Detour

I try really hard in my posts to avoid politics. Why? Do I have political views? We can be honest and say every one has a poltical view on at least one matter. Politics brings out the ugly in people more often than not and that isn’t what it should do. Personally, I believe the political system as it is today underminds the political system as our founding fathers meant for it to be. There, I said it. I’m not going to label myself (but boy do we love labels) as one thing or another because I am an American. I participate in our poltical process. I vote. I vote for the best person for the job not based on allegiance to a party. Call me what you want. I’ve voted for Democrats, I’ve voted for Republicans, I voted for men, women, white people, black people, immigrants, Christians and believe it or not those who were not Christian. Why? Because they were the best person for the job and their platform best lined up with my voting guide. (which by the way we will discuss in a later post.) I cannot be bought. And a great speech is not the tell all of a good leader. Neither is a poll. People get ugly about politics. So passionate. Wish that passion flowed into other areas. Things might actually change.

In so saying, I am going to take a moment to link a recent event that has ramifications politically, socially, morally and personally to this blog. There is part of me that is wrestling with it so I know I need to get it out. I am taking a detour of sorts. One must be living under a rock not to have heard of the recent school shooting in Florida. My heart broke when I heard the news. It broke for more reasons than one. First and foremost it broke for the lives lost. “Every mans death diminishes me for I am a part of mankind.” No one should lose their life in any act of a senseless violence. It should not occur anywhere. It pains me when it occurs on the streets of Bagdad, on the battlefield of Afgahastan, in the senseless gasing of the Curds, in the streets of Chicago or Detroit and the innocent children in Florida. Second, I am sickened to my core by the exploitation  of the media. It is a story. It is news. But they are a community in mourning. Let them mourn. Let them heal. There will be time to tell the stories. Third, the battle has begun. The information is flowing out like a busted water pipe. We must do something to prevent this again. It is a gun issue. Fourth, the truth (remember my last post) trickles in slowly and if you blink you miss key details that are the major parts of the picture only skewing the real view of what transpired. And lastly, its a mental health issue. The words, “we need to create a mental health database and track these people…” my heart stopped.

I have a daughter in college. There is not a day that goes by that I do not worry that something will happen to her. How will I get to her? Do you know that I have actually mapped out the shortest and fastest route in case the world goes to hell plan? No lie. I have it waiting to give to my husband and will implement it should need be. Nothing and I do mean nothing will stand between me and getting to her if push comes to shove. She is in the mountains. I’ll blow up those mountains (NOTICE: this is perverbal no actual intent to blow up a mountain; NSA and FBI can now sit back down and go back to drinking your coffee and eating your doughnuts; NC Highway Patrol; however, be warned, I will not only break speed limits – probably speed barrier and other applicable laws found in NC Statute 20) I cannot imagine the pain, the hurt, the grief, the anger, the hatred, the want for justice and revenge in those families. I can understand the loss, the deep mourning, saddness. We all can.

Man has two predators – disease and man. We are at the top of the food chain. We have two things that work on our population control and they are disease (in its various and numerous forms) and man. Throughout history this can be seen. I can write a book about this one. I won’t here. As long as there is more than one man there will be the potential for violence towards the other. Look at Cain and Abel. I do not accept that it is ok for violence to be acceptable in one instance but not in another. I do not accept that we can mourn horrifically and call for “something to be done now” because of x,y and z but turn our backs blindly in the case of a, b and c. When the world wants us to protect and defend, they most certainly do not expect us to show up with smiles, teddy bears and hugs. Why is that? Why is it ok to go into one region and save the day but not ok to go into another region where the atrocities are just as bad if not worse to save the day without being called so many names and being bullies? Why is shooting up a school with children call for immediate government action but shooting up a street with them doesn’t? Worse yet, shooting into a home with a sleeping 2 year old in a drive by doesn’t outrage anyone? Is it not glamorous enough for anyone? Is setting a blanket on fire after beating the child to death not violent enough? Oh, it didnt have a gun involved. How about beating the child to death with your arm? Is it really about lives?

Take a gun. Stick it on your front porch and leave it there. If it doesn’t get stolen (hey, there is a crime to do something about) monitor its actions for about a week. What does it do? Does it move? Does it party? Does it sing? Does it spew profanities at passerbys? Does it open the door for you when your hands are full of groceries? Does it sneak off and meet up with other guns? Does it go on rampages on its own? I think you will find, if it is not stolen, it sits right there. It is an inanimate object. It cannot do a thing without the assistance of a being of some sort of intelligence. (note: said some sort of intelligence.) It is a tool. Quite like a space heater, a tide pod, a pocket knife, an automobile, a lighter, a steak knife, a baseball bat, fire works – all of which by the way have been used to infict bodily harm up to death intentionally on others – none of which are regulated for doing so. Do I think there should be common sense gun laws? Yes I do. Do I think guns should be banned? No I do not. You have to be licensed to own an automobile do you not? And in order to do so do you not have to take a basic class? Know the basics. I would think that would go without saying in anything we own. Then, too, I read the manual on just about everything I own. I want to be responsible. But again, we have warning labels on hairdryers that say, “do not use in the bathtub.” Come on, some times, you just aren’t going to educate the ones who don’t want to be educated. The speed limit is 55 mph unless otherwise posted. Do you drive the speed limit? You know what it is. You know the consequences if you get caught. You know what could happen should your vehicle lose control. What if your vehicle hit a school van with 25 students because you were knowingly traveling 80 mph in a 55 mph zone. No time to brake or slow down. The carnage. We should ban automobiles because obviously no one can be a responisble or safe driver and automobiles are not regulated. Wait! They are…

