A Grain of Salt…
A Grain of Salt…
Column
By Patrick Tamayo/Opinion Editor
We live in scary times. Every time we leave the safety of our homes we run the risk of running into danger.
You hear about random acts of violence on a daily basis.
Shooting, stabbings, robberies and assaults have become all too common, and we’ve accepted these crimes. Not that we have much of a choice.
We can be proactive and be vigilant of our surroundings but no one is immune to crime. There is no crystal ball that can show us what may lay around any one corner.
While the never-ending argument in regards to the right to bear arms continues, the shootings that the mainstream media chooses to report on are showcased for the world to sigh and shake their heads at.
***
The last place anyone thinks they’ll become a victim is at school, yet school shootings are as normal as morning coffee.
Oregon is the location of the latest school shooting as of press time.
It is not likely the incident will change the gun culture we live in. We’re mistaken if we think that there will be any change because of this event.
It’s a revolving cycle.
There is rage from all directions. There are press conferences and finger pointing. Next come debates about the right to bear arms. Think about the children. We must have stricter gun laws. Gun sales will go up due to fear of not being able to purchase guns. The story turns into an irrelevant brief and we move on to the next distraction.
We can argue until we’re blue in the faces, but there are no concrete solutions to this dilemma.
We live in a glorified gun culture that protects its citizens with, well, guns.
If they were ever to come for our guns, more than likely guns will be used for that plan to succeed; funny how that will work.
If the massacre of elementary students was taken with a grain of salt, the death of college-aged students will likely not change anyone’s attitude on the subject.
The anti-gunners will still want to confiscate all the guns and the gun lovers will demand not to be tread on.
Maybe our elected officials have some sort of plan, but I doubt that we can depend on them, considering the tomfoolery they’re capable of.
***
Take for instance Rep. Bob Brady (D-Pa.), a man elected by his constituents, who decided to take a glass of water that Pope Francis left behind after addressing the House chamber.
Let that sink in for just a second.
A congressman, who is trusted upon to make major decisions that affect hundreds of thousands of people took the Pope’s glass of water because he believes the water is blessed.
The citizens of this man’s district can sleep comfortably at night knowing that their elected official not only drank water from the glass, shared it with staffers and his wife and then proceeded to let another congressman and his wife dip their fingers in the water, but saved the leftovers to be able to bless his grandchildren with it.
The man is delusional, yet he is tasked with representing the best interest of people. Yet we wonder why things are the way they are.
***
As the Super Bowl gets closer it will be interesting to see how Mayor Ed Lee and the San Francisco Police Department will make San Francisco into a utopian society, free of homeless people.
After all, they can’t let the swarms of corporate executives who will be in the city be exposed to filth and swine that they feverishly want to get rid of.
It’s OK for the city to be filled with homeless and undesirables at any other time, but let the biggest football game of the year come to town, and by come to town I mean come to a town an hour away, and suddenly the city needs to be cleaned up.
Don’t let the mayor or his public relations staff sugarcoat the fact that they are bowing down to corporate requests that will transform the city into a feel good, All-American city with no homeless.
If you listen to the mayor all the homeless will have new residences with all the necessities they need, because surely that’s a viable option that only needed a Super Bowl to make things perfect.
***
Every time we venture out of our homes, there is a chance we will encounter violence.
However, we can’t live scared and Rep. Brady is not likely going to share his holy water to protect us, so what are we left to do.
Absolutely nothing.
We can scream, shout and get mad, but let’s be honest, sadly the majority of us have already moved on.
If all else fails, at least the city will be blight-free … as long as the NFL is in town.
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Patrick Tamayo | ptamayo@theguardsman.com
Calindra Revier | crevier@theguardsman.com
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