I will never understand people. I will never understand killing another person because one is mad at them or disagrees with them or whatever. I am in the military. The Army Reserves to be exact. I have carried a weapon. I have pointed a loaded weapon at someone. I made a choice not to shoot though I had full right and, by regulation and oath, I should have. I was commended and reprimanded at the same time. I'd like to think that the young Italian helicopter pilot was happy that I was behind the trigger and at the helm of the Italian and American security guards.
That was 27 years ago when I was 26 years old and a Butterbar (aka 2nd Lieutenant). I have one year left in the military. I will miss it. Not because I can't carry a weapon anymore...because I can. I have a concealed license permit in two states. But I don't carry it unless I go hiking, camping, or somewhere I've never been and alone. I didn't get the permit because I'm psychotic. I'm a female and I was living alone. Yes, I am aware of my surroundings but I'm not stupid. But I digress...
There have been a lot of morons, idiots, deranged psychotics, that have been military or former military. They are far and few between. The media doesn't make it seem so. The sensationalizing of anybody doing anything wrong makes one think that there are only a handful of people in America that are good and the rest are not to be trusted. But really...can we think about this for a minute?
If you look at the people that were in the theater in Colorado, there were quite a few military members that did heroic things (e.g. pushing their friends down to protect them, jumping in front of them to take the full impact of the bullets). There were other non-military members that did the same (e.g. giving medical care while they were wounded as well). There were a group of people that were standing at the front of theater after the shooting occurred waiting to pounce on the suspect if he came running through.
We don't need to make laws that stifle those that do right. We need to make laws and policies that make sense and allow those that do right to do it better. We have tried to outlaw guns - or rather certain types. What about knives? People are killed with knives too. What about students? Three of the most notorious massacres of late either were at a school and/or were performed by a student. Are we going to outlaw going to school to learn?
Oh, my GOD!! I'm a PhD student! I'm in the military!! I own a gun!! Oh, get a grip!!!
It's not the movies. It's not the video games. It's not learning to drive. It's not reading books. It's not owning a gun. It's not being in the military. It's not alcohol. It's not gambling. It's not being in the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts. It's not being a student. It's just not anything but the person...just that.
I believe in people. I don't understand them. But I believe in them. There are GOOD people in this world. There are bad people in this world too. But I am an eternal optimist. Good overcomes bad and there's more good than bad.
HEY!! I have an idea!!!! Let's learn courtesy!! You know...a "please" - a "thank you" - an "excuse me" - a "no, you first" - a smile - a warm handshake - a hug - an "I'm sorry" or an "I apologize" - or something like that - goes a long way.
Lucy van Pelt (yes...the Peanuts character...what, you didn't know she had a last name?) once said, "I love mankind. It's people I can't stand". There's some truth in that. We are mankind; made, created, evolved (if you believe the last one) in God's image. To quote the song, "God is great; beer is good; and people are crazy". That about sums it up.
...and a PhD means...that I'm like everyone else...I too ask "Why?"...
