Raising Awareness

So I see where the school children across the country are participating in a "walkout" today in protest of gun violence. Okay.....

I don't understand this new thing where your expressive activities are limited to "raising awareness." What the fuck is that? Raising awareness? You know, we get it. We're pretty fucking aware at this point. What I fear is happening is that this "raising awareness" bullshit is simply a cop-out to avoid having to actually do something that requires effort. "Raising awareness" is nothing more than taking a stroll in the sunshine for a few moments, and then you get to pat yourself on the back and feel good about your all your "accomplishments." But you didn't really do anything, did you? The things that would actually accomplish something are difficult and require hard work, and take lots of time. They're not easy.

If these high school kids want to really tackle gun violence in school, then put down that stupid smartphone of yours and actually take notice of your fellow students. Look around. Talk to each other. Spend time with each other. Get to know each other. Especially take time to notice that kid who always eats alone and always gets picked last. Who is that kid? Where does he live? Who is his family? TALK to him. Find out why he's hurting. And he's not going to be easy to talk to. You're going to have to stop "raising awareness" for a little while and actually put out some effort to get to know this kid. Instead of waiting on Congress to fix this problem, why don't you try? Instead of raising everybody's awareness, why don't you raise your own and become more aware of what some of your fellow students are going through?

When I was in school, boys daily parked their pickup trucks in the school parking lot with rifles mounted on the back window of the cab. There were dozens of rifles all over that school parking lot each and every day. And we never once shot each other. We didn't march for raised awareness. Instead, we simply got to know each other.

This video came out after Sandy Hook, and it absolutely nails it. The signs are there. They are always there. It just requires effort to see them and more effort to do something about it.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qyD7vjVfLI

 

The protests are not to raise awareness amongst the youth; they already know they are being shot. The protest is to raise awareness amongst the adults and the leadership of this country. This is a message to them that the kids are tired of being shot. And these kids are acting well organized and disciplined. They know that they have no political power right now, but someday they will be able to vote and they will have money.
So don't poo-poo their first efforts at politial action. You should be praising them for taking a stance and trying to fix what your generation and mine have failed completely to do.
Don't blame the kids for not being child psychology experts. They are trying to negotiate their own hormones and growing up and lack of critical thinking skills. Kids today are much more inclusive and aware than our generations. Your generation was targeting every minority who was different. My generation was still calling everyone faggots and pussies. The difference was the outcasts just took their lumps or committed suicide. Now they have learned to kill. But instead of looking for real solutions you blame the kids for not policing themselves. It's like people blaming blacks for committing black on black crime. It is social issues that are larger than the actions of one or two people.
As far as guns, did any of your boys carry ar15s that could empty 30 rounds in under 15 seconds? Pretty doubtful. They probably had bolt actions, maybe with a five round internal magazine that took multiple seconds to reload. So there is no comparison. Yes kids had guns back then. The population was also much more homogenous. And I believe redravin also posted in another thread a list of numerous school shootings ove the past several decades. You did not hear about those back then because there was very little national news. Stuff just was not reported like it is now. But back then one or two people were shot. Now with ar15s and multiple high capacity magazines we can shoot lots of people. Back in the day a six shot revolver was a hand cannon. My m&p 40 I carried for work held 16 rounds.

 

Omega, those are great points, and you're definitely right about offering praise where it's due. It seems like every time I come down hard on Millenials, they do something amazing that warms my heart and changes my mind about them. They definitely do deserve some high-fives for getting involved, but I just want them to take all that energy and outrage and do a lot more with it. I don't want to see this effort to make lawmakers aware of their feelings become their goal. It should be a starting point for so many more proactive things to come on their part. They've got to start paying attention and listening to each other. They are their own best hope.

And okay, is this the part where I confess? I did actually take my father's Colt AR-15 to school a couple of times when I was in high school in the late 70's to show it off, and he chewed my ass for it when he found out. Not because I might have shot someone, but because someone might have stolen it. Ironically enough, someone did eventually steal that rifle, but they stole it from him, not me.

 

Back in 1988, a girl at paint branch high school in Maryland was bragging about her dad's gun collection. So some kids broke into her house and stole six guns, including something exotic like a mac10. They sold it to Philip H., a kid I had grown up with since elementary school. Philip had pulled 4000 out of his account from money he had earned at his dad's store. Fortunately someone had blabbed about it. The police showed up at his house at 6 in the morning. The guns were found under his mattress, except for the loaded revolver in his school backpack. He was 15 at the time and went to my high school, Springbrook.
As far as Florida parkland students they did show up to the state house. The legislature dismissed their concerns and then passed a resolution declaring porn a public emergency. I guess lead poisoning is not a big deal to them.

 

On another topic, I have a friend who has gone off the deep end with her proselytizing about saving the animals. Now y'all all know me - I'm a big animal lover, but I guess I try to focus my energies more on animals I know. Almost every day now, she sends me a new Facebook photo about protecting endangered animals, and it's getting ridiculous. Yesterday's photo, for example, is of a mother and baby rhino, and comes complete with a cute caption about saving them.

Okay, so let's assume this photo got me all jacked up about protecting the rhinos. Then what? What's my next step? What am I supposed to do? There are no rhinos at my farm, so there's not a single thing I can do to protect them. Now don't get me wrong - I think they're amazingly magnificent beasts, and I would love to see one in person. But seriously, what in the hell am I supposed to do? I don't know anyone who hunts rhinos, I don't know anyone who knows anyone who hunts rhinos, and I don't even know where rhinos are found. As much as I'd like to help, there's absolutely nothing I can do to help. The same holds true for the elephants and gorillas that she keeps posting. I'd love to help in some way, but there's not a single phone call I can make, or visit I can take that's going to save one single elephant or gorilla.

She always includes a little post that describes this as "raising awareness." Okay, I kind of see the point, but shouldn't she spend her energy "raising the awareness" of some Kenyan poachers instead of me? Raising my awareness isn't going to accomplish anything except making her feel better without having to actually get off the couch and do anything. As much as I'd love to help exert some consumer influence on the Black Market, there isn't one single solitary product I can boycott that uses rhino flesh, blood, urine, or bones. I just don't think I'm the problem here (or anyone else I know, for that matter).

So, help me out, TFP. What do I need to know about this process of Raising Awareness that will sway my opinion?

 

To my thinking, there are more righteous causes and social injustices than I can possibly deal with. In my personal opinion, my time and money are better spent focusing on one or two. That doesn't mean I disagree with anyone, just that their "cause of the day" didn't overtake my primary causes.

Still, I think "raising awareness" is a good thing. I research political candidates and referendums thoroughly and vote in every election. Not likely that I'll get a chance to vote on anything that affects a rhino, but I'd sincerely like to vote on legislation that reduces mass murder.