Kyle hamming it up on dad’s trail cam. 1/9/11

Recently, I saw a Facebook entry questioning the practice of hunting, especially posting pictures of the harvested deer.  I take that back, I’ve seen many posts praising hunting and many opposing the practice.  I wanted to respond, but I know I couldn’t justify my actions in a few words, however, hopefully I could get my point across to naysayers through a few more words, actually many many more.  I don’t’ want to single anyone out because this is not about bashing, but simply informing and educating.

I can’t speak for everyone, but I can about my family, some of my friends, and me personally.  Sure, there are those who don’t hold the same opinions as I do with respect to hunting, and there are those who give the practice a bad connotation.  Again, I can only outline what I know and hopefully teach through my experiences.

Before I go into detail, I would rather see a picture of a deer harvested from the woods and prepared for dinner, than see it splattered all over the highway.  Over population of deer is very dangerous and a real problem.  That’s why hunting is regulated by the Game Commission and is a legal practice.  Some remote parts of the world only survive on hunting and wild game.  Would you rather a family starve to death, instead of consuming the wild beasts God provided?  Would anyone deny hunting to those tiny communities in Alaska whereas a bear or a moose feeds an entire village?  Guess what?  It takes generations of teaching this skill and a lot of practice to accomplish said goal.  A person can’t just wake up one day and know what to do and the ethical practices with respect to hunting.

Idea of Hunting
Hunting is not about the kill, sure that is in deed what happens, but that is not the true end result.  The absolute result is about providing food for the family; good quality, natural deer meat, which is the healthiest meat to consume and not prepackaged prepared stuff sold in the grocery stores, loaded with preservatives and toxic junk.

My family not only harvests the deer, but we butcher our own meat.  The entire process straight from the woods to the skillet.  Some of the deer meat is canned, (yes it’s very tasty) some made into jerky and bologna and most of it is cut up into steaks and roasts and ground meat to be wrapped and frozen for later consumption.

I don’t judge those who take their meat to another facility to have it butchered.  Some may not know how to cut up a deer, for they were never taught.  Or they don’t have the space and equipment to do so.  The materials for this process alone are expensive and time consuming.  I am blessed because I do know how to cut up a deer and prepare it for storage, and I have the material to do so.  In fact, dad and I are pretty quick at gutting and skinning the deer in the woods and when needed, sectioning it up, especially if it’s freezing cold outside!

From there, my parents have the all the equipment to cut up the meat into steaks, roasts, ground meat, bologna etc, nothing gets wasted.  Growing up, my parents didn’t have much.  No exaggeration.  For my mom to buy box cereal was a luxury item.  However, we never went hungry and my family never asked for a hand out, and no one ever paid our way, not even the government.  Nope, instead we relied on hard work with our garden and hunting to provide food for the table.  Hunting was a means for survival, like it was designed to be.  It was never about the kill but about providing for the table.  Sure it’s also a favorite pastime and hobby, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with combining necessity and fun.

Cousins Benny, Chad & Jimmy Scanlon. Chad passed away from a brain tumor 9/4/94 – 5/25/07. They captured every moment they could before his passing.

Picture Taking
Getting back to the idea of taking a picture with the trophy of the hunt.  Taking a picture not only records the actions at that present, but it also captures memories and the reality of survival.  So when I post a picture of me or my nephew or whoever, with a freshly harvested deer, it’s not about showing off death and killing, but pride for being able to be a part of providing for the family.  That is a true honor, which I wish more people would be able to experience.  For if they did, others would learn to respect firearms and their food source more.  Same with gardening.  If more people solely, or mostly lived off of their hard word with gardening, there would be a greater respect for fresh food and healthy eating.

Granted, when my dad was young, picture taking was a rarity (not only because dad didn’t and still doesn’t’ know how to work a camera or phone) because of the generation.  They didn’t have social media, but they did share stories and passing around the horns of the kill instead of taking pictures.  That’s how to teach younger generations to learn what to do and what to expect, through visuals.

Did you know some kids truly don’t know where meat come from?  In some ways, we as a society are becoming to removed from reality.  It’s not healthy and damaging.

I cherish every picture I have of my brother, especially those with my dad and him in the woods, doing what they both loved, hunting.

Above is a picture of my cousins (Benny and Jimmy’s mother was Helen Piper).  The youngest in the picture is Chad Scanlon, my thirteen year old cousin who passed away from a brain tumor.  The Chad Delier Scanlon Story They tried to capture every moment of his short life.  Can you blame them?  Life happens quickly, I wish I would have captured more pictures of Ryan in the woods hunting, with or without the harvested animals.

Keeping Traditions
Hunting is a tradition, a long honored tradition in the Piper family, regardless of gender.  Everyone is treated the same, no one is snubbed in our family when it comes to hunting.  It was always a family activity, my mom, sister, brother, dad, cousins, aunts, uncles and now my nephew.  All aspects of hunting have been learned from generations before.  In fact, my one rifle was handed down from my pap, to my brother, and after his passing, to me.  Eventually, the rifle will end up in Kyle’s hands, Ryan’s son.

There is more to hunting than going out with a rifle, and plugging a deer.  Nope, first is starts with learning to load the shells, shoot, and clean and maintain the firearms.

Loading
All summer long we load our own shells with the exception of .22 bullets, and target shoot at the range.  Loading our own rifle shells is a science and is becoming a lost art.  Recently, I was made aware that not a lot of people know this practice.  Well, I do!  And Kyle does.  Dad has made it a point to pass down his knowledge of loading to us, like he did with Ryan.  It’s really important to dad to keep this tradition alive, and for that I am very grateful.  The more I learn, the more hunting means to me and I appreciate.

Kyle at the shooting range practicing with bowling pins. 11/10/13

Learning to Shoot
Even target shooting is a real skill.  Sure, it sounds easy going out in the woods and pulling the trigger.  That’s the basis of the action, but there is so much more to it than that.  First, learning to shoot at various distances is a practiced skill.  And learning to shoot through a scope is a big difference between shooting with open sights.

Sometimes the rifle isn’t shooting straight and learning to shoot in a gun to line up the sights properly is another skill.  Yes, there are methods such as taking the rifle to get it boresighted, but that’s not always a guarantee for shooting dead on.

Then, there’s different ways to shoot, off of a guide like a bi-pod or tri-pod, or free standing.  There’s a difference between fifty yards and two hundred yards.  I myself am pretty good up to two hundred yards, at the target range.  There’s a big difference between shooting at a piece of paper with a cross-hair marked in red, and a moving one in the woods.

The woods contain a ton of obstacles including brush and weather conditions and time.  That’s the hardest part for me, waiting, quietly.  Sometimes it takes hours and hours before a deers makes its appearance, if at all.  The deer don’t just show up at a convenient location and wait around for someone to shoot either.  Nope.  They could be running, walking, either head on, walking away or moving side to side, which is ideal to shooting the deer in the front shoulder.  My dad has taught me to drop a deer with one shot, and you know what?  Every time I’ve shot a deer, I dropped it with one bullet, within a minute from the bullet exiting the barrel of my gun.  (please note, I’ve only ever shot three deer to date, and there were misses in there too).  However, it doesn’t always work out that way, even with a seasoned professional like my dad.

Sometimes bullets will ricochet off of brush or trees and cause the bullet to miss it’s intended target spot, or the target wasn’t standing in the ideal angle for a perfect kill. With every bullet fired, dad investigates the potential death of the deer, especially if it’s wounded.  Dad has always, and even in his older age, continues to track EVERY wounded deer, even if it results in miles and miles of tracking.  Dad doesn’t believe in shooting an animal to let it suffer or waste the meat.

Tacking
Even learning to track a deer can be a challenge.  Sure, it’s not so bad when it’s snowing and there is a lot of blood loss, but try it when there’s no mud trail or blood trail and possibly a lot of brush to tackle.

Respecting the Rules
Then, there’s knowing what you are shooting within seconds before pulling the trigger.  Sometimes it’s only buck season, or the rules dictate a certain number of points on the horns.   Rules?  Yes, there are formal rules maintained by the Game Commission and there are unspoken rules, ones that aren’t necessarily illegal, just respectful.  Like what?  Shooting a deer that is bedded down is not very sporting. Shooting a very young deer is not very sporting.  Leaving an animal to waste is not very sporting.  Leaving an animal to suffer on purpose is not very sporting.

Kyle & Scooby playing on the trail cam. 1/9/11

Learning the Deer Habits
Even before a shot is fired, learning the habits of the deer should be addressed.  Usually we go hiking through the woods in the summer and or fall, preparing for hunting season, following tracks, taking note of rub marks on trees, looking for bedded down grass or weeds where they hunker down, so on and so forth.  Even when sitting during hunting season, deer don’t just jump out waving a flag.

Many times, the hunter needs to have a three hundred sixty degree awareness for all moving animals in the area.  Sometimes looking a couple hundred yards, through crooked trees and brush and branches over rocks into valleys or up hillsides, for an animal that might be creeping like a ninja.  Did I mention sometimes it’s snowing or raining or the sun is shinning in the eyes, not always perfect conditions?

Tree Stands
Tree stands are a relatively new tool used by hunters.  They were more common during archery season, but have been adapted to rifle season as well.  When I was a youngster learning to hunt in the woods, I would sit on a log or a rock.  I was also taught to hunt while walking through the woods, like my dad did for many years.  Or course, it’s a harder on my sixty-some-year-old dad to do that nowadays.  Sure, being in a tree stand does have its advantages, but not always.

