Why is Everyone Attacking the NRA?

In the wake of the latest school shooting, I admit to a certain degree of confusion. I recognize that it is human nature to want to cast blame in the face of needless tragedy, but why are so many attacking the NRA? Why have they been chosen to be the scapegoat? Must absolutely everything that happens in our country these days be turned into a political debate?

I was moved by the raw emotions on display after the most recent school shooting. All such shootings are tragedies. The controversy over the latest one has been compounded by the sheer amount of questionable actions taken by various authorities both before and during the incident. The FBI and local law enforcement failed to follow-up on numerous warnings provided by caring citizens. Armed security took some very passive action while the shooter was active. There are questions about the effectiveness of the school’s security systems and tape delays on video feeds. There are legitimate concerns about the ability of this obviously troubled young man to legally obtain weapons. There seems to be plenty of blame to spread around.

BUT, why are we blaming the NRA? If you believe half of what is reported these days, you probably think the NRA is selling assault rifles door to door and encouraging their members to shoot someone daily. Once again the Liberal Left and the Mainstream Media have decided to ignore specific facts (see above) and attack an organization whose primary purpose is to protect the constitutional rights of American citizens. NRA spokesperson, Dana Loesch was recently subjected to one of the most disrespectful public displays I think I have ever witnessed at a recent CNN town hall meeting. While the crowd screamed “Murderer” and “Burn her” and other violent threats, she attempted to explain the organization’s position and inform and educate those who were present.

I spent many years as a teacher, so indulge me. There is a huge difference in ignorance and stupidity. Someone who is ignorant can be educated or taught and have his ignorance corrected. On the other hand, in the words of comedian Ron White, “You can’t fix stupid.” (Honestly, he may not be the originator of that particular quote, but he definitely does a great job of illustrating the point.) So, as an educator, allow me to correct some ignorance. Let’s try and move beyond some of the politics and rediscover some common sense when it comes to the mass shootings and other acts of violence that plague our country today.

In my opinion, guns are not the problem. There, I said it. If you don’t believe me, do some research, read a newspaper or something. Without even stopping to do that, you should easily be able to recall the airplanes used as weapons on 9/11 or the bombs used at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. What about the vehicles driven into crowds in recent high profile attacks?  Do you really think a madman plotting a killing spree will be stopped by his inability to buy an AR-15?

If you believe in the second amendment (I do), then you believe that Americans have the legal right to gun ownership. There may be gun laws that need to be revised or strengthened or whatever, but let’s face facts. Liberal politicians will never be satisfied with anything less than the complete repeal of the Second Amendment. They do not believe that the average citizen should have the right to own a gun. Period. That makes the NRA a prime target to pursue after any shooting incident. Remember, Liberals believe in never letting a good crisis go to waste.

So, let’s talk about the NRA. Formed in 1871, the National Rifle Association is a non-profit organization with more than five million members. Their website, https://home.nra.org, proclaims the group to be “America’s foremost defender of Second Amendment rights” and the “premier firearm education organization in the world.” Although perhaps known more for the first, they are rarely given enough credit for the second. Working with law enforcement, hunters, competitive shooters, and others of all ages, the NRA trains more than a million gun owners a year with more than 125,000 certified instructors. So, apply a little common sense. If gun ownership is a constitutional right, then firearm education is a serious responsibility. And condemning the biggest provider of that education makes no sense.

Another reason the Liberals attack the NRA is the amount of money they spend in Washington. Those on the left tend to be very critical of the money devoted to lobbying.  They love to accuse the NRA of buying Congressmen and their support. According to https://www.opensecrets.org, the NRA spends a little over five million a year, which doesn’t even crack the list of the top 50 lobbyist groups. And of course, they never mention the millions contributed by the gun control groups who encourage their Congressmen to restrict and regulate gun owners and repeal the Second Amendment.

In recent days, many companies are coming forward to publicly sever ties to the NRA. I am not a fan of boycotts myself. If I were, I would probably be more inclined to boycott the companies who have turned on the NRA. I say, make your own decisions. Do business with whomever you like. Withhold your business from others if you choose. It’s still a free country, I think.

So, let’s face facts. Regardless of an individual’s opinion on guns. Regardless of the number and types of guns owned by Americans. Regardless of the amount of money the NRA devotes to lobbying efforts. Regardless of who’s boycotting whom. Blaming the NRA for a specific act of violence is beyond ignorant. It’s just plain stupid.

Social Media, Poems for the Tired and Weary

Perhaps a tad on the negative side, but I was just on Facebook, so ...

