I will share this frank post with my 86-year-old father, who grew up on a Michigan farm. He and his brothers fished and hunted. The gun then was just another tool on the farm.
The comments on the kneejerk reaction to the George Floyd murder (defund the police) and the lasting impact on Minneapolis are resounding with me.
That's a really bad phrase for what was a really good idea. More mental health professionals backing up cops who also have knee jerk reactions sometimes, and can overreact and go for their guns too soon. Democrats are REALLY bad at messaging. Republicans are really good at putting their own spin on words.
Thank you for this straight forward powerful piece. I agree with everything you said and I am so grateful you said it. I confess, I had to take a second look to make sure I was reading a Keillor piece, having grown accustomed to your light hearted missives on being in your twilight years and not needing to take on the cares of the world too deeply anymore. But this, this was old school, clear thinking, heartfelt truth...saying what needs to be said. We need ALL of those stories to be told. We all need to be grown up enough to face the truth of who we are, who we've become, and who we could aspire to be. I can't thank you enough.
Sorry, it's the end of March and I've lost count of USA mass shootings! I mourn your dead and share your grief. I often despair of our politicians but (I'm Australian) even the conservatives here enacted gun control legislation. I still hope ...
Bravo, It’s about time that you chimed in on this hotkey topic. What is this pubic sickness with assoult weapons? Are we indoctirnated by Hollywood about the benign effects of violence and the devaluation of human life? Is it the paranoia of crime and violence we see and hear about in our daily lives?
Schools shooting are the bottom of the barrel in human respect and value. Children, growing children who are innocent bystanders in this grim tragedy American living. Making children a target for shooters who confused and mixed up lives direct them to hunt and kill for what? Is it a scream for help or a chance of notoriety in this “Fifteen Minutes of Fame” modern life. I am not a psychologist so I wouldn’t know.
What I do know is that pubic opinion has to change. The sale of assault weapons have to stop. Its like Oxycoton and Drinking and Driving. We all know the harm they cause. They can’t be allowed anymore.
I’m not sure what your suggesting. Should the police have shot the Minneapolis rioters in order to protect property? If you continue to watch the videoes that come after the one you linked to on Youtube you’ll end up seeing many that are promoting AR15 ownership. Even the video you posted glorifies violence.
The issues are complicated by the shooter is apparently a trans, who went to the school, and is deemed to have "mental issues". There's the possibility that their gender identity did not fit in with the views of this religious school, possibly not even with the parents. The resulting mental issues could the result of reaction to bullying and non-acceptance for who the shooter was, afraid to come out. Granted, that's no reason to go on a shooting rampage but bullying and non-acceptance (which is also non-Christian) may be the root cause. Of course the ability of the shooter to easily purchase 7 weapons and ammo is also a problem.
Dear Garrison, I listened to PHC for years and adore it. Loved the movie too and now I love reading your thoughts and ramblings! "Defund" was a very poor choice and wrong word for what was being proposed as I understand it. "Redistribute" to other sources such as trained mental health folks to back up our police officers was the point. Many officers agree and like that idea. Many of them have gone on record saying they were not trained to handle a person with bipolar disorder, autism, etc. and would love the assistance of folks who are. Everything else you point out is 100% right too!!!
And yet we are told daily that the real dangers in schools --dangers against which laws _are_ being passed in order to “protect” these students-- are that those student could be told that gay people might actually exist or that slavery did happen.
Or state laws that protect those students and their parents from their healthcare workers even discussing home gun safety with them. Or that protect them from undergoing even minimal background checks to buy weapons to which they would have no access in any other civilized country.
I will share this frank post with my 86-year-old father, who grew up on a Michigan farm. He and his brothers fished and hunted. The gun then was just another tool on the farm.
The comments on the kneejerk reaction to the George Floyd murder (defund the police) and the lasting impact on Minneapolis are resounding with me.
Amen, Mr. Keillor, Amen.
That's a really bad phrase for what was a really good idea. More mental health professionals backing up cops who also have knee jerk reactions sometimes, and can overreact and go for their guns too soon. Democrats are REALLY bad at messaging. Republicans are really good at putting their own spin on words.
Dear Mr. Keillor,
Thank you for this straight forward powerful piece. I agree with everything you said and I am so grateful you said it. I confess, I had to take a second look to make sure I was reading a Keillor piece, having grown accustomed to your light hearted missives on being in your twilight years and not needing to take on the cares of the world too deeply anymore. But this, this was old school, clear thinking, heartfelt truth...saying what needs to be said. We need ALL of those stories to be told. We all need to be grown up enough to face the truth of who we are, who we've become, and who we could aspire to be. I can't thank you enough.
Sorry, it's the end of March and I've lost count of USA mass shootings! I mourn your dead and share your grief. I often despair of our politicians but (I'm Australian) even the conservatives here enacted gun control legislation. I still hope ...
Bravo, It’s about time that you chimed in on this hotkey topic. What is this pubic sickness with assoult weapons? Are we indoctirnated by Hollywood about the benign effects of violence and the devaluation of human life? Is it the paranoia of crime and violence we see and hear about in our daily lives?
Schools shooting are the bottom of the barrel in human respect and value. Children, growing children who are innocent bystanders in this grim tragedy American living. Making children a target for shooters who confused and mixed up lives direct them to hunt and kill for what? Is it a scream for help or a chance of notoriety in this “Fifteen Minutes of Fame” modern life. I am not a psychologist so I wouldn’t know.
What I do know is that pubic opinion has to change. The sale of assault weapons have to stop. Its like Oxycoton and Drinking and Driving. We all know the harm they cause. They can’t be allowed anymore.
heroic action by the police. damn that perpetrator.
I’m not sure what your suggesting. Should the police have shot the Minneapolis rioters in order to protect property? If you continue to watch the videoes that come after the one you linked to on Youtube you’ll end up seeing many that are promoting AR15 ownership. Even the video you posted glorifies violence.
I agree with all you said. Enough with the hand wringing. Thank you
Exactly! Thank you, Mr. Keillor. Too many people know in their hearts what needs to be done but lack the courage to do it. Yes, they are cowards.
The issues are complicated by the shooter is apparently a trans, who went to the school, and is deemed to have "mental issues". There's the possibility that their gender identity did not fit in with the views of this religious school, possibly not even with the parents. The resulting mental issues could the result of reaction to bullying and non-acceptance for who the shooter was, afraid to come out. Granted, that's no reason to go on a shooting rampage but bullying and non-acceptance (which is also non-Christian) may be the root cause. Of course the ability of the shooter to easily purchase 7 weapons and ammo is also a problem.
When you have clowns on the right and jokers on the left….there’s carnage all over.
GREED of the gun manufacturers and the lawmakers….they would rather ban books than ban these weapons of war.
Dear Garrison, I listened to PHC for years and adore it. Loved the movie too and now I love reading your thoughts and ramblings! "Defund" was a very poor choice and wrong word for what was being proposed as I understand it. "Redistribute" to other sources such as trained mental health folks to back up our police officers was the point. Many officers agree and like that idea. Many of them have gone on record saying they were not trained to handle a person with bipolar disorder, autism, etc. and would love the assistance of folks who are. Everything else you point out is 100% right too!!!
And yet we are told daily that the real dangers in schools --dangers against which laws _are_ being passed in order to “protect” these students-- are that those student could be told that gay people might actually exist or that slavery did happen.
Or state laws that protect those students and their parents from their healthcare workers even discussing home gun safety with them. Or that protect them from undergoing even minimal background checks to buy weapons to which they would have no access in any other civilized country.
Blaming Rep. Omar for the Nashville school shootings is a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?