Tuesday, August 6, 2019

JUST MY OPINION...













I love flowers. 
 I think the love of flowers is
 a universal thing and 
one that we can all agree upon.

 Nothing relaxes me more
 than arranging flowers 
into a pretty bouquet and 
displaying them in the Cottage. 


 This past week 
has been one that most Americans
 will never forget. 
 I have been affected by it
 more than I can say. 
 Some first reactions may be 
that our blogs are not a place for politics 
and 
let me just state
 here and now 
that isn't what this post is about.

It is about something 
that has touched my soul and 
because I consider all who read this
 to be my friends, 
I think of you to be the best ones to hear me out.   

It started a week ago
 when a young man with a gun, 
a gun that was only made 
with the intent to kill humans, 
in time of war,
 let loose his evil agenda 
on many unsuspecting people
 enjoying themselves at a celebration
 that has been going on for years. 

 I am talking about a celebration
 that is held in 
the back yard of my hometown, 
Santa Cruz, California.

 Practically my whole family 
lives there and 
we have all attended many 
Garlic Festivals in Gilroy 
over the years. 
 As near as I can tell,
 none of my family members were there 
on this specific occasion but 
certainly many other families were. 

 People with children, 
people with hopes and dreams,
 people that would never think 
 their lives would be lost
 while they were enjoying 
such a simple thing.
  
Can you just imagine
 the excitement of going
 to a happy place and 
coming home without
 your two year old baby? 

 Then,
 as we were watching TV on Saturday,
 the news came that
 20 people had been killed 
in El Paso, Texas,
 with 26 injured,
 and then waking up
 the very next morning 
to more news of 
the nine people killed 
in Dayton, Ohio,
 along with many more injured.  
Even though 
all these shooters are not
 of the same minds, 
the tragic outcomes 
are all the same.

 The story continues
 to be the same and
 as I was trying to put my 
simple little blog together, 
about decorating, 
about how I can make my world better, 
it hit me like a ton of bricks...
 None of that would be 
of any importance 
at this time 
when so many are hurting.

  After all the school shootings,
 we offered our thoughts and prayers.

 After movie theaters 
and nightclub shootings,
 we offered our thoughts and prayers.

 After churches and mosques and temple shootings, 
we offered our thoughts and prayers.

 After concert and celebration shootings
 we offered our thoughts and prayers.

  After domestic violence and drive by shootings 
we offer our thoughts and prayers.

 And yet
 the shootings still continue.

  Now, it is people going 
school shopping for their kids 
that are receiving 
thoughts and prayers. 

 The sight of the police 
lined up in WalMart and 
a gunman,
 dressed in full combat gear, 
stalking human beings like animals, 
looks like a bad movie 
from a third world country.

 Thoughts and prayers 
are certainly appreciated but
 if myself or a family member 
were the one's receiving those
 thoughts and prayers,
I would want that and much more.


Some will say 
that we have to take care of 
the mental health of our citizens and 
that is so true.

 Are the people that carry out 
these attacks mentally ill? 
 In my opinion, 
you bet they are, 
but the fact is
 there are many other countries where mentally ill reside and
 they do not have the amount
 of mass killings 
that we do in our country. 




 I don't know what the answer is.
  I do know that 
there is at least one bill 
sitting on a desk in the Senate
 that would be a helpful tool
 in fighting this problem 
if it were to pass. 
Maybe the reason
 the bill won't be brought up
 for a vote is 
that it might have a
 good chance of passing. 

  I know that because I 
don't like guns,  
that doesn't mean
 that those that do 
don't have a right 
to own them, but
I do think that rules and laws
 need to be added to the books 
that will make people like me,
 and all law abiding gun owners 
and their families, safer.

 We all watch 
numerous news reports and 
it is hard at times 
to not see this as a political issue,
 when the facts are 
that it is a human crisis 
that needs to be addressed quickly.

 There are all kinds of
 reasons and justifications made
 as to why 
these horrendous acts are being committed 
but the ugly facts remain
 they are becoming commonplace 
in our society and 
the question is 
how much longer 
can we survive them?

 Today, 
I have worked on a 
pretty flower arrangement and 
as the President of the United States
 got off of AirForce One, 
coming back to the White House
 from one of his golf clubs,
 he stated that there is no place 
for hate in our world, and 
they are working on big things 
to help this problem and
 it could have been so much worse.

I don't think it could be 
too much worse for 
the families involved...

Thank you,
Mr. President, for your
thoughts and prayers.

Life goes on 
and so I will make more
 flower arrangements.  






...Judy...




Disclaimer:  I have stated that this is just my opinion. I expect that there are some who will agree and some who will disagree. We live in America and we are told that our opinions matter. 



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16 comments:

  1. Well said.

    I went to my local Target store this morning, it was like the Walmart store in El Paso filled to the brim with families getting back to school things. I looked around and realized that my local Target located in the very racially diverse and peaceful San Gabriel Valley didn't seem safe anymore. It was a very sad and disturbing feeling. What has happened to my most beloved country.

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  2. Judy, I think your opinion is one that many of us share lately. My kids wanted to go to the mall this afternoon and I quivered and hesitated before I said yes. And in my own small town, I found myself looking over my shoulder at the local TJ Maxx this weekend. That's not normal...and so very, very sad...

