Fix Sh*t and Hug Someone

It looks as though this most recent tragedy to befall our nation, the anti-gay radical Islamic terror attack in Orlando, could be heading in the direction of our other recent mass-shootings. People are assuming their ‘internet personalities’ that they often allow to take over, and shouting over each other on social media to let people know what absolutely is and is not the answer. Very few are taking the time to digest what has occurred and make an educated decision. Far too many are falling in lock-step with whichever ideology or news source rules their brains, and spewing whatever has been fed to them over a long period of time.

This time has a chance to be different, though. It’s odd. Some people that I know to generally be against the gay community have come out in support of them. They’re pissed off. It’s almost as if they feel that those in the gay community are actually ‘Americans’. Sure, some of it seems to be completely disingenuous, but some of it seems very damned sincere. This is a good thing. It was born of an absolutely disgusting act, but it’s a positive thing. We need to hold on to that. We need to remember that.

You see… The whole ‘gay acceptance’ thing is new to a lot of people. And progress has been slow. But there has been progress. The road to true social progress is often littered with tragedy, but the important thing is that we continue to make progress. There was a time when I was disgusted by the gay community. I’m not proud of that, but it’s a reality. I was ignorant. I didn’t know. I said stupid shit. It happened. Over time, I realized that I was just really f**king wrong on the issue. And you know what? When it comes to the whole issue of the transgendered community, I am better able to deal with it now for having been so ass-backwards before. I can honestly say that I don’t understand, at all, what it’s like to be transgendered. I just don’t get it. But that’s okay. They’re my fellow Americans, and my fellow human beings, and they are deserving of the same rights as the rest of us. They deserve that dignity and respect. If there is to be any light that comes from this dark and horrible act, it is that people have seen, through the blood and tears and chaos, that this group that is often slammed and degraded for ‘shoving their agenda on everyone’ might actually have a point. Yes, they are discriminated against. Yes, they are bullied and killed for simply being born a certain way. Our fellow Americans who are hurting so badly right now are deserving of so much more than what they have had to deal with, and the light to come from this is that the people who might not normally wish to grant them equal rights are waking up to the idea.

Sure, there are still plenty of assholes spewing their hatred, but not as many. Let’s be thankful for that.

This horrific act of terror and violence has welded gay rights and gun rights into one big, ugly ball. And we have to look at it. We have to reflect on it. We have to make some choices. And you know what would be great when we’re making those choices? What would be great is if we could just put our stupid f**king ‘internet personalities’ and our stupid f**king bullshit news sources and our stupid f**cking presidential frontrunners to the side for a few moments while we make these choices.

I think that everyone would be better off if we could just agree, as all sane people do, that we need to decrease gun violence in the United States. Over 90% of the country agrees, according to pretty much every source out there, that we need to make it more difficult for bad people or people with bad intentions to legally obtain firearms. Seriously. Most of us agree on that, just like most of us agree with finding a way to decrease gun violence. Why do we agree on this? Because it’s common f**king sense, that’s why. The problem comes when we say this aloud, or on social media. We are immediately considered to be wanting to take people’s guns away. We are told of Obama’s army driving down our streets to take our guns by force, and of our dreams of a country with less gun violence being complicit in the downfall of America due to our stripping people of their constitutional rights. And that’s just not the case. But both sides allow a bullshit agenda to be propagated.

When it comes to the AR-15, the most vilified firearm in recent history, the folks on the left need to understand some things… Namely, that the AR design is just a design. It’s lightweight and easy to use for hunting or recreation. It is no more ‘automatic’ than most other rifles, shotguns, and pistols available today. The issue you have is with the size of the magazine, which can carry, on average, anywhere from 10 to 80 rounds. Many models of pistols and rifles also offer high-capacity magazines. It’s not the gun you’re against, it’s the high-capacity magazine. And do you know what? We should be able to have a conversation about magazine capacity without everyone flipping their f**king lids. I have three AR’s, and I’m willing to have that discussion.

In my humble opinion, though, we’d be far better off in having a discussion about how easy it is to acquire guns. This absolutely comes into play when discussing the AR platform. Why? Because I don’t want just any f**king asshole to be able to walk into a store and buy a kick-ass AR with an 80 round magazine. That makes no sense. I have to wait a day and have a background check to adopt a dog, for Christ’s sake. We need to wake the f**k up on this. How much better can I prove my point on this than to say that this terrorist asshole, who had been watched and investigated by the FBI for interest in Islamic terror organizations, was able to walk right into a store and buