Have Gun, Will Grovel

 

Groove. As in, "we are settling into a groove for the fall and winter." The groove for many of us is that the first few weeks of school are out of the way--and there are already homework issues; the NHL exhibition season has started—and the Maple Leafs look as bad as usual. It is also starting to freeze at night, with all the whining about a missing summer; and our favourite leaders are back at each others' throats in Ottawa (instead of in the nation's pockets), after a summer of cruising the dominion for support.

Add to the groove the long-awaited vote on the long gun registry.

As you may not know, or may not care, I personally do not own a gun, have never fired a gun, and wouldn't know a big bore from a low calibre, unless we're talking politics. My kids may have guns, but in this new spirit of warped openness, I'll never tell. So registering or not registering my non-existent gun is a moot point. However, for hundreds upon hundreds of legitimate gun-owners scattered throughout this grand country of ours, I think the scant victory by the nay-sayers spells trouble.

Somewhere in the convoluted thinking of certain politicians and interest groups, there is the thinking that maintaining a long gun registry will create a safer environment for us, our children and our future. I can see it now: The crooks, deadbeats, and lowlifes will flock to the nearest police detachment at their convenience—or after they read this column-- to register their rifles, shotguns, pistols, and any other toy that goes "bang."

Talk about a "big bang" theory.

I tend to be fairly naive on these matters, but I can't possibly see how depriving good, solid citizens of their right to bear arms--both for protection and recreation—has any rational basis. A gunless society is a defenseless society. It is imperative that individual homeowners have that right to keep their families safe. Why should balanced, law-abiding citizens be smothered to death with useless paperwork, while the crackheads are free to shoot, mug, and burglarize at whim?

I am aware of the examples of school shootings, workplace wipeouts, and domestic violence argue for greater gun control. Would a long registry have prevented Columbine? Would the students at George Dawson be alive and less traumatized if gun control was truly effective. No; anyone who wanted to get a gun would get a gun, whether the registration was in place or not.

Before you flip out over my (alleged) defense of a right-wing militia, nothing could be further from the truth—or my perspective, for that matter. We're talking about common folk who have been the backbone of this country for decades upon decades. We're not talking about neo-Nazi skinheads who want to kill everything that moves.

I am not aware of any genuine statistics that shows the connection between tighter gun laws and safer streets. The base nature of man being what it is would easily find a way around the rules of the land, in order to do serious damage. It is pathetically simple-minded to assume all gun-owners will now comply with the rules.

The long gun registry has been a joke from the get-go. And part of that so-called humour is the fact that there are far more pressing issues on the part of the government. I don't have the precise dollar figure of how much money has been wasted in promoting it, maintaining it, fighting it, advertising it, and denouncing it over the years. And I don't sense that the battle is over finally, no matter what the vote was. For that matter, a puny 153-151 margin is nothing to gloat over. And I should add, kudos to those non-Conservatives who had the pluck to vote with their conscience against it.

It makes me want to step outside and shoot my water pistol off.

The Fire of Conviction

 

This world is full nutcases, with the exception of some of you and me, though I am having second thoughts about you.

Case in point: You will recall the antics of that Florida pastor who, only a couple weeks ago, threatened to burn as many Islamic holy books—also known as the Koran—as possible on the anniversary of the World Trade Center's implosion, nine years ago. Cooler heads prevailed, and the fire never got lit, although he did spark some interesting responses.

Mind you, a phone call from the president will do that every time.

Brother Booboo, as I have "affectionately" dubbed him, was a pronounced embarrassment to me at every level. In other words, I could relate to him as white, English-speaking male, likely in his mid-fifties, who had a passion for what is right. I don't know his Biblical convictions, but I assume many of them would line up with mine.

However, there is a way to express one's outrage at things you disagree with in the world, and there is a way not to. Pastor Indiscretion, another affectionate term, chose the latter course of action. Regardless of his feelings of what many feel is a very dangerous book, he ignited a fire of global outrage as he threatened to ignite a different (and literal) fire.

