Tuesday, June 26, 2007

“Shoot’em Up!”

How does a gun make anyone feel safer? Please – I dare anyone out there to explain it to me. What is it in the make up of the United States that we have to have guns? Better yet – why do we think guns solve the problems here and in the world? Of course, we use much bigger guns in other parts of the world. Yeah – yeah – I know all about the second amendment. You have to provide a better reason than that one.

The shootings at Virginia Tech University were a tragic incident. An incident – an occurrence - an episode. It will probably never happen there again. These occurrences happen all over and not very frequent considering the gun craziness of most of the United States of America.

If being armed makes a person feel protected, we should arm everyone because who knows when you might be involved in a shoot out. Personally I have never been in a shoot out. Heck – I’ve never seen a handgun, except on the hip of the police, which makes me feel safe enough. I live in a high crime area of my city too, so it’s not because I’m a satellite dish suburbanite.

Texas Governor, Rick Perry, thinks that students should carry guns on campus. “It makes sense for Texans to be able to protect themselves from deranged individuals.”

I’ve been to Texas – he’s right! The place is full of deranged nuts. My only concern is for the lower grades – the innocent children. It seems most of school shootings happen in grade school or high school situations. Some congress person in Wisconsin a few months ago came up with a brilliant idea – arm the teachers! Yeah – and I bet teachers could get a kid’s attention a lot easier with a gun. Think of what it could do for the educational system. Heck – no need for parent/teacher conferences anymore. You are in my classroom now and what I say is the law around here.

“Where’s your homework, punk?”
“Don’t give me that old story about your dog!” Click!

I know the University of Utah allows students to carry handguns, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a gun battle on their campus. Though I don’t think they are a good testing ground. I’d assume the lack of shoot ups there is because of the highly religious morals of the students. Mormons are a heck’uva lot less violent nowadays than in the past.

So the best that I can come up with is that unless everyone is armed in the USA we can never reach the level of security that we all want.

- Jake Drew

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Monday, April 30, 2007

Kurt Vonnegut Tribute


Environment versus Economy


“Bizarro World”

When I was a boy reading “Superman” comics I ran into an alternative universe, Bizarro World”. Quite a few times in my adult life I have felt that I’ve entered that alternative world. I’m having those feelings now.

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel have been wearing themselves out by trying to get the message out about global climate change, and that message is being received by the United States as the crazy uncle that you were told to ignore as a kid. We have until 2020 to reduce carbon emissions by eighty percent. That’s less than fifteen years!

By 2050 around a billion people will face food and fresh water shortages. Sea levels will rise, and major populations around the world will be relocated inland. New Orleans was a testing ground for things to come. Anyone who thinks that the government’s reaction to Katrina was about incompetence should realize that they realized that there was no point in salvaging or rebuilding the city. It’s just going to be worse next time and then the next time. So why invest in rebuilding what could be considered the United States version of Atlantis.

The president has finally or kind’a admitted that global climate change might, well, maybe, be caused by humans. What a giant step for the oil man! Now, of course, he’s all for regulations and trying to counter attack the emissions issue, but only as long as it doesn’t have an effect on the economy.

Well I don’t see how it can’t have an effect on the economy. It might be a good move for the economy by developing new technologies as new markets that will replace the old. Though I don’t think things are moving fast enough to create this new economy. We aren’t going to make it because consumerism is so embedded into everyone’s brain.

This leads me back to Bizarro World. We are going to have to start thinking in terms of the Bizarro World where everything is the opposite. Used is good, new is bad. There was a movement during the Great Depression and into World War II where people were involved in saving scrap or recycling clothes and other items, bartering with others, neighborhood gardens, and on and on. We can learn a lot from that generation and time. The attitude has to adjust that old things are coveted, and buying new is wasteful or only okay when necessary.

People are going to have to change:
“I don’t have an air conditioner.”

“Wow! That’s impressive.” They responded.

“I figure it helps prevent black outs and allows people that need the air conditioning to use it.”

Or:
“I’ve been biking to the grocery store. I have to make two trips, but it’s good exercise!”

“Me too. I used to drive my car to the fitness center, but I realized that it lacked some
common sense on my part.”

See what I mean? Write me with a scenario of your own.

Oh yeah and anything plastic should be shunned! Jake Drew

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