Quest for Power is Strong

 

About the only thing that all Americans seem to agree on is that the country is going in the wrong direction.   I believe that Vladimir Putin is the best example of why this is.  He is a politician that seems to be wholly invested in his personal power and couldn’t care less about the peoples’ welfare that he is entrusted with.

The current state of our democracy appeals to many politicians that will say and do anything they need to in order to build their personal power.  Reading the literature on power leads them to realize the quickest path to power is to “divide and conquer”.  Because gullible people can vote, the power hungry use fear, anger and hate to divide us.  It’s relatively easy to spot these fear mongers because most of their rhetoric is about blame and calling others names.  They don’t espouse any solutions to our real problems but are ready to glorify things like liberty and freedom.  They also demonize things that they, and the majority of us, don’t intrinsically understand like issues with the GLBT and minority communities.

 We as a nation have to come to the same realization that James Oglethorpe, the founder of the strictly religious Colony of Savannah, learned.  That is, If they wanted to have shoes, they would have to allow people that believe differently, the Jewish shoemakers, to live with them.  We may not like what they believe but we need what they can do.  We need to unite to prosper.  Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

 

We Need Firearm Education

 

Back in the 60’s our competent legislature responded to an increasing amount of teenage injuries and deaths due to the popularity and availability of shiny precision mechanical ‘toys’ that could go very fast.  All 15 year olds were required to spend several  hours in driver education classes which taught the principals of safe operation and the consequences of careless or reckless use.   The movie shown was very graphic and students or parents with weak stomachs could opt out of watching the movie but not the rest of the class.  Those interested in pursuing driving would get some behind the wheel instruction leading to a driver’s license.

We are again faced with children with dangerous shiny precision mechanical ‘toys’ whose only knowledge of them comes from the screen and peers.  We should make firearm safety training classes mandatory in all our schools for 12 or 13 year olds to not only teach them to operate and own them safely and properly, but to include education about the consequences of improper use of them.  Those who show an interest could have an additional class that includes firing range experience to show how hard it is to actually hit something.  It’s obvious that this won’t stop the next firearm death, but it could, in future years, slow the rate down considerably.  The guns are out there, and will continue to be as long as the NRA and gun nuts have strong political dollars behind them.  I believe they would be hard set to oppose this move.