When You Shoot a Revolver, You Have One Finger That Pulls the Trigger, But the Other Four Fingers Are Pointing Back at You . . . Are You Going to Shoot Love or Hate . . . What You Shoot, Will Come Back to You Four Fold!
When I bought my son, Elliot, his first, bright red, shiny electric guitar, the one condition I put on his music, if I were to purchase the instrument, was that he didn't do anything, through his lyrics, songs, that would cause someone to lose their faith in God . . . that was it. So, when he named one of his bands, God's Revolver, I was delighted, for the symbolism that it represented, whether, at a subconscious level, or intended level of recognition, with that being a gun or weapon, being used either with the power to protect, or the power to destroy. The word, Revolver, is much like the words, revolution, evolve, in and of the fact that it contains, while backward, the word, love. While Dylann Root, went to the Emanuel Church, joining a scripture study group, with a bunch of people, who welcomed him into their group with open arms, extending love and acceptance, he returned their kindness, with hatred, violence, and death. As, these family members, mourn their losses, they are sustained and determined to carry on with the teachings, they all have taken to heart, loved, forgave, and implemented the very teachings one of their ministers, who died, had taught them so well.
Dylann, on the other hand, will get the four fingers of the guns he used to carry out his message of hated, discrimination, and prejudice, using George Zimmerman as a model, for his life changed, stating that he knew that Zimmerman was right . . . right in tracking down, and shooting an unarmed black teen, who was just in the gated community, to visit his father? I am sure, that he will feel the full weight of the law, all four fingers, dropping on his head, even while the family members shot him full of love and forgiveness. We as parents, teachers, communities, courts, churches, need to get it right, teach children right, and promote, love, rather than hate . . . which brings me to the flag, flying over the state Capitol Building, one of rebellion, prejudice, discrimination, separation, division, hanging onto the old man, refusing to be baptized in the cleansing waters of repentance for errors in our thinking and ways!
Presidential candidates, have weighed in on the issue of the flag . . . and many of them have tied it to religious freedom? Freedom to do what, to be what, to treat our fellow men and women as what? To many blacks that I heard comment on the TV this morning, on Face the Nation, they said, that they were offended by the flag, that it connoted hate for black people, dating back to the very turbulent and violent times of the 1960 race riots . . . now what is positive with that? I love the scripture, since some are referring to religious freedom, and connecting that to the flag, flying the rebel colors of hatred, that states, how can you say, you love God, someone you have not seen, when you can't love people that you can see? Or how about, God is no respecter of persons . . . black, white, male, female, Jew, Gentile? Or to state it in a more secular words of the founding fathers, to form a more perfect union, there will be tranquility, with general welfare, a common defense, justice for all, prosperity for me and my posterity . . . or to me, just simply, God's gospel, the gospel of good news, of love, of simplicity, of charity, which is the love of Christ!
And what exactly are those promoters of, so called, religious freedom promoting? I would say, the total opposite of what it appears that they are seeking, but the legislative right to hate, discriminate, be prejudice, and segregate, whether it be against, performing interracial marriages, or gay marriages, to refuse to serve or do business with, people, they have judged, to be different, have differing ideas, lifestyles, or backgrounds, or life orientations than they, themselves have! As I recall, from Sunday School, Christ said, Judge not that ye be not judged! Or did I miss something, and was lacking in my religious education. Some have argued with me over the years, that they have a right to do righteous judgements? In my study of the law, whether it be, religious or secular, there are generally exceptions, or escape clauses, where a person, if they can fit through the eye of a needle, another religious analogy for the rich, they can act, say, or be different from the general rule, of not judging others, and escape either the wrath of God, or the ire of the law and courts.
For some reason, I don't see a loop hole, wiggle room, or weasel words, in that statement that would allow for a person to judge another person . . . the word, righteous judgement is not included in that very short, but powerful clause and sentence. And I think, if we were to look at it through the eyes of statutory, for these were the laws of the time, the scriptures, first, looking at the plain language of the statute or law . . . God, says precisely what he intended to say, don't fucking judge other people, or you will be judged, just as harshly as you have judged others! Maybe God's intent is hidden somewhere in those words . . . I don't see it, but maybe you do? Or the history, which we may look to the lady caught in adultery, and Christ never even looks up at her accusers, many whom probably used her services or took advantage of her, themselves, those little self righteous elders of the Jews . . . and he simply said, He who is without sin, cast the first stone. Woman, where are thine accusers? Go and sin no more. Or the child that was brought to Jesus to be healed, and the Pharisees and the Sadducee's, asked Jesus, who was about to heal the child, whether it was his parents, or the child whom sinned, causing this ailment . . . Jesus Christ, said, Neither . . . I have done this to show my power! And he healed the child, and the parents, rejoiced!
