I interpret that, at face value, that America still had to defend itself from France, Spain, England, the Native-Americans, and themselves(civil war): therefore people could keep guns. Remember the kind that took 5 minutes to load and often blew-up in your face? That's the kind they had. Today, we have guns that can kill 5-10 people in less than a minute......and LOOK OUT!! THE ENGLISH ARE COMING!!! AND THEY HAVE BROUGHT WITH THEM THE SPICE GIRLS!! That alone warrants the right to bear arms.

Seriously, the last time we, as a nation, had to worry about war was the Rodney King Verdict and the subsequent riots. And even then, the people involved were the ones with the guns.(as well as rocks and sticks and fire). When was the last time there was actual military combat ON AMERICAN SOIL? Pearl Harbor....and a 35mm gun would've done good against a bomb dropped on you while you slept. Of course, there are those crazy whacks who think that the Chinese are in Canada and are awaiting the orders from Clinton to invade.......

More or less, people use guns against each other....to either get something they don't have or to take something away from somebody else. Not to defend 'the American way' or 'protect or shores from the French'. I know the Constitution is meant to be interpretted as needed(Remember the 18th ammendment and Prohibition?) and according to the times....but we should get up to date in Gun Control.

I'm sure that there are a lot of people out there that are thinking...."I hope you get robbed....because if you had a gun you could defend yourself." Problem is: I have been robbed at gunpoint.....TWICE! A gun would've only gotten me killed and I wouldn't have been robbed if:
Robbery scenerio 1:Dad kept his gun locked away so Little Bobby couldn't go and get drug money.
Robbery scenerio 2:Little Tyrone couldn't buy a gun from the neighborhood 'hood' and go out and get drug money.
You see a connection here?

drug money.

I went to high school where the jocks were revered. Often the jocks were in the same honors classes as I was....and MAN, were they a stoopid bunch of meat-heads. Their talks consisted of the beer party they went to(and how 2 'Red Dogs' can really make you puke quick) and the latest adventures at the topless bar. I was a quiet student, sitting in the corner of English class reading 'A Time to Kill', the 'Invisible Man', and 'The Heart of Darkness', but people were surprised to note that I had a quick wit and an acidic tongue when I wasn't happy. I'd admit that I didn't fit in with the 'hip' crowd. Really I didn't want to. I could look above the pettyness of H.S. life...to the grind of college and the future as an 'adult'. Who's homecoming queen? Some whore..... The king? A football player with an IQ less than his shoe size..... Did I vote? Nope. Let them play their little reigndeer games....I had a life to live and a future to strive for.

Did my parents help me? Nope....only advice that confused me. Did the councilor help? Nope...only got a computer print out of the NAMES of scholorships, not any addresses and actual forms. Don't blame the school, teachers, or coaches for creating an atmosphere of 'winner takes all' and an award system based little on merit and mostly on popularity. Heck, look at most corporations and work settings, where brown-nosing and screw you attitudes run amok. We're only training them for future work! School officials are forced to bring out the best of our kids by the same society that is trying to damn them for incidents like this.

These kids need to realize that life IS hard. It's not 'Dawson's Creek', or '7th Heaven'....it is 'I'm too skinny to play Football on the team' or 'My acne keeps me from dating the pretty blonde girls' or 'My chest is to flat for the guys to notice me'. You want to get out of it? Join the Army.....get a hobby.....SOMETHING that will tide you over until the only thing that matters is whether the significant other lying next to you late at night loves you and that the bills are payed.

2. A substance through which an effect is transmitted from one thing to another; as, air is the common medium of sound. Hence: The condition upon which any event or action occurs; necessary means of motion or action; that through or by which anything is accomplished, conveyed, or carried on; specifically, in animal magnetism, spiritualism, etc., a person through whom the action of another being is said to be manifested and transmitted.

In other words....it's the 'cause' of 'cause and effect'. Everything we do is a media, in a sense. The computer screen is a media for my thoughts. Video games a media for entertainment. Newspapaers are a media for news and opinions. The common reference for media envolves those news organizations.

Generally, I can't blame 'the media' for people's behavior...simply because they have nothing to do with the 'effect'. Problem is, is that too often, they do. Sometimes, it feels like reporters and other newscasters try to be 'molders of history' rather than reporters of history. We all know that the media can judge and convict ANYBODY.Of course, history is often in the eye of the beholder.

Is the media too liberal, allowing violence and sex and 'non-traditional' values to seap into our lives? Well...yes......but we soak it right up. It sells better than free beer. We like to see the bombing of Kosovo first-hand, it makes us feel macho. We relish playing games like 'Doom and 'Quake' because we know it is ONLY A FLICKING FANTASY. We savor seeing "When Porcupines Attack-2" because it's ridiculous. We love watching 'Springer' and 'Sally' because the jerk-o's they bring on the air make us feel like our lives are better than at least the rednecks on TV. And human tradgedy, such as Columbine and Oklahoma City make us feel holy....because it gives us a reason to pray.

(which leads up to my next topic)

Here are some pictures of the victims.......strange......I don't see the two young men who did the shooting, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, amongst the ones we should morn, prey for, and remember.

Here's Harris:

Here's Klebold:

WOW-Those people were killed by two blurry people.

Think about other famous murderers and betrayers. They were human, just misguided and influenced by twisted sources of information. And they've served their purpose, under God's gift of FREE WILL. They've changed our attitudes...life IS precious. Everything has it's reason, good OR evil. Hate to say it, but without Judas, there'd be no Christianity. Granted, Judas, as well as Harris and Klebold, are probably burning in hell.

But why do we have to wait until now to realize how special people are? Do you have to die before someone notices that you are a human being, with an individual personality, who should also be noticing you and your personality? I think not.

Everytime I see the sunset, I pray that I will be able to see another one just like it. Whenever I look at or think about the person I love, I pray that they love me, and that I have the strength to perservere the hardships and obstacles that come with love & relationships. Pray EVERY MOMENT YOU CAN. If you have to kneal to pray, do it. If you must face a certain direction, do it. If you mumble to yourself or have to sing a joyous song, do it.....and maybe we wouldn't have to pray only when people die.

Living and Dying:Whose Decision is it Anyways?

©1999 pmiller2@pop3.utoledo.edu

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