conversation, accountability, controversy

since friday it is difficult to see or hear or think about many things beyond the shootings that took place in connecticut.

it has started many conversations, including one within my own family.

while there is total agreement among us that what happened was devastating, there are varying opinions about who is to blame and what possible (and more importantly "effective") changes will take place.

should we be grateful that we have a president who demonstrates he has feelings and isn't afraid to cry in front of the world?  should we question why that same president has done nothing yet to prevent massacres (like the half a dozen that took place before this particular one)

do we blame the mother, who should have kept the weapons she owned in a secure place so others could not use them? do we blame her for having the weapons? do we blame her for not getting help for her son who was clearly ill? do we recognize the shame and denial that faces a parent of a mentally ill person?

i went on facebook and found quite a different conversation taking place. most were posts sending their condolences to CT, or clever pictures (like the one above)  but then i found a conversation that had started between a group of people, particularly between one versus a group that was very heated. it seemed that one person who was vehemently opposed to the idea of restricting people's "rights" came up with every excuse for why and how this tragedy may have been avoided or lessened if MORE people had guns. the teachers could have defended themselves, and the shooter would have been less reckless if he knew he was up against armed individuals.

i got an urge to jump into the conversation and make my own set of challenges against this one individual's thinking. and after having given it a lot of thought i chose not to. not only because i didn't see the point in arguing with a person i didn't know via facebook...

but also because it seemed that none of the arguments people were making seemed to resonate with him...he was very committed to his ideas and had an answer for every question posed and point made against him.

so while i didn't say anything there, i would like to say something here: to all those people still singing their 2nd amendment rights : FUCK YOU

fuck you for your limited view of what a "right" is
fuck you for your utter lack of sensitivity to the people who died and the people whose lives are now destroyed
fuck you for being so damn smart in your elaborate arguments, and using that intelligence for stupidity

my brother shared an article with me that i think is worth sharing with as many people as possible
here it is
http://gawker.com/5968807/down-with-big-gun