When will massacres matter enough to cause change?

“These neighborhoods are our neighborhoods and these children are our children.” President Obama in statement made following the recent Sandy Hook Elementary School Massacre killing 20 children and 6 adults in the school.

Where do Americans stand on gun laws? Gun control?

In a pew poll taken after the assassination attempt on Congresswomen Gabriella “Gabby” Giffords, the country was divided. 49% said it was “more important to protect the rights of Americans to own guns” and 46% said it was “more important to control gun ownership.”

After the shooting in the movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, 76% said, “There should be some restriction on owning guns,” according to a CNN/ORC poll.

At present time, roughly half of American states allow gun owners to carry their weapon openly into public places.

Also, making more news recently is the “Stand Your Ground” law. This law really came into the public eye during the Trayvon Martin case in Florida.

There are a host of other states with very similar laws.

Florida, as well as others in this list do not have a “duty to retreat” clause which means if you can get away without harm or deadly force but shoot anyway, you can be prosecuted. Most of the states with the “Stand Your Ground” law do not have the “duty to retreat” clause. Many of these laws are written in a vague way leaving the law to be used as a “blanket way out” for many shootings.

These laws were often introduced as a way to help “victims” in cases such as domestic violence where victims often felt blocked and unable to flee or ended up shooting their attackers (which happened to be their domestic partner) and found it near impossible to defend themselves in court. When was it okay to kill someone under your own roof?

But, the law has left it open for arguments leading escalating, turning into assaults and then murder to be defended under the “Stand Your Ground” law. What would have been different if a person hadn’t had a firearm on them? What if they didn’t feel it was okay to cry “self-defense” in what would typically end up in an assault and battery case but instead, someone is dead. Has the law been a positive or a negative? Who has it actually helped more?

Guns and politics have become so entwined as the NRA has become more involved through the years with politics, legislation and politicians.

The NRA runs ads campaigning for those who promote their cause and against those standing in the way of their proposed changes in existing laws or future goals.

By funding politicians, their campaigns and having their own people in Washington, the NRA is assured of having a way to get current policies changed or new legislation passed, changed or set aside. The problem is much of this happens without knowledge of the general public both through state government and federal government.

NRA does not run the US government and does not make the choices for what is good for America. That is done through the voters. We vote who we want at both the state level and the national level. Are we listening to what these politicians are standing for and against? Who is supporting them and funding their campaigns? What are their intentions?

Ask yourself why the NRA has had nothing to say since this most recent massacre? Statements have come out from all over the world. World leaders are offering condolences. Many actors and actresses are coming forward and saying things should be done with violence in movies and TV may need to be looked at. Networks rearranged TV schedules following the massacre due to programming that may have been viewed as showing things in bad taste.

Sunday morning talk shows have done numerous interviews and Meet the Press asked any of 31 pro-gun senators to appear but none responded. Silence speaks volumes.

Using the words “gun control” is beginning to sound UN-American. I think doing nothing as we are seeing more massacres, people crying in disbelief as their loved ones are being identified, going through autopsies and realizing their last conversation was their LAST conversation… that is UN-American.

Personally, I can’t participate in ignoring an issue that is continuously being swept under the rug by groups that argue for their freedoms while others are losing their loved ones, their lives and their future or their sense of security. What about their freedom, our freedom?

Weapons used for hunting and sporting do not call for assault weapons or weapons with large magazines that can gun down numerous people (or animals) in just seconds or minutes.

Many assault weapons are not for either of these uses and are only used to promote keeping an argument going instead of coming to an agreement.

Responsible and legitimate gun owners, politicians and people across America need to give pause to this, put politics aside and be able to really look at this very serious issue, discuss it (peacefully) and deal with it.

Yes, there should be limits, laws, background checks and training required. Yes, there should be renewed proof of this at the time of license renewals for each weapon. A responsible gun owner would understand the need for this because they would only want other responsible and trained, regularly licensed gun owners having other weapons as well.

A major argument is that responsible gun owners and legally purchased guns are not the problem.

