The Tucson Massacre that was Obviously Caused by Sarah Palin… NOT!

The shootings this past weekend in Tucson Arizona were horrible. A nine year old girl was killed, along with six (I think) others, and several others were wounded. It sickens me to think that someone would ruthlessly fire into a crowd while trying to assassinate one politician.

What also sickens me is when people point the finger. When the columbine massacre happened it was the fault of bullies heavy metal music and guns. When a teenager is repeatedly violent it is because they weren’t properly socialized as a child, and most recently when I man attempts to assassinate a congresswoman and murders several people it is the fault of Sarah Palin. Really folks? Really?? Where is the line? When do we point the finger at the person who pulled the trigger? When does it come back to them? Because it seems to me that the things that take the most heat are not the ones who should be held accountable.

Now lets take a look at the logic behind some of these arguments.

Columbine

After the tragedy at Columbine heavy metal rock groups were in part blamed for the violence that took place. Among other things, Bullies, Guns and Heavy Metal were also blamed for what happened. I would say that probably thousands of kids each year are bullied, thousands more listen to heavy metal music, and thousands more have access to gun(s). So why aren’t there more of these shootings? I mean if those are the things that are to be blamed, then why aren’t there more shootings? They should be right? I mean if these three things mixed together is an explosive combination then why isn’t it happening more often?

Violent Children

I will keep this one anonymous as the child involved was a minor, but my knowledge is based on first hand accounts.
I heard a story of a child who was repeatedly violent and was sent before a judge. When the child’s (teenager) defense attorney gave his defense he said that the minor had been home schooled, and therefore was not properly “socialized” and was unaware of how to function in normal society. Really? Awesome, so if that holds true I could be as violent as I wanted because I was home schooled right?? Wrong! I am, and should be held accountable for my actions. Additionally, thousands if not millions of kids are home schooled each year, so why isn’t society MORE violent.

Tucson

Because Sarah Palin had crosshairs on some of the districts where the Republicans were campaigning hard against Democrats it is obvious to me and everyone else that she caused this young man to murder innocent people. Oh, wait, NO! What the heck?? I’m a Conservative and the cross hairs didn’t have that mystical magical effect on me. It didn’t make me want to shoot people, and even if it did it doesn’t mean I would do it. There are millions of conservatives out there, and if Sarah Palin really did have this effect on people because of her election map then we would be looking at a civil war not at a one time shooting of a mad man.

The fact is, the people who do these things are mentally disturbed and possibly demon possessed. How can we hold anyone responsible except for the people who commit these crimes? I’ll admit society has it’s short comings. We are sinners, and we are sinned against just as we sin. There are consequences for our sin (namely death), and when God looks down and judges all of humanity He will not excuse sin, He will not justify sin, he WILL punish sin. So why do we try to excuse these things away? Why do we try to pass the blame? Have we lost all sense of personal responsibility? Stop pointing the finger and take responsibility.

I thank God, that he sent his son Jesus to die on the cross that his perfect blood will pay the price for my sin, and the sin of others who believe and confess that Jesus is lord. Even with that said, there are earthly consequences to my actions, that I must take responsibility for. I just pray that I am man enough to accept that responsibility for my actions and the actions of my family.

Sincerely,

Ryan

Hero

I’ve been thinking for a long time that we don’t have many “good guy” hero’s in America anymore. They all seem to have a spotted past or seem to screw up often. Now are the hero’s who have a jacked up past more realistic? sure, but I think that we all shoot for an ideal, and kids look to role models to be (or “model”) that ideal. In most cases when you shoot for an ideal you will fall short, so I think that it is important that when an ideal is presented the bar be placed high so that even if you do fall short you still farther than you would have been had the bar been set lower. (ie: Having a goal to jump 10 Feet. If you fall short at 9 feet you still would have made it farther then if your goal was 8 feet and you fell short.)

The best example “hero” that I can think of is the “Watchmen”. Now I have only seen the movie, and have not read the graphic novel, so that is what my opinion is based on. Each one has his own SEVERE issues to deal with. More than one are murderers, one of the older Watchmen is portrayed as a rapist, one is a work-aholic. While I was watching the movie I was having problems picking sides. I mean who were the real bad guys?

I do believe in redemption, in an opportunity to become more than what your sin once made you. I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross so I don’t have to carry the weight of my past sins; I believe that his sacrifice covered my sins, and can cover all other’s sins as well. With that being said I would not “aspire” to be a sinner simply so Jesus could save me. That is not what I want for my kids, I want my kids to have hero’s who learn from their mistakes, hero’s that don’t break the law, hero’s with integrity, hero’s with honor, hero’s that choose to do right instead of wrong.

I want to be a real hero to my children, and point them to my hero Jesus, but I think about the growing number of young boys who have no father, who is their hero? Who will they look up to as an ideal? With as much TV as the American youth watches it will be what the media puts forth, and those ‘hero’s’ are looking more and more like villains.

Until Next time

Ryan