I may regret this...

But I feel like I can't concentrate on anything until I get my feelings out. Eh, who reads this anyway, right?

What's happening in CT is terrible. No, it goes so far beyond terrible that I'm pretty sure a word doesn't exist that adequately describes it. I know that the reports of how many are dead or wounded are all over the board right now, but it doesn't matter. The shooting itself is deplorable and makes this a tragedy. If one child loses a parent or teacher, or one parent loses a child, it's no less tragic than 27 dead (or 14 or 3 or whatever the final count comes to).

That being said, I keep seeing people who are screaming for gun control, declaring that guns should be abolished completely. I love that idea, I really do. I am NOT a gun person. Hubby has one that he keeps in the bedroom; does NOT make me a happy Riki. But really? In what world do you realistically see guns being done away with completely?

Make guns illegal? Sure. Because that works so well for drugs. And stealing. And hate crimes. And murder. These things are all illegal, and all still plague not just this country, but the world.

Get rid of guns all together? OK. Because prohibition worked so well for getting rid of booze. Even if we convinced the rest of the world to join us (which is terribly unlikely), I would imagine it would just create a more aggressive black market for weapons.

Do I think that guns should be handed out to everyone and their mother? Good god, no. Handing everyone a gun is the only thing I can think of that might be worse than getting rid of them all. There have been studies done that show that the mere presence of guns can make people think and/or act more aggressively. Giving guns to people who are already aggressive might make them that much more likely to act on their aggression and then we end up with more of these incidents. No thank you.

To own a gun, I think people should have to go through lots and lots of training, get background checks, be registered, etc. I know that there is no possible way to make sure that everyone who has a gun is OK to have a gun, even with regulations like 3-day waiting periods and certification for concealed carry. People who are responsible for these shootings are not at all well. They could have rage issues, mental illness, or any number of things, but they are not well. And since no one seems to see the shootings coming, these people were apparently able to hide that fact from others, so I'd imagine they could get a gun without anyone blinking twice.

What is the answer, then? I haven't a damn idea. I am as lost as I could possibly be. It's a scary world, but being over-reactive is not going to make anything better. At the same time, neither is complacency. So I've got nothing.

I know these thoughts aren't well organized, but that's kind of where I'm at right now. My brain's trying to sort out how I feel and what is going on. I'm struggling with it. And to top it all off, I have to get back to studying for finals. 

Come on, brain. Let's go look at some puppies and rainbows.

For what it's worth

Nov. 7 - Today I am thankful for...

Human decency and compassion for others.

Every day there are terrible people doing terrible things. Like setting a puppy on fire and leaving it to die, reacting to election results with hate and disrespect, or any number of awful things. And it breaks my heart every time. I can't understand how people can be so horrible, or why they'd even want to be. (Whenever I bring this up to Hubby, he tells me that there's nothing to understand, or that it's just not possible to understand that kind of mentality; he's probably right, but I can't help but wonder.)

So screw 'em. Forget about the terrible people and the horrendous things they do and say, think and feel... They aren't worth the time or energy. Instead, I focus on the good people and things, and I'm thankful for them.

Like the tons of people who donated to help Phoenix, the puppy someone set on fire. People were so generous that the cost of his care has already been exceeded. 

Or the states that proudly voted for gay marriage in yesterday's election, moving us closer to equality and further from ignorance. 

Or the people who help make our lives better or nicer in small, almost unnoticeable ways every day; the ones who hold doors or smile when you pass them or let you in so you don't miss your exit.

I'm thankful that I was brought up in a family that taught love and acceptance, so that I am one of those good people. And I'm thankful that most of the people in my life are really good people, too. I'm thankful that so many people are decent, compassionate humans, and that those people truly are the majority when it's so easy to feel like they're the minority.

Sad Times at Penn State U

For any readers who don't know, I am a Nittany Lion.  I attend PSU's World Campus (online courses), and if you think that doesn't make me a real Penn Stater, you're sadly mistaken.  PSU does everything possible to include World Campus students.  They stream celebrations and parades online for our viewing.  We have our own virtual campus in Second Life.  They even host a special online homecoming for us!  We ARE Penn State.

So this scandal is, to say the least, heartbreaking.  It's heartbreaking to think that someone affiliated with PSU is capable of such monstrous acts.  It's heartbreaking to know that Admin didn't do their part and report the allegations to the police.  And it's heartbreaking that they let Joe Pa go after decades of being the true spirit of Penn State football.

I am not winning friends with my position on this.  In fact, I'll probably be down a few FB friends in the next day or so.  And that'll happen.  It's disappointing, but not surprising.  

Joe Paterno should not have been fired.  He already announced retirement at the end of this season (so, at most, about 2 more months?), but that wasn't enough for some people.  

Did it matter to them that he had followed PSU's policy AND state law (as noted here)  in reporting the allegations to administration?  Nope.  Can you imagine being in his shoes?  He's been told that a friend and colleague is doing something horrendous.  One of his first reactions was likely denial, but because of policy, he has to take the news to his superiors.  He was (and likely still is) hoping that it was a misunderstanding, so he did what he had to do, and went back to football.  You know, the reason they paid him to be there.  The thing he did for the majority of his life...  The thing that WAS his life.

The saddest part is that they couldn't even give him a satisfactory reason as to why he was fired.  According to this article from Yahoo! News, when Joe was told (over the phone, of course) that he was being let go, he asked for a reason.  The response?  "I'm not sure I can tell you specifically. In our view, we thought change now was necessary."  The man was affiliated with PSU for over 60 years, and all they can tell him is that they thought they needed a change?  Horseshit.  

Do I think what Sandusky did was OK?  No.  Absolutely not.  In no way whatsoever am I saying that.  What he did (or allegedly did, if you want to be specific here) is so far beyond terrible that I don't have an appropriate word for it.  He is the one we should be vilifying.  The administrators who brushed off the allegations should be condemned.  Painting Joe as a villain accomplishes exactly nothing. He clearly feels terrible about the whole thing and now, with the "benefit of hindsight," wishes he would have done more. How many of us have tried to do the "right" thing in our lives and then later (with this same benefit of hindsight) thought we should have handled it differently or better?  

My heart breaks for the victims of this scandal.  My heart breaks for Joe and all my fellow Nittany Lions.  Most of all, my heart breaks because this is even an issue to begin with.