My first response is I find it amazing that each “responsible gun owner” can speak for all the other “responsible gun owners” as though they meet all the time and know each other very well.

My second response is that is not true. Legally purchased guns end up in the wrong hands more often than these “responsible gun owners” must realize. The ability to purchase guns is far too easy in far too many places. There needs to be universal laws when it comes to background checks, waiting periods, guns and ammo purchases and an assault weapon ban.

My third response is this. ”Responsible gun owners” do not come with a magic chip in them saying they are responsible, will keep their weapons locked up properly, only use their weapon in the absolute necessity that it is needed and will be in 100% tip top emotional and mental condition for the rest of their life. They also don’t have the promise no one in their family won’t get to their weapons or someone breaking into their home won’t be able to do the same. There are no guarantees.

The NRA makes it seem as though guns are the answer to protection and the government and its laws are trying to take that away from people.

For those trying to hide behind the 2^nd amendment, they aren’t the ones who control this discussion. The idea however of more guns being the answer has proven to be wrong, dead wrong.

This is a must read article by:  Mother Jones, “More guns, more mass shootings – coincidence?” Their team put together a lot of facts about guns, violent crimes, laws and changes through a lot of investigating on their part. I urge you to look at the numbers.

Also, looking at some graphs put together by Simon Rogers with the Guardian, America is well armed compared to other societies around the world (88 per 100) and our gun violence speaks for approximately 60% of all homicides.

Another argument is not only guns take lives.

True. It isn’t just a weapon that ends a life. It is a person who believes they have a justified reason to do so.

As humans we react many times out of emotion. In many of these cases, there are feelings of anger, hate, revenge, defeat, entrapment and many times nobody knows what set a person off to commit such violent crimes.

The right thing to do, if a person is thinking rationally is to walk away, take some time to think things over, seek some advice or maybe get more details. A lot of times people are going through situations where counseling is needed and has been needed but either they didn’t know it, didn’t seek it or it wasn’t available.

Too often, a gun is too easily available to pick up, steal or purchase.

Not everyone committing these horrible murders/suicides, massacres and violent crimes were “monsters” before these acts. Many times, no one noticed any signs of behavior change, isolation, depression or signs of mental illness. Other times, it was noticed but they were unable to get help or convince the person to get help.

Does that mean people with emotional or mental illnesses are “monsters”? No. It means people with problems need to be able to seek help, get the proper diagnosis, counseling, medications and not be labeled with a stigma as being “crazy”.

If a person in need of help seeks help and receives help, this is definitely not “crazy”. That is the right thing to do and it should definitely be available to anyone in need of these services.

Many people with emotional and mental illnesses can live fulfilling lives alongside everyone else if they are able to get the medical and emotional help necessary. This important issue in our society cannot continue to be ignored. This is a huge gap in our healthcare system leading to economic and many other life issues. It is easier for Americans to access guns than mental health care. Without truly dealing with this, we can’t move forward on dealing with these murder/suicides, massacres and violent crimes.

There are two sides to be focused on immediately without involving political favors, campaigning, lobbyist and self-promotions.

1)      Too many weapons without just purpose or place in our society (other than within our military)

2)      Not enough available care and treatments for those with emotional and mental needs and disabilities.

For those who can’t clearly see these needs, they aren’t focusing on the real problems. They are standing in the way of what needs to lead to a drastic change.

We can’t just cover the cracks or kick the can down the road.

Our biggest war is going on here at home and our children and loved ones are the victims.

What is the difference between these recent massacres and 9/11? We are part of the blame. We vote. We have voices and if the issue isn’t being addressed, keep pursuing the issues.

These victims didn’t have a choice and now their voices have been silenced.

20 children silenced (ages 6 – 7) and 6 adults (their principal, school psychologist, two teachers, and teaching assistants)

This is our country, our communities and our neighborhoods. Those teachers are our teachers and those children are our children.

Speak up.

UPDATE: President Obama speaks at Newtown High School

Must see video below:

Video Tribute “Lives cut short by school shooting” – by: Anderson Cooper and the AC360 Team

 

Add on: “Balloons released to Heaven Among the Stars” Remembering Sandy Hook Elementary, Newtown, CT.

