Remember the logic tests we took in elementary school where we picked what item doesn’t belong with the others? Here’s one for you. What doesn’t belong on the shelf in my living room?
My heart is heavy for the victims of the mass shooting in Thousand Oaks, California early Thursday morning that left 13 dead, including the gunman, and 21 injured. On the news podcasts that I usually listen to have been reports on the aftermath of the shooting, and comments from families who lost loved ones are painful and poignant. The mother of Telemachus Orfanos, known as Tel to family and friends, who had survived the Las Vegas mass shooting, but did not make it out of the Borderline Bar in California alive spoke to reporters on a local television station, “I don’t want prayers. I don’t want thoughts. I want gun control,” Susan Orfanos said on local TV. “And I hope to God nobody else sends me any more prayers,” she said, vigorously shaking her head. She emphasized each word, demanding: “No more guns.”
Ventura County Sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Helus was killed in the attack after he ran into the club to help. He is being honored by Governor-Elect Gavin Newsom as a hero for his “act of courage, and act of bravery.”
David Long, the shooter, was a 28-year-old Marine Corp veteran, who had several run ins with law enforcement, mainly centered around irrational behavior and disturbances.
From a story on CNN detailing the shooting and the aftermath there was this from California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, calling for stricter gun laws:
“Today we add Thousand Oaks to the ever-growing list of communities that have suffered mass shootings,” she said in a statement. “These mass murders are depressingly pervasive. Schools. Theaters. Malls. Offices. Synagogues. Grocery stores. Bars. Concerts. Churches. They’re inspired by racism, revenge, terrorism or just pure hatred. The one common attribute: easy access to guns.”
I agree that we do need stricter gun laws in our country, but I also agree with those who say this kind of violence is a mental health issue as much as a gun issue. A majority of all of the shooters in the mass shootings in the last 20 years have suffered from one form of mental health problem or another. This is covered in detail in a story in the Los Angeles Times. The take-away from reading that story is that mass shootings are both a gun issue and a mental health one.
Until we start addressing both in concrete terms, the killing will just go on and one. I ask our newly elected government leaders what steps they plan to take to protect us. Maybe some of the money slated to build the wall at our southern border, could be channeled into safety programs across the country.
Today is the last day to get my short story Escaping Raul, free for Kindle and Kindle apps.
This story is adapted from the prologue to Stalking Season, book two of the Seasons Mystery Series that has been described as Lethal Weapon set in Dallas with female leads. Grab a copy before the sale ends, and, if you are so inclined, I’d love a review after you read the story. Those reviews help an Indie Author so much.
Thanks in advance!
That’s all for me, folks. Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you on the other side. Be safe. Be happy.
I am sure that is sweet little Lilly on your shelf! ? She is adorable!
This shooting is deplorable and has left our country in mourning once again. I agree that it’s certainly a mental health issue along with easy access to firearms.
I couldn’t believe it when I walked into the living room and saw Lily on the shelf. I think she was taking a high ground while cats were racing around.
I sure do hope we can find solutions for the causes of these mass shootings. It seems to be getting worse.