Love-Encouragement-Support

Nan Gun Violence, Prayer, , ,

While our dear devoted “Christian” president and his loyal and dedicated vice-president both send the usual “thoughts and prayers” to the survivors of the recent El Paso shooting, I heard one presidential candidate send “love, encouragement, and support.”

Unfortunately, I don’t recall who it was — it was mixed in with all the news reports being broadcast on TV — but it immediately caught my attention and I thought YES! Finally someone knows how to show concern and respect to people in a desperate and frightening situation.

I often wonder if the individuals who repeat the rote phrase have any clue of how meaningless it has become. Apparently not because they repeat it again … and again … and again … and again.

Further, I would lay odds that not ONE SINGLE PERSON who “sent prayers” actually prayed.

I’ve often thought if those people who actually believe there’s a god would do a little preventive praying, maybe such killings wouldn’t occur. Then again, as many of us know, such action is nothing more than a “feel good” effort anyway and it’s going to take a LOT more than “prayers” to stop these senseless killings.

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Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

35 thoughts on “Love-Encouragement-Support”

  2. As long as the NRA convinces gun owners enhanced background checks or any other sensible gun control measure will take away their guns, we will have an issue. The NRA funds Republican candidates. Trump was nightly funded by the NRA. Thoughts and prayers-right. The only thing Trump would pray for would be himself.

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    • Even with enhanced background checks, you can never predict when a crisis will seep into the depravity of humanity’s darkest moments. We all will face those moments. How do background checks apply for when it really matters?

      Liked by 1 person

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      • Hello Jim. It is a start. Plus with enhanced background checks it gives more information of past mental illness. I also like the idea of red flag laws that let the local law enforcement to remove someones guns if they get a report of something that would trigger it like threats to others or self among other things. Then after a hearing the guns can be given back if the report was wrong. I love the idea of closing gun show loop holes and controlling private sales. I agree no single thing will solve our countries gun / shooting problem, but each step is a step toward the goal of a safer everyone. Hugs

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        • Sure. Someone being served severance papers or divorce/custody papers should not have access. But now we have a racial killing based on nationalism. Again. This was years in the making of a kid that wasn’t even a consideration twenty years ago—now look, a gun! They don’t decompose or die off; their like a jumanji game, always waiting to be rediscovered.

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      • And Jim, with the legal go-ahead for American manufactures to sell to the general public Gun-milling machines — which build 80% of an assault rifle — which only cost $500 – $2,000, this state of madness and speeding train-wreck has ONE conclusion. 😦

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          • Umm, could you please DEFINE “target”???? 😉

            I’ve mentioned this before Jim at other times over the last 10-30 years — well, since I learned all about the University Texas Tower gunman, Charles Whitman, in 1966 — that one or two of those Austin Police Officers that responded could not proceed more quickly up the Tower because there were too many other civilian gunmen everywhere! So they had to waste 10-seconds to 5-10 mins just determining WHERE shots were being fired from then WHO that shooter was: Friend or Foe.

            Now, for all those already shot, wounded, bleeding out but unable for any EMT’s to reach them — there’s way too many unidentified shooters — imagine those lost seconds and minutes for those who could’ve been saved, but law-enforcement and EMT’s had to waste too much life-saving time identifying Friend or Foe. And YOU should know Jim, as a former EMT, SECONDS COUNT!!!!

            Liked by 3 people

          • Hello Professor. During the 2017 Las Vegas shooting the band support team had weapons on them. They realized that if the police showed up with them having guns in their hands they could be thought of as the threat and shot. That was before they realized the shooter was too far for them to reach. The thing most people do not realize is just what you mentioned, the police must consider and rule out the threat potential of everyone in the area of the shootings. I know I don’t want the police rushing in to an active shooter threat to find me there with a gun in my hand, it would be bad for my life expectancy. Hugs

            Liked by 1 person

          • Exactly Scottie! And imagine, you or anyone there unfortunate enough to get caught in those lethal situations literally have seconds or milli-seconds to sort ALL of those highly fluid factors out in the best possible way! Umm, I am no war-combat veteran or SWAT team veteran or police officer, but that’s what THEY were trained for!!!! Man, my life is already demanding and complicated enough for me to have to learn how to be a highly trained soldier, SWAT member, or police officer!

            Yet, on a more serious note, 😉 the problem becomes much worse, increased No-winners, because those milli-second decisions you make might end your life or another’s and cannot be reversed.

