Back when I was a kid in the 1970s, I think the thing we worried most about was the Russians nuking the United States. I distinctly remember getting quite anxious about this, thinking about vodka swilling men in fluffy hats and fur coats sitting around with unfiltered cigarettes perched between their nicotine stained first and second fingers, plotting ways to decimate the entire population of the United States.
I was thinking about that today, that kind of gut wrenching fear that settles in the back of your mind, always popping up when you least expect it. That fear that rears its ugly head as one lays their head upon the pillow, waiting for the heaviness of sleep to takeover, but being chased away by the racing of the heart, beating so hard can be heard in one’s ears.
I asked my kids today if they had given any thought to what they would do if they were in class and heard gunshots. They said they had vague escape plans. My youngest said as soon as he heard the popping of the guns, the screams, the hurried footsteps, he was going to run full force through a window and out the school campus to a nearby neighborhood. My oldest said he would hide and as soon as he felt the coast was clear he would make a dash to the car. I said that was pretty much what I was going to do too.
My kids are really worried about what is going on in the United States and think things are really getting out of hand. I have to agree with them. When I was kid, it was one enemy that we worried about, and they were really, really far away. Now it is hard to know who our assailants will be. It could be the dorky teenager, the disgruntled employee or a random person with anger boiling in his veins that decides to take his frustrations out on a group of strangers in a mall, a movie theater or even a hospital.
One thing is for certain, we are in a fight with these unseen enemies. They are everywhere, armed to the hilt, with hidden agendas that aren’t apparent until it is too late, until innocent people have died in order to for their statement, their hatred, to be known. Even then we may never know what brought them to act out these horrific acts of violence.
Another thing that is readily apparent, is we are in this fight on our own. Do we all have to arm ourselves with guns in hopes of protecting ourselves? My husband wants to get a gun, take our boys for to the gun range so they can learn to shoot a gun properly. I bristled at this suggestion. I don’t think this is the answer.
When I was a kid, we figured the Russians had their finger poised over that red button, but at least we knew our government too had their finger poised over their red button, ready to retaliate. I do not sense there is any plan to fight these enemies, who have infiltrated what used to be a relatively safe society. It is like the United States has returned to the Wild, Wild West days – everyone for themselves, shoot-outs on Main Street, no law, no order.
During our discussion about our plans for escape, my children and I arranged for a meeting place in our town, in case all hell broke loose, if communications were shut down and we had no way contacting each other. We decided the Mormon Temple down the street was the best place. It is easily accessible from many different ways, it has a good hiding place behind one of the outer buildings. That is where we will meet. I am thinking about outfitting each car with an Emergency Box – just in case.
It is pretty sad that it has come to this. We as American citizens can turn to no one. We must have conversations like this with our children and come up with ways to protect ourselves. We can’t count on our government to eradicate guns, too many lobbyists and politicians with wallets lined by the people who want to make guns easily accessible to every deranged idiot in this country. We are on our own. United we stand, divided we fall – the slow tumble down the hill has begun.
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Categories: Danger in the United States, Modern Living, Uncategorized
I agree. 100%
Thank-you my Sassy Friend!!! Hope all is well with you!
Slowly but surely 😊
How tragic that we have to consider such appalling situations that might occur. I hate the fact that our children’s innocence is lost too, and they have to be made aware of what they might have to do in the most heinous of circumstances.
I know. It sickens me that we have to sit around having these discussions, but it seems to be the way our country is going and ultimately I have to prepare my children for this.
Oh yes of course I do understand that you have to prepare your children , it is just such a shame.
All these years we have thought we were safe, immune from the troubles of the world, but it seems it has come to our shores. You are so very right, it is such a shame that is what our children have to worry about these days.
I shake my head when I hear of the gun troubles in America. It seems incredible that an educated first world nation is held to ransom by those who have guns, and I don’t mean terrorists or crazies. I mean the gun lobby. So many have blood on their hands and many more believe owning a gun will keep them safe. I wouldn’t like to be living in your land of the free.
I think most of us feel pretty powerless, and have nowhere to turn. It just seems to be getting worse and worse.
Common sense must prevail so my friends can climb the hill again.
xxx Massive Hugs xxx
Yes indeed!!!!!
I fear we are on the precipice of WWIII. In fact, it seems almost inevitable. There are radicals who want to force us to live their way, and the government we’re paying to protect us is not doing the job. The only answer at this point is to find a way to protect ourselves. I’ve had a difficult time even wanting to put up regular theme topics on my blog and said so in one of my posts.The tension of war is thickening the air. May God Bless America.
Hi Lori, it is a scary time. I fear things are only going to get worse. I saw yesterday in the news that the request for gun permits and gun sales have skyrocketed in the wake of this latest incident here in sunny California. Shoot outs on Main Street seem to becoming a possible reality.
So sad that you had to have that conversation. I’ve considered talking to LM about things to an extent, but can’t bring myself to do it. He’s 7 and outside what he was taught about Sept. 11 in school, has no clue. Such a depressing reality for our children. ((Hugs))
It is hard to say what is right to tell the younger kids, even my kids are fretful about all of this. I fear this will get much worse before the US decides enough is enough.
Despite all of this – hope all is well with you and your family :))
It–hope y’all are well too! 🙂
I have to say, I agree with you rather than with your husband on this one. I don’t think a world in which every single individual is armed to the teeth will be a safer one. Different people have different perspectives on this question, of course, but that’s how I feel about it.
I just don’t think it is the answer. We will just have more children inadvertently getting their hands on the guns, people will be shooting each other reflexively – it really just doesn’t seem like it is a good idea at all or the solution. We shall see how this all plays out.
Yes, I agree.
“Bert, I’m leaving you!”
BANG!
“What was that noise?”
BANG!
“Hey, that’s my candy!”
BANG!
Doesn’t sound very safe to me. 🙁
Or …….
“you ate my last cupcake…” pow, pow!
Could disintegrate into total chaos and mayhem.
Absolutely. People get angry. People get blind drunk. Young kids find things they are not supposed to. There are so many reasons why I wouldn’t feel safer living in a world where everyone was armed.
I agree completely. People seems so angry today, can you imagine behind the barrel of a gun? We would all have to wear Kevlar body suits just to get to work.
Yes, that’s true. Of course, I’ll bet the people who make Kevlar body suits are thinking, “And what’s wrong with that?”
It might be quite lucrative for them. They could develop a whole fashion line of Kevlar clothes, jackets, scarves, hats, the list goes on.
Could make a killing.
It is scary. It is sad. I’m with you, SD. You are smart to come up with a family plan. But I still hold hope that our government will help with new laws, and the many will overcome the few.
Me too!!!!
This is the issue all over the world….. In some way or the other, no one’s safe.
this is very sad indeed :/ I feel like we live in a world of science fiction where danger is everywhere…those kind of situation are the kind that doesn’t give me much hope for this world.