If it bleeds it leads. Has been the mantra of the media for decades. And if it isn’t bleeding yet but could, let’s make it so. I am a huge advocate for the media. I worked with newspapers for years and believe in the good they do. I also know how headlines are born and stories are chosen. As one who “sells” things for a living, I can spin a story in a minute. Its the angle. Its how you word it and how you present it. Face it, no one likes seeing a pile of poop. But, take that pile of poop, clean it up a bit and you have a cow patty or a mud pie. Now we can sell a mud pie. Its still poop but looks better as a mud pie. Breaking News is just that, breaking. All the facts, details and pertinent information is not in or available. Doesn’t matter. Get it out we will color in the rest later. Just throw it out into the universe. The story may evolve and it may become clear what transpired but all that is really remembered is what was said in the beginning. That is what people forget. That is what is sad. You hear a lot of folks saying, “but they said…” or “…don’t you remember…” so you see convictions are made in the beginning not in the perponderance of the evidence. They ate the pie.

The whole reason I brought this up wasn’t to upset anyone (and frankly I do not care if you are.) It should be an issue passionate to everyone regardless of what your feelings about any of the issues are. Mental Health. When I heard the words… mental health… I knew it was serious this time. Why? I counted. In three news stories, mental health was mentioned or written 53 times. They, the great invisible body of thinkers who try to intimidate everyone and anyone who will listen but no one knows who they are because they don’t really exist so they are referred to as they, start using the word mental health. Mental health scares more people than any of the above combined. Why? Because they don’t understand it, they don’t want it affecting them, they don’t have answers for it and they can’t cure it meaning, in short, they can’t control it or regulate it. It can’t be lumped together – but they don’t care. When you don’t understand something blame mental health. Well hell yes its mental health. If I beat my children something is not functioning correctly in the recesses of my brain. Does that make me mentally ill or am I suffering from a momentary lapse in judgement maybe even rage? If I repeatedly walk down the street naked singing Let it Go, am I mentally ill or deranged or both? If I steal a candy bar from the local gas station am I thief or is it because I am mentally ill due to the fact I was not allowed to eat candy as a child? I can go on. Everyone at some point in their life, everyone, no exceptions, has suffered from some form of mental illness. Are they mentally ill? No. There is a difference. To categorically put it all together is not only stupid but ignorant and dangerous.

There are some people who truly suffer from mental illness who need treatment. Short term assistance is available and they will go on to live productive lives and never look back on this dark season of their lives other than as a testimony to others – they too can get help and overcome. For some, it takes a breakdown (and no, that breakdown is not always and is in most case not violent – sterotypes so have it wrong) to get them to that point. For others, mental illness is something they must live with every single day. There is no cure. No short term fix. There is no comparison. The mental health industry is grotesquely understaffed. it is a hit and miss field. Why? I will keep my opinions and realtive truth out of this – Because it is working with a part of the human condition that is greatly unknown. When you can con someone into believing they have a condition, you know it is not absolute.

Why this is so important- is hearing this, all the true sufferers are now, I can guarantee it, are now going back into their “hole” and will not seek help or assistance. “…those people” that verbiage was spoken by top government officials, law enforcement and media. You know how I feel about, “you people” The ones who truly need help will not seek it. Why? A government database of mental health. The chance of being falsely accused, watched, diagnosed, affecting areas of our lives where it shouldn’t… why would we? We haven’t nor would we do anything. Our support network is strong. You just set back mental health 50 years.

What is the solution? You have your opinions. I have mine.I am not here to tell you what to do, I just want people to think… it is not illegal yet.  Look, can I go buy one pair of jeans and expect that pair to fit every one I meet and know? Why? Because we are all different and each person has to try it on, we have different tastes, etc. Its – wait for it – a case by case thing. Are there commonalities in each? Yes. Do I need the jean industry to come in and regulate jeans? Do I need the ad industry to come in and tell me how to wear them and how to make it where we can all wear them? The food industry? The mental health industry can come in and tell me its all in my head and feel good about it, yes?

Pray for the families. Pray for a solution. Pray that folks understand it is not a one size fits all. Pray that truth shines. Pray that rights are not stripped not because of how you feel but because once a right is removed it cannot be gotten back. Pray for understanding. Pray that a knee jerk reaction will not occur. Pray for Grace and Mercy. Pray that those suffering in silence will not remain in silence. Pray that detours will not be taken for private or public agendas. Pray for resilencsy in all things. Pray for each other. Pray for healing and unity. Pray for understanding and wisdom. Pray for peace. Thank you God for shedding a light on all things. Thank you for your strength. Thank you for your Word that tells us how to procced. Thank you God. In Jesus most precious name, Amen.