If You Can't Beat 'Em, Shoot 'Em

I supposed it’s possible I’m the most naïve white girl south of the Mason-Dixon line or maybe just someone who has never quite believed that there aren’t monsters in the closet, but…..  Is it just me that thinks violence and hatred in our country has gotten a little out of hand?  Sure, everyone is talking about the latest mass shooting or racially charged police violence and the memes are populating faster than bunny rabbits in heat, but…..  Guns are legal everywhere for everyone at any time.  The best answer so far is…..get rid of the Confederate flag!  Everyone is jumping on that bandwagon!

At least until now.  At least in Waycross, Georgia.  Where a local African-American minister is starting a movement to solve the problem by urging his flock—and all the sisters and brothers—to arm themselves.  Yes, if everyone at church is packing then they will be ready for the next racist mass murderer that sits among them.  Again, maybe it’s me, being an alarmist or just not seeing the whole picture.

Unfortunately I see lots of pictures in my mind and they all involve blood, senseless death and a new generation of memes.  There are many people, symbols, and groups still left to blame.  Fox News remains available, the KKK is still alive and kicking and even without the Confederate flag, and no one can stop the good old boys from plastering bumper stickers on their pickup trucks. 

I have problems with the idea that the way to stop senseless violence is for everyone to be armed.  I can’t say I have the ultimate solution, but continuing to fight for less guns and more control seems like the only rational option.  This is not a popular philosophy in Georgia right now or in most Southern states, but popularity has never been my strong suit.  If all I can do is express my opinions and join with like-minded people, than that’s what I’ll continue to do.  Being a Democrat is not very popular in this part of the world either—but I’m not going to change that belief either. 

A world that requires everyone to be armed to survive sounds like either the old west, a third world dictatorship, or the zombie apocalypse.  It doesn’t sound like home.  We should remember that Martin Luther King Jr. changed our country and inspired us with a message of peace.  We should be ashamed of how far we have slipped and how far we are from achieving his goals; but we should never forget the message.