Michael Jackson died (I think you have to be a fan for that one)
- and of course 9/11


It is something I wouldn't mind forgetting actually. The terror of the actions targeting so many innocent people touched me in ways nothing else ever has. If it could happen there it could happen anywhere :( It was harder because it was a work day and all I wanted was to be with my children...to hold them....to say I love you. I went out for lunch and every radio station on the band was talking and speculating. Nobody really had any answers or explanations, nobody could offer assurance that there wasn't more to come. Living in a large metropolis like the Toronto area, it was even more eerie because there were no planes flying back and forth in the skies. We get so used to hearing them sometimes minutes apart that we barely take notice until its' gone. Umm...that hit a nerve. Just like family and friends sometimes?


Today everyone is remembering. TV stations were offering up live coverage of commemorative ceremonies at Ground Zero. But the one thing that kept running through my mind was that just days prior there was news reports that New York City had recieved credible threats to security to take place on the 10th anniversary. And then I saw a comment by one New Yorker who said he had been interviewed by a news station and asked if he would ever feel safe. His response (which was unluckily to be aired) was that he would feel safer if the media would stop giving the terrorists the attention that they want and to stop telling people that they should be afraid. How profound! The media does do a very good job of working people up into a frenzy of fear. Near celebrities are made of the scum that seeks to harm. Just off the top of my head...Mark David Chapman, Timothy McVeigh, The Pig Farmer, Paul Bernardo. But can you recall the names of the victims as quickly as you recall the crimes perpetrated?


And the point is this. Each year of September 11 the names of those killed in these cowardly acts is read out for all to hear. I don't have a problem with that, but what of all the similarly innocent servicemen and woman who were killed in the ensuing pissing contest that occurred.  Consider please that 52 Canadians died in the terror attacks, but at least 152 died overseas. Although the 1:3 ratio may not be the same for our American neighbours, I would suggest that the death toll in combat missions is higher than that of 9/11. And this is the part that I find disturbing. Where the lives of those who offered to put their lives on the line in the protection of other of lesser value?


Back in my younger years, we remembered the fallen soldier and the injured soldiers with solemn reverence and deep national pride. In Thunder Bay, where I grew up, Remembrance Day on November 11 was often quite chilly. We just bundled up warmly because we knew it was our duty to stand there in the blistering cold wind and say privately and publicly "Thank you for giving me freedom." This country, Canada, that we called home was a great place we didn't want to make it into our old country...it was great the way it was. But I digress...that is fodder for a blog another day :)


I don't want the ceremonies dedicated to September 11 to stop or change (unless there is talk once again of not allowing Emergency Service Personnel to attend in favour of the bags of wind called politicians). What I want is that we do more not to forget the many who die just as needlessly in countries far from the shores of Canada.