The Real Reason Behind School Violence

Another week, another school shooting, and once again, we’ve immediately turned another tragedy into a political argument about gun control, Republicans vs. Democrats, Conservatives vs. Liberals, and how much we hate the President. Maybe it’s time we got real about school violence and stop blaming guns for the multitude of societal problems that are affecting our schools.

Let’s start with politics. I have seen proposals for several good common sense gun laws that I would gladly support. On the other hand, I do not support the position held by many on the left that the second amendment should be abolished and all guns taken out of the hands of American citizens. And who honestly believes that the President should immediately drop everything and do something about this gun problem? Seriously? What about the legislators who have been sitting around for about a hundred years up on the hill? Maybe we should look to them to pass some laws. Some people today have such a deep hatred for our current President they have lost all sense of reality. This is not a political problem.

So, about the guns. Does anyone seriously think that passing new gun laws will instantly solve the problem? Isn’t it against the law to murder people? That law didn’t seem to deter the last few school shooters. And do we really think that other weapons can’t be found if guns aren’t available. Just this week, a local man in my small community was arrested for attacking people with a machete! Anybody watch the AMC show Into the Badlands? It’s one of those apocalyptic futuristic shows where everything has gone to hell in a hand basket and oh my God, what are we going to do? In this future, guns have been totally banished, yet this is one of the most violent shows I think I have ever seen. The amount of weapons available is astounding and each episode features dozens of gruesome deaths, but at least the gun problem has been solved.

So, what’s the real problem here? I spent thirty-five years of my life working in schools. Over the years, I attended tons of workshops on school safety, wrote (or helped write) multiple emergency plans, conducted hundreds of drills, and spent more hours than I could tell worrying about the students and staff at my school. Of all those hours, I can tell you that almost none of them were devoted to guns or gun laws. Honestly, a threat is a threat. We prepared for all that we could anticipate and the priority was the safety of our students.

So what is the real reason for school violence? Could it be the fact that we live in an increasingly violent society? Just look at the news. If you can stand it. We don’t value human life anymore, do we? Or how do we explain sixty million abortions since 1973? We don’t value property anymore, do we? Watch the “non-violent” protests on the nightly news and see how much gets destroyed. We don’t value people anymore apparently, if the daily news endorses the most vile name-calling imaginable. If you don’t agree with their politics anyway.

The truth is that schools are not safe places anymore. We’ve thrown out God and the Ten Commandments in favor of political correctness. We’ve gone all in on protecting the rights of “some” and the preaching the “new normal,” but the reality is that many kids are still being ignored. Bullying is rampant, because accountability only counts on test scores and discipline is overridden by parents. Schools can’t teach the basics anymore, because we’re too busy teaching the social skills that kids no longer learn at home. And again, kids don’t feel safe anymore.

Every school I’ve ever seen has students who feel outcast and alone, who feel unloved and under-appreciated. And if they feel these things at school, then when they reach the point of lashing out, the school will be a potential target. Ages ago, they lashed out with words, or fights, or vandalism. Today, they lash out with more deadly consequences, but the root problem is the same.

So, how do we prevent school violence and keep our kids safe? I wish there were an easy answer, but there isn’t. The hard answer is that we take the target off the schools. We make schools positive and welcoming to all. We make schools the home, the family, the safe place. We make schools the place where every student feels engaged and loved and accepted. We look out for each other and remain vigilant knowing that it only takes one lone outcast to bring it all down. And we pray.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV)

 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Poetry Snobs, More on Writing Accessible Poems

In a previous post I talked about accessible poetry and how to make your poems more accessible to readers. Personally, I think all of my poems are accessible and I still think that's a good thing. I read an article recently that suggested contemporary poets are "dumbing down" poetry by writing in a simplistic style. This poem is my response.

I write poetry to express my thoughts and feelings. If you read my poems and the words evoke a single memory or feeling in you, then I am satisfied. Thanks for reading!

How to Make Your Poetry More Accessible to Readers

Do you write poetry? Do readers find your work easy to read and understand? In other words, do you write accessible poetry? To begin, let’s make the basic assumption, that most poets wish to be understood. (If you intentionally write poetry that is meant to be deep, obscure, and filled with enough symbolism to render it incomprehensible, then this post is not for you.) Allow me to offer some suggestions.

What is Accessible Poetry?

Before we start, let’s define accessible poetry. Although some see this as a negative descriptor, I believe it to be the best quality a poem can possess. In my mind, inaccessible is the negative. Why write something that only you will ever truly understand? A poem that requires an explanation is no better than a joke that no one understands until you explain it. In the anthology 180 more, Extraordinary Poems for Every Day, the former Poet Laureate of the United States, Billy Collins introduces the book with a wonderful discussion of accessible poetry.

