There was another tragic mass shooting yesterday. This one hit close to home, it was in Boulder, where my son lives. My heart was firmly planted in my throat until I heard from him. And although he is safe, my heart is broken that this has happened in our country, yet again.
Today's scheduled post was originally called Just shoot me. Please. Although I'm still publishing it, I got up at 6:00 am to change the name. Obviously it just felt wrong.
I'm not a gun person. Never liked them. When we moved in together, Hubs had to give his to his brother for safe keeping. His brother later sold it. Fine with me, just keep it out of my house.
Back then I was living in Connecticut. Way, WAY different from the Midwest where I ended up. Here people keep guns. There are lots of hunters, it's more popular in the Midwest, but people also just keep them for . . . I don't really know why. Fun, I guess? I don't really see the point. If it's not a rifle used for hunting or you have some reason to feel you need one for safety, I don't really get it.
But I do acknowledge that there's a difference in the attitude towards guns when you grow up with them as opposed to not being at all used to having them around. And although I hate it, I do understand that the whole gun issue has become a political hill to die on. Somehow, the right to bear arms lives in a vacuum on one side of the spectrum while expectations of safety for all cowers on the other. Guess you know where I stand (cower) on that issue.
When I was growing up, my mom would have to meet the parents of any new school friends before I could go over and play. Of course she wanted to be sure there was age appropriate supervision. I don't know what she asked those parents, but being a virgin Midwesterner when I had kids, I was shocked when a friend told me what I needed to ask all parents of new friends who'd invited my young kids over:
"Do you live in a safe area?" No, all our schools are neighborhood schools so I know they do.
"Do you drink during the day?" No, and who would blame a mom for a little afternoon nip? Not me.
"Do you let your kids eat lots of sugary foods when they have friends over?" Pfft, as if I'm one to throw stones.
No, what my friend told me to be sure to ask was
"are your guns locked up?" Yikes.
"are your guns locked up?" Yikes.
Apple Raspberry Breakfast Cake
When the boys were much older, a friend was taking his kids, the same age as mine, to a range to target shoot and asked if my boys could go. Yes, he target shoots for sport. He's a former marine and a close friend so I trusted him, but I held out the first few times he asked, I just don't like guns. Eventually, though, I gave in. Once. Truth is, if they're going to live here (well, these days anywhere, really) I did want them to have a working knowledge of gun safety.
Given how I feel about the weapons, it's surprising that for the last few months I have a new mantra: Just shoot me. Please.
That's because everyone I know and plenty of others I know of (thanks, FB, twitter, instagram) who live in civilization (as opposed to a denier state), has been shot. Not with a gun, of course, but with a needle. And I'm still waiting. Not so patiently.
I'm frustrated with and honestly quite sick of hypocrites like the ones in congress who rail against the science yet get their shots publicly, supposedly to set a good example. Yeah, right. No need for you citizens to be protected, but I'll not only get mine, but before the rest of you?
I'm also disgusted by the science deniers who won't wear masks or social distance, as is my experience here. So if all those people aren't getting shots, there should be more of them for those of us with a brain, right? Yet this state is so far behind most of the others. They're allowing appointments for those 65 and over. Still. The moron governor has cruelly mandated no appointments for those with health issues as well.
I have to just sit here, watching friends and acquaintances 10 and 15 years younger than me (some well run states have even opened appointments up to all adults) taking their turn for the greater good, and hoping my turn will soon come.
Someone, load up that syringe and just shoot me. Right in the arm. Please.
Apple Raspberry Breakfast Cake
©www.BakingInATornado.com
Ingredients:
1/2 large apple (I use Honey Crisp)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 TBSP raspberry jam
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 TBSP milk
Directions:
*Grease and flour an 8 X 10 baking pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
*Core, peel, and chop the apple. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and set aside.
*Whisk together 1/2 cup raspberry jam, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 tsp almond extract. Set aside.
*Beat
together the oil, sugar, and remaining brown sugar. Beat in the eggs,
one at a time, then the sour cream, 1/2 cup milk, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1/2
tsp almond extract. Mix in the flour, salt, and baking powder just
until incorporated. Fold in the apple and cinnamon mixture.
*Pour
about 2/3 of the batter evenly into prepared pan. Carefully dollop the
raspberry jam mixture onto the batter, then gently top with the
remaining batter to cover the jam.
*Bake for about 40 minutes, until the edges start to brown and the center is set. Cool completely.
*Whisk
together the powdered sugar, remaining raspberry jam, 1/2 tsp vanilla,
and 1 TBSP milk. Spread over the top of the cooled cake.
One of my really close friends is retired law enforcement. He says he is numb to them now. he spent many years trying to work toward getting reasonable gun control, failed and says it is never going to happen. His hopeless attitude affected me deeply last night.
ReplyDeleteCarol Cassara
I understand completely where he's coming from. I do every time one of these shootings happen.
DeleteI'm with you on the vaccine envy. It was one thing when my older friends got their shots, but now it's people my age. Although thanks to our governor's allocation of the vaccine (which shortchanged the large metropolitan areas) people are having to drive hours to find it.
ReplyDeleteThe state is getting ready to expand who can receive that shot in the arm. I can't wait.
Ours just expanded it today. My son in Boulder already has an appointment for this weekend. He has to drive an hour but he chose to do that over waiting. Hope your turn comes soon.
