It’s too soon to talk about it

The dumbest comment I heard coming from someone in Sutherland Springs, site of this weekend’s “largest mass murder in Texas history” (other than the Alamo) was, “I don’t know how this happened here. Everyone carries a gun.”
Gee, I have no idea how gun violence happened in a place with lots of guns. After all, guns don’t kill people. But maybe people with guns kill people.
Oh, I’m sorry. We can’t talk about this. It’s too soon.
But is it too soon to talk about the mass shooting in Las Vegas?
Our brain trust of a president talked about the Sutherland Springs shooting. He blamed it on mental health issues.
OK. So let’s do something about mental health issues. Is anyone reading this against helping people with mental health issues? Not only may that cut down on gun violence, but also on homelessness and even hunger. It won’t eliminate any of those problems, but maybe it will help with all of them.
So now that we’ve blamed the mass shooting in Texas on mental health issues, let’s do something about it. Great idea. Wanna bet we don’t hear another word about doing anything about mental health issues? At least not until next week’s mass shooting.
Not one damn piece of legislation will be drafted. Not one serious mention of something we can do to address this issue.
Our governor was on CBS Morning News this morning (Monday, Nov. 6). Gayle King tried to ask Greg Abbott if there was anything that could be done about gun violence. No, too soon to talk about it.
He brought up the truck attack in New York City. He brought up knives and bombs. (Not sure what he was referring to, but one thing’s for sure — it’s too soon to talk about what happened in Texas).
King tried to pin the governor down. Finally, he came up with his solution: Do as the people in Sutherland Springs have done. Pray. Turn to God. Oh, and hug your kids and tell them you love them.
Damn right, Gov. Abbott. Because with your solution, we’re all targets.
Now, I happen to be a religious person. But my religion calls it a sin to turn to God to do something when there’s something people can do.
In my religion, it’s sinful to simply rely on God to intervene when there are solutions right here on earth.
In my religious view, God won’t stop gun violence by waving a magic wand. God will only stop gun violence when people, who have been given the gifts of creativity and ingenuity and intelligence, figure out a way to fix this human-made problem that only seems to occur in the U.S.
So, the next time someone asks for a moment of silence for the dead, as if that will fix everything, do what I did after the Las Vegas shooting. Stand up and say, “No, you’re not going to shut me up,” and walk out.

— David Taffet