Cleaning the Rifles
Throughout the year, the rifles are cleaned and maintained.  Dad has taught us all the proper way to clean and oil our guns, in a safe manner. Usually this is done late summer before hunting season, depending on how much the firearm was shot.

Dad & Kyle at target range, shooting in rifles. 8/25/13

Family Bonding
Like dad, I too love being out in the woods, sitting in nature.  It’s very peaceful and serene.  That I chalk up to being a Piper.

Some of my favorite memories with the entire family include hunting.  Even to this day, every time we head to the woods, whether hunting or not, dad always seems to reminiscence about Ryan and their time together in the woods.  Those memories are priceless.  Even my First Day of Hunting – My Story was an adventure that still cracks me up to this day.  Not to mention all the stories I can tell about Kyle and his own hunting adventures with us.

Hunting isn’t something that started with my dad’s generation, or my pap’s generation, but generations upon generations before.  This is the means people have practiced for survival since the beginning of time. It saddens me to see these true traditions are slipping away to the unknown or criticized when they are a part of everyone’s roots, like it or not.  My dad is a true hunter, even in his older age.  He has this sense about him that can’t be taught, but is either innately built in or has been engrained over the years.  Something I haven’t seen a lot of, something I wish I possessed.

A portion of the woods in Cortland, New York for deer season. 11/15/14

Granted, I didn’t address everything including safety, pushing deer, and all about sportsmanship.  But after going through all this, I believe taking a picture of my hard work is justifiable.  Perhaps, many people don’t like to view these images and prefer to live in ignorance with blinders on.  If the pictures are offensive, hiding the posts are in everyone’s right.  But remember, it’s all about the intent of the action, not the perceived intent, but the actual intent.  I don’t believe the pictures I’ve seen are malicious in any way, simply a picture of accomplishment.

I would never choke my way of life down anyone’s throat, never.  But I also would never speak out against something I don’t understand or have never experienced.  God made us all different so we would rely on each other and learn from one another.  (As long as what we’re doing it morally responsible)  Personally, I invite anyone that criticizes or speaks ill of hunting, that has not experience the tradition, to join me for one hunting season.  Not to shoot, but to assist me in most aspects that I’ve discussed, at least before speaking out negatively with the time honored practice.

Sure not a lot of hunters know what I have been taught, and there are a lot of hunters who give hunting a bad reputation, but the only way to change that is to maintain the true way of hunting, and to pass along the respect I have been taught to the young generations.  Happy Hunting!

On a side note, Hunting-of-a-Lifetime does a lot with kids dealing with terminal diseases.  The sponsors a youngster every year who always wanted to hunt.  I believe the families of these kids cherish the pictures of their child with the harvested animal.

This is a great article with respect to hunting.

*Look for another post telling about my adventures hunting with dad in New York this past weekend.

And O there are days in this life, worth life and worth death.  ~Charles Dickens

There are two topics that put me in shock and awe, and just plain old tick me off, the prisoner marine in Mexico and the release of a known army deserter at the cost of putting the entire world in mortal danger.  I believe these are topics that warrens unrest.

Let’s start with the marine.  I’ve been watching the news daily for a few months now, not days, but months regarding the marine held captive in a Mexican prison for taking a wrong turn.  Granted, I know he had three guns in the trunk of his car, but he wasn’t hiding or sneaking anything!  Sincerely, I was going to write about this story upon his release, but it appears that won’t happen anytime soon.

Marine Sergeant Andrew Tahmooressi, who has served his country well and actually was in combat while serving in Afghanistan, was home seeking treatment for PTSD.  Everyone has heard the crux of the story, he accidentally crossed the Mexican border with three guns in the trunk of his car, which are legal and registered in the United States, but not in Mexico.

How did this happen?  It was dark and he got twisted around and made a wrong turn.  Who hasn’t?  Directionally Challenged  He missed the sign that directed him into the heart of his present day demise, Mexico.  I’m sure if he was aware, he would not have gone south of the border.

Once he realized he entered the country, along with his firearms, he called 911.  What did they tell him?  They couldn’t help him because he was on foreign soil.  Really?  I guess so.  He still tried to do right thing and admitted to his mistake, to only be taken away, beaten and tortured in a Mexican prison.

I watched the interview with him and Greta Van Susteren from On the Record with Greta, on Fox News.  This is sad.  A true innocent mistake that anyone and probably many have made.  I know me personally, that sounds exactly like something that would happen, guns and all.

On a side note, during the phone call, he didn’t badmouth anyone or call for a pity party.  Nope, he sounded brave and tried to be strong so his family and fellow marines wouldn’t worry.

It’s such a shame, Mr. Tahmooressi was trying to do the right thing, not hurt anyone, no attempt to hurt anyone, no intent on hurting anyone and yet he is treated horribly like a harden criminal!  He made a wrong turn!  Let him out!

It makes you wonder, that after speaking with 911 who obviously was no help, that he should have tried to sneak back over the border with his guns.  Perhaps he would have made it back safe and sound and been sleeping peacefully in the comforts of his own bed that night.  If not, then he would have ended up in the same situation, hauled off to jail.

I get it, those guns were not registered in Mexico, but they were not meant to arrive in Mexico either.  It was a true sincere mistake.   Then to beat the man?  Was that necessary?  Sounds like there is some political hostility demonstrated and taken out on the marine.

Bill O’Reilly from the O’Reilly Factor has also been discussing this situation daily and putting the pressure on to get this guy out.  The United States has handed over more than 100,000 signatures to the Mexican government, his fellow marines have contested to his character, and yet nothing!

Now my next question, what is our very own president doing about this?  Seemingly NOTHING!  He is too busy going around Congress, to release FIVE HIGH RANKING Taliban officers from our own prison in exchange for a deserter.  I agree totally with Charles Krauthammer, when he remarked that it is important to get our troops back, everyone of our troops is important.  Agreed!  Then, once we have our soldier in question, have him tried in court, either as a deserter or a traitor or whatever the charge.  I totally agree!  He is owed a fair trial even though we lost very respectable dedicated service men, who went out looking for this disgraced soldier.  But really, the math doesn’t seem to add up.  This is a five to one ratio, with the five holding more power and threat to the world than one coward.  Someone needs to teach Obama how to negotiate, or to do math.

Why was Obama in such a hurry to get Bowe Robert Bergdahl, (a.k.a. the alleged traitor since he hasn’t been tried yet) out of his captivity from the Taliban, being there for years, and not Mr. Tahmooressi who did NOTHING wrong, except make a wrong turn?

Something doesn’t add up.  What is going on here?  It seems like our government is trying to put away the patriotic leaving him to rot, while those who side with the Taliban free to roam.  Granted, I know I am only referring to two specific instances, but two very important and high profile ones.  Sometimes it’s these moments that you truly see inside someone’s soul and find their true intent.  So what is the true intent of our president?

Then, Hillary Clinton is not speaking out in defense of the marine (at least I haven’t heart it) but I did hear her defending Obama’s illegal decision to release Bergdahl, and send the Taliban prisoners back to start their terror again.

Her reasoning?  Those HIGH RANKING Taliban officials with proven blood on their hands, “Are not a threat to the United States but only to the Afghan people.”  Seriously?  First of all we don’t hold people in prison who are known Taliban and have been a threat to the U.S. prior to their imprisonment for no reason.  Secondly, we are not a country who only looks out for ourselves.  I do believe if we can help others, than we try.  At the very least don’t put others, whether they are foreign allies or not, in harms way with FIVE known terrorists!  It’s like we just pointed a loaded gun at ourselves with one in the chamber and the hammer pulled back and handed it to a brutal murderer. 

I did hear that the released terrorist leaders promised not to do anything for a year.  Are you kidding?  Sure that makes sense since it probably takes that long to outline plans for massive attacks resulting in piles of innocent victims.  What happens after the year is up?  So the freedom of FIVE HIGH RANKING TERRORISTS is equal to one year of peace?  What about years of peace with the imprisonment of the proven five guilty prisoners?

Come on Hillary, you need to get your ratings up!  Think!  What will do it, and it’s not your smooth talk because no one is buying it anymore?  Let’s see some action done for the good, for those who are honorable, deserving of assistance.  Learn from the past.

Remember in 2009, when a reporter and Lisa Ling’s sister were caught crossing into North Korea and were jailed?  Almost immediately, at the time President Bill Clinton touched down in the country unannounced.  That’s one way to get someone’s attention and show he meant business!

Euna Lee and Laura Ling, the reporter and Lisa Ling’s sister respectively, were sneaking around and probably put their noses to close to the fire and got burned.  Nothing like the accident of  Mr. Tahmooressi.  Hillary should get her husband to stop playing twister with office workers and set that marine free!  Former President Clinton did a great job in the North Korean instance, at least it seems so.  I mean, he went in, freed the United States citizens and everyone left safely without world war III breaking out.  Successful mission in my opinion, and I feel he could do it again in Mexico.  Or is this a political issue, whereas he doesn’t want to step on Obama, our lame duck’s toes?

Enough already, let’s stop the political gain and need for power, just for a single moment and let’s all put on our thinking caps.  Help those who are deserving, and those that post a threat to our national security, keep them behind bars!  Kind of common sense.

This thought it really out there and very much my own homemade conspiracy theory regarding the release of those Taliban prisoners.

