A time to reflect: But what shall we do?

Picture from CNN.com

Like so many people out there, the last couple of days have been tough. Then I hit Google+ and saw how ferociously some already came out to repeat the same old mantra, Guns don't kill people, people kill people. Quite true, but that is not the entire story is it? I had some other thoughts on this also.

As I drove home one day last week listening to the news on the tragedy, in addition to the update in the shooting, there was also a report on Obama probably nominating John Kerry for Secretary of State and potentially Chuck Hagel for Secretary for Defense.



Subsequently the radio report went on to describe how both men had been instrumental in the war in Afghanistan and also the issue of nuclear weapon disarmaments. And then a thought drifted into my mind:

Yes, the US can now boast of not allowing a terrorist attack on its soil since 9/11 with all the terrific measures that have been put in place over the years and the wars we have gone to fight in Afghanistan, Yemen et al. However if you go back and add up the various mass killings by Americans on Americans in the last couple of years: Virginia Tech in my own backyard, the DC Snipers, The Gabrielle Giffords  shooting, the Colorado theater, the mall shooting, and now this Newtown shooting. Oh don't forget the crazy one that flew his plane into and IRS building in a kamikaze suicide mission. There are others I have probably missed. 

Note I am not including those perpetuated by Islamic extremists like the army base shooting. I have not also added in the street violence in African American communities in cities like Chicago. When you add all the lives lost in these various incidents, don't we begin to come to an amount of loss of life equating the numbers from 9/11?

Picture from CNN.com

Yes, the nation appears to have for now, figured how to keep the enemies outside at bay, it however seems to be paying a mounting price suffering at the hands of the enemies within.

There are so many reasons I believe are responsible for these developments, one however that disturbs me a lot is the preponderance of video games and how so much close to real life they have become. You have so many games out that are based on extreme violence: [I]Call to Duty; Assassins creed; Halo; Grand theft Auto;[/I] the list is endless.  Kids and young adults are these playing games with reckless abandon, and IMHO gradually the lines between reality and fiction get blurred. Throw in some mental imbalance, family problems, the ease of obtaining assault weapons and you begin cook a dangerous time bomb...

The task to change is monumental, it seems almost impossible...

Yes it hurts!
Courtesy: http://news.providencejournal.com 

If anyone out there thinks further review of who, how people have access to guns and what type of guns is unnecessary; I am inclined to say they must have lost their minds. But I would agree that that alone will certainly not solve the problem. Much more needs to be done.

Can it? With a nation and Congress divided right down the middle? Let us simply pray for a miracle.

Nah wah.