DeleteI live in the South, enough said. I have 4 sons, Two no interest in guns at all. One is obsessed by his 2nd Amendment right to bear arms, but has recently turned to guitars. I think the shooting range became to expensive and his brother here has no interest. The other son, I know owns guns for hunting and protection. They don’t talk with me about it, they know how I feel. There were no guns in my house when they were growing up. I bought my Dad a Deer Rifle back in the 60’s. He went once a year, but was the camp cook and did not hunt. I did not know that until after he died He gave the rifle to my husband, he didn’t hunt either. But before I would permit it, it was agreed that the rifle could come in the house, but the bolt action and ammunition had to stay locked in the trunk of the car. It stayed that way until the boys were grown.
ReplyDeleteI'm surrounded by hunters and I really don't have an issue with owning a hunting rifle if you're going to use it for that purpose. I do think, however, that the range of guns available and how we handle the process of licensing, selling, and keeping track of them, as well as what guns are allowed and how many, needs to drastically change, no matter why you want to have them.
DeleteYou have my vote.
DeleteI'm so glad your son is safe - and horrified by gun violence in this country. Your original title was clever, but I agree, in light of yesterday's events, I like this one much better. More people vaccinated with less guns. It shouldn't be too much to hope for!
ReplyDeleteNo, it should not in a civilized society. Unfortunately it remains too much to hope for here and now.
DeleteI'm suffering vaccine envy right now, too. My town must be a little offshoot of your state. 75% of my fellow citizens are anti-mask and anti-science.
ReplyDeleteI find the whole gun debate both sickening and interesting. When your children are dying you do something. When I hear the statement, "yes children are dying, but..." I just get livid. There is no BUT to that sentence! None!
The second amendment was instituted, not as an excuse to carry guns around all the time but as a guarantee that people could take up arms to defend themselves, their families and their way of life. How twisted it's become.
Yes, yes, and yes. Just like those who won't mask up and social distance, those who think this gun ownership system is working are just twisting facts to justify their heartless narcissism.
DeleteI live in New York, which just opened up vaccinations to 50 plus (from 60 plus). We already permitted it with those with certain health conditions if age 16 or up. But there were so many rules. The list of health conditions is a mile long. If you were one category, you could use a pharmacy. If you were this category you had to use a state site and so forth. For the longest times, appointments were almost impossible to get (I know because, besides me and my husband, I was trying to help a couple of other people). As for guns, what Diane said. I will note that guns are heavily regulated here, and yet, the man responsible for the Binghamton, New York mass shooting in 2009 got his gun legally at a local sporting goods store (chain now out of business). I am not hopeful of any change, even now. Too ingrained, those 2nd amendment rights. I could wish the pandemic changed things but obviously not. P.S. the co workers daughter I mentioned in my post is safe. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteI do know that all of these tragedies are done with guns illegally obtained, but the process needs to be tightened up considerably and certain categories of guns should not be in any private citizen's hands ever. It won't stop this from happening altogether, but we can certainly work on diminishing the frequency.
DeleteDon't own a gun,don't want to also being Aussie not possible
ReplyDeleteI will get my vaccine when I am able
I wish owning guns wasn't possible for more people around here. And I hope you're able to get your vaccine soon.
DeleteFrom the age of 6-11 i went to a summer day camp every year. The school i went to in the school year turned into a summer day camp with the same as the school hours, so parents didn't have to have the kids at home all day through the summer.
ReplyDeleteWe learned crafts, sports, swimming, horseback riding (they had a stable), and riflery. The employees were all NRA certified safety instructors. We had to learn how to properly and safely carry, load, shoot, unload, and put the small rifles away. If at any time, even by accident, a gun got pointed at a person, even unloaded, it was a demerit and too many of those and you didn't get to go shoot any more that semester. No one was ever shot by accident, and i qualified as a sharpshooter.
When you are trained from a young age to properly respect and use them, and you aren't a raving maniac, target shooting can be enjoyable and hunting can put meat on the table. That does not mean we have to let everyone buy a gun. (And ask me how i feel about letting everyone act like having a license to drive is a right, not a privilege, or better yet, don't.)
Do you live close enough to a state line to cross into another state and get a shot? Several people here drove a couple of hours north in the early days and got them just across the state line when they did not yet qualify here.
Anyway, i hope you get your shot soon.
I agree that if you're going to be exposed to guns you need to be well versed in safety, which is why I let the boys go with my friend. It was important to me that I wait until I felt they were mature enough to understand the gravity of learning to use a gun.
DeleteAnd I also am not against people hunting for meat, which most of my neighbors do.
My son in Boulder said that people were driving into Wyoming to get their shots, but in many places you have to be a resident of that state or county. It would be great if there were federal guidelines rather than each state or county making up their own rules.
My husband has guns and a license to carry. I don't but am thinking about it as this world has gone crazy!
ReplyDeleteHope you make a safe choice based on whatever your circumstances may be.
DeleteThis is such an important topic to discuss, Karen! I'm glad you brought that up. All I want to say is, hopefully someday we will think deeply about these consequences, we're facing today. I feel so numb and helpless to learn about these scary incidents happening all around us. There's still soooo much hatred in the world, and knowing that breaks my heart.
ReplyDeleteI hope we all get the vaccine soon!
https://www.thepositivewindow.com/
I hope we all get the vaccine and sensible gun control soon. Both are a matter of life and death.
Delete