What if Obama too has somehow sided with the Taliban and he has ulterior motives?

Or what if this is a game to play out in the next few years that Clinton and Obama devised in advance?  Hillary, thinking she’ll get into office, while all along we released those prisoners and have trackers embedded into their spinal cords so they can be located at a moments notice and taken out on her watch, for her personal political gain?  Is it so far fetched or is it one big political game?

As for our imprisoned Marine, it seems like no one of high U.S. political power is giving two figs for this soldier.   Well, I am here to say, there are people who care and pray for his safety and speedy release.  I would love to meet him and introduce him to Kyle to show my little man what a true hero is, and sincerely thank the soldier for all his service!  #MarineHeldInMexico

I call on people to be ‘obsessed citizens,’ forever questions and asking for accountability.  That’s the only chance we have today to a healthy and happy life.  ~Ai Weiwei

Kyle likes being held accountable for his actions, & in turn he is fine holding others accountable for their actions too! He’s going to make a great leader!

Life brings up lessons, some larger than others,  But sometimes do we need that lesson?  I mean, to me they are just common sense.  Do we really have to teach adults accountability?  Maybe I’ve lived in a hole my entire life and this has been going on since time began, but it seems like an easy fix.  I’m talking about accountability.

You know that’s one lesson I don’t ever remember my parents having to teach us.  Probably because they taught by example.  Everyone messes up in life, in one form or another, no one is perfect.  But how you handle your mistakes says a lot about a person and their character.  Also those who are directly or indirectly involved and how they handle the situation, says a lot too.  Whether they are quick to assist and find a solution, and more importantly to forgive.

Anytime we’ve messed up, as kids and adults over the years, and there was a lot, we held ourselves accountable for our mishaps.  Each of us took full responsibility for our actions and never tried to lie about anything or get out of it.  On the flip side, my parents accepted our faults, forgave us and tried to assist us in any way.  They would never rub our noses in our mistakes and hold it again us.  Seriously, sometimes it was never spoken of again, or, if the time was right they teased a little, but never lost faith in us that we couldn’t make the right decisions.  There was trust, and that was never questioned.  We might have gotten into stupid trouble, mostly me and Ryan, but it was never malicious, never disrespectful to anyone or their property, and we never tried to put another in harms way.  We were just kids.  Kids who always held themselves accountable without question.

Now as an adult, I still screw up, but again I take full responsibility for my actions and always try to make right, like most people.  Yes, I believe the majority of the population in the world strive to do good, even though sometimes they are a bit misguided in their thinking, and yes, they something don’t choose the best course of action.  Those that are opposite are smaller in number, and again I think the underlying intent is for good.

So my question is, how do you show accountability when there is so much unaccountability displayed with our leaders?  How do I explain that to Kyle?  Heck, I never knew how to explain that to my employees regarding leaders in my own work life.  It’s true, a boss who refused to be held accountable for anything and chose to finger point for his own business.  Similar to our president?  I’ll get to that in a minute.  And you have prominent positions?  With power and authority?  And you don’t feel you need to be held accountable?  Come on people, you are setting the example for our youth!  Your actions effect us all!

The entire IRS scandal still has me in a huff.  I’m sure targeting certain groups is not a new concept (they targeted conservative groups or those businesses who supported the republican party).  That’s not right either, but their actions with our tax dollars is outrageous, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on dance lessons, travel expenses, and who knows what else.  We’re talking about employees who were living high on the hog from the start with their huge salaries and Washington perks.  Seriously, I think it should be paid back to the people, because after all, it was basically theft.  Now, it seems like there is just a bunch of finger pointing.  No one wants to be held accountable, usually making the low man on the pole the scape goat.  Stand up and be a man!  Everyone who does, will feel better in the long run.

Now I heard the IRS, the very same department of the United States of America, who have been proven to abuse their authority and basically steel money from tax payers, are now in charge to say what Medicare pays!  We are putting a bunch of number crunching thieves in charge of our health?  This has got to stop!

Of course, I guess I shouldn’t expect anything different when we have Hillary Clinton who was the Untied States Secretary of State, who would not even take accountability for her lack of action.  At least at present, Hillary was never held accountable for the attacks in Benghazi, the second deadly attack on U.S. diplomatic facility during the Obama administration.  When questioned, she became hot headed and still would never claim any accountability.  It was almost embarrassing watching her sit there and skirt around the subject at hand when questioned.  The facts remain that there were a list of some 234 security incidents in Libya, of which 50 took place in Benghazi.  These incidents including hijacking, bombing, kidnapping and assassination attempts took place between June 2011 and July 2012.  Sounds like a security issue to me.  But Hillary probably didn’t have time to actually do her job and dismissed the warning signs.  She should have absolutely, without question, been held accountable immediately for her inaction.  Yet, did president Obama step up to hold her accountable?  Nope!  Yet he’ll step in and use the government to overrule a hearing involving the Trayvon Martin – George Zimmerman case, when he has absolutely no right.  That is a direct abuse of power!  What about all those innocent people who died overseas?  Some are there under his orders, protecting the United States and its people.  We’re talking about death, not just money, but death because of a lack of accountability.  Sounds like a jail sentence to me!

According to Merriam-Webster:

Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You’ve stripped away our heritage,
You’ve outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question “Why?”
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!   ~Darrell Scott

Dad in Aschaffenberg, Germany with his new pistol before him & mom came home 1971

Guns!  Guns!  Guns!  When in doubt, blame the guns.  At least that’s where the finger seems to point to first, or how the media wants us to respond.  It’s no big secret that I am pro gun, pro sport shooting, pro self protection and pro hunting, as is the rest of my family.  Many agree with me on my opposition of any kind of gun control, and many do not.  That’s fine, I will carry a firearm, while the counter does not.

Having anyone perish by the hand of another human being, while using a gun or not is tragic.  Violence in any form is not healthy and is not something to be celebrated.  Yet, there are times when it is unavoidable, especially when survival instincts take over.  Obviously, I’m referring to the George Zimmerman, Trayvon Martin case Who Has the Right to Judge?.

George Zimmerman’s gun was perfectly legal.  It was obtained legally, it was kept legally and it was registered legally.  It was even used legally.  When someone threatens death upon you, especially when they’re punching and striking your face and cracking your skull into the cement, resulting in a broken nose, you are within your right to protect yourself.  It’s called self defense.  It’s not a malicious intent, expect to do what our brains are wired to do and that is survive.

Now that the gun law has been brought to light again, I started thinking, ‘Would anyone have died that night on February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida if there wasn’t a gun involved?’  Yes!  That’s what’s really scary.  The removal of the gun, doesn’t mean complete safety.  When Trayvon Martin was beating George Zimmerman’s head into the concrete, he could have easily killed him or gave him irreversible physical damage. (not even talking about physiological damage) Does that mean we need to get rid of all sidewalks?  Stop making cement?  Could Mr. Martin have obtained an illegal gun and used it on Mr. Zimmerman?  Sure, especially with a person known to abuse drugs, and we all know that illegal guns and drugs tend to go hand-in-hand.  That wasn’t the case in this particular incident, but it’s a strong reality.

Chad, Ryan & Jeremy deer hunting. Everyone filled their tags that year! 1989

Anything could be used to kill, a tall building, a kitchen knife, a box cutter!  Granted, guns could be used more efficiently with creating more damage, but not in every case.  A plane was used in 911, killing way more people than an automatic weapon ever was capable of, without the use of a single gun.  We as people are never going to learn unless we start looking and understanding the true source of crime, of destruction, of evil.  I mean the true source, not the easiest or the most popular, but the deepest rooted problems.  The real problems that might be tough to talk about, that might not be able to be fixed overnight and would take time and dedication to solve, the darkest corners.  Yes those problems that never seem to be brought to light.  And I believe it all starts with family and family life.

This thought was best addressed by the person responsible for my lead quote.  I specifically chose him for a reason.  I felt his words needed to be heard again and Darrell Scott really hit the nail on the head and called out the source of the violence and grief, the bottom line, the real issue.

Could be my grandpap Chester or his brother, my Uncle Frank during World War II

On April 20, 1999 fifteen students died and many more were injured during the Columbine School Massacre.  Some may not realize that Darrell Scott, the gentlemen I used to quote from, was the father of two of those children who were there that day.  His daughter Rachel Joy Scott was killed.  Did he blame the guns?  Nope!  He did not.  And you might be surprised to find out that he wasn’t a hunter, he didn’t even own a firearm.  In fact, he gave a very powerful statement to a small house subcommittee when taking about the incident.  He spoke of the nature of man,  good verses evil.

He’s right we all have free will, that’s how God made us!  We choose to do right and we choose to do wrong.  Granted sometimes accidents happen and there are misjudgements, but we have to look into our hearts and see the intent.  That’s what makes all the difference, the intent.  A person who intentionally shows the good deeds he’s done is certainly not walking side-by-side with God as another who does good for the sake of doing it, not just for show.  Same goes for the opposite.  George Zimmerman’s intent wasn’t to just start blasting away, and it certainly was not race related.  It was self defense.

Believe it or not, there was a time in history when guns didn’t exist.  And believe it or not, there was still death at the hands of our fellow neighbors.  It’s certainly not the fault of the gun, but solely at the hand of one controlling it.

