IS IT THE TRIGGER OR THE TRIGGER PULLER? From my podcast “The Amerrican Enterprise Party”, on Spotify. By Jerry L. Rhoads, CPA, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
Our President Biden, the moral compass for the majority, says it’s the guns, not the gunner. This is counter intuitive but offers no solution except to blame the symptom not the disease. Most of the triggers have been pulled by under aged boys, who are addicted game players, violence related to relationships, animals, and vulgar media. The symptoms are important to warn parents, and teachers to act on those indicators of the high probability of acting out as the trigger puller.
Guns are a means to an end. Hurt those who hurt me is the message also. Parents, grand parents, and teachers involved in observing the shooters, have seen the symptoms but, in most cases, fail to act. Okay, maybe so, what can prevent the next act being a mass shooting in the most vulnerable location … a school, church, grocery stores, dance halls, concerts, movie theaters.
Most include a long rifle carrying case, that is visible, that can be seen by all of us. All of us have to be diligent in what we see, and hear to help the first responders to act before it happens, not reactive after the killing has occurred. Then over reacting to political rhetoric to throw the bus under the problem. Such as, defund police, have teachers armed, no cash bail for first timers, blame those who fail to act waiting for a SWAT team, politicians doing nothing productive. Turning the schools into locked down, prisions, or inhome learning.
How about some solvable problems to focus on?
Divorces are happening in over 50% of marriages or 2.4 million per year. Each family has an average of 2.5 children. So, over 5 million children are affected by a one parent family, or a blended group trying to be a tight family. Where the children of divorce tend to be affected by violence, and break-up of relationships. Many times considered to being normal in schools, and churches. And the parents usually feel it is better for the children to break-up their security blanket. Not so, in our marriage, and blended family.
Average age for marriage is now 32, ours was 20 and 19. Average children per couple’s first marriage 2.5. When we got married it was four or more.
I am like everyone, who has children and grandchildren, I want mass violence of every kind to stop. I’ve been married to my wife for 63 years, with four children, 12 grandchildren, and 12 great grandchildren. Three of the families are blended, having experienced divorce as their solution. Fortunately, it was the best for everyone, not just the parents. My wife and I have written a memoir on our longevity, and marriage. 12 Vows to Stay Married … Forever After. Rhoads Publishing. 2021.
Studies have shown that a strong marriage, results in strong family relationships, and healthier physical, and mental health. It’s been our experience that our longevity, and happy, well-adjusted children has contributed to our extended marriage.
As for firearms, I don’t own a gun. I did have a four ten shot gun, that I used to hunt squirrels, and pheasants, in Iowa. Never really killed anything with it, and gave it away without my children knowing, I had it hidden away.
We have too many guns, and weapons of mass destruction in America … 300 million owners of guns lead the way, with bows, and arrows, knives, swords, etc. that can kill a human being, by a human being. In America we have a national war of violence going on in politics, sports, computer games, movies, books, global trade, you name it.
We are also a very competitive society, claiming that we need to win at any cost … or avoid loss by being tougher than the next person. It’s the culture of violence, vulgarity, and excess. But America is Great, and we need to Keep it Great according to this podcast. Am I a victim, or a perp of the problem, that I am describing? I guess I’m both, but not acting out my frustrations, and desires. Who are those who decide they should just kill a human being, to feel absolved of our falling short, of our personal satisfaction?
Two political parties blaming the other for inaction. Is this a mental health problem or a political issue? Neither in my opinion. It’s our culture of violence, vulgarity and excess weatlh in the hands of a few. Egged on by the social media, news, contact sports, movies, but more so our broken families. Divorce is the first step to a broken home. A fatherless family, a motherless home. These aren’t symptoms, they are the underlying problem, to our children’s values, and desires.
In my opinion we as parents, grandparents, great grandparents must be aware of the abberrant behavior of others, even our loved ones, and be a part of the solution. Focus on the root problem, the good book says. What is the root problem, the trigger or the trigger man or now a trans woman.
In America the land of the free we have more guns than people. Is that the problem, if it is, why don’t we have an objective to stop manufacturing weapons of mass destruction, in our Government, State and Local budgets, and a goal to have less than half of our population owning guns.
With open borders we are welcoming more gun owners, financed by cartels, into our troubled society. Why do we have the second amendment anyway … militias to ward off too big a government … I guess we should reduce the size of an uncontrollable government, rather than have everyone own a gun for protection from ghetto gangs, Russia, China and foreign drug cartels.
Rather than the Green New Deal a Human New Deal focusing on peace not war. How about replacing ghettos with new small businesses owned, and built by the very gangs that claim they need opportunities, and a share of the American Pie. To that the people who live there, step up, and build back better housing, and parents who demand their children get their education. And I say, wealthy hedge funds should step up with equity capital, and prove black lives indeed do matter. Not investing in Ukraine and Chinese companies.
Guns are made to harm others so it is a root, but not the active root. It’s a distorted mind that is calling out for a reason to be happiy, or less sad. Mental health yes to a degree but more a personal anger wanting, and outlet … there you have the copycat killers enter the scene … the worst of the worst, because they’re in the background of society.
The worst of all time, are younger boys that have the habits, and values noted above. They also have an adult observing, that kind of behavior. Will fewer guns, or assault weapons cure that problem. Heck no, guns like that are available, on the internet, and can be stolen or use black-market sources … and cartels as the provider of violence with providing guns, and drugs that inhibit fear of taking such an act.
