Collaboration is key

I'm baffled. Everyday I turn on the news and see the violence and hate running rampant throughout this world. What I cannot understand is how we have become so hateful. In a world filled with blessings, love, children and more opportunities Han we deserve, so many people are filled with hate and do not even realize it. It's disguised in politics, religion, and called things like the "greater good", when in reality, it's just hate-filled speech and finger pointing that does nothing to bring us together. The only conclusion to be drawn is that we have no desire to live peacefully. We have no desire to understand or accept one another and work through problems and difficulties. That is unacceptable to me, and should be to everyone.

People talk about America being the greatest nation. How can anyone claim that anymore? How can anyone be proud of a nation that turns its back on its own people, let alone people that want to live here? The two party system does nothing but polarize people and work to tear down each other and in turn the country as a whole. Before I'm accused of wanting terrorists to live in this country, Stop. We already have them. Homegrown domestic terrorists that are killing innocent people everyday and we do nothing to stop it. We are more concerned with whether or not our President will actually use the words "Radical Islamic Terrorism" rather than coming together to develop meaningful and effective solutions to stop what we can. We have Republican leaders who made it their mission to stop him from being re-elected after the first term. Fail. And they stayed in office. How? We have Democrats that refuse to even listen to Republican ideas simply because of their political affiliation. Pure idiocy. 

If anyone tried to do these things in any other job in the country, we would be fired. We would be ineligible for rehire. Yet, Congress is full of windbags and ineffective long-term senators and reps that have done nothing. The government does not work for the people. And it will not. We will change parties again eventually in the White House and that person will spend 4-8 years blaming and trying to undo what was done by the previous party, even the good things. Because that is what their campaigns are run on. 

We cannot claim to be a nation that cares about our people and be unwilling to work for them and protect them. We cannot claim to want the best for our children and continue to cut the education budgets leaving them vulnerable in schools and communities. We cannot continue to teach them for college and standardized tests when that is NOBODY'S reality. I rarely take a test in my job today but I do need interpersonal skills and we are failing greatly at teaching those. We cannot continue to send people to wars and not take care of them when they come home and then wonder why we have so many homeless veterans. 

We spend an obscene amount of money on asinine research and we don't want to look at gun control, mental health, and trauma. I'm sick of people saying guns don't kill people. In part you are correct. Someone has to fire it. Not everyone should have access to them. Children should not have access to them in the home. You don't need assault rifles to take out a deer. You don't need 1600 rounds of ammo. And if you do, we need to talk. Maybe fun free zones are not the best idea. And if we had money to research some of these things, and a government that supported that research, we could maybe make some data driven decisions instead of the NRA lining pockets and leading the charge. Not once have I heard that people want to take guns from law abiding citizens nor have I heard criminals won't still get them. I also haven't seen a bunch of gun toting citizens stand up and take out these mass murderers. I haven't seen the "protection" guaranteed by the gun owners. The Donald Trumps that think everyone should be armed and ready to fight. Where are you? And I haven't seen any evidence that would have saved those 26 kids in an elementary school. Teachers teach. Police protect and serve. We shouldn't all have to be armed to go to work.  

My entire job is about collaborating. Working with people to find solutions. Identifying strengths and needs. It is literally the most common sense practice and when people don't get it, don't do it, my mind is blown. Absolutely blown. We have disagreements, differences of opinion, different values, ideologies, faiths, orientations, races, genders, etc. What we do have is one common goal we are working towards. It isn't a selfish goal. It is for the people we serve. What I fail to understand is why our government is set up so much differently. 

Enough

355 mass shootings in fewer than 340 days.

A mass shooting is defined as the shooting of 4 or more people. That number is astronomical. To think that this is the number of people shot by the use of firearms alone is heart-stopping. Let's not even go to suicide. How many people are we willing to lose? 

Apparently, we have become apathetic as a country to people that are not in our immediate family. Apparently, we are more concerned with the rights of gun owners and the labeling of those with mental illness than we have with impacting actual, meaningful change. Apparently, we are more interested in the name of the movement than the actual movement. Apparently, we would rather remain blind to the fact that WE have and continue to grow these terrorists, both foreign and domestic due to our actions and inaction. 

The pure disgust I have when I hear the liberal vs conservative rhetoric over gun rights, mental health access, and who is responsible for what is real. Responsible gun owners know and want better gun laws. And intelligent people know that guns do not kill people. We cannot allow everyone to have access without more thorough screening. It is a constitutional right to bear arms. I should also have the right to go to work without getting shot. Better yet. I should have the right to turn on the news and not see others being shot at work. 

As we continue, yes we, to see the normalcy with which these happen, we become numb. We moan and complain on Facebook, on Twitter and to our friends. We pray for the victims and their families. Some of us pray for the shooters. And while I believe very strongly in prayer, there is no action. We have done nothing as a country to stop this. And so it grows. We fight like hell to jump in another country's war and let our own country destroy itself. 

As for these terrorists....I have no words. Everyone couldn't wait to see the race of the individuals in San Bernardino. The reporters were actually salivating to get the answer. Was this a terrorist attack?  Keep this in mind, he was born and raised here. In America. As are most of the mass shooters in this country. WE are growing them. WE have a responsibility to them. And for those of you shaking your head no at this point, YOU, are part of the problem. 

I don't have the answers. Will never pretend I do. I can tell you that I will continue to educate myself and others on being trauma informed. I will talk to kids about what they see and hear. Because the news is dangerous. It is constant, and it is everywhere. I want them to understand that what they are hearing may not be true and they should also have some safe places to talk about any questions they have. I encourage you to do something. Something besides pray. We have been praying. And we can and should continue. Our leaders are thinking and praying. Not acting. And yesterday 15 more people were killed in TWO separate shootings. 

When is it enough? I was done years ago.