Let the consumer decide...not the government.
CONFESSION: I'm FOR the 2nd amendment. I believe in it and what it stands for.
I spent the better part of 26 years learning about, firing and supporting the firing of weapons in the U.S. Army.
I do not believe in how the NRA (as an institution) and some individuals mis-represent this amendment if effort to keep "we the people" in a constant state of fear, mistrust & Hate for "the other."
I believe in gun ownership...with personal responsibility.
I do not believe in the continued relinquishing of personal freedoms to a government that will never give them back.
Putting guns in the hands of more humans subservient to the government has nothing to do with and in fact works against the fundamental principle of the 2nd Amendment.
Every time something evil happens, if we continue in
this manner of believing more security, more weapons
and more laws will make us safe we will soon be a police state,
and only those entrenched in the system will benefit...
"We the people" can change things.
A complex system that only seeks permanence of power and the fabulous profits that come from keeping us in a persistent state of conflict won't do it for us.
Which will increase the safety and security of a state more? A gun that MIGHT (probably won’t) be in the right hands at the right time and the right place (and not a coward) or teachers who gain more passion for affecting behavior, mutual respect and a positive future filled with hope?
If we only spend more on security and continue to reduce spending on education and human capital...we are betting on the wrong horse and will lose 11 times out of 10.
More guns in the hands of the wrong people and more laws won't fix the problems we seek to solve with them today, 2018.
The more power we give our government the more personal freedoms we sacrifice.
Do you know what Rick Scott and state of Florida could do with $450M?
What programs and which humans will suffer because of this massive shift in expenditure.
A $450M + bet on a "maybe" or a $450M + bet on a sure thing (human capital)?
Now expand the math to 50 states...
Who loses? "We the people."
Do you know what this country could do with the billions of $$ we spend on the fear business?
Let the consumer decide.
If you don't agree with Delta Airline's decision...don't fly Delta.
There are other airlines. Not every special interest group receives a discount everywhere.
Let the consumer decide.
If you don't agree with Dick's Sporting Goods, Walmart, Kroger or LL Bean...stop shopping there.
We limit smoking to 18, drinking to 21, the driving age to 15-17 depending on which State you are licensed. We've always done it, so what's wrong with considering age appropriate behavior?
Let the consumer decide.
Vote with your wallet!! Don't give up your freedom of choice and action by demanding that the government reach even deeper into your personal life than it already does (because at the same time it also reaches into your wallet).
You have the right to take your hard earned money wherever you want.
Why do we want the government to step in every time we "disagree" with a business--small or large?
If you don't like what the NFL is becoming, don't watch and don't buy.
Let the consumer decide.
What happened to "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service"?
If you don't like a bakery that won't bake a cake, boycott the bakery and don't buy from them. Stand outside with signs and shame them if you want.
But for the love of Sam Hill, please stop running
to the government every time you are offended.
Let the consumer decide.
A bunch of data tells us today that most people don't trust the government, yet so many seem to demand that we give the government more and more of our personal freedoms.
Access does and will always exist for those who seek what they want.
Who wants to live in a police state where you can't get a cup of coffee at Starbucks without passing through a metal detector or you can't go to the public library without passing by an armed security guard.
Do you know how much $$ it costs every time we add a layer of security?
Do you know who pays? "We the people."
Do you know who wins? The gun industry and the guy who makes cement barriers.
The security industry loves it when we demand more security.
The more we live in fear, mistrust and Hate for "the other" the better the business for those in power and their "friends" for which they legislate.
Do you know what our lawmakers COULD and SHOULD do with OUR money?
More guns haven't worked today and they won't tomorrow.
More laws haven't worked today and they won't tomorrow.
I stand with Walmart, Delta, Dick's Sporting Goods, LL Bean and Kroger.
Nelson Mandela’s “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” is the answer...
We are never going to all agree on “how to run this place”
(a country or a planet) but when mutual respect, decency, truth
telling as best we honestly know it, trust and honorable
discourse are seen as offensive...we have lost our way.
What if it just started raining?
...
Education powers thought.
Thoughs generate action.
Actions fuel the planet...for better or for worse.
