Close To Home The Bullets Fly

Today, at least three people are dead from a mass shooting at the Jacksonville Landing in downtown Jacksonville FL.  My family and I live less than 3 miles southeast from the Landing.

My daughter and I were 3 blocks directly north of the Landing near the time of the shooting.  We went to Chamblin's Uptown to purchase two books. Upon exiting the store I suggested we go for a walk thinking it was such a beautiful day, but for some unknown reason I changed my mind and we headed north to get in our car to return home.  If I drove directly south we would have been at the Landing shortly after shooting. However, we went east then south to go over the St. Johns River, which the Landing sits near.  As we approached the bridge a fire and rescue vehicle without its siren nor lights on nearly ran a red light.  At the time I thought of the irony that I may have collided with the vehicle and possibly been hurt.  It was only when I got home that I learned of the news, which obviously explained the driver's behavior.

Sadly, this is another bad day for America as we once again confront gun violence.  Unless something changed, the gun lobby believes more gun owners with more guns is the answer. IT IS NOT!

My last post shows there is a direct correlation of gun owners to gun deaths.  In short, more gun owners = more gun related deaths and I blame the gun industry and our elected officials.  More specifically, I blame:

1. Executives within the gun industry for:
• Promoting gun ownership with nary a word on gun safety and 
• Seeking to influence our government for their benefit and to our collective demise,
2. Elected representatives for: 
• Enacting laws and or 
• Not enacting laws to protect our freedoms, but instead ultimately benefit their donors and themselves, and
3. Gun owners for either:
• Failing to advocate fellow gun owners and the gun industry promote gun safety to demonstrate respect for their fellow being/American (even though they themselves may be responsible as 99% seem) or
• Failing to demonstrate responsible gun ownership (the remaining 1% when including all gun related violence).

I think it is more than reasonable to expect one day that the gun manufacturers could become subject to class action lawsuits for its irresponsible behavior – promoting gun ownership while arguably influencing our elected officials to relax legislation that would promote and enforce responsible gun ownership to ensure and to protect our freedoms of life, liberty and pursuit happiness.