Dad turkey hunting…I guess it was a good day! This was before dad quit chewing tobacoo! I see the side chew

Recently, when we had an issue with our dogs Dog Gone Irony!, who ran off and got lost for a couple days, I went hiking through unfamiliar woods trying to locate our delinquents.  Before I set out, I packed my book bag with a few necessities, including my .22 pistol.  Not a large or extremely powerful weapon, yet if needed it would get the job done.  I felt safer, not from people, although if I did encounter a stranger, particularly one without good intentions I was glad I was packing heat, but my immediate concern was animals, specifically bears or mountain lions which have been spotted in the area.  Really my thought was a mama bear and her cubs.  A dangerous encounter that would be scary and could have ended badly.

As I was hiking along, making my way through brush, creeks and trees, I thought, what if I didn’t have access to a gun?  Or worse, what if they were totally outlawed?  Then, basically that decision would take my safety away from me.  It’s not protecting the innocent, the law abiding citizens.  It’s protecting those who turn a blind eye to the law, to what’s right and choose to do harm.

Mom said she saw an interview on TV with a Jewish gentlemen who is pro gun, yet didn’t own a gun, never owned a gun and never even shot a firearm in his life.  Seriously?  Yes!  He said he was pro gun because he was from a time that most may not remember or even know about during World War II.  He commented that one of the first actions set in motion when Hitler started to take power, was to take away all firearms from the Jews.  The Jews couldn’t protect themselves, yet millions died and not all by firearms.

So is gun elimination or even gun control really make us that much better off?  Or does it make us sitting ducks?

Below is a portion of Darrell Scott’s transcript:

Since the dawn of creation there has been both good and evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence.

The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.

The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain’s heart.

In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA.

I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA — because I don’t believe that they are responsible for my daughter’s death. Therefore I do not believe they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel’s murder I would be their strongest opponent.

I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy — it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies!

Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves.

I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best. This was written way before I knew I would be speaking here today:

Your laws ignore our deepest needs
Your words are empty air
You’ve stripped away our heritage
You’ve outlawed simple prayer

Now gunshots fill our classrooms
And precious children die
You seek for answers everywhere
And ask the question “Why”?

You regulate restrictive laws
Through legislative creed
And yet you fail to understand
That God is what we need

Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, soul, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc.

Spiritual influences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation’s history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence.

And when something as terrible as Columbine’s tragedy occurs — politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties.

We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre.

The real villain lies within our own hearts.

Political posturing and restrictive legislation are not the answers.

The young people of our nation hold the key. There is a spiritual awakening taking place that will not be squelched!

We do not need more religion. We do not need more gaudy television evangelists spewing out verbal religious garbage. We do not need more million dollar church buildings built while people with basic needs are being ignored.

We do need a change of heart and a humble acknowledgment that this nation was founded on the principle of simple trust in God!

As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes — He did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right!

I challenge every young person in America, and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain.

Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him.

To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA I give to you a sincere challenge. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone!

My daughter’s death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!

Be courageous enough to do what the media did not — let the nation hear this man’s speech. Please send this out to everyone you can!!!

And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”  And he answered, “What is it, Teacher?”  “A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  When they could not pay, he forgave them both.  Now which of them will love him more?”  Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, to whom he forgave more.”  And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”  ~Luke 7:40-43

George Zimmerman – Closing Arguments Held In Zimmerman Trial 2013

The entire human race sins!  Fact!  It is also our obligation to point out the sins of others and to have them answer for it, but it is not our place to pass judgment, especially after a court ruling.  Instead we should pray for one another and we should help our fellow brothers and sisters, getting them back on the right track.

Why the heck am I on this topic?  Simply because of the finger pointing, all the judgements and threats, and all the negativity and the violence and hate that has stemmed from this behavior.

Yep, I’m talking about the famous George Zimmerman – Trayvon Martin case.  Just to recap (since this blog is for my nephew to read later in life, I always try to give details to help him revisit history) on February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida, George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old mixed race of Hispanic American, fatally shot Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African American high school student.  The ruling was just announced this past Saturday that Mr. Zimmerman was found not guilty, it was an act of self defense.

Just to get this clear from my point-of-view, that if someone, anyone a teenager or an old person, attacked me, pushed me down and began to beat my head off of cement, telling me that he or she was going to kill me, I would take that seriously.  Hopefully, all my survival instincts would kick in and I would have done the same, without hesitation!  I would have pulled the trigger.

Was George Zimmerman completely justifiable?  Yes he can be faulted for approaching the kid when he was instructed not to, but he did what he was suppose to do, he called the police first and reported the suspicion.  He didn’t just go guns a blazing at this suspicious kid, wearing a dark hoodie, milling around between houses in the rain, at night, appearing as if he was on drugs.  If I was George, I would have done the same, especially since the neighborhood was experiences break ins and violence thrusted upon them.  Imagine if Zimmerman would have just walked way and later found out that the kid killed or hurt someone?  That’s what would be running through my head, especially in the case of the unknown at the time.  I would feel it was my responsibility to step in and help take action to protect my family and friends.

As for caring a gun.  He was completely legal and within his rights to do so!  Apparently, he never really felt safe if he always carried the firearm with him, except to work.  Sometime before this case, he was interviewed and said that a robber fled the scene in his neighborhood, right through his property while his wife was home.  Yes!  That would mean something to me too!  And that would stick in my mind forever!

Let’s step back and really get to the heart of the matter.  First of all, what self-respecting child, calls another a cracker?  I would have never done that EVER!  I was taught to respect others and their property.  So with that out in the open, I would never have been hanging out in the rain if I wasn’t up to no good.  And what kid, who is innocent, attacks another?  Sure, kids will be kids, getting into trouble, but if that was me and my cousins, we would have set off running, even if we just wrong on the account of trespassing.  But never in a million years would we have attacked another, unless there was more to it, than kids being kids.  I can’t help but think, Mr. Martin was up to more than just passing through.  Of course, it doesn’t make a difference now, and that’s total speculation and not my place to judge.

Rioting in LA from the George Zimmerman verdict 2013

So now my next thought, why are people rioting?  Seriously?  Especially in California, the whole way across the United States, not even close to Florida.  Does looting and destroying private property make everything better?  Does damaging those hard working citizens’ businesses help you get your own way?  When did two wrongs EVER make a right?  My guess there are some deep seated issues residing in some individuals and they are just looking for an excuse.  Again back to respect.  Respect for our fellow neighbor and our brothers and sisters!  Those property owners weren’t involved in the crime, they weren’t even in the same time zone!  I think there are a lot of unbalanced people and I believe there are a lot of lackeys who thrive on violence and supply this anarchy to those in control, simply for a good show.  The media and some celebrities make that list of the guilty.

On a side note, if any of those rioters are on welfare, then technically they are working for the government.  Then, that means the government, Mr. Obama who is the leader, is destroying our own country from within and its hard working citizens.  Isn’t that like a dictatorship?  If the government insists on getting its own way, and disregards the decisions made by a selected jury and our courtrooms, that means the people truly don’t have a voice.  That means one of our branches of government is ruled by the other, our president.  In essence a dictatorship. I know that seems far fetched, but is it?

On the same thought, why is the government stepping in?  What, they have a say so to overrule the judge and the fair jury because they don’t like the decision?  Wake up people!  The government is already spying on us, they have controlled us through our finances with the IRS, which insistently will be controlling our healthcare decisions through the medicare audits, and now you are welcoming them in to overstep the decisions of a fair jury?  We are just handing over our freedom left and right because some want the government to control the legal system?  I’m not saying any branch of office is one hundred percent fair and unbiased, but don’t keep throwing fuel to the already blazing inferno.  The court ruled and that should be the end of it!

Do I feel bad for the Trayvon Martin family?  Absolutely!  I know first hand the pain that comes from loosing a family member too soon and so suddenly.  My heart bleeds for them, but continuing this quest for their own way, still does not make it right.  Yes it’s tragic, but instead of selling your soul to the government to get your own way, maybe everyone needs to step back and really look at the situation.  Although, I know it’s hard, with the grief and the shock of the verdict at hand, but it will help to find peace.

Blaming race is also not the answer.  How can we, as Americans ever get past racial violence and issues, if it’s always thrown out there.  I mean, how is the next generation going to learn this, which is a learned behavior, if it is not taught?  Stop the hate lesson, then the hate will stop!  After all, George Zimmerman was not even a white man, he is Hispanic.  And if I am correct, that race is a minority too.  So what idiot started to play the race card, my guess because there was nothing else, yet got their facts wrong?  Is there really a need to destroy other lives through violence?  It doesn’t change anything, doesn’t stop life from moving on, and doesn’t change the future.  It just makes us barbarians.

I didn’t see any rioting when OJ Simpson was let off.  My opinion he was as guilty as guilty can be.  Nope, that circus courtroom and all the lies was accepted and ruled on, and there were two innocent murders committed on their own property.  Again, completely innocent people do not act out of control, violent and desperate for an escape.  So why the famous high speed chase in the white broncho?  When I heard that ruling all I thought was, ‘Well, God will judge’.  And look at Mr. Simpson’s life since.  Not a healthy one, maybe the guilt is consuming him?

