Worlds No Longer Created

Growing up as a child my family had one TV, lived in a small apartment and didn’t have cable.  My friends and I would play outside, sometimes safely and sometimes finding piles of scrap that our parents would yell at us if we were to be discovered in.  Of course rightfully so, our safety was top priority.  The one thing that we used was our imagination.  Then when I was six my father purchased a Nintendo Entertainment System and my definition of playing was changed.

I began playing Nintendo and was immediately hooked.  I was constantly wanting to beat my old scores and try new games, always asking my dad to let me rent new ones on Fridays.  I found myself playing more inside with my Nintendo than I did going outside.  I still played with friends and we had fun, but we didn’t use our imagination as much, the games created the fantasy world our minds used to create.

As newer systems came out, graphics got better and everybody wanted to the newer and better systems.  Sega and Super Nintendo, then Nintendo 64 were better than the last, but it was the Sony Playstation that changed the world of gaming.  This system used CD-ROMs as opposed to the game cartridges of previous systems and made the games more realistic because these discs were capable of having dialogue added into the programming.  Once these hit the market our use of imagination was even more unnecessary than before.  We had now in a matter of ten years gone from using our minds to play in worlds that we had created, to sitting in front of TVs allowing gaming systems create worlds for us.

I still from time to time turn on my old systems and play a little for nostalgia sake, but it pains me to see children who aren’t even out of elementary school who have their faces buried in the screen of a phone or tablet playing games.  We live in a time where children are in constant need of stimuli to keep their attention.  We as a society need to focus on more quality family time than giving our children electronic games and ignoring how they grow up not really knowing how to carry on a conversation.

What to Control

Right and wrong, such an easy concept when you’re a child.  Look both ways before crossing the street, don’t talk to strangers, these were the issues we dealt with as children.  Now children live in a world where having armed guards at elementary schools, and walking through metal detectors is a very scary reality they live in and that’s not fair.

After the unspeakable events of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting the issue of gun control is in the spotlight again and yet again the nation is torn in two.  Do we have the right to bear arms?  Does the right to bear arms include the right to rifles likened after models carried by the military and police forces?  Should high-capacity magazines be available?  These are some of the questions plaguing the nation today and the search for the right answer is not always the best answer.

The website Politico ran a story entitled: Gun control’s new lobbyist: Gabby Giffords where they discuss Giffords stance on gun control.  Giffords was the victim of an attempted murder when she was speaking in Tucson Arizona, her attacker was neutralized when he began to reload.  Giffords and her husband are both gun owners but feel that the screening process needed to purchase firearms should have stricter rules and high-capacity magazines should be unavailable to the public.

Along with Giffords, Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, Representative Carolyn McCarthy of New York and five other Democratic lawmakers will be joined by mayors, law enforcement officers, and gun violence victims to introduce an idea that will hopefully reinstate a ban on assault weapons that was originally passed in 1994.  The ban would outlaw the manufacture, sale, and importation of over 100 firearms that qualify as assault weapons.  The ban would also outlaw the same restrictions on magazines with over a 100 round capacity.

Is this ban the answer to the issue our country is facing concerning these recent mass shootings?  If we control the manufacture and sales of assault rifles and these magazines to the general public, will that keep the public safer especially our future who attend schools like those in Newton Connecticut?

Many people continue to argue that they have the right to bear arms, the Second Amendment cannot be messed with.  The right to bear arms is our right but if someone owns an AR-15 with a 100 round magazine it is safe to say that rifle is not used for deer hunting in the tree line running along the Platte River.  These magazines are an unnecessary accessory to gun collectors.  What is the possible benefit from owning a magazine of such a capacity?  Why does the government, if they are truly looking out for the greater good of the American public, put into effect laws against owning high-capacity magazines?  Why has that not been given a second look, especially when these magazines serve no purpose in terms of self-defense, unless we must protect ourselves against a massive invasion.   This country needs to come together on the issue instead of remaining segregated between which group is “right” and which group is “wrong”.  There may be no right or wrong, but at least we should be able to come together and back one another for the greater good, for us and for our future.