What I’m trying to say our culture is the root problem. Not a counter culture cancel exercist, but taking steps to cure our obsession, with personal gratification, violence, vulgarity, and excess wealth. In my opinion, it goes back to the nuclear family unit that is deteriorating at a pandemic rate. It’s the indoctrination that big government and public education brings with it.
That unaccountable results, and mass shootings go hand in hand, to failure to act on the priorities. Why a Green New Deal, and not have a Human New Deal focusing, on the root problems, not some fear tactic to control all the people, all the time.
What would getting rid of the ghettos, drug dealers, gun dealers, small time theft, no bail crimes, open borders, two political party gridlocks, cheating on our taxes, peaceful coexistence, rather than a defense budget wasted on weapons of mass destruction to scare the rest of the world into dominance, without competing in a failing trade war. Then blame weapons as the problem, as the cause of societal problems turned, into issues, by a gridlocked political system.
It’s my view of better country, means a better set of moral values, less vulgar movies, less violent games, more loving, not leaving divorce as an issue, when broken families, are the problem. Sounds like a preacher, rather than a problem-solution.
My poem, “My America” attached to this article and to my podcast on Spotify, is my view of a better America, not a wish, and a prayer but a plan for improving our culture.
Doing this is electing leaders that swear to fix the root of our cultural problems, not shallow promises that are causing more guns, W.O.M.B’s, more immigrants, more debt, and deficits, more, more. Literally, our two party gridlocked political parties is a root cause, not a societal issue.
COLUMBINE, AND MORE, AND MORE
I should have titled this article Columbine, and more, and more … the root cause of mass shootings, in my opinion, is broken, and damaged family units … my poem attached to the podcast on Spotify is “A Family by Another Name”, a commune, a gang, a mercenary army, a runaway government, a gridlocked congress pulling us apart, or a communist country taking over our values.
Irretrievable … while the McCoy’s, and Hatfield’s our Politicians shoot at each other, and others, we as a country teetering on bankruptcy, are electing dividers, not adding, and multiplying what’s right.
Vote for free enterprise and peaceful coexistence by the many, for the many, of the many who pay all the bills … risk taking enterprising Americans who work every day to pay the price for freedoms, not yachts or palatial homes.
WE WANT TO BE RELEVANT NOT RICH BEYOND OUR AMERICAN DREAMS. Let common sense of the common man, and woman prevail. God bless the voter who pulls his or her weight every day for the good of our company and great country.
This is an Opinion of Jerry Rhoads, Founder and CEO of the swing vote third party Of the American Enerprise Party standing for peaceful coexistence in a world of violence, vulgarity, and excess wealth in the hands of a few, controlling the many. Power to the people for freedom of choice, and voice for a better country, and world.
Ask not what you can do for your party but what can I do for my country. JFK parable calling out for solutions to problems, not shallow debates over political issues. .
www.americanenterprisepoliticalparty.org “Keep America Great”.
MY AMERICA
My America is the feeling of freedom. It’s the feeling good when you get up in the morning and can decide what you’re going to do that day, who you’re going to see and what you’re going to say.
It’s the feeling that you can make a difference. It’s the feeling you can produce your product, you can sell your produce and you can benefit from your hard work, unhindered. It’s the feeling when you help your children with their homework, so they will be able to use their knowledge for growth, for maturity, for the good of the country. It’s the feeling when you send them off to school, knowing they will receive a concerned teacher’s attention, sensitivity and guidance. And knowing as they grow up, they will thrive on their freedom to communicate, to express themselves, to direct their own destiny.
It’s the feeling when they graduate from grade school, junior high and high school that they are taking the steps towards a better life. And when you give their hand away in matrimony, that happiness shall be theirs. For together as husband and wife, they can create the same and even more opportunities for their off-spring.
It’s that feeling when, you can unchain your dog and watch her run free for at least a little while, to watch the experience on her face, when she’s released from the shackles; and the sadness that reappears when she must be chained once again.
My America is the freedom of choice to buy the bread I want to buy, to acquire the goods I can afford to acquire, to invest the capital I have saved, in ventures I want to take for the good of my family and my country.
My America is being able to communicate in writing, speaking and in whatever form, language takes, my opinions, my thoughts, my prayers, my visions and my dreams to those who want to listen, and to those enemies of the American way who in themselves have not discovered America.
My America is the blooming rose which has the freedom to grow towards, a clear sky and a warm sun; being able to complete its cycle from bloom to plumage to autumn to a dormant grave, only to rise again.
My America is the personal commitment to grab opportunities which will better the country and to set an example for those who follow; what you give, must be proportionate to what you take, or the erosion shall remove the sky, the sun, the earth from our grasp.
For in our America and the world resources are limited; the energy, though absolute, is redistributed by our wills. The more astute, the more free we are to create, the better the use of the resources. And left in God’s hands, through our America, we create good will, good products, good people and peace of mind.
My America, oh yes my America, the vision of the poet, the words of the orator and the minds of the leaders be kind, be patient, be wise, but above all be humble to the reasons and the heritage of our freedom. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil ventures and purposes, for thine is mine America as the Kingdom, the power and the glory, forever.
Amen.