Rioting in LA from the George Zimmerman case verdict

Ok, may that was too long ago for some of us to really remember or care about, but what about the Casey Anthony trial?  Casey Anthony was on trail for the murder of her two-year-old daughter, Caylee Anthony in Orlando Florida.  Again to recap and refresh the memories of many, the maternal grandmother reported the child missing for over a month and said Casey’s car smelled like a dead body.  That was on July 15, 2008.  Casey gave many falsehoods as to the whereabouts of the child including telling the authorities that her daughter was kidnapped.  On October 2008, she was charged with first degree murder and pleaded not guilty.  Later the court ruled on July 5, 2011, and the jury found Casey not guilty of first degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and aggravated manslaughter of a child.  However she was found guilty of four misdemeanor counts of providing false information to a law enforcement officer.  Using her credit for time served, she was released on July 17, 2011.

Was I mad?  Sure, but I also have faith.  I have faith that justice is always served.  I have faith still in our court systems, even though we know it’s corrupt at times.  I also have faith, that good prevails.  Never, did I ever even think of rioting or steeling from business owners.  Is looting an act of demonstrating or is it a selfish act for the personal gain of oneself?

Later that year on December 11, 2008, the little girl Caylee’s skeletal remains were found.  They were wrapped in a blanket inside a trash bag in the wooded area near the family home.  There was duct tape across the mouth on the child’s skull.  Did I mention that after all the lies, they were trying to prove the little girl drown in the pool accidentally?

Yet after all this, where people outraged?  Sure, but not like whats happening with the George Zimmerman case, with all the violence and damage and threats.  The Casey Anthony case was not in question of self defense, it was a blatant attempt of getting away with murder.  Yet she got off!  I was not in the courtroom, I was not on the jury, and I may not have agreed with the verdict, but I do agree with those who made the decision.  End of case, start moving on!

We need to continue to trust our court systems, albeit they are not perfect, but it’s better than anarchy and counter to radical thinking and radical actions of those on the streets.  That’s when the innocent are really going to get hurt, no matter their color.

Birth control, Ho Chi Minh, Richard Nixon back again,
Moonshot, Woodstock, Watergate, punk rock,
Begin, Reagan, Palestine, terror on the airline,
Ayatollah’s in Iran, Russians in Afghanistan,
“Wheel of Fortune”, Sally Ride, heavy metal suicide,
Foreign debts, homeless vets, AIDS, crack, Bernie Goetz,
Hypodermics on the shore, China’s under martial law,
Rock and roller cola wars, I can’t take it anymore … ~Billy Joel

The other day I heard a song on the radio, an instant blast from the past, We Didn’t Start the Fire by Billy Joel.  It was a song that dealt with over 100 different headlining topics in the world, taking place from January 1949 up until 1989 when the song was released.

Believe it or not, I remember my teacher actually dissecting that song to teach us the meaning of the lyrics.  To this day, I still remember some of our conversations based on the catchy pop song and my overwhelming understanding of the topics sang, only when we reviewed it line by line in detail.  After all, that exercise helped me realize the complexity of the world around us, at least to my young mind at the time.  Really an eye opener!

Now jumping to present day.  Are we that much different?  More civilized?  More responsible?  Did we as people learn lessons of the past?  Personally, I don’t think so.  In fact, I believe we are worse off.  I believe we are far more removed from reality.  I believe our morals and values have been skewed and have gone astray.  However, being an optimist at heart, I also see the pockets of those trying to uphold family values, those trying to maintain the virtues of our youth, those fighting for what’s right.

Watching the news is a part of my daily routine, like many others, but lately I kind of want to omit that part of the my day.  It seems that there is something majorly tragic happening everyday, and I’m not just talking about natural disasters that are unavoidable.  Believe it or not, I am ‘The Glass is Half Full’ type of chick, I also believe there is more good in the world than evil.  However, holding onto that notion and keeping the faith can be a bit challenging, especially with the persuasion being pelted at us from every direction.  It’s hard to decipher the truth, what’s real.

But what really cracks me up, are certain subject matters and decisions being made that are blatantly wrong, yet they are debated like its a topic residing in the gray zone.  No need for discussions, no need for votes, no need to for leniency, it’s just plain wrong! It’s at this point where I get aggravated when those responsible for doing harm to others and to our country are not manning up and taking responsibility and helping to find a solution to the problem at hand.  We are all human, I get that.  And being human we were blessed with freewill and the freedom to choose between right and wrong.  Therefore, making mistakes is going to be a part of our nature, yet it is not acceptable to dodge the wrong we’ve done.  It is not acceptable to lie about it.  It is not acceptable to force others to believe it’s right, especially to justify ones own actions.

With my rant out of the way, what the heck am I talking about?  I’m talking about Benghazi, where people died because of a lack of concern and reaction from the United States; I’m talking about the IRS, and their blatant targeting of conservative business owners to financially cripple them to steer votes; I’m talking about the house of horrors from doctor abortion, Kermit Gosnell who murdered a pregnant women, many infants and performed many abortions; I’m talking about Jodi Arias, and the cold blooded murder of her boyfriend; I’m talking about Trayvon Martin and the Zimmerman case, where George Zimmerman is on trial for second degree murder.

Too much!  Not just in the United States, but all around the world!  It is our duty to look out for each other and avoid those who cause harm.  Yes!  It is absolutely wrong to support leaders of countries who perform genocide, require abortions, and just plain throw around their muscle, their desire for power.

We as a society need to get back to the basics, get back to family, get back to respect and get back to simpler way of life.  This doesn’t mean getting rid of the internet or our phones.  Nope that would be like saying eliminating our guns.  The objects are not the weapons, the user and their intent is the weapon.  Start with education, start with learning and teaching respect, it all starts with family.  After all isn’t that just plain common sense?

Think about it, our society over the years has become more free with our decisions of what’s right and what’s wrong.  We have become less “uptight” and more liberal in our thinking and our actions.  We have looked to ourselves first and satisfied selfish desires instead of thinking of our neighbor and the consequences of our actions.  We are so free to dodge responsibility and look to instant results, no matter the long-term effects.  We want the easy way and not the right way.  We may not have started the fire, the war has been going on for centuries, but are we that more civilized today than we were two thousand years ago?

Actually, I don’t think so and this war that is raging is harder to fight and harder to extinguish the fire, it’s the war from within.   Seriously, the processed food, the chemicals, the hormones, the drugs and all the garbage we put into our systems, it’s not wonder our brains are miss firing!  Are we even thinking straight?  Then add on top of that, broken homes and omittance of family structure and discipline.  Then, topping it off with greed, arrogance and selfishness.  Yep a recipe for complete destruction.

I’m running out of answers for my little man.  If society continues on this path, then what’s the world going to be like for Kyle when he’s my age?  All I hope, is that he has learned right from wrong and holds true to the Catholic teachings (I’m not saying actions because again we are all human, whether you are church goer or not, whether you are apart of the clergy or not).  Hopefully by then, family life will have been restored and we will have entered a day of light.

We Didn’t Start the Fire by Billy Joel Lyrics

Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray,
South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio,
Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Studebaker, television
North Korea, South Korea, Marilyn Monroe,
Rosenbergs, H-bomb, Sugar Ray, Panmunjom
Brando, “The King and I” and “The Catcher in the Rye”
Eisenhower, vaccine, England’s got a new queen,
Marciano, Liberace, Santayana goodbye
[Refrain] We didn’t start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world’s been turning
We didn’t start the fire
No we didn’t light it
But we tried to fight it
Joseph Stalin, Malenkov, Nasser and Prokofiev
Rockefeller, Campanella, Communist Bloc,
Roy Cohn, Juan Peron, Toscanini, Dacron,
Dien Bien Phu falls, “Rock Around the Clock”
Einstein, James Dean, Brooklyn’s got a winning team,
Davy Crockett, Peter Pan, Elvis Presley, Disneyland,
Bardot, Budapest, Alabama, Krushchev,
Princess Grace, “Peyton Place”, trouble in the Suez
[Refrain]
Little Rock, Pasternak, Mickey Mantle, Kerouac,
Sputnik, Chou En-Lai, “Bridge on the River Kwai”
Lebanon, Charles de Gaulle, California baseball,
Starkweather homicide, children of thalidomide,
Buddy Holly, “Ben Hur”, space monkey, Mafia,
Hula hoops, Castro, Edsel is a no-go,
U-2, Syngman Rhee, payola and Kennedy,
Chubby Checker, “Psycho”, Belgians in the Congo,
[Refrain]
Hemingway, Eichmann, “Stranger in a Strange Land”
Dylan, Berlin, Bay of Pigs invasion,
“Lawrence of Arabia”, British Beatlemania,
Ole Miss, John Glenn, Liston beats Patterson,
Pope Paul, Malcolm X, British politician sex,
JFK, blown away, what else do I have to say?
[Refrain]
Birth control, Ho Chi Minh, Richard Nixon back again,
Moonshot, Woodstock, Watergate, punk rock,
Begin, Reagan, Palestine, terror on the airline,
Ayatollah’s in Iran, Russians in Afghanistan,
“Wheel of Fortune”, Sally Ride, heavy metal suicide,
Foreign debts, homeless vets, AIDS, crack, Bernie Goetz,
Hypodermics on the shore, China’s under martial law,
Rock and roller cola wars, I can’t take it anymore
We didn’t start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world’s been turning
We didn’t start the fire
But when we are gone
Will it still burn on, and on, and on, and on
[Refrain]
We didn’t start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world’s been turning
We didn’t start the fire

This post may not be very random, after all with the recent events of the Moore, Oklahoma tornado destruction.  On Monday, May 20, 2013 a devastating EF5 tornado struck down Moore, Oklahoma, with winds of more than 210 miles per hour.   This natural disaster caused at least 23 deaths, more than 100 rescued, 237 injured and as many as 20,000 families displaced.  According to Fox News, this tornado is placed in the same class as the deadliest in United States history.  The one who owns this title hit Joplin, Missouri in 2011.  That twister killed more than 158 and injured hundreds.  As per Fox News:

An EF-5 is as bad as it gets,” said Joe D’Aleo, co-chief forecaster for WeatherBell Analytics. “It’s equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane. It means winds were more than 200 miles per hour, and it means you have to be underground, because there will be nothing left above ground.

