What is WRONG with our Country?!?

Every day I wake up, decide that I must be doing something right because I don't see my name in the local obituary column, so I start out thinking it's going to be a good day.  Sure it is.   I'll spend the first 5 minutes making coffee, then a shower...etc...normal, right?  WRONG!

Then I turn on the news.

3 women shot while sitting in their car at a stoplight, in East St. Louis.  OK, I'm thinking this is bad enough.  Until I read the next sentence.  Not only were these ladies murdered while minding their own business...a one year old infant and an 8 year old were also in the car.  Apparently the perpetrators of this heinous crime didn't shoot them as well, thank God.

On to Captain Obvious on the next channel... "...the alleged shooter in the Ft. Hood incident once required counseling himself, for a nervous breakdown following debriefing of soldiers returning from the Middle East..."..no WAY..REALLY?  (As if that wasn't already an issue?  Oh, wait, I forgot...his friends were quoted as saying "He was openly opposed to U.S. approaches in the present conflict".)  I won't go into the entire list of what is wrong with that situation, it would take eons, but here's a few minuscule things:  The suspect is of Jordanian descent (a country known to harbor terrorists), he is a member of our military with the responsibility for countless lives,and when told about about his impending deployment he decided to grab a high powered rifle and kill as many people as possible....and he needed COUNSELING?!?

Then I get a phone call from a friend, telling me that his 16 and 14 year old daughters, while on a bus trip for school, came home with some news.  Apparently, a good friend of theirs (a 14 year old female) who was also on the bus was RAPED by a 17 year old, IN a bus full of people, WHILE both teachers chaperoning the trip chatted away in the FRONT of the bus.  She was too afraid to shout for help...too afraid to say anything..and NO ONE SAW ANYTHING????  After informing her parents who notified the school, her folks receive a phone call from the principal, telling them the incident was not going to be reported to the authorities, but instead "would be handled internally".  THIS IS A JOKE, RIGHT??

WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR COUNTRY???

It seems to me that a dose of good old fashioned responsibility is sorely needed.  Obviously, we've forgotten all about being responsible for our actions, being prepared, teaching our children how to defend themselves, and decided that whatever happens around us doesn't matter, because "It doesn't happen here", "Wow, that sucks, but hey who cares, it wasn't me or my family".  Perhaps we need to re-evaluate our decision making paradigms? MAYBE?!?

My responses to the above?  Let's see..

1)  Let's re-examine gun control laws..I agree with the notion of not arming convicted felons, but how about arming our citizens with plans which PREPARE them to respond to a situation when it confronts them?  I was highly trained as a soldier to maintain discipline under fire..but these women didn't see anyone approaching their car?  The driver didn't have the foresight to step on the GAS and get out of there?  And no one around them shouted a warning or tried to help?

2)  When I entered the military, I was subjected to tests to ensure I could physically handle the training.  But I was ALSO required to provide PROOF of citizenship, submit to a BACKGROUND check, and a PSYCHOLOGICAL examination, then taught to RESPOND.   Did these practices stop recently?  Or is our military so under-manned that we just take warm bodies, and oops, we put a mentally unstable potential terrorist in a position of authority?

3)  To the parents of the 14 year old girl who was raped-CALL THE POLICE.  If you refuse to do so, you can be found guilty of negligent disregard for the well being of a minor (a FELONY), and will very likely lose your child. If the girl doesn't want to talk to the police, she is a MINOR-YOU are responsible for her well being and safety.

4)  To the principal of the school who is going to "handle the matter internally":  When did you receive the authority to obstruct justice, jeopardize the safety of your students by making them attend school with an alleged rapist, and lose your COMMON SENSE?  Last I checked with EVERY states' Board of Education, YOU are responsible for the safety, education, and well being of every student attending your school.  THAT is your job-not to cover up something that might tarnish the reputation of an inattentive teacher, or side-step your responsibilities.  You ARE ACCOUNTABLE FOR YOUR ACTIONS.

That said, I also turned on the Weather Channel...and saw that the Governor of Louisiana declared a state of emergency BEFORE hurricane Ida actually hits the Gulf Coast.  WOW...it only took the loss of billions of dollars in real estate, thousands of lives, and the knowledge gained from hurricane Katrina to wake you up.

At least someone is learning.