With love, 

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Time for a discussion: Guns, mental health, violence

24 Hours Ago… So much can change in a 24 hour period.

Throughout the world, lives are lost each day due to diseases, wars, drugs, mental and eating disorders, famine, violent crimes and so much more. What makes today different is not only is this happening just after the other recent tragedies in a mall, a theater, hair salon, etc but these were children, teachers a principal and those there to help our children.

They lived in one of the top 10 places to live in America. School should be a safe zone. No hate, violence, bullying or fear of dying due to any senseless act of crime. Mental disorders or not. That is not a reason or excuse for violence.

People live with mental disorders everyday without causing harm. People have guns responsibly. The fact is, not everyone is held accountable. Not everyone is responsible with a gun or keeps it away from the wrong hands.

Not everyone has proper medical diagnosis, care and/or treatment for their mental illness. The discussions and resolutions can’t be avoided. Prayers shouldn’t have to continuously go out for lives lost and communities affected by tragedy.

Prayers and attention need to focus on one thing, SAVING LIVES.

Put the politics aside.

People deserve to live and people deserve proper medical attention.

Side note:

I wanted to post this now but I was working on an article following the recent shooting in Clackamas…then this happened, the shooting at an elementary school. I will follow this up with a further article.

Please share your thoughts on this matter. Worldwide, people have been affected in different ways. 

It is time for a discussion.

Help stop bullying Pt. 1-The time to talk is now!

Photos from "Stop Bullying Now! One Mile Fun Walk"
Photos courtesy of: Mental Health America of NE Florida

According to Gayle Eckerd, CEO of River Point Behavioral Health, “Bullying among our children and adolescents has become an epidemic and something needs to be done now.”

To stop an epidemic, there is often a source where a treatment can be implemented and then spread out from there. But, with bullying, each and every case is different because it is not only dealing with the victim of bullying but also the person or persons behind the act of bullying. It is also looking at what is causing this person to act out in this way and we also must ask a few questions; Why is this becoming such a growing problem? What is bullying? Where does the problem of bullying begin? Who is responsible to address these concerns?

The first question to address is the last one. Who is responsible to address these concerns? We all are. This is a concern for everyone to not only realize but to be part of the overall solution. The first thing to recognize is the problem. Look around. Bullying is not something that only happens on the school playground or during playgroups at the park. It is not something that is happening only amongst our young people. This is a problem in homes with siblings, at school within all age groups. Bullying is a problem within the workplace, within our political system, between parents, between parents and their children and the lists go on. What happens is, it isn’t always considered bullying and therefore the issue is getting beyond our grasp and out of control. But, it isn’t beyond help.

Preparing for the walk, everyone can be part of the solution to stop bullying.

In today’s world, anyone who wants to bully someone else can do so in a buffet of places and even without ever showing their face. Once a person becomes aware of the problem bullying has become in our society, it becomes hard to avoid or overlook this issue. The problem is so many people have begun to accept it as a way of life or have learned to overlook it until the problem becomes unavoidable or irreversible. Too many people are getting physically, mentally and emotionally hurt and many are committing suicide over it or living in silence and unspeakable pain on the verge of a meltdown. But, there is help.

Everyone who participates, tells someone else and the word spreads...
that's a good sign!

On Saturday, May 21st, Riverpoint Behavioral Health in Jacksonville, Florida joined forces with Mental Health America of Northeast Florida to organize the “1st Annual Stop Bullying Now! One-Mile Fun Walk” to raise awareness in their community and beyond.

With 200-250 walkers and their tremendous success, this is one of the most powerful ways to make a difference in the battle against bullying. They are reaching out to the younger generation, their friends and families, starting necessary conversations and letting it be known that it is not only okay to talk about bullying but also making it known that bullying against anyone, for any reason, at any age is never okay!

Studies have shown 15-25% of students report being the victim of bullying while 15-20% of students report they engage in bullying. These reported numbers are often low due to victims’ fear of retribution keeping them from coming forward.

