bang bang, shake shake, we're dead

i have a crazy arsenal of weapons in my home... i call it crazy because there's no need for me to have them, and they can be used for some pretty epic destruction.

but, so can my car.

in fact, if you think about it, gasoline only has one purpose - to burn.  be it a slow burn or the explosions found in the cylinders of engine, the only real purpose for gas is destructive.

we just know how to behave around it.  we know not to smoke at gas pumps, we know not to pour gas on a fire (or, at least we should know better).  and for that rare oddball who uses gas to start a fire around the idea of hurting others, we blame the crazy arsonist.

we as a nation suffered a tragedy on July 20th, 2012.  the alleged actions of James Holmes are nothing short of horrific.  from here the media will milk every bit of drama from it, using big words and pictures and even lies to strike fear into our hearts because it makes them money.

subsequently, we as a nation are again victims, of hype and fear... and a media who is trying to keep us 'informed'.

don't be fooled by it.  the media does what it does to keep your attention - because it makes them money.  just like any dramatic person and their spin on life, they want attention.  sure, the media may have a political agenda, but their first job is money and from drama they make it.

drama.... and what is drama?  drama is an action that tries to invoke reaction, or the following reaction from said action.  we've all seen it from men who try to be a big deal and women who spin their lives into something it's really not.  big talkers, with their big problems.  drama is the reason why a 'secret admirer' is now a 'stalker'.  drama when combined with ego is why men blow their fortunes trying to impress women, then other men with all the attention they get from women.  drama.

and usually, it's the most dramatic people who claim to least enjoy it... but then they use excuses to stick with it.  when the truth is, you don't have to spend time with your family or friends who cause it.  doesn't mean you don't love each other any less... but you don't need the drama... walk away....

...and do it without telling anyone.  it's when you tell people about problems, that you are the source of the drama.

just like the media - the media is going to tell us all about the horrific nightmare that the 100+ people in that theater experienced.  and it was horror.  not fake Jason Vorhees, but real life.

and now we know, we don't need to rehash it over and over and over and over.

the man was crazy, he was a rare occurrence like an earthquake.  some will argue that removing guns from the world will stop men like him.  this argument is similar to saying that if we don't let anyone live in california then no one will die from earthquakes.

i'm not writing today to debate gun control, i'm really trying to make the point that we are all becoming victims of hype.

i'd like to think we're all smart enough to know that life will not run perfectly.  someone you know will get sick, someone you know will be in a car accident, someone you know will have a fire... and eventually, we are all going to die.

yes, it's important to live safely and happily.  and you should do what you feel is best to keep yourself and those you love safe and happy.

but just as the odds are small my car is going to explode from the gas in it, the odds are even less that any of the 250 million gun owners are going to go mass-murderer, and the odds are probably higher that you'll die in an earthquake living in california.

most of the gun owners i know don't even see their guns, mine have been in a basement storage locker for years, and really they're just an example of money wasted as a youth.  boys will be boys, sometimes we like to go out and shred up a tree with bullets and call it 'target practice'.  we do it with big guns so we can feel like some kind of superhero, just like girls dress up and play princess.  but the vast majority of men grow up to know that guns are a tool, like a hammer, like a stapler, and they respect them or just let them it.

and, i think we all know that while most women like to dress up, it's the rare few who will leave the house wearing a gown and a tiara.

life will be back to normal soon, and time mends all wounds.  we should not forget what happened, but we should not let ourselves fall victim to the horror he caused.  let's not give the 'joker' the satisfaction of impacting our lives.