Protests throughout the Muslim world were heard and seen, and even felt, on every television network. Not a few deaths were the results of his threat, even after it was rescinded. Even our own prime minister came through with a very clear and clarion testimony of his faith in Christ. In one of the most bizarre examples of 'irony,' Brother Booboo's divisive intentions produced remarkable unity throughout the world.

He sounds like a classic twit because his conviction against error and stand for truth soared to new heights (or was it depths?) of idiocy. While I believe there is only one Holy Book that truly liberates mankind from themselves--and it's not the Koran, in my opinion--I am not convinced I have any right to stomp on other people's faith values. Or burn their books, for that matter. Challenge them, yes; perhaps even debate them; but I draw the line at burning the book itself.

I would take a different tack, and this column is one of those tacks. I would, for instance, disagree with the teaching of a so-called holy book that would condone the stoning of a woman caught in adultery (and notice it always is only the woman). I would decry a book that encourages the use of indiscriminate venom, also known as suicide bombers, that snuffs out the lives of hundreds of innocent victims across the globe. And I would denounce a body of writings that sees Jews, Christians, and non-Muslims as the perpetual enemy of their version of religion, needing to be eradicated.

Back to Brother Booboo: If he wanted to be truly effective in his antagonism towards the Koran, I have a few positive suggestions. One, he could flood the airwaves of the Third World with readings from his Scripture; two, he could make his Bible available in the language of every Muslim in the world; and three, he could open the doors of his church and his community to serve the needs of Muslims who have found freedom and refuge in the open arms of America.

Wait a minute! That has happened and is still happening as I write. For every "loose cannon" out there, such as our pastor friend (and I use the term loosely), there are thousands of others down there, as well as overseas, who are putting the truth and power of that Good Book into practice on a daily basis.

Maybe that's something positive our media moguls should be promoting for once.

The Old Way of Education

 

It probably has never been a better time, in terms of history, to be a student. And I mean a student at any level, in any institution. From the traditional day school to online classes to home education, the options are overwhelming.

I even now see where the University of Baltimore is offering a course on zombies. I can see it now: Come any Monday morning, the professor will be hard pressed to tell the difference between his students and his curriculum.

As a committed teacher and a practicing home educator, I think I have enough credentials (and credibility) to speak about education. And I say simply that these many choices are great. I also say, watch education trends over the next ten years: They may not resemble what we have accepted as the norm for the past number of decades.

I suggest two trends -- two seemingly unrelated trends, in fact. One involves the Internet and the other, the trades. The unrelated part is the former is essentially sitting on one's duff, in front of a screen all day, whereas the latter is active, mobile, hands-on (on something other than a keyboard), and practical. We only need to look across the Pond to a continent that has been decades ahead of us in both counts – or at least that's the way it once was.

Although I am Irish, two generations removed, my comments do not come from any sort of allegiance to the Old Country. However, I have always admired, at least from a distance, some of Europe's educational systems. The following are some generalizations, to be sure, so bear with me.

As I understand it, the educational basics are dealt with up to a certain age, then the student(s) opt(s) for a vocational track of one sort or another. This is a career choice, and the end result is a well-established trade coterie from one generation to the next.

My sense is that things have changed somewhat with the present generation, and not necessarily for the better. I recognize that with the onslaught of high-tech jobs and high-income incentives, things may be different. Add to that equation a burgeoning immigration population, and what was once done by the nationals is now done by aliens.

So let me re-state that it is the model of a previous generation that I am espousing.

I believe it is a myth, both here and there, that true educational success lies at the feet of an university education. To be sure, there are few professions that are best attained through that route. However, there are any number of vocational tracks that could be followed to satisfactory and necessary employment. On top of that, there is a growing trend to acquiring degrees, certificates, and training through the Internet.

I have a number of radical ideas when it comes to educational tracks, but I won't bore you with them now. Many may be met with some measured disdain, partly because they don't go with the current flow, and partly because they are so different. But not different in a new sense; different in an old sense. Different as in what they used to do in Holland and Germany and France.

