My 3 Cents: Lethal Words and Weapons
So much blather is on the airways and the Internet, I am reluctant to add my three cents, but I can’t help myself. I promise to keep it brief since clearly I believe pollution can come in all forms and I refuse to “pile on” to the existing verbiage.
- If you haven’t already closed your mind in regards to your choice for President (and even as I type this, I know most of you have), try this simple exercise: Substitute the word “surgeon” for “president.” After all you are putting your life in the hands of someone who will determine how your life will be lived. If you’re comfortable with a person who tells you they can perform expertly (but has no experience), if you’re ready to “go under the knife” at the hand of someone with only brash claims to their credit, make sure you have a good anesthesiologist on the case so you can be put out of your misery when reality hits that the “job” of surgeon requires far more than words. [Also, the easiest way to smear a competitor in the medical field is to holler “liar” and cast the shadow of doubt – never requiring proof.]
- According to Merriam-Webster the definition of politically correct is “agreeing with the idea that people should be careful to not use language or behave in a way that could offend a particular group of people.” First and foremost, I don’t know why these two words are coupled together, but as long as we’re dealing with definitions; “political” is defined as “interested in or active in politics.” Pretty clear. “Correct?” “…in accordance with fact or truth.” Also, clear. Given the tenor of the times, neither of those definitions comes into play. How about this? Try not being a total jerk when writing, talking, addressing, or God help us, Tweeting an individual or group. With a little forethought and, ahem, intelligence, any number of points can be communicated without being a total douche.
- Gun control. To all people packing, I only have one request, well, actually two; get training and stay sober. Not long ago a trespasser entered our backyard (which is surrounded by a 6-foot fence) around three in the morning. The dogs woke us up and as my spouse yelled out the window (in a very scary Linda Blair “Exorcist” voice) I grabbed my phone and nervously dialed 911. Except because of my grogginess from being awakened and the dogs barking loudly and the rush of adrenaline, I dialed 611. I quickly realized my mistake, hung up and redialed and before I was off the phone with the dispatcher the police were on the scene. The trespasser turned out to be a stupid teenager high or drunk cutting through our yard from the back alley. I’m sure you know what you think you would do in that situation and maybe you would be able to go back to bed in a little while later like I did, but what if…what if you grabbed your weapon of choice instead of the cell phone? What if in spite of your training you shot and killed that kid? What if you were a little hungover and mishandled your weapon and the bullet ricocheted off the fence and … You get the picture. I get it, you love your guns. All I ask is that get proper training and stay sober so if you do decide to take aim, you won’t regret it for the rest of your life.