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  3. Your comments are compassionate and shared by many. It does so much harm to ignore these senseless mass shootings. We must not allow this hate and racism to become normal. Like you, I just can't read about decorating and cooking when parents are making funeral arrangements.

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    1. Thanks so much for your visit, Eileen. The time has come for action and for the understanding that gun owners, if laws are passed, will not lose their rights to bear arms, but no one needs an assault rifle for any reason. The Second Amendment still serves its purpose, but times are very different now so the laws need to reflect that..Happy Thursday..Judy

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  4. Assault weapons have no place in this country. Canada and other countries do not have these mass shootings because their gun laws are much stricter. I was a hunter, my father was a hunter...but there is no need for these guns and clips to be sold. When will our Congress and Representatives wake up and quit fighting amongst themselves and stop this madness. Great post and great flowers! Janice

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  5. My heart is heavy with sadness for our fellow brothers and sisters that have gone through such terrifying and devastating tragedy.

    ~K.

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  6. I read one article that blamed the killings on video games. Yet people in other countries have video games and they do not have mass shootings like we have in the US.

    This has to stop!

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  7. Many feel the same as you Judy. I just don't understand this senseless killings. For the life of me, why are as assault weapons available? Someone needs to wake up and change some laws. Our hearts are heavy with sadness and we are all afraid to venture out to malls or events. ..On the news today a motorcycle backfired in NY and people panicked thinking it was gun shots. Well written post. Thank you for sharing.

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  8. Judy,
    I never grew up around guns. When my Dad came home alive after World War II, he and all of his brothers who all served, said that they never wanted to see another gun again!! None of my family members hunted either. The thought of someone carrying a gun whether it is legal or not terrifies me. Even if it is in the purse of my neighbor who is trained on using it and carries it for protection. I understand it is a right for them to do so but it still terrifies me. I do not see why any private person should ever own an assault rifle other than military and the police.They should be outlawed for private individuals. And you are right....other countries have people with mental health issues and people who watch video games but they also have stiffer gun laws and they do not have mass shootings like we do here.I believe the time for thoughts and prayers has passed and the time for action is needed and I believe that can be done in the net election.Great post, Judy! And thanks so much for stopping by!!
    Hugs
    Debbie

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  9. Hi Judy,
    It is very sad in our lives that we have to worry about pulling into the parking lot of the Target or Walmart or grocery store and have a thought process is this going to be where someone might open up and fire upon innocent people including myself. It is horrendous that we even have to have that thought process. I think Mental illness treatments and attention has been lacking for a long time in our country but I think more it is the guns that are being produced. Does someone that needs to just want a gun to protect themself or their family and home need an assault weapon that can shoot off 700 round of bullets in less than a minute. Really?!!!!! do we need those kind of weapons in our world if all of us want peace! I worry about what kind of world my two small grand girls will grow up in and what kind of safety and life they will have as adults. I hope we can find answers that will work and bring peace and freedom back to our country. This country was founded on people having freedom but something needs to be done so this violence stops and we can all live free of fear and violence. Glad you spoke up today on your blog. It is hard to turn the news on each day.
    Hugs,
    Kris

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  10. Dear Judy. We only have to look at history---to act now. It's sad to expect 'prayers and thoughts' to do anything. as a Grandmother of a mixed race child---my heart aches, as a human being my heart aches, as an American I shudder at the ramifications of what our country has become.

    Two quotes rattle around in my head everyday that we deal with this madness.

    "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men(women) to do nothing."

    "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent",

    "The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse."

    All are attributed to Edmund Burke, and Anglo-Irish statesmen, member of Parliament in the House of commons in the 18th century.

    Democracy is a responsibility, and we are all from families of immigrants. We must be active in our beliefs and VOTE. Thoughts and prayers after the fact, may make you feel good, but nothing is accomplished and nothing will ever change.

    And clearly the intent of our forefathers for the (militia--army, etc.) to have these rights. The Second Amendment to our Constitution: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

    Guns/rifles in 1783 shot one shot max per minute. They were hand loaded and even the most expert marksman couldn't reload faster than 50 seconds---then aim and fire. They were deadly only at short range. Pistols had two shots, max and again were difficulty when hand loaded. Accuracy varied but these were for close combat. Thirty paces --was hit or miss(under 100 feet). Pitchers mound to home plate---is about 60 feet.

    It truly is absurd that we have laws based on these type of guns, 230 years later. Last, my husband and I both come from families of hunters ---we own hunting guns---we have never belonged to the NRA. Our current laws need to updated, enforced, and then upheld for the 370 million people in America, not the 5 million that belong and fund political leaders through the NRA. Thanks, Sandi

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  11. Judy, I just erased all I had typed. I pray for all. Bless you, xoxo, Susie

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  12. Wow. I wish I had your eloquence. This is so spot on. Thoughts and prayers, as well intentioned as they are, will not solve the problem. It could be any one of us at a garlic festival or a WalMart or a concert the next time. Any one of us. There is no place for assault weapons in our daily lives. There is no place for so much of what is happening now. Something must be done and fast. Letters to Congress, certainly. Voting -- without a doubt. Thank you for this.

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  13. I think your opinion is one that many of us share.
    Thoughts and prayers to all who have been affected by these terrible events.

    All the best Jan

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  14. Such a sad world we live in. I think it will continue to get worst. I hope I'm wrong.
    They are now selling bullet proof back packs for kids to carry to school. Just Crazy!
    Lisa

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Your comments are so special to me...Judy