According to Collins, although the term “accessible poetry” is generally defined as “poetry that can be readily understood,” he prefers to think of it as poetry that “has a clear entrance, a front door through which the reader may pass into the body of the poem.” Once inside, the reader may find the poem deep and meaningful or not, but either way, they have hopefully found a foothold. I believe that reading poetry should be a pleasant experience, and I generally find confusion and lack of understanding to be rather unpleasant.

Vocabulary

So, how do we write accessible poems? First of all, I would suggest using clear and concise vocabulary. The internet is full of clever memes about using big words in an effort to look smart. I love a quote I found recently online, attributed to Sierra Bailey, “Writing isn’t about using big words to impress. It’s about using simple words in an impressive way.” To put it another way, if I have to stop and find a dictionary in the middle of your poem, I’m probably not impressed (or having a pleasant experience.) Truthfully, I won’t stop and look up words, I’ll just stop reading your poem.

Content

Secondly, stick to universal themes. There may be a million poems about love, but that’s because people can relate. Nature poems are popular, because people read them. Narrative poems that tell interesting stories work, because people are drawn to good storytelling. On the other hand, poems about unfamiliar or unusual topics may be hard for many readers to follow. That is not to say that they are inaccessible, but they may appeal to only a very small audience. I like to write about feelings we have all experienced – anger, frustration, love, and joy. I also like to write about people.

A Pleasing Sound

Finally, write poems that sound interesting. (Honestly, this doesn’t make your poems more accessible, it just makes them better all around.) Regardless of their structure, rhyme, rhythm, or length, poems should have a somewhat musical quality. When read aloud, they should resonate with the reader. Just my opinion, but good poems always have a pleasing sound!

Strive for the right combination of words (vocabulary), content (theme), and sound that will intrigue the reader and put a smile on his face. Or bring a tear to her eye. Whatever your intent, make them feel something! If they do, they might just come back for more.

Rain, Another Short Poem from the Collection

I had this one ready to share today, even though it's a beautiful day here in Livingston, Texas!  I'm still hoping to publish my volume of poetry soon, but in the meantime, I'll continue to post some of the shorter ones when I can. Also, The What If Project is on sale this weekend!

Super Bowl Sunday

I confess to being a fan of the New England Patriots. There, I said it. Many of my friends who are diehard Patriot haters are appalled when I make complimentary remarks about Tom Brady and Coach Belichick or actually say aloud that I want the Pats to win, but what can I say? I’ve always been impressed by the dynasty teams, the ones who consistently win over long stretches of time.

Growing up, heavily influenced by my older brother, I became a huge fan of the New York Yankees and the Boston Celtics. Year in and year out, you could count on those guys to be around when the playoffs began and often when they ended as well. As far as football was concerned, we pulled for the Dallas Cowboys, even though Terry Bradshaw and the Steelers kept getting in the way of a true dynasty. Fast forward to the present day and it would be hard for anyone to dispute the dominance of the Patriots in recent history. (New York Giant fans can just shut up at this point.)

This season I have not watched much of the NFL. I haven’t actually boycotted, but with all the hoopla surrounding the league, my interest has waned considerably. For a while, I would wait until the game was underway to turn on the TV. Not only was I missing the anthem and its associated protests, but I also managed to miss the ever-increasing number of semi-literate ex-players providing pre-game commentary. After every touchdown, I would immediately head for either a restroom or a snack break in order to intentionally miss the ridiculous and childish TD celebrations. Watching grown men play leap-frog or pretend to be bowling pins? Seriously?

When my Houston Texans lost our starting quarterback (after having previously lost numerous starting defensive stars), I gave up and quit watching anything other than some highlights on the local news channel for the remainder of the season. With the start of the playoffs, I began to watch a few games and by the Super Bowl, I had recovered my enthusiasm. I completely skipped the Pro Bowl, of course. Even the highlights. Who needs to waste time with that nonsense?

I approached the big game with mixed feelings. As well as dynasties, I also love a good underdog story. It was good to see Nick Foles play well and lead the Eagles to their first SB victory. I’m sure the Patriot haters enjoyed the game and even though they lost, I thought they played well and the game was entertaining. So, congratulations Eagles on a fantastic season!

And (IMHO) just saying … The commercials were a huge disappointment and the halftime show was too. Justin Timberlake? Seriously?

Songs of Joy