Bullying is a form of abuse and can have immediate and long-term effects.

Recently, as seen on the news, reports of suicides have been on the increase due to bullying. Young people who are victims of bullying are more likely to drop out of school, abuse drugs and/or alcohol, have mental health disorders such as depression, eating disorders, self mutilation, thoughts of suicide, anxiety, etc.

Youth who bully are more likely to engage in violence, get involved in gangs, criminal behavior and become abusers as adults. These traits can often effect the next generations as well.

Mental Health America of Northeast Florida has been working to raise awareness of this epidemic of bullying in our country beginning with our local communities. With sponsors like, River Point Behavioral Health who paid for this event, allowing all proceeds to go the Mental Health America of Northeast Florida for their amazing work in not only this event but also working within schools and summer camps, this is an amazing example of what can be done to stop bullying, prevent bullying and everyone can be involved.

Mental Health America of Northeast Florida has found the necessary treatment is to not only treat the victim but also those that feel the need to bully. There is very often a reason behind the bullying but also to get people talking and raise awareness to this growing problem.

Take time to listen. Take time to talk. Talk about bullying.

The more people who get involved and the more help made available, the better the chances for everyone.

In this series of articles, I’ll share different stories from people who have had their lives affected from bullying in one way or another. The only way to effectively stop bullying is to show its hiding places, bring them out into the open and let people know the best thing to do is speak up and get the necessary help when needed. Let people know it is okay to say they need help because they are not alone.

What many people see as harmless fun is very hurtful and has long-term effects to others. This is bullying. This is causing many people a lost childhood, lifelong trauma, physical harm and as we are learning it is more often leading to suicide. This has to stop. It must stop now.

See the signs, read the warnings and act. Don't ignore what is right in front of you.

The first story is something that is horrible and should be unheard of but it is a situation that very much needs to be recognized for what it is.

This is about a young lady that had been bullied by not only one person but multiple people. She was bullied to the point of victimization in both a medical facility and her family environment. She is disabled and required help for much of her daily care.

During what should have been a 5-day admission to a hospital for medical testing for a diagnosis, she was instead bullied, made fun of, called names and left in unsanitary conditions. In the end, due to the lack of care from the medical staff, the correct tests had not been done which led to a long delay of the correct diagnosis. She said, ““It was an awful experience; the mental games were terrifying and I was stuck there because they did not want to discharge me.”

At the hands of her family, where she should have felt the most secure, cared for and loved, she was instead bullied most by her siblings until she was later sent to live with other relatives. There, she was often left alone as a live-in babysitter, neglected for her own daily medical needs and left to fall into the hands of a family friend who raped her.

When she couldn’t take anymore and tried to leave, she was locked in a room, slammed against the wall, unable to use a phone or a bathroom until she eventually crawled out a window and escaped. Yes, escaped. She said, “You hear about human trafficking nowadays, but that was kind of the case, even within my own family.”

At the time, this woman was wheelchair bound. Since getting better care after these experiences, this has changed. She has chosen to remain anonymous for very clear reasons.

The second story is about Lynda in Parkersburg.

Lynda’s has quite a different side of things. At first, in middle school, Lynda was having a lot of troubles at home and this led to troubles at school. During her 8th grade year, Lynda ran away.

This ended up getting her moved to another relative’s home and also to a new school. The kids at the new school didn’t treat her too well, in fact, they were just mean. She was poked, tripped, had her books knocked out of her hands and threatened about showing up places outside of school. So, she decided to just stay quiet and stay to herself.

In the 9th grade, she moved back in with her grandparents and returned to her old school. However, she had taken on a new attitude. She was loud, mean and a bully now. She wasn’t going to be picked on anymore. She took things to a new level you could say. Name calling and harassing was an everyday part of her demeanor and she’s sure she made the daily lives of some of her classmates a living hell.

“So many things that I look back on in shame,” Lynda says, “I cannot believe the intolerance that I showed back then.”

Now Lynda has her own children and would she never want to see them be bullied”, but she says, “I cannot stomach the thought of one of my kids being the bully.”

