Tag: alllivesmatter

Race, The Final Frontier

We live in a wondrous age with more personal rights than any time in history. No longer are we bound by the circumstances we are born into. More than any other nation, we are the land of opportunity and anyone can become anything they aspire to be. We can change everything about ourselves with one notable exception, our race.

Just think about the options you have in your life here. You are not bound by your geography, you may move about freely. You are not bound by your social class, you may rise to any status you desire. You can learn any skill, vocation or trade that you want. You are free to choose your religion. You may change your physical appearance. You may change your name. You may change your gender and your sexual preference. Physical or mental disabilities do not determine what you may do or accomplish in your life. Yet somehow, our race is the one attribute seen as forever fixed in place.

Again, we have marches and protests for the rights of <insert race>, where others are not allowed to join and support them in the name of unity. We have schools purposefully re-segregating education, facilities and ceremonies by race. It is considered “cultural appropriation” for any race to use another’s traditions, fashions, symbols, language, food or music in their own lives.

All of this is completely opposite of what our nation has grown to become. People have come here from every other region, every other country to make this nation, this melting pot, their home. In doing so, they have brought their culture and their way of life with them. They adopted portions of what they found here and the nation adopted portions of what they brought with them. This exchange and integration of cultures is what has made our society as strong, rich and vibrant as it is.

Yet when arguing about race and that newest, uber-politically correct craze “cultural appropriation”, we hear it is not appropriate for certain individuals to do ‘something’. They are either not the right race, or not <insert race> enough. In reality, unless you are from one of the few remaining uncontacted tribes, your DNA is likely made up of a number of different cultures. Whether determined by some arbitrary geo-political line on a map, continent or hemisphere, we are all a combination of peoples.

So what is the appropriate level of racial purity to allow you to partake in a cultural tradition? Is it 50%? 75? 90%, 99.99%? What if your physical appearance is from the lesser percentage of your DNA? Are you still allowed to participate in the majority DNA culture? Do you need to get a ‘cultural acceptance’ license that proves you are the race you claim to be?

In 2008 when the first African-American United States President was elected, I honestly believed this would finally move our country past race as a determining factor for anything. But instead we have seen the opposite. It is sadly ironic that this President who – on the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom – spoke from the very same location as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr did during his “I Have a Dream” speech – significantly contributed to the reversal of those 50 years of racial acceptance and progress as a nation.

I parodied the Star Trek quote here as the show is credited with the first interracial kiss on American television between Captain Kirk and Lt. Uhura in 1968. For the time, this was considered both shocking and ground breaking. Today, when this episode plays in reruns; we just see two people kissing.

For the crew of the Enterprise, space was that final frontier to conqueror. For us, it is race and not only have we not conquered it, we have managed to move backwards in time. I don’t know what the answer is, but I know what it is not. It is not segregation and calling for special rights, privileges and areas based on race. EVERY race deserves to be proud of the heritage and celebrate it openly, but never, EVER at the expense of others. If we truly want to be a nation of equality for all, we all need to pull our heads out of our collective asses and dismiss race as a consideration for anything.

Bob

#oddstuffing, #nodiscrimination, #notculturalappropriation, #equalityforall, #alllivesmatter, #mewe, #medium, #instagram, #oddstuffing.com

Gun Control vs. Suicide Prevention

The topic of suicide is always a dicey one between gun control and gun rights advocates. The gun control lobby point to the firearm and say the “gun” is the cause. Any mention of the topic by gun rights groups is labeled as being insensitive towards human life. As such, it tends to be the forbidden topic. I disagree. It’s time to grab hold of that highly charged third rail and do something about it.

The gun control lobby has forever included suicide numbers in their counts of “gun violence victims”. They’ve also infamously included mass shooting perpetrators who took their own life after killing others or were lawfully killed by law enforcement. Why wouldn’t they, it increases the numbers. However I don’t see an individual taking their own life and an act of violence towards another person – by any means – as being the same thing. One is done voluntarily to one’s self, the other is done involuntary to another.

First of course there is the argument that the easy availability of firearms in this country as why individuals kill themselves. One would think that the United States, with the highest percentage of firearms owners in the world, would have the highest suicide rate. In fact we are tied for 50th with Uruguay. Many of the countries with higher rates, such as Japan at 17th, highly restrict or outlaw civilian firearm ownership. Eliminating one mechanism, a firearm, is going to have no impact on the suicide rate. Other means will always be found.

Here’s my admittedly non-professional opinion. Suicide is a societal AND a mental health issue.

As a culture we too often look at life as being disposable. While suicide may not be accepted, it is tolerated, considered morally responsible or even honorable at times. Sadly, fighting this philosophy is the most difficult task we face.

There are many stimuli that can lead individuals down a path to take their own life. Depression, a primary cause from any number of sources, is generally treatable. However the way we view mental health and depression can be a roadblock in treatment and prevention. Just the shame of seeking help for a mental health “issue” can keep people from seeking the help they need. Just mentioning depression to a health care professional can initiate scrutiny from many levels and include heavy doses of medication and the potential to lose your job or rights and privileges that are a necessary part of our daily lives. By stigmatizing any form of assistance, we make the problem worse and lose lives we might otherwise be able to save.

As of 2014, nearly half of all suicides in the United States used firearms and about two thirds of firearm fatalities were suicide. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

This past week, September 5th – 8th was National Suicide Prevention Week. Together with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) announced a pilot program, involving community-based AFSP chapters in four states. This is the first time a national suicide organization has collaborated with firearm retailers, range owners and the firearm-owning community about suicide prevention. There are also other partnership programs in Washington, Vermont and other states bringing together mental health professionals and retailers to help identify those at risk and get them the help they need.

Will this effort eliminate all suicides? No, of course not. Not all suicides involve individuals purchasing firearms as a prelude to the act and in no way does removing one method eliminate all others. What it does do is get more training, more awareness and more resources available to those who may be able to intervene in their shops or elsewhere in the community.

One would think the gun control / gun elimination folks, who claim to be interested in saving lives, would have been all over National Suicide Prevention Week. Instead, they focus on one thing – more gun control. Eliminate the gun, eliminate the problem. They just want to remove the one item they don’t like and bury their head in the sand for every other means. Perhaps lives lost to other means are less important to them.

Eliminating firearms doesn’t remove the issue from our society or our minds. Instead we need to remove the stigma of mental health and change the way our society treats lives. All lives… yes, ALL lives matter.

Bob

#oddstuffing, #2ndAmendment, #suicidepreventionweek, #nssf, #afsp, #afsp.org, #alllivesmatter, #mewe, #oddstuffing.com