Don't Forget Them

(Today's word will be in red and bold.)



To say the least, last week was a rough one for this nation, especially in two states.

On  Tuesday, December 11, 2012, a day of holiday shopping for 10,000 people was abruptly halted when a gunman entered Clackamas Town Center in Portland, Oregon, and opened fire, killing two.

Only three days later, on Friday, December 14, 2012, another gunman went on a rampage, this time in Newtown, Connecticut, ending the lives of twenty innocent children, and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

I realize, by now, this is old news;  you'd have to be living under a rock not to know about either of these incidents.  My reason for writing this post is to emphasize a lot of what I've been seeing and reading on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media, as well as KUPL's own "Simon in the Morning" program.

While it's generally agreed that none of the victims should be forgotten, it's also agreed that too much attention has been given to those who created these horrible events.

Instead of dwelling on the gunmen, give the facts, tell the story, then don't mention them anymore; they're not worth it, evil never is.

Focus instead on those who lost their lives on those two days, Steve Forsyth and Cindy Yuille in Oregon, and the twenty children, and seven adults in Connecticut.

Yes, the media says six adults were victims in Connecticut, though the gunman's mother was also found dead in her home that same day.  Though she wasn't at the school, Nancy Lanza should also be in our thoughts and prayers.

For those that can, do something to help the victims' families, even if it's only to offer a prayer of comfort, or to attend a vigil.

KUPL has set up a fund for the Oregon victims' families through Key Bank.  They will also be holding a benefit concert on Saturday, December 22, 2012.

While it's true that none of these things will bring those lost back; it's a way to help those affected, and the nation as a whole to heal.

Let's hope the rest of  the year passes peacefully.

To Celebrate, Or To Not Celebrate, That Is The Question

I had this written up on Monday, (May 2nd), but decided to wait a day to see if I'd changed my mind.  I haven't, so I'm posting it now.

I think I’m like a lot of people…Glad Bin Laden is gone…Lets not make a big celebration of it though.  Not only does that just make us bigger targets, it also makes us just as bad as the people we’re fighting against.

As I’m typing this, I hear people on the radio saying the same thing…I agree, we wouldn’t like it if the tables were turned.  Also, if we’re a country that others are supposed to look to as a role model, then we should act the part…If we celebrate in the streets, etc., what we’re showing the rest of the world is, it’s okay to do that when someone is killed.  

It's natural to want to celebrate and be happy when things go our way...I just think, if in cases like this, celebrating is necessary, then do it with dignity.

Another thought I had on this subject, people here in the U.S. are celebrating this; what will the consequences be, and who will pay them?  As stated earlier, this just makes us bigger targets. While everyone is at risk, (9/11 is proof of that), to me, our actions could actually make things worse for our troops.  The celebrating in the streets, etc., can definitely be construed as taunting and egging on the enemy...And while that's happening here, it's our troops the enemy actually sees face to face.  Our troops are the ones who could end up paying for the actions of us here at home.  It just doesn't seem right for us to put those protecting us in any more danger than they're in already.

Also, Bin Laden is  only ONE man…Think how many more like him there are out there…This doesn’t end here…I really believe that…Look how many troops died to succeed in the death of this one person. A lot of our troops have died over the past 10 years, just trying to get Bin Laden.

That's not to say the Navy Seals don't deserve praise; by all means they definitely do deserve it.  I think we should give them all the praise they deserve, just keep it low key; if that makes any sense.

I think we should be saying prayers for all those, living and dead, who fought for us, and who took the bigger risks than anyone else…All those men and women on the front lines…Anyone who's served in the military…Especially the ones actually in the line of fire. If you’re going to celebrate, celebrate THEM…Celebrate THEIR sacrifices…NOT the sacrifice of Bin Laden.