One of my key platforms to educational reform is getting back to basics. It would look something like this: Take the first six to eight years of education – public, private, or home – and drill the very basics of Language Arts and Mathematics into the students' heads. Add any other essential subjects as the need arises. Once the foundation is well-established, then it is time to look for bents or interests on the part of the student – and nudge him or her in that direction.

The means of delivering the training, of course, could be through the Internet and/or the apprenticeship paradigm (and this is where the seemingly unrelated modes converge [see paragraph four]). I think this would make far more sense in terms of tax dollars, schedule issues, and local economies than we could ever envision. I suggest there is a lot of wasted space, time, and energy in our present post-secondary models.

You see, a motivated student is a productive student.

We have a serious labour shortage in this country, and the abortion industry is only one contributing factor. Turned-off day school students and professional, perpetual university students are also contributing factors.

As someone once said, don't let school get in the way of your education.

Ian

 

The name Ian Arthur Luke Casson likely means absolutely nothing to you. But for me, it (he?) is the end result of two simple cells that were joined together just over nine months ago. He represents the expression of love, the expansion of family, and entered the world in Vernon, BC, last week. I am married to his grandmother, I am the father of his mother, so that would make me his maternal grandfather.

If you were any closer, I'd hand out cigars - the candy version, of course.

In one of life's true ironies, the blessed news of Ian's healthy arrival came during the same week that another baby was in the news. This time, however, the news was not good and exciting: An eighteen-year-old mother was formally charged with the murder of her weeks-old infant. And then there was the other mother – also in Calgary - charged with the murder of her ten-month-old child, in a case that was re-opened from a suspicious death back in 2004, if I have my facts straight.

My thoughts were a littler scrambled when I saw my beautiful daughter and her delighted husband cuddling their newborn son. I had the other mothers in mind., as I viewed this happy couple. I do not know the circumstances of the attacks, only the results. As much as I grieve for the context whereby a mother could kill her own child, I still find it repugnant that it could even happen, especially to a defenseless baby.

To be sure, we all get frustrated with our kids, and we all give them a well-deserved swat on the backside, but violence (not to be confused with spanking) to the little victims of our society – whether it is before they are born or after – is an unconscionable crime against humanity. I have no doubt that there were some obvious extenuating circumstances that led up to these crimes. It is a wonder someone didn't see this coming. There are all sorts of agencies out there to help mothers of newborns cope, so it's not for want of assistance.

If a stranger did it, there would be no doubt that he would get a "life" sentence. (Note the quotation marks: A life sentence means only a few years before there is a possibility of parole.) So, be they strangers or mothers, there needs to be justice. Any butchers of babies should get help, no doubt about it, but they should also face the appropriate punishment.

But it is not all gloom and doom out there, even though that's stuff news stories are made of. In my very wide circle of acquaintances, babies – and by extension, lots of children – are wanted, welcomed, and wished for. It sort of old fashioned, namely, stay-at-home moms, lots of kids, and the priority of family life. I have been present at a number of weddings in the past few years and I honestly cannot count how many loved and loveable children have come out of those unions.

I am not suggesting that everyone needs to have a large family, nor am I implying that there aren't struggles with raising kids these days. That would be misleading and foolhardy. However, I am gripped with deep concern at the cavalier attitude towards family life in our culture, with killing one's own children is the ultimate act of supreme selfishness.

I grieve for those who view marriage and children as a burden. I grieve for those who suffer the trauma of divorce and death. And I grieve for those who feel there are no alternatives.

But in last week's juxtaposition of baby news, I grieve for someone else: You see, somewhere in the greater Calgary area, or wherever he lives, there is another grandfather. He will not be able to hug his grandson, buy him things, take him places, or even watch him grow. My heart breaks for him, my prayers go out to him.

I am so grateful for the birth of Ian Arthur Luke Casson, and once again it has given me even more incentive to make this world better place for him to grow up in.