Requires Definition?

On the heels of the tragedy in Paris last month, a new tragedy in San Bernardino.  Much closer to home.  Some of our family were in lock down all day at their schools (where they work).  They are all fine.  Scary to have something of this magnitude closer than close to people we love.

There's a map floating around Facebook showing the location of mass shootings in the US this year.

And a debate over what 'qualifies' as a 'mass shooting'.  We have to have a definition of what is considered 'mass' shooting.  I'll let that sink in a minute.

We have to define a magnitude of death that qualifies as 'mass'.

What the hell are we becoming, world?

Both of those incidents are not only mass shootings, they are considered 'terrorist' in nature. Extremists killed people - no other reason.  They believe in their reason so zealously, they were willing to kill for it.  And die for it.

And Facebook lights up with the gun control debates....and I just 'hide' all the posts 'cuz I'm sick of it. Something has changed - I've been on this earth 55 1/2 years and I didn't grow up hearing about mass shootings.  Maybe they happened?  I doubt my parents ever imagined a world where guns cause so much pain and death.  Something is different.  Can people get guns more easily?  There are still laws about that - permits required and such.  But what is happening in our world isn't about a woman wanting a small hand gun to keep in her purse for protection or a hunter wanting the latest state-of-the-art rifle for shooting.  Or even about a guy living in a home on property that he wants to protect in the event of intrusion.

What is happening is way, way beyond that - it's people able to acquire masses of weapons and ammunition using high speed rifles and inflicting rapid, high power, dozens of rounds in minutes. Seconds, even.

You can debate all you want about 'bad people kill people, guns don't'....but the thing is:  bad people ARE out there...and when it's easier for them to get armed to the hilt and live the things they fantasize about doing to other people, they will do it.  They are doing it.  And it's got to be stopped.

Sure, you may be thinking 'they'll just blow themselves up and take others with them' - that happened yesterday in Africa.  I know we can't stop bad people from doing harm.  I know that.  Someone convinced that killing others is what they are on earth to do will do just that.  And we can't stop that. We can't stop the situations and ideals and influences that lead to that.  Our world is full of hate - and hate is hard to stop.

But could we possibly make it harder for them to arm themselves in ways that are only intended to slaughter as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time?  Could we consider doing that? No one needs a high power rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.  No one.

Let's be like Australia - make all guns illegal.  It's extreme.  But it's time to get extreme.

Prayers for Paris and San Bernardino.  And Africa.  Prayers for our world.

I debate over publishing or not.  I know guns aren't the root cause of the issue.  Deranged, extremist people justifying their actions in the name of whatever they can use to rationalize the terror they inflict are the cause.  I'm not sure there's anything anyone can do about that -

But I can pray.  And I will.