Lynda is making this known to help stop bullying.

Many people are stepping forward in efforts to help stop bullying. Below are some excellent links to visit for information on how you can speak with children, friends, coworkers or reach out for help.

Please feel free to comment on your experiences with bullying and how it has affected your life as well. Together, we can help in the effort by sharing information, speaking up, getting help and bringing an end to bullying in our own local communities which will prevent more victims and help save lives from the hurt or worse, from the loss of life. Please pass this along and keep an eye out for part 2 of this series.

AHMIR ANTI-BULLYING VIDEO – “Perfect”
Purchase this song on iTunes and 20% of the proceeds will be donated to the Make Laughter Count foundation (an organization that brings comedians & entertainers together to increase awareness about bullying and raising funds for charities)

SEE PART 2 OF THIS TOPIC



Help stop bullying Pt. 2 – Bullying effects everyone

Please see links below and feel free to share comments below.


StopCyberBullying.org

TakeAStand.StopBullying

ItGetsBetterCampaign

StopBullying.gov

PeaceBuilders.com

TheTrevorProject.org

WelcomingSchools.org

Let’s Move.gov

Teach for America

MakeLaughterCount

What will it take to end hate?

The more often a story plays on the news or is written in the papers about discrimination, hate crimes, intolerance against others for numerous reasons, it should be opening the doors to more mature communications and closing the gaps of miscommunication.

It seems even though more people are talking and talking that less people are really listening. It appears to actually be fueling more hate and more intolerance. Why is that the case? Why is there so much division within the “United” States of America? Something has to be fueling the continued division and causing this to not only grow, but to become such an issue that even when the country is in such turmoil economically and suffering from tremendous job losses and countless crisis that needs attention.

Is this a political issue or an agenda of politicians? Does it lean from one party to another? Does the possibility of so much intolerance towards one another benefit one party over another to the point that this would be beneficial in the long run? That wouldn’t really make sense. Maybe in some illogical concept one could see it but in the long term, any time there is a period of hatred it will bring the downfall of any government or society.

 

Is this centered completely around typical discrimination? In many ways, almost everyone has some sort of discrimination in them. It may not be racial or towards another person’s religion. It may not focus on a person’s sexual orientation or whether they are rich or poor but there are many ways to discriminate against people by judging them before you actually know them. The more often a person draws conclusions, the easier and more acceptable it seems to be.

 

Intolerance is the unwillingness or refusal to accept people who are different from you, or views, beliefs, or lifestyles that differ from your own. Nowhere in the definition does is say a person has the inability to have tolerance to accept people. It says they are unwilling or they refuse to accept the person’s differences. Everyone can choose to become tolerant.

 

At this point, the U.S. is in a crisis. The crisis is not just economic or jobs. The major crisis is within America. Americans need to find the ability to work on these inner issues of discrimination, intolerance and hate. Without fixing the inner issues, the economy and job crisis, the educational issues and the energy crisis cannot to move forward. America is only as strong as its weakest links.

Americans vote for the leaders that represent them in each state and in Washington D.C. Americans vote for the President. Americans vote for a great number of things. These votes represent what each voter is saying they want to see done and who they choose to represent them.

 

However, for this to work, each voter has to start by taking responsibility for themselves in their everyday life. Each person has to take responsibility for their everyday activity and how they treat every other person they encounter. Everyone has to expect that from the leaders they chose when they are in their home state and when they are in Washington, willing to work together for the good of their state and for the good of their country. Unless someone is working for the good of others, nothing will move forward.

 

Hate, discrimination, intolerance and waiting for someone else to start the process to end these problems is just not going to work. It takes each of us starting the process to end this and end this now, right away.

 

“The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.” Samuel Johnson

Are You the "Right" Color?

In an article posted on CNN’s AC360 Blog, “What’s Behind Rand Paul’s Confusion“, there are a lot of points on the government’s role in the Civil Rights of racial equality. Should the government even be involved? Should there be any say, on the government’s part, about racial equality in a private business or individuals?