This is Not a Gun Control Issue . . . It is a Love/Hate Issue!
We can all say, were are Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and we can all say, we are Dylann Root! We need to root out all the old preconceived notions of hatred, doing what we personally feel is right and wrong, and hold to law, scripture, common sense, dignity, morals, and love! That is where our safety will be found . . . build your rock, or your life, on a firm foundation, solid ground, not on sand, but on rock, so when the winds come, when the rains come and the battles of life, like loved ones, good people, community and church leaders, are gunned down, in a scripture study, nonetheless, we have the fortitude, the moxy, the balls, to pick ourselves up and go forward. But, better yet, when we feel an urge to be right, to take matters into our hands, to be hateful, to be judgmental, we have an arsenal of proper thoughts, right actions, balance, and catch phrases, that we can draw out of the wells of life, the water of life, or the spirit of love, and change ourselves, transforming hatred, under the guise of religious freedom, into love, as we are commanded to do.
I have said this in the past, guns are amoral, it is like beauty, it is all in the eyes of the beholder--you can use a gun for good or bad, for love or hate--use is in the hands of the holder . . . a gun is a symbol of protection, self-sufficiency, a deterrent to crime, an easy night sleep, the second amendment states that we need militias and the right to bear arms, just in case they are needed against foreign invasions, or domestic rebellions and insurrections. You can't tell me, that there have not been times in history, or will never be times in history, that the federal government, with the states as a balance of power, does not get out of control, carried away with the strong central government, and stepped on people's rights. Case in point, while I think Bundy should pay or be forced, through legal means, putting a lien on his ranch, or arrest the asshole, but for the BLM, to go in and round up Cliven Bundy's cattle, stomp on his son's head, surround the ranch house with 200 jack booted thugs, NO! And so what the world witnessed, were individuals, militia, and members of groups, protecting private property rights of Bundy, and forcing the feds to stand down . . . again, you can't have anarchy, no rule of law, and do nothing to a welfare rancher, or squatter. There are other methods of collecting those fees . . . Bundy holds the keys! But make the sum he owes, within reason! Fuck the surecharge!
If Parents, the Village, Don't Teach Children the Law . . . The Law Will!
I am not sure how old, Dylann is, but I know, that I would rather, either be one of the persons shot, or my family member shot, than to be either Dylann, or his parents! I can't imagine, and hope I never have to deal with the possibility, of being on either side of what happened in Charleston, and so far, I don't think, there are any of the tale, tale signs, of violent natures in any of my children--and I am unaware of any gun permits, or they don't want me to know--no cruelty to animals, no extremists, no white supremacists, nor terrorists . . . me, now that is another story, but I have common sense, and realize that even though I may want to kill people at times, I am smart enough, not to purchase a firearm! LOL! They scare the shit out of me! I do, however, have a temper, and go from zero to bitch faster than most people! My mother used to say, after I took a decorative brush to my brother's head, after he tore my religious children's magazine, and cracked him over the head, causing a nasty cut, that needed stitches, that I looked like an angel, but acted like the devil, at times . . . but, of course I have outgrown that?
The unexamined life, is not worth living . . . this morning, some news reporter, interviewed 50 men who were in prison for killing someone, and almost without exception, they wished they had not even purchased a firearm or gun . . . to thine own self be true . . . if you don't know guns, or you were not raised with them, or you need them to compensate for insecurities, or other issues, don't even go there. On the other hand, if you live out in the wilds, or the wild inner city, and you are old, frail, and likely to have intruders in your home, protect yourselves. I still remember, a 96 years old, black grandma, who used to carry a gun in her apron at all times, living downtown Chicago, in a drug and crime ridden neighborhood, and she had two thugs, come through her window, on a hot summer night, looking to rob her for drug money . . . she shot and killed both of them! And rightly so, they were in her house, and she needed protection, and the cops would never have come that fast. There are reasons to have guns and reasons not to have guns. THINK, THINK, THINK!
Dylann will most likely spend the rest of his life in prison, or he could be tried as an adult, or he may be one, and he might face the death penalty, if that state has one. None of those options seems to great to me, and we need to watch for troubling thoughts, beliefs, issues that come up with our children, watch a propensity for violence, hate, and stupid ideologies, that might cause our children, neighbor's children, relatives children a shit load of pain, if they act on their young, but misguided beliefs. One thing I will say, is parents can't expect or leave religious teachings up to the schools, for sure, or even churches for that matter, they have to take it upon themselves, to teach their kids, wanted or unwanted, or give them to someone who can teach, love and take care of them. In order to live in a lawful society, we need laws, and those laws, people, need to be respected, safe, and protected. Only you can prevent violence and death, or we as families, schools, churches, communities, must fill in the gaps, and teach love not hate!
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