            Liked by 1 person

          • Hello Professor. So true. Then you have the people who think a gun makes them the hero and pull it out at the wrong time in the wrong place. I posted about the woman who decided to help the Home Depot people stop a shoplifter who ran from the store. She grabbed her gun from her purse and let fire. She managed to hit several cars including the arriving police car, and hit several by standers, but totally missed the suspect. She was so pissed the police arrested her. She told the news crew that would be the last time she tired to help anyone. True fricken story. Hugs

            Liked by 1 person

          • Oh, meant to also point out that THAT shooting was back in 1966!!! Think today is the same Fog of War situation with the number of weapons everywhere… now even inside college and high school classrooms in Texas!?

            Liked by 2 people

      • It is a step. More time to research the applicant. Now, if the results of the background check is not back in three days, the applicant gets the gun. Information is not being shared between agencies. It is something.

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  3. Hello Nan. I am not the first to mention this I am sure , but all the prayers from all the people shot in church did not stop one bullet. I like the idea of love , encouragement, and support but I hope the support will really be there for these people, they will be needing it. The reports are horrifying. The Lt. governor of Texas rushed on TV to say the cause was video games and not having mandatory prayer in schools. Anything but guns. The Governor of Texas when asked about gun control said that it was too soon to talk about gun control, a well known NRA talking point. I am so frustrated over this stuff. But soon it will eat hard into business profits if people are afraid to go place, attend events, and gather in public for fear if being shot. Then I think we will see change. Money will talk. Hugs

    Liked by 3 people

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  4. Just to let you know Nan, since you DO publish…tygpress.com has a listing of all of your blog posts. They have a monetized account and I am sure they are profiting off of your blog posts. it seems most of the WP rss feeds have been harvested for this thief.

    Liked by 3 people

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    • Thanks for the heads-up. I’d never heard of this outfit. In my research, I did come across a couple of blog posts complaining about them but they were mostly castigating WordPress for not doing something about it.

      Unfortunately, in today’s world with electronic communications everywhere, there’s not much that can be done with people “sharing” your information … even when it’s copyrighted. And the process to prosecute the “criminal” is complicated. I will say this, though — if I were a photographer, I’d probably be considerably less forgiving.

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  5. Nan,

    I believe we’ve reached the epitome, the pinnacle of severe depraved indifference for human life, if we haven’t already reached that point in 1939 – 1945, or many times after ’45. This will only continue as long as we bystanders watch passively, nurturing/enabling this behavior, and WORSE… exonerating it in various insufficient responses or non-responses.

    Let’s not forget that our own Mob-Gangster President not too long ago BRAGGED he could go shoot someone on the streets in broad daylight and not just get away with it, but be applauded by it by his base-supporters! SERIOUSLY!!!??? WTF people!!!

    If that isn’t the epitome of extreme depraved indifference, then I am from another and live on another planet!!!

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  6. Thoughts and prayers are worthless. In my mind, love and envouragement are not worth much more, though support can be very important.
    Another thing, more than 90% of people with present or past mental health issues are non-violent, and most of the remaining 10% are not going to become violent anytime soon. I have suffered from despression half my adult life, with occasional panic attacks and sometimes anxiety. The only thing anyone sjould fear from me are words, which I try to use not to hurt. It is rediculous to fear people just because of their mental health.
    Please, stop painting everyone with the same brush. That only leads to pranoia. That too is a mental health issue…

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Truth be known, there are NO words that are going to help the survivors. The only thing that’s going to make any difference at all is one-on-one emotional support … which includes hugs, a sympathetic ear as they share their pain, and just “being there” for them. Words alone will never take away the anguish.

      The point of my post is I would rather hear someone make a comment like I referenced rather than the highly jaded,overused, and worthless “thoughts and prayers.”

      Liked by 1 person

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  8. Unfortunately, and I apologise to our American friends, but America is seen by most Australians and indeed most of the developed nations as a nation of religious gun nuts with a Trump like mentality.

    In addition to mass shootings in Texas and Ohio, gun deaths were reported in other states, including Illinois, Virginia, Louisiana, Florida and Maryland.

    Trump will do nothing but bleat about religious clap trap and offer prayers along with his devotees and arse lickers. Praying is about all they are good at, and that makes it all okay for them because it is God’s will; they should be bowing their collective heads in absolute shame and take some time to reflect on how impotent this so called God is.

    They are almost as culpable as the NRA and the crazy shooters for doing absolutely nothing to prevent such incidents.

    Liked by 2 people

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    • Since you’re not living in the U.S., you may not have heard the latest stupidity on Trump’s part. It’s reported he now wants to tie gun measures to immigration reform. Somehow I fail to see the connection, but in his warped mind, the two have some kind of relationship. Oh, and he also wants a crackdown on video games (because surely that will reduce senseless killings).

      All I gotta’ say is … Be thankful you do NOT live in the States!

      Liked by 1 person

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