Friday’s Odds and Ends

In the wake of the tragedy that took place in Charleston last week, journalistic and social media sites have been barraged with comments about what to do. Prominent in the shouting has been support for open-carry, while opponents point out all the dangers of having people walking around with guns.

I don’t know the answer. There is logic on both sides of that debate and intellectually, I understand the opposing viewpoints. In my heart, however, I am afraid. Very, very afraid. Adding more guns and more opportunities for people to get shot, doesn’t seem like a good long-term solution to the rising incidence of violence and mass shootings.

That said, I am not posting this to start a debate. We debate and debate issues forever and don’t seem to make any progress. I just wanted to put my thoughts out there for consideration.

I liked what Don McElfresh said in a recent letter to the editor in the Dallas Morning News,

That we have a small percentage of unstable people in a population of 320 million shouldn’t come as a surprise. What does come as a surprise is our not acknowledging that the base cause of what is happening is a longtime cultural breakdown where disruptive and crude media entertainment values are substituted for those of faith and conscience. Fix one and the other will follow.

In another letter, Ben Carlson wrote,

While we grieve as a nation, use this as a remembrance to be better. Be better when it is hard. Be better to those who disagree with you. This is a time to love those who may have done you wrong.

I do hope we can build stronger communities instead of fortresses, and carry bread to our neighbor instead of weapons. But then, I’m an idealist.

Now for some Friday’s Funnies

I thought this meme was a hoot, not that it applies to me or anything. LOL

 

In the face of all the seriousness issues of police officers right now, maybe this joke will lighten things up a bit.

 

Two police officers responding to a domestic disturbance with shots fired arrive on scene. After discovering the wife had shot her husband for walking across her freshly mopped floor, they call their sergeant on his cell phone.

“Hello Sarge.”

“Yes.”

“It looks like we have a homicide here.”

“What happened?”

“A woman has shot her husband for walking on the floor she had just mopped.”

“Have you placed her under arrest?”

“No sir. The floor is still wet.”

 

This is for all the men who would rather go hunting than, well, you know….

Four friends spend weeks planning the perfect desert camping and hunting trip. Two days before the group is to leave Rob’s wife puts her foot down and tells him he isn’t going. Rob’s friends are very upset that he can’t go, but what can they do.

Two days later the three get to the camping site only to find Rob sitting there with a tent set up, firewood gathered, and supper cooking on the fire. “Dang man, how long you been here and how did you talk your wife into letting you go?”

“Well, I’ve been here since yesterday. Yesterday evening I was sitting in my chair and my wife came up behind me. She put her hands over my eyes and said ‘guess who’?

“I pulled her hands off and saw she was wearing a brand new see through nightie. She took my hand and took me to our bedroom. The room had two dozen candles and rose pedals all over, and there were ropes and handcuffs on the bed. She told me to tie and cuff her to the bed, so I did. And then she said, ‘Now, you can do what ever you want.’

“So here I am.”