This can go way beyond what many people may be seeing so I have decided to take a few steps forward and a few steps back.

First of all, what is a Hate Crime? We have started seeing a lot of Hate Crimes and people being punished and prosecuted for them. So what defines a Hate Crime?

Hate Crime: “a criminal offense committed against a person, property, or society that is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity/national origin”

Where do Hate Crimes typically happen? The amount of hate crimes have continued to rise but from reports filed in 2008, the FBI put these numbers together.

31.9% near homes or residences, 17.4% on highways, roads, alleys, or streets, 11.7% happened at schools or colleges, 6.1% took place in parking lots or garages, 4.2% occurred in churches, synagogues, or temples, 2.2% took place in restaurants, 1.8% transpired in bars or nightclubs, 11.9% occurred in other or unknown locations, 18.3% took place in the remaining specified location categories or in multiple locations.

Numbers above taken from FBI.gov

In 2008, in an analysis of the 7,780 reported Hate Crimes to the FBI, 51.3% were racially motivated.

This does not even mention Hate Crimes for other reasons such as religion, sexual orientation, disabilities or other reasons. Not all Hate Crimes have been categorized.

Are these crimes okay? Maybe I should word this differently. Are these crimes okay on private property? Maybe inside a private business?

During the past 7 years, hate crimes have risen against blacks and Hispanics. Often these crimes are against each other in the forms of gangs but more and more there is a growing trend of hate crimes against Hispanics as the debates over the Comprehensive Immigration Reform escalates. Although many differences arise when our government is discussing changes or reforms, this has caused heated debates which have caused violence to erupt in the Extremist Anti-Immigration Groups.

Okay, so it seems people want to step backwards with progress that has been made. That is what we would be doing here. No matter how pretty you draw the picture, how you word your point, that is what would be going on. We would be stepping backwards. This is talking about INEQUALITY.

Maybe this seems simple to you, bugs you, pisses you off that people would want to do this. Maybe it doesn’t. It bugs the hell out me!!

First of all, who says how white or dark your skin has to be for you to be the “right” color to come and go from one place or another? REALLY? How can someone seriously think that the color of one’s skin makes that person better than another person? Where would that logic come from? How about if we started giving IQ tests to everyone to see if they could come and go from grocery stores, malls, churches, public libraries, or amusement parks. But that would be something we could ultimately study for and improve on. So that isn’t fair. What about if we went by a person’s height? If you are over a certain height or under a certain height, this allows you certain privileges. So everyone over 5’6” can vote. That rules me out. How about you? What is the “right” person to have all the rights? Who actually gets to decide that?? Who makes the rules? Who has the list? What list are you on? The right one or the wrong one? You may not know because the “LIST” may be changing.

Talking about voting, did you read my last blog, “Who is Running Our Country“? Until 1920, women didn’t have the right to vote. Are we going to take that away too? When is that going to be something up for discussion? How about if private businesses, restaurants or bookstores suddenly said, we don’t women in here? Would that cause an issue? How about if they said we don’t want men? How about if whites were discriminated against?? Whoa… is that too much? Unheard of in this country? Remember that before we fought for equal rights, if you read my last blog, white men over the age of 21 were the only ones allowed to vote. White men received the fairest pay, had the best jobs. Isn’t that still a problem today? Isn’t that still something that women are trying to fight for equality on?

If you look at unemployment from April 2009 through April 2010, there is a substantial difference between white and black Americans. This is with the protection of the Civil Rights Act being “enforced” within the average workplace. Let’s say that suddenly different workplaces get the idea or the “permission” to do whatever they pleased. Turn away customers due to color. Hire and not hire with regard to race. I am not saying that every business would take advantage of this and I would certainly like to think that a great deal of America has moved beyond the days of discrimination. What would happen to jobless rates? Not just against blacks. Let’s remember, the Civil Rights Act and what it said. Who did it protect?

