The following paragraph is a composite of a tweet and an item in the Occasional Blips post on this blog. I made these after news surfaced of another school violent event in which 22 students were stabbed by a troubled individual. This post attempts to better explain my intent for the statement:

A troubled teen goes on a stabbing spree within a school, injuring 22 innocent people. Ok, so when do the cries for National Knife Control begin?  Shall I turn in my steak knives now?  Will restaurants soon be required to serve their steaks already cut into mouth size chunks?  Will the bedding in our homes be periodically searched by the police for shivs? If “No” to any of the above, why not?  Come on – let’s get those knees a’ jerkin’.

The post and tweet were primarily aimed with contempt at our photo op addicted, do-nothing government representatives who believe their transparent public whines, crocodile tears, and promises actually result in anything good for any of us.

I am a legally registered gun owner in favor of gun control – most of what is in place or proposed. There should be more background checking before gun purchases are completed. Full automatic weapons capable of handling greater than 15 rounds need more control as to who can own them. I personally don’t see the need for anyone to own them – if you’re that scared of our government then move somewhere else and take them with you. Gun control laws need to be enforced much more vigorously. Penalties for illegal gun sales and illegal ownership need to be much more drastic. Certain scenarios should make a registered gun owner responsible for any mayhem created by their weapon falling into the wrong hands (not stored securely, granting access to a 3rd party, as examples).

That said, we should all have learned by now that you cannot legislate morality or sanity. Have you ignored the failed attempts with prostitution, pornography, or recreational drug use? It’s cliche to say “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people“, but unfortunately, it’s true. The reported stabbing shows that. Ban personal ownership of guns and people will make their own or use knives, clubs, hammers, tire irons, whatever they feel will work if passion or mental instability raise their desire to kill other people.

Too strict gun laws will leave the law abiding at the mercy of those who ignore those laws.

The emotionally and racially charged drama of the entire Martin / Zimmerman nightmare ended poorly indeed.  I am part of the outraged crowd that could not believe the verdict.

I haven’t read the official court transcript but believe it was proven evidence that Zimmerman was told (by the police?) to back off and NOT follow Martin. His decision to disobey this command led to the confrontation and created the scenario where the violence could take place.

Therefore, as the initiator of the violence by not doing what he was told, he is accountable and should have been found guilty of a crime severe enough to receive a jail term.  While just how long that sentence should be is another issue whose outcome will never be agreed upon by all stakeholders, it would have to be years.  In my opinion, double digits.

I’m sure this point was made by uncountable others more knowledgeable and closer to the story than me.  I just had to say it out loud for myself.

I respect the “Occupy Whatever Street” movement folks, and salute their tenacity.  They have been keeping the general population’s anger with those who caused this current financial crisis and those who allow it to continue, near the top of the media’s hot list for quite a while.  Well, they did lose traction the day Kim Kardashian announced her divorce intention, but hey – as crises go, the media found that hard to beat.

My feeling is that it is all for nothing.  The target of our anger, the “Wall Street” mobsters (as good a name as any) will not change because they don’t have to.  They control the machine that feeds them and keeps us where they want us, and our government has shown no meaningful intent to alter that scenario.  And no, the pompous speeches and glorious photo ops with scowling faces and threats, nor the toothless legislation count at all.

To me, the core reason this movement took off and is breathing so long is rage.  Not a rage based solely on the wide gap in the numbers of “haves” and “have nots”.  A deep, burning rage ignited by the ultimate exposure to date of what a bullshit driven system we flounder in.  The most in your face example ever that justice is for some of us, not all of us.

We have been in this mess since 2008.  Everyone knows, and your government has acknowledged, the mess was brought to an irrecoverable stage by the unethical and criminal acts of a large number of investment insiders.  These greedy bastards knew what was going on with property mortgages and other credit issues, and exploited it for their personal gain.  They also knew they would get away with it.

A few of the high ranking and most obvious crooks were paraded in and out of court, and some were put behind bars.  But the large number of quiet thieves who rode the pre-crash wave, bleeding every dime they could out of it into their own pockets, still have that money.  They were never exposed or called to task – never made to pay for their blatant  abuse of the system they created, and never made to return the money they stole.  The mob who caused this financial breakdown remain untouched, living the good life with the riches resulting from their criminal activity.

What’s the fix?  “Wall Street” will not relinquish control of their magic money machine.  Your government leaders (please note I did not say “representatives”) will not call them on that for fear of losing the financial support for their singular purpose in life: getting reelected enough times to comfortably retire in luxury.  Add that these “leaders” will also not give up control of their machine – the one that decides who is allowed to successfully run for any office of consequence.  Pretty bleak, huh?

The State of Connecticut actually did it.  Carried out a death sentence.  I confess being shocked to see on the morning news that it had happened.  I fully expected some last minute reprieve to have popped up, to postpone it yet again.

I refuse to mention the piece of crap’s name – he got all too much air time in his final weeks, like we all gave a rat’s ass what he had to say.  And of course, it was a field day for all who believed the state wrong to carry out the sentence, delivered by our justice system and a jury of his peers.  (Well, maybe not his “peers”, I’m fairly certain most of the twelve jurists were not murdering rapists).

To the opponents of the death sentence:  If you show up at your local dog pound on the days they are putting rabid or unwanted stray animals to sleep, more power to you.  I respect your right to hold ALL life that dear.  However, if you only come out for state executions, then shame on you.

Please don’t preach forgiveness.  We don’t forgive rabid dogs.  We kill them.

A human life is worth far more than that of a dog, you say?  I agree.  But for certain crimes committed against us, our children, or the people who put their lives out there every day attempting to keep us safe, the perpetrators lose the right to claim membership in the human race.  Human rights are forfeit, like the rabid dog or raccoon, we just put them down.

This is different than revenge.  If a state execution were meant to be revenge, the condemned would meet their maker by the same method they sent their victim, or worse.  Or maybe we need to bring back ol’ sparky, or one of his European predecessors (guillotine, drawn and quartered).  That would be revenge.

A deterrent?  Well, for the one being executed, yeah.  In the words of Don Imus, “HE won’t do that again”.

So stop whining.  Start picketing your nights away in front of the city dog pound.  Get our legislators to pass laws and allocate funds (and up our taxes) to keep all sick, mean, and nasty animals housed and alive as long as possible.  Then picket state executions.  Otherwise, shut the hell up.

(Originally published, the MadDog Rag, May 14, 2005.  Still works for me.)