Hello all! I’ve been posting to this site for several years, and have been thankful to all who have subscribed. I recently moved to a new site, and will be posting there now. If you would like to continue to read my drivel, please visit and subscribe here.
Hope to see you there!
John
“We can’t tolerate this anymore. These tragedies must end. And to end them, we must change. We will be told that the causes of such violence are complex, and that is true. No single law — no set of laws can eliminate evil from the world, or prevent every senseless act of violence in our society. But that can’t be an excuse for inaction.” ~ President Barack Obama, December 16, 2012 in honor of the victims of the shootings at Sandy Hill Elementary.
This link contains a list of the people murdered this week in Las Vegas. Take a good look now… see their faces, and read their stories. News cycles (fake or not) in 2017 are shorter, and these people will all be forgotten by the weekend. Like the names and faces of Orlando, Virginia Tech and Sandy Hook.
Gone, and quickly forgotten.
We have to move on because the world is chock full of interesting stories – some that inspire, some that make you sad, and some that scare the crap out of you. North Korea will be back in the news, as well as BREAKING NEWS Russian-election-collusion stories. Khloe Kardashian’s pregnancy must be analyzed. Big World Cup Qualifier match for the USA tonight, and there’s an Eagles game this weekend! Jeez… I hope no one kneels.
My attention span is short too. When I look back on my social media this week I see posts and comments about soccer, Puerto Rico, Tom Petty, flights to Ireland… and just a few things about our President. I posted some cartoons and videos about guns too, but not to be funny.
There are lots of things going on. Who can keep up? It’s just human nature, so we should be forgiven if we can’t continue to focus on just 58 lives out 322,000,000 plus in our great country.
Umm… No.
I remember the Sandy Hook school shootings and the sadness we felt. I remember the beautiful words above from President Obama and all of the other lawmakers. And then nothing was done. Nothing. Twenty children were brutally murdered that day, and our country did nothing. Those children were just a number… like the Orlando 49, the Virginia Tech 32, and now the Vegas 58.
Are we all just numbers?
Maybe we should be honest for a change. Let’s remove those “Prayers For Las Vegas” Facebook and Twitter photos. If nothing is going to be done, we should save our prayers and good thoughts for other things.
Keep making those awesome 2nd Amendment arguments, and the classic – “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.” And let’s stop the sideshow Rose Garden moments of silence by the first families because their heads are dealing with spinning policy to protect their jobs, not grief.
We should keep supporting the NRA, the gun lobby that says they support gun owners but only exist because of gun manufacturers.
Since the number of mass shootings in America is so, so offensive, let’s debate the exact amount of people dying that makes it an official “mass” shooting event. Four isn’t enough for a good statistic… ten is a better number. Problem solved!
We should be posting more clever memes about how lack of mental health care and parental discipline is the real problem, and more prayer – not gun control – will stop people from being killed.
Most importantly, we should all keep our fingers crossed that the next massacre is somewhere else. Some other person’s neighborhood or workplace. And that our friends and family members are not in the next set of numbers.
Or we can speak out.
All assault rifles, ammunition, and supplies should be illegal. Automatic, semi-automatic, bump stock, tripod, high capacity magazines… everything. Immediately. Period. It should be illegal to sell them and a crime to possess these items. If you have them, too bad. Turn them in or go to jail. It is as simple as that.
As simple as pulling a trigger.
If you disagree, please say it out loud for everyone to hear. All of your friends should know and clearly understand that you have a basic disregard for human life. Not speaking out against these dangerous weapons makes you part of the problem. I will no longer be part of the problem.
And if you are denying that this is the biggest danger we face as a country, or you are actively taking a position against gun control – that makes you a murderer.
I’ve recently been watching the television show “Shark Tank”. If you aren’t familiar, the show introduces entrepreneur contestants to several high-profile investors, hoping they will back their product or business.
The show is a very entertaining and compact look at how deals can get done given the right ideas and circumstances. I especially like it because of the entrepreneur’s commitment and enthusiasm for the products, and their absolute belief that it is a worthy investment.
Some of the strangest ideas in history became huge winners… like Snuggies, or the Singing Fish, or the Pet Rock. I remember years ago thinking that someone, somewhere came up with the idea for the cocktail umbrella, and probably reaped millions for the invention. Why can’t I come up with something? Anything?
During quiet moments lying in bed or on long drives, we’ve all fantasized about having that “big” idea… an invention or product that everyone wants and needs. And , of course, will make a boatload of money! For many reasons, some ideas end up being bigger than others.
The other day I had a short conversation with Bruce Wilson. He and his wife Erin are founders of If I Need Help, a non-profit organization that provides products and services that help reunite loved ones with those who might become lost or disoriented. These are people with autism, dementia, Alzheimer’s – anyone who might have problems communicating that they are lost, or where they live. If I Need Help provides a variety of products with a QR Code that contains contact information for the person’s caregiver.
The company I work for has been providing the technology they use to make the various products – name tags, patches, t-shirts, key chains, etc. I remember when Erin first contacted us a couple of years ago, and explained the idea. Their 13-year-old son Jay has moderate to severe Autism, with limited language ability. He had gotten lost in the past, so they came up with the idea out of concern and love for him. Their “system” provided a measure of security for him and greater peace of mind for them.
Bruce and I were talking about the business relationship, how it all started and what it has become. He said something that resonated with me… “It was just a small idea because we wanted to help our son.” But it was a tremendous idea, and one that needs to be shared to help people in similar situations. There have been so many success stories, about people who have wandered and been quickly found.
It seems that I see an item in my social and news feeds every day about a challenged person who is lost or missing. I always think about Bruce and Erin, and I wonder if the products from If I Need Help could have assisted in finding these people.
Success can be measured in many ways. I fervently hope that If I Need Help becomes a hugely successful organization, and the good stories come by the thousands. But I doubt that the Wilsons will be millionaires, and I’m sure they are not concerned.
But when you measure the success of an idea by how much you’ve helped people, Bruce and Erin are the richest people I know.
For more information about Bruce and Erin Wilson and If I Need Help, please go to their website – IfINeedHelp.org. Read their story, make a donation, and/or spread the word!
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