While reading about recent tornado destruction, I found some really intriguing information.  Now I am no weather expert, so I am hoping all this information is one hundred percent accurate.

• In the last 63 years, only 59 EF-5 tornadoes have touched down in the U.S.
• One-tenth of a percent of all tornadoes are ranked an EF-5
• Most powerful twisters cause 20% of all tornado damage & destruction
• United States has the most powerful tornadoes
• On the average, tornadoes only last a few minutes
• Every tornado is unique – its own color, sound, shape
• Tornadoes have been reported in every state during every season
• Most tornadoes occur between 3 pm and 9 pm – although they can strike at any time

Pennsylvania Tornadoes

• 1985 had the largest EF-4 tornado in Centre County (Moshannon Tornado)  – only 10 reported since 1950
• Since 1950 only 650 tornadoes reported in PA
• In Pennsylvania, a tornado bigger than EF-2 is rare
• There have been a tornado reported in every month of the year in PA
• The strongest storms happen in May
• Severe weather primary time in PA is from April 27th to September 5th
• The peak time of severe weather in PA is between July 1st through July 8th

Take from Weather Wiz Kids:

There are two big forces at work, external and internal.  We have very little control over external forces such as tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, disasters, illness and pain.  What really matters is the internal force.  How do I respond to those disasters?  Over that I have complete control.  ~Leo F. Buscaglia

During a recent visit to Parker Dam State Park, Fishing Toward Independence, Just Had to Take It to Parker Dam, we naturally went down memory lane.  As we fished and shot the breeze by the campfire, dad brought up the time the tornado went through Parker Dam.  I totally forgot all about that!  With the most recent tornado disaster hitting Oklahoma, I guess tornadoes were on our minds.  This tornado, that hit home and presented a miracle and a happy ending for a group of boy scouts, was the subject discussed.  Kyle listened as we shined a light on local past news.

Just to recap, on Monday, May 20, 2013 a devastating EF5 tornado struck down Moore, Oklahoma, with winds of more than 210 miles per hour.   It was such a tragedy of 23 deaths, more than 100 rescued, 237 injured and as many as 20,000 families displaced.  What really hit home was the elementary school that was leveled out by the massive twister.  Sure natural disasters are upsetting and horrible, but when you’re pulling children out of rubble, it strikes another cord with onlookers and tends to pull on the heart strings a little bit more.

(FEMA Photo)  Devastation from the EF5 tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma on  May 20, 2013.

My thoughts and prayers are still with those who have lost loved ones and had their lives leveled in a single blow.

Moving from that natural disaster and reminiscing on another, the tornado at Parker Dam.

Fortunately, due to no loss in life and because of the remote location, most people don’t know a tornado even hit Parker Dam State Park in Clearfield County.  But it did!  On May 31, 1985 an EF4 tornado leveled about 100 miles of state forest with winds of up to 260 miles per hour.  It even pulled the water right out of the creeks.  Dad said, as far as he could see up and down the hills, trees were flattened.  “It was as if someone clear cut the woods” and left behind splinters in the wake.  “You could see all the way up and down the ridge.  It was something else.”

There were other outbreaks of tornadoes on the same day in Pennsylvania, and the one that hit Parker Dame was the longest lived, staying on the ground for a distance of 69 miles in an hour and a half, reaching Clearfield, Clinton, and Centre counties.  It was one of four EF4 tornadoes to touch down in Pennsylvania on that very same day.  A state who is no stranger to tornadoes, but not really accustomed to the natural disaster either, experienced a major change in the ordinary.

Parker Lake at Parker Dam State Park

Granted, the tornadoes that touched down in Pennsylvania don’t even compare to the Oklahoma tornado, yet the awesomeness of God’s had is still amazing.  Luckily, there weren’t a lot of people in the park when the tornado struck, with the exception of a few campers and a boy scout troop to tell the tale.

The really amazing thing was the zero death toll!  The tornado went right over the camp of boy scouts without touching them!  Granted it ripped off parts of the roof from the octagon shaped building, yet they all returned unscathed.  The boy scouts held onto the doorways and their troop leaders for support, while the massive twister hovered over them and ripped down trees and power lines.  I read an article about the 25th anniversary, commemorating their survival.   To that day, they commented on the locomotive sound that hit them fast and seemingly out of nowhere.  Without shortage of memory, they detailed the events from that day.  That is one of those moments that have stayed with them and always will.  I can only imagine!

Everyone credits the octagon shaped building the boy scouts were hunkered down in, for the reason of their survival.  They feel the way the winds were whipping over them and the unique shape of the building gave them safety.  Perhaps, but if God didn’t want them to live, they wouldn’t have had a chance, even from a sturdy structure.

The Octagon lodge the boy scouts hunkered down in while the EF4 tornado swept over them on May 31, 1985. They all survived!

It took rescuers days before they were able to rescue the survivors, because of their location and all the ground debris.  Frightful as the event was during the tornado and equally as chilling as their tales, I still love hearing those survivor stories!  They are full of hope and faith!  Not to mention, it puts everything in life into perspective.

Today, you can still walk through the recovering tornado ravaged woods.  Naturally, the trees came back, all at different rates, but nature took care of its own.  Parker Dam is another piece of heaven on earth with the green luscious woods, wild animals running free and creeks full of fish.  Yep, pure heaven, maybe with the exception of the mosquitoes.

I guess we’re all going back to camp and fish and just plain chill out.  Seriously, can’t wait!

Parker Dam History

Finding the origins of Parker Dam interesting, I thought I’d share some fun facts I’ve read on the state park.  Some information came from Wikipedia, and some I read on the signs at Parker Dam, and some from online articles.

Construction of the 968-acre state park really started in 1794 with the removal of trees, to eventually leading to the need to reforest the lands by the Civilian Conservation Corps.  During the Great Depression, in the 1930’s the real construction of the buildings and such began, giving us Parker Dam State Park, of Huston Township in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania.

Surrounding the state park is the Moshannon State Forest.  Many critters call the park home including the ovenbird, American redstart, turkey, beaver (which I saw on my last adventure to the park), white-tailed deer, bears (which dad has hunted), coyotes, foxes, bobcats, porcupines (better not tell Scooby Scooby Meets a Porcupine) and elk.  Pretty much a stranger to Pennsylvania, I guess elk have settled in the remote areas of the local counties and are now among the inhabitants sometimes spotted there.

So now to the reason for the name, Parker Dam.  Laurel Run was dammed up to make the man made Parker Lake.   This 20-acre lake is usually the centerpiece of picnicking, fishing and even swimming on the sandy beach.  Yes, they have a small beach on the one side of the lake for families to cool down and splash around.  Sorry Seven and Scooby, no dogs allowed!

During fishing season, the lake can be outlined by many trying to catch their prize largemouth bass, various species of trout and catfish.   Evidently, the lake is open in the winter, once frozen over, for ice fishing and ice skating.

As I’ve mentioned hunting is permitted in designated areas of the Park as per the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

Also something else I found interesting and didn’t know.  As per Wikipedia

Parker Dam State Park is the western trailhead of the Quehanna Trail System.  This trail is about 75 miles (121 km) long and meanders its way through the surrounding state forests. The Quehanna Trail connects with the Susquehannock Trail near Sinnemahoning State Park.  Backpackers are not permitted to camp overnight at the park. The trails are open to cross-country skiing during the winter months.

Everyone should visit a State Park!  You’ll be surprised at the peace nature can bring to the soul.

A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he knows something.  ~Wilson Mizner

Chad on the left, dad on the right and Uncle Sonny & Jeremy behind him on the left. At Shober’s camp near Parker Dam c.1987

Recently, my family and I took a mini camping and fishing vacation to Parker Dam State Park, just staying the duration of the weekend.  Evidently, we are going back in a few weeks but this time Aunt Nikki is gracing us with her presence.

Going there as a child, I enjoyed revisiting the area, revisiting forgotten memories.  The Schober’s, good friends of the family had a camp in that area, not far from the entrance to Parker Dam.  We used to go up there along with my Uncle Sonny and my cousins as well as family friends to camp out, fish and hunt.  It was always a lot of fun, camping with other kids, making mountain pies, catching fish, spotting bear and sitting by the camp fire.  This time my experience included setting up our temporary residence in lot #90 with our camper, the dogs, my cat and spotting a beaver.  Yep, even after all these years, still equally as fun!

The entire time, dad was reminiscing about us camping among the state park and all his hunting and fishing trips.  Out of nowhere dad would comment, “I got a big bear back in that part of the woods.”  or “We used to catch big trout out of that lake.” or “Ryan and I used to fish in that creek.”  Actually, it was fun to hear dad comment on all the activities I was not apart of, and the ones I forgot about.

Kyle really enjoyed hearing the tails, especially coming from his pappy.  Probably because it’s so unusual to hear dad go into a story, even though they didn’t include much elaboration, not like me and mom when telling stories.  Still, hearing the stores shoot straight out of dad’s mouth even captured my attention.  I could tell dad really enjoyed talking about Ryan, Kyle’s dad.  And we enjoyed listening.