If you click on the link, you will read the Civil Rights Act was written to protect anyone being discriminated against due to their individual race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Remember, everything that has been fought for, all rights that have been gained are just as easily taken away. The importance of this depends on which side you are on. The giver or the taker? The quiet one or the one speaking up? Sometimes, not doing anything is the same as taking part in. That doesn’t mean a person should go out and take part in a riot or send hate messages but standing up for what is right saves lives. Our soldiers stand up for is right everyday of their lives. Why would they do that if what they are fighting for may just be changed? Do they know there are people here saying that many of them possibly won’t be allowed in certain private business if things go the way some certain politicians think they should and should not be able to go? While these soldiers are fighting abroad, there is a war going on at home.

Rand Paul did not just get up and say these things out of “left field”. He said these things because they have been discussed and thought about. Some are saying that he just started running off at the mouth and should have stayed on topic? This may be his topic. That is the thing. We are getting more and more groups and individuals that are anti-government or trying to undo what has taken years and dedication to put together. I am not talking about “big government” or policies here. I am talking about the rights of individuals, people. Putting skin color aside, sex and religion we are all the same, right? Wrong.

Okay, so then we go to Arizona. I can fully understand a State wanting to take care of its people, its schools, libraries, the streets, the parks, etc. I am all for that. But, I also know that when I go out and I am not the one driving, I don’t carry around my driver’s license. I can guarantee that if you go to the mall near my house without announcing it ahead of time that more than 80% of the people (and I am shooting low there) have no proof of their citizenship. This is Tampa and there is a wide variety of ethnicity here. So, are they going to start questioning everyone here next? What about all the major cities? NY? LA? Chicago? Is that supposed to be the answer for a problem? What problem is that the answer for? What problems are they going to cause in Arizona while they think they are answering “this problem”? To me, this sounds like the streets of Mississippi and Georgia back in the 60’s. Pull someone over, say they were going a few MPH too fast, ask for some I.Ds from everyone and hope you find some immigrants, point proven!

Immigrants do not only come from countries of darker skins mind you. There are immigrants from every country with every skin color. So, I am not sure how Arizona is going to fulfill this new law? Are they really looking for illegal immigrants or Mexicans? They didn’t spell that out but it appears they are “looking for” Mexicans by their appearance.

America is THE LAND of opportunity but America is as strong as we make it and as weak as we let it become and lately, we are letting it become very weak. We are ALLOWING America to become very weak. I say that not out of disloyalty, quite the opposite! I say that because I am upset by the fact that a few rotten apples really can spoil a whole bunch. That isn’t just something my teachers used to say. That is really true! I am amazed and very saddened at how easily people can turn against another person and really not see that the other man is a father, a husband, he is the same as you but just has a different color of skin. I am in awe when I hear someone thinks that a woman can’t have the same job as a man and do just as good and possibly even better. To think this all had to be fought for at one time is unbelievable to me because that means that a lot of people had to die to get to the point for someone to think, “Hey this is getting really bad and we need to do something about it.” But we did fight to make a difference and end discrimination. And now, there is a growing number of absent minded idiots that actually think we should go back in a sense and disrespect all those lives that have been lost, disrespect those who died in those hateful episodes of nothing but rage and hate against another of God’s children. We should just forget about all of that and just say, “You know what, let’s just let people discriminate if they want.” Forget that!!! I am not going to sit by and not say anything or do anything. No I am not going to go grab my friends and start a riot or jump on some news show and tell others to turn violent or start a raging group. I am saying my part, telling people how I feel and why I feel that way. I am hoping you will pass this along, share your comments. If you disagree with me, why? What do you disagree with? I think people should be able to share their opinions with respect and why they feel what they feel but not just repeating someone else. We each have the ability to have our own thoughts. That is why we are each so individually important and should be treated rightfully so.

My point is every person is to be treated equally. It doesn’t matter what office building they walk in, what car they are in, what state they live in, what coffee shop they go in, which library, bookstore, mall, fast food restaurant, hotel, or law firm, anywhere they go. It doesn’t matter where they go to get a job. If they are qualified for the job on paper, they are qualified for the job in person.

“We can’t be who we are if we don’t respect where we have been.” Tracy Solomon