GUNS, GUNS, AND MORE GUNS EVERYWHERE

I've always said that if something crazy happens, it will most likely be in Texas or Florida. Since I've lived in both places, I've decided they are currently tied.

I'll admit that I'm not your typical Texan, even though I was born and bred in the Panhandle. I'm probably not typical anything, and once I'm gone, the world will probably breathe a sigh of relief. As I get older with each moment, I could care less if anyone gets upset with my opinions. Oh, maybe there's a part of me that enjoys being accepted, but the important thing is that whatever comes "at" me won't change me. I'm sure I'm not unique in that regard.

Texans love their guns. There will inevitably be weeping and gnashing of teeth if there's any mention of gun control. The response is something like this:  "What about the second amendment? You can't take away my gun! I have a RIGHT to it."  Then, they'll cry, "If you get rid of the guns, only the bad guys will have the guns, and the good guys won't be able to defend themselves."  Well–hate to break it to you, but there are no "good" guys and "bad" guys. We're all various shades of gray.

I live in a town better described as Mayberry. It's a small city located in the Texas Hill Country. The majority of the inhabitants are only here occasionally, as this is their weekend or vacation home. The average price of a home is approximately $2 million, and the average age is well into the '70s. I don't fit any demographics, but this is my hometown. The last murder was in 2005 when a son shot his father in a fit of rage. The worst offense is driving 50 miles an hour on the main road, where every few feet, there's a sign posted with the speed limit of 45. It's a slow town.

Last Sunday, I attended services at the beautiful non-denominational church on top of a hill overlooking the lake. It's about a mile from my house in a sparsely populated area of Horseshoe Bay. Most of the congregants are couples in their 80's. The senior pastor is a favorite of mine. We've had a few discussions of the possibility that one can believe in a number of the great spiritual teachers, including Jesus, the Buddha, and Father Richard Rohr. I like that he accepts someone with a wide range of beliefs. His sermons of acceptance and tolerance often resonate with me.

What shocked me about last Sunday were the two Sheriff deputies standing outside the entrance to the church. They were dressed in their uniforms and were fully armed. Churches have been using off-duty police officers to direct traffic for many years, but there's no traffic in this area of Horseshoe Bay, and they weren't in the middle of the road. I didn't feel safer with them standing at the entrance to the church. Instead, I felt overwhelmingly sad that the world had come to this.

I learned yesterday that some teachers in Texas are now in training to shoot guns. Do they think that learning to shoot a gun is all you need in a crisis? What about the Sheriff deputies who were fully armed in Parkland and didn't enter the school where a young man was mowing down the children with an assault rifle? How will police be able to tell the difference between a gun-toting teacher and a teacher or another shooter going on a rampage?

Has everyone lost their minds? Is it logical to have more guns, police, armed teachers, etc.? Don't we have enough evidence from other countries that arming everyone is not the solution? Does anyone need assault rifles with bump stocks? If you need to cull deer or wild hogs, be my guest, but I bet they can be killed with a single shot rifle, or how about something sporty like a bow and arrow?

I've owned a gun in the past. I've even had to point it at a man who was chasing me as I was jogging one morning before dawn years ago. Another time, a man started banging on my door in the middle of the night. He ran away when he looked into the barrel of the gun I was pointing at him. That deterred them, but as I began to gain some wisdom, I realized I didn't want to live in a house with a gun. Statistics are against me. There's more of a chance of being shot and killed in your own home.

Of course, the crazies will still find a way to kill people–whether it's plowing through a crowd with a car or plunging a knife into unsuspecting coffee drinkers, or placing a box with explosives on the front porch.

We have to do something to address mass murders. We have to treat mental illness. Treatment can't be only for those with comprehensive insurance policies. When you see the number of homeless people all over this country, you realize firsthand that we have a tremendous drug/mental illness problem.

Locking them up is not the answer. We have a mass incarceration problem with private prison companies lining the pockets of those in Congress and police departments receiving more funding from the "War on Drugs" program based upon drug arrests. It's easy pickings in tent cities and low-income housing areas. We have thousands of people serving long sentences in prison for possession of marijuana, yet marijuana is legal in many states. We have the most extensive prison population in the world. 4% of our country consists of African-American males. 40% of our prison population consists of African-American men. Ever wonder why? It's not because they are the only ones committing crimes. It's because our criminal justice system has targeted them. It's The New Jim Crow (the book is highly recommended--it will open your eyes). White males are the mass murderers. Why aren't we tracking white men who stockpile weapons? White males in upscale urban areas buy, sell, and use heroin. Why don't they raid the gated neighborhoods of America?

We've become a nation of people lacking empathy. Many people only care about tax cuts, keeping their guns, and eliminating abortions, but they could care less about people who need periodic safety nets to survive.

All the great spiritual teachers promote the same basic concept. We are One. We are here to love and help one another. If we come from a place of love, we can solve anything. The answers aren't simple, and there isn't just one solution. There needs to be a multi-faceted approach.

I'm encouraged that the youth are demanding gun reform. That's why I'm marching in solidarity with them. You can, too. Sign up for the nearest walk to you at marchforourlives.com. Get up, speak out, write letters, vote, march––do it all or choose one. Just do it. Be the change.