Ryan & Chad wrestling at Shober’s camp. Near Parker Dam c. 1987

Dad reiterated a few times, (being an understatement) throughout the weekend about Ryan loosing his buck knife in the woods.  This seriously seemed to bother dad greatly because he mentioned it, no joke, at least a dozen times.  Apparently, Ryan went up to Parker Dam to hunt and wanted to take his brand new buck knife.  The one dad got him.  Dad didn’t want him to take the knife, saying he didn’t need it, however, Ryan had other plans.  While moving through the woods, it fell off of Ryan’s belt and was lost forever.  As Kyle and I were listening from the front seat of the truck, dad said, “He just had to take it.  I told him not to and then he lost it.  O, well, I guess he really liked that knife.”  Kyle gave me a sideways grin because Kyle does the same sort of thing, not listen to sound advice when he has his heart set on his plans.  Kyle’s notorious for taking objects on adventures that were advised not to.  I guess like father, like son.

The whole weekend dad would pipe up saying, “I wish I could find that knife.  I know about the area he lost it.  Ryan said he looked for it but couldn’t find it, course your daddy didn’t look so good.”  as he made eye contact with Kyle.  That’s true too, Kyle doesn’t look so good either when he is looking for something or tracking it down.  It would be right in front of his face and never see it.  Just like Ryan!  Later on, dad said, “Naturally I felt bad about him loosing his knife, I went and got him another one for Christmas.”  Kyle shot me the orneriest grin after that comment.  Dad does the same for Kyle!  Good old pappy has replaced so many items Kyle lost or broke over the years, and Kyle knows his pappy will always do it.  They are all peas in a pod!

So somewhere in the  968-acre Parker Dam State Park is Ryan’s buck knife, unless it found a new home.  Although, dad swears he knows the general location of the crime scene, again it could have ended up lining the pockets of another.  One day, I would love to trek into those woods, once hiked by Ryan, with a metal detector and see if I could find it.  Dad would die happy.  I could tell he would no doubt give it to Kyle with pride.

Sometimes its the little items that bring back the biggest memories and really put things into perspective.  Can’t wait for our next family adventure!

Terrorism has once again shown it is prepared deliberately to stop at nothing in creating human victims.  An end must be put to this.  As never before, it is vital to unite forces of the entire world community against terror.  ~Vladimir Putin

Yesterday was a typical Monday.  I went to work, got things done, maneuvering through the day like any other, waiting impatiently to leave and pick up my little man for piano lessons, then the Breaking News alerts went off on my phone.  Boston Marathon bombing!  What?  Are you kidding me?

Pulling up the news on my laptop, there were already articles and news stories of this horrific event.  Seriously, I was in awe and my mind was colliding with reality.  I know the tragedy off 9/11 was not that long ago, but I guess I got into a safe zone, I got comfortable with daily life, secure.  I’m really not sure why that is, I mean I know North Korea is itching to launch a nuclear weapon at us and let’s face it, the war in the middle east is far from over.  But as I read on, my security turned into uncertainty, then horror, especially when I found out it was an act of terrorism.

Yesterday, Monday April 15, 2013, the day when most American’s are rushing to get their taxes post marked, the world was stopped by an unnecessary affliction, to again innocent people.  At the finish line of the Boston Marathon, a shrapnel-studded bomb was planted and another 50 to 100 yards away.  The first explosion happened at 2:50 pm, roughly five hours after the marathon began.  Then, as I read through the uncovered information being uploaded as it was made available to the general public, there was a third explosion occurring near the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, several miles southeast of the marathon’s finish line, in Columbia Point Sector of Dorchester, around 4:15 pm.  What is going on?

All the eye witness reports were gruesome, commenting on missing limbs from the victims and reports of someone’s leg flying past them.  What a horrible sight!  As far as I’ve read, three people perished and 144 were injured.

At that moment, I just wanted to talk to my family, especially Kyle.  We are roughly 550 miles, about nine or ten hours from the incident, so it was not personal fear we were in any immediate danger, but it does makes you realize just how vulnerable we are and how quickly life can change.  I am a walking testament to that, that life can change drastically in the blink of an eye whether you want it to or not.  God’s the only one in control and I respect that.

Soon after taking in the news, I received a text message from Kyle saying he wasn’t feeling well.  My poor little man.  I called and talked to him, which is not the same as seeing him but I will take what I can get.  He said he had a headache all day in school and he felt nauseous.  Hearing his misery, I ended the conversation shortly after it started, allowing him to get rest, even though I wanted to continue talking to him.

After I hung up the phone, I wondered how I would explain this to Kyle?  How am I to convey the importance of physical fitness and the fun of a race in the face of this horror?  Kyle used to like to run, when he was too little to know any better I guess.  But times have changed and he has told me he doesn’t like to run and wants nothing to do with it.  I’ve been trying to sign him up for small races locally for years now, and he has been resisting.  He will certainly use this in his favor, not be smart, but sincerely because he would be afraid.  Living in fear is not one of my traits, but I’ll admit this will definitely stick in the back of my mind.  Considering the next big marathon is the Pittsburgh Marathon.  Maybe that’s what the bombers wanted, to just cause sheer fear and chaos.  They never asked for a ransom or voiced a political cause.  What is the reason?

Even this morning as I was reading the news and looking to see what new information was released, I found out that yesterday marked the 238th annual Patriot’s Day, commemorating the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord at the beginning of the Revolutionary War in Boston.  Was this the reason for the demonstration?  Or was it completely unrelated?

The read the FBI raided an apartment of a suspect in the bombing, but nothing concrete yet.  In fact, no one is taking credit for the bombing, not even Pakistani Taliban, who has threaten to bomb the United States in the past.

As I was writing this blog post, I received another Breaking News alert on my phone, “At Least 40 Reported Dead After Massive Iran Quake.  And so another day begins.  Prayers and thoughts go out to anyone facing tragedy, friend or foe.  God Speed!

If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.  ~Margaret Thatcher

Any woman who understands the problems of running a home will be nearer to understanding the problems of running a country.  ~Margaret Thatcher

Democratic nations must try and find ways to starve the terrorist and the hijacker of the oxygen of publicity on which they depend.  ~Margaret Thatcher

I do not know anyone who has got to the top without hard work.  That is the recipe.  It will not always get  you to the top, but should get you pretty near.  ~Margaret Thatcher

Yesterday morning, Margaret Hilda (Roberts) Thatcher passed away from a stroke at the age of 87.  As of presently, Thatcher was the only female prime minister in Britain’s history remaining in office for 11 years from 1979 to 1990.  Dubbed the Iron Lady, I believed she was best known for challenging the socialist traditions and leaving behind a lean government, paving the way for London to later be a major player in the global financial market.

Personally I respected her for not being a feminist and simply promoting hard work.  She truly was a testament to that, coming from a humble background being a grocer’s daughter, she worked her way to the Prime Minister position.  Not an easy task, but no one can deny, that through her decisions and basic common sense, she helped pull Britain out of an economic crisis, making the country stronger.

Much like her late friend and political counterpart Ronald Reagan, she wanted to see people flourish and build a better country through free markets, without the interference of a central government.  Don’t get me wrong, government has its place, but not to make daily decisions for people and rule their health, their religious choices and control their livelihood.  Thatcher, much like our former president, would get to the heart of the problem, uncover it and tackle it to the end.  A common sense approach.

What is so commendable is her love for her own country.  I get that.  She was like a momma bear protecting her cubs.  As reported by Fox News:

Thatcher was at her brashest when Britain was challenged. When Argentina’s military junta seized the remote Falklands Islands from Britain in 1982, she did not hesitate even though her senior military advisers said it might not be feasible to reclaim the islands.

She simply would not allow Britain to be pushed around, particularly by military dictators, said Ingham, who recalls the Falklands War as the tensest period of Thatcher’s three terms in power. When diplomacy failed, she dispatched a military task force that accomplished her goal, despite the naysayers.

Margaret Thatcher opened the doors to new opportunities with Mikhail Gorbachev, but more importantly peace in a Soviet era.  Kind of ironic with all the upheaval she caused when breaking up of the unions.  However, looking at it now, necessary for the better future of the people of Britain.

It’s no secret that my dad loved Margaret Thatcher.  Unlike myself, who was just a youngster during her leadership, dad followed her career and saw the results of her decisions.  Dad loved her direct demeanor and headstrong way for standing her ground and for doing what was right.  I personally loved Thatcher’s faith and persistence.  She paved the way for others to follow suit like Tony Blair, who also adopted some of her ideas and methods.

Margaret Thatcher had so many more accomplishments.  I just hope her example for doing what was hard, yet right, be mimicked with other leaders.  Rest in peace!

October 13, 1925 – April 8, 2013

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?  ~Matthew 8:23-27

Watching tropical storm Sandy, turning into hurricane Sandy has been exciting, especially since Sandy shot up the coastline and made a direct hit for New York, Pennsylvania and the Washington D.C. areas.  Technically speaking it ultimately covered a third of the nation.  In fact, the news reported that they closed down the transit system in New York and the tunnels so no one was allowed in our out, including the stock market.   Now I am not a cynical person and I don’t like to see damage and destruction happen to anyone, but this has been exciting!  Just tracking the storm and watching it as it slowly crept upward and moved toward our area was something to experience.  I don’t ever remember being the red section on the weather channel map before, at least not for a hurricane.  I guess this is our first hurricane since the 1930’s and before that it happened a century earlier.  Over the years we’ve experienced the backlashes and the after effects of such destructive storms, but nothing like this.  Sandy moved up the through the water and made a left hand turn to enter the land over our area.  What an historical event!