Real G.I. Jane

By January of 2016 the US military is planning on changing its policy on allowing females to have roles, placing them in combat.  According to a report from CNN writer Chris Lawrence entitled Pentagon to open combat jobs to women, it states, “Earlier this month, the Army opened the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment to women, and it has begun recruiting female pilots and crew chiefs. The Navy has put its first female officers on submarines in the past year, and certain female ground troops have been attached to combat units in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Why has it taken so long for this policy to be implemented?  Women have been fighting for equality in all aspects of life and holding these positions in the military is another way of gaining total equality.  In many cases, especially in the war in the Middle East, the women have been put in combative situations because there is no real front line over there.  They fight alongside male soldiers, but because these the same positions aren’t currently available to women, they have not received proper training for these situations.  Our military is strong, and when women are allowed to hold the same positions as men, it will be an even stronger one.

Arms Deal

As more and more debates about the Second Amendment and gun control arise, the country seems to become conflicted with itself.  It’s understandable that no citizen wants to give up any of their rights especially their right to bear arms and protect themselves should the unthinkable happen.  The American people want to feel safe, and for some, the best way to do that is to own a firearm enabling them to protect themselves instead of waiting for the proper authorities to arrive.

The question proposed here is, why do assault rifles need to be protected under the Second Amendment?  From learning about the proper use and safety precautions of, and from using multiple types of firearms, one can argue that a high power pistol is just as effective in self-defense as an assault rifle.  When coupled with the high-capacity magazines that we have seen in past incidents these weapons are turned into weapons with one purpose, an attack with some magnitude.  The right to bear arms does not state the right to posses accessories to weapons that make them more deadly than a simple hunting rifle.

There is no one clear-cut answer to this debate in the eyes of the American public.  One thing is certain, even if there is change brought about to gun control, violence will still be present.  However, if certain weapons that were originally meant to be carried by military and police forces are not available to the general public it can be argued that mass shootings will happen less and less.  These weapons aren’t used in home invasions, they’re used to harm and invoke fear in innocent victims who don’t have means of self-defense at the locations where these horrific events take place.  The right to bear arms is a heavy responsibility and one that should not be taken lightly.  Maybe the question should be, what arms do we have the right to bear?

Tweetings Followed

As a novice blogger I have little experience in the social media world.  I have recently started tweeting and following others tweets.  Here is a list of a few people in the spot light that I am currently following.

The Epilepsy Foundation is one that I follow because as a result of a head injury I sustained years back, I now am considered to have a seizure disorder.  The research and outreach of this group helps in my better understanding my condition.

New York Times is a periodical that covers all facets of news stories.  It is considered to be one of the pinnacle sources for daily news.

Adam Sessler is a former host on the technology channel G4.  He is very knowledgeable about new technology, and gaming.  He is currently the Executive producer of Rev3 games.

Chris Gore is a speaker and writer on the topic of independent and underground films.  He has appeared on G4‘s “Attack of the Show” with a segment entitled “DVDuesday”.

John Stewart is the host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central.  He is a political satirist, writer and comedian.

Piers Morgan is a British journalist and the host of Piers Morgan Tonight airing on CNN.  The show replaced Larry King Live when Larry King Retired.

Anderson Cooper is a journalist, author and host of Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN.

Darren Aronofsky is a film director, screenwriter and producer most known for his recent film “Black Swan“.  His films tend to be darker in nature and subject.

Landon Donovan is a soccer player for the US Mens National Team and L.A. Galaxy.  His position is midfielder and he is widely respected both on and off the field.

Lex & Terry are radio DJs syndicated across the nation.  They tend to be a bit controversial but are entertaining non the less.

Hello World

Follow me on twitter @caseyjpaine