The thoughts and ideas expressed below are exclusively those of Jack Straley and www.justplaintalkwithjack.com  We may agree, and that’s fine, or we may disagree, that’s okay too.  My sole purpose is to encourage others to think, study, and become involved. Exercise your freedom and above all, when presented the opportunity, please vote.

Today we start the day with headlines about a 14 year old suspect that allegedly has left 4 people dead and 9 more wounded at a Georgia school.  This is a tragedy and all the anti-gun people will be voicing on every possible media outlet about the horrors of people owning guns.  We have had and are having way to many of these senseless shootings, ruining and ending the lives of innocent people.  These leaders yell while their personal protectors’ walk with them, armed to the hilt.  A different set of rules for the rule makers.

It is time to stop the useless rhetoric and look at facts.  We have gun laws now, many of them, but they are only enforced when convenient.  We do not need more laws or regulations concerning guns and ownership of them.  The second amendment in the Constitution of the United States gives us the right to have and bear arms.  Millions of Americans lawfully have and carry arms and do not break the law.  It is a small number of individuals that perpetrate these acts of violence.  However small the number, none is acceptable.  Where does the problem lie?

Once again I go out on a limb and blame the adults, my generation and older.  We have not done our job of raising our children and teaching them right from wrong.  We have too many therapists trying to fulfill the role of absentee parents.  First and foremost I feel a close family unit would be the first step to correct the problem.  Parents are not at home performing parental jobs.  In to many cases both parents are working out of the home not from basic needs but to give their children all the items that peer pressure dictates they need.

When I went to school it was not uncommon to see rifles and shotguns through the back glass of those driving pickup trucks.  The trunks and backseats of many of the vehicles in the school parking lot had guns available for anyone to access, but no one did.  We were taught better and when we had problems, we talked with our parents about it, not some therapist in a quiet office.  It was handled by the family.  In the family we discussed our problems, our successes, our dreams, our goals, and how to handle or achieve each one.

Most of us grew up in families that regularly attended church.  We were taught at an early age the Ten Commandments of which one is “Thou shalt not kill.”  The perpetrators of these heinous crimes have little if any biblical education.  Too many people never graced the doors of a church and take no part in educating their children in the teachings of the Bible.  Research shows of all the children that attend church regularly with their mothers only seven percent will continue to attend and participate as adults.  Those that attend church regularly with their father will have 35 percent continue attending services as adults while those that attend regularly with both parents, as a family unit, 72 percent will continue to worship in church and raise their families in the same manner.

The great need for therapists is because we have not taught our children that there is a future for them and God can relieve their feelings of depression.  We have raised them without a God in their lives and they know nothing but hopelessness, depression and hate.  We have all been faced with hard times and feelings of desperation.  If we were not taught that God was the great healer of all challenges and if we didn’t pray and talk with our families we might very well have more of these dastardly acts performed daily.

Guns do not kill people, people kill people.  We can talk and fuss about it from now on but until we accept it is caused by our lack of parenting. it will never change.  We must introduce our younger generations to God and offer them help in their times of discomfort.  We all have a bright future, if we take advantage of the opportunities afforded us and not fall victim to the forces of Satan and evil.

Our country has fallen from the protective umbrella of God.  We must restore law and order.  We have to return to being the parents our parents were.  Take our families to church and provide counseling to our children, we know them better than any therapist will ever know them.