Actually, I found out how historic the weather has turned out to be.  Besides being humorously coined Frankenstorm or Superstorm, Sandy is also being called the perfect storm.  What?  Yep!  So now my question is, ‘What makes it a perfect storm?’.  From my understanding the last perfect storm we had was in October of 1991 off of Massachusetts.  It’s the trifecta of bad maxed out storm conditions, basically the combination of the hurricane (high pressure and low pressure), along with the nor’easter coming form the west.  I guess it was puzzling meteorologists because no one has ever seen anything like this.  The winds and rain certainly qualified as a hurricane but no hurricane has ever produced a blizzard before, they are usually warm weather storms.

Speaking of a storm a brewing, Kyle wasn’t feeling very well last night.  He said his tummy was upset and hurting.  He didn’t even turn on the TV as we sat in my living-room, he just asked me to read to him before his piano lessons.  He didn’t even want anything to eat.  I felt so bad for my little man, Kyle really wasn’t himself.  He said he felt sick as soon as he got home from school.  Hopefully it will pass with minimal damage, just like Sandy.  I know Kyle was excited for the two hour delay this morning.  He even flashed me an ornery grin when the comment was made.  Although his class was suppose to have their field trip to the symphony today, maybe it will be rescheduled.

During, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, Casey called and was checking in on the “deer slayer”.  Living in West Virginia near Snowshoe, Casey was getting hit with snow, hard!  I heard they received a couple of feet of fresh, white snow in some places.  After Kyle got off the phone with Casey he said, “When are we getting snow?”  I said, “Hopefully soon!”  Kyle really started thinking and said, “Why are they getting all the snow and we aren’t?”  That’s funny, Kyle wasn’t worried about the hurricane, he wanted to be hit with a blizzard.  Can’t say that I blame him after the lack of snow from last season.

While driving home after Kyle’s lessons the reality of the storm was evident.  Wow!  The wind and the rain were crazy scary!  I’ll admit I didn’t see any trees down but there were electrical lines hanging along the road.  As far as I know, we were only touched by the outermost parts of the hurricane if any at all.  Just seeing the indirect damage Sandy caused really hit home and made me truly appreciate the power of God.  I can’t imagine those poor souls feeling the direct effects of a hurricane.

Kyle doesn’t handle bad weather well.  As we were driving he mentioned a few times, “Ok Aunt Heather let’s go a lot slower since there’s so much rain.”  I know an eleven year old is telling me how to drive, but I don’t care.  He was just being concerned and safe.  All I could respond was, “You’re right buddy. We’ll take it easy, we don’t want to drive through a swimming pool sized puddle.”  Through our travels, Kyle started picking my brain for my limited knowledge about hurricanes.  He was asking me about Sandy and where it’s going to hit.  During the day as we were tracking the storm’s whereabouts, it hadn’t hit land yet. Even though the coastline along the Carolina’s showed major damage from the winds, rain and waves.

Kyle grabbed my phone and looked up Fox news for the Breaking News alerts.  He sat there and scrolled down through the stories and gave me little highlights.  At one point he turned to me and said, “It hit land!”  Just to keep Kyle from additional worry, I said in a very blasé tone, “O ya? Wonder how your Aunt Nikki is doing?”  Kyle turned to me and said “Umm she’s good, remember I talked to her earlier.  She sounded good.”  That almost make me take a second glance because in crisis situations Kyle’s the first one reaching out to family, ensuring all is well in his world.  As to not start a panic, I replied, “Ya your probably right.”  Well, I got him home safe and did the same for myself before retiring for the night.

This morning, the status of hurricane Sandy turned back into a tropical storm.  My thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been effected by the hurricane.  God Speed.

I think that we all know what evil is. We have a sense of what’s evil, and certainly killing innocent people is evil. We’re less sure about what is good. There’s sort of good, good enough, could be better – but absolute good is a little harder to define.  ~Madeleine Albright

I’ve been wanting to address the movie theater massacre since the story unfolded.  Just to recap, on July 20, 2012, a mass shooting occurred at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado during a midnight premier of Batman – Dark Knight Rises.   A gunman, who was later identified as James Holmes, went inside to watch the movie, left half way through to get dressed in tactical clothing (including a bulletproof vest), then re-entered the theater through a back entrance, set off tear gas canisters and began shooting at the viewers.  Eventually he killed 12 people and injured more than 58 innocent bystanders.  He was arrested shortly after committing the atrocity, but never gave an explanation for his outburst.

First and foremost, my heart bleeds for those who were unfortunately involved in the shooting.  My thoughts and prayers goes out those family members who were forced to deal with this disaster.  May the victims rest-in-peace.

It happened late at night, so by the next morning the story was out and everyone was trying to get their minds wrapped around the incidence. Because this is breaking news, I have push notifications on my phone coming from Fox News.  After work on Friday, I picked Kyle up at his friends house, where he was playing all day.  As we were on our way home, my phone dinged and he picked it up to check the alert.  He checks my text messages and anytime the phone ‘dings’ to help me out when I’m driving.  Plus I think he likes to stay current on news and he knows about the alerts set on my phone.  The ‘Breaking News’ title said “Movie Theater Massacre Conference”.  Kyle read it out loud and said gave a puzzled look, just as I was mumbling to myself, “What a shame and those poor innocent people.  They didn’t even have a chance to defend themselves.”

Kyle asked me what happened, since he obviously didn’t see the news and had no idea, I tried to explain as best I could from what I knew.  While I was describing the actions of the gunman, I was really nervous over Kyle’s reaction.  I didn’t want him to become scared of going to the movies.  As I was going through the story, Kyle just sat there taking it in.  Usually he starts off with ten thousand questions, but not this time.  He just listened and didn’t comment until after I said, “It’s such a shame, that’s not right.  Those poor people just wanted to enjoy a movie.  What now? Do I have to go to the movie theater packing?”  Kyle said, “Packing?”  I smiled and replied, “With a gun to protect myself.”  Kyle said, “Maybe” and I quickly debunked his thought with more details over the shooting.  I said, “Except the people in the theater thought it was a prank or part of the movie ’cause it happened right in the middle of an action scene.  The killer set off smoke canisters and no one understood or knew what was going on.  Not to mention the gunman was wearing a bulletproof vest.  Plus a stray bullet went through the wall of the movie theater and shot someone in the adjacent theater.  He was targeting those trying to exit.”

Still nervous over Kyle’s real reaction and trying to not to omit the violent details, he finally said, “Ya Aunt Heather they didn’t know.”  He seemed to understand the story, well at least as much as any one of us did, which wasn’t much.  I told him what I heard that the movie theaters are going to employ new rules and guidelines for letting people in the theaters.  I also commented on the restriction of props and costumes for those who get dressed up in support of a blockbuster.  It’s a shame one person had to ruin everyone’s entertainment for no reason.

Keeping the conversation going, I told Kyle about the lone assassin’s apartment.  Later on, the police found out that Holmes actually booby trapped his apartment with bombs to go off in case the police would decide to storm his home.  What the heck?  Trying to shorten the lives of those who are protecting innocent people?  As I continued on while Kyle listened very attentively, I became very enraged just thinking that the killer didn’t even know his victims and they didn’t know him.

Finally Kyle asked about the location of the shooting to confirm it wasn’t local.  At one point, I realized I never told Kyle what movie was playing.  We both had been talking about Batman – Dark Knight Rises, just like the rest of the world, since they started shooting the movie in Pittsburgh and all the way leading up to the release.  When I told him it was Batman, Kyle sat there really quiet.  I interrupted his thoughts by saying, “I still want to see the movie, I heard it’s really good.  Plus it was made in our backyard.”  Kyle just nodded his head in agreement.

Trying to explain the unexplainable to a ten year old is not easy.  I want to protect his mind, but I also want him to have a sense of reality and know the news ar0und him.  At this point, I couldn’t help my self and did just as the news did, comparing the Columbine High School massacre to this one.  Naturally, the comparison was going to happen because of the close proximity of locations, and the amount of loss.  The Columbine High School massacre happened on April 20, 1999.  When I was telling Kyle about this dent in history, I really couldn’t remember when it happened, but I could tell you how I felt when I saw the news that day.  Giving him a very brief explanation, he didn’t have much to say.

While I was on the topic, I wanted to discuss the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, but at that moment, there was enough bloodshed for one conversation.  I thought about the shooting, but chose to stop and change gears.  I am aware how blessed I am blessed to be able to change my thoughts and the conversation as I wanted, unlike those poor victims in Colorado.  They never had a choice.

Not to say that these types of tragedies are good, not at all, but I always feel that there’s some good that comes out of them.  After the dust has settled and the victims are getting used to their new adjusted lives, the hero stories seem to make their way to the headlines, rightfully.  Hearing stories of bravery and the desire to survive and help our fellow neighbor is very inspirational.  It goes back to my belief, that there is more good in the world than not.  Give people a chance to shine and do the right thing, especially in the face of evil, they will choose to do good and be selfless every time.  May God bless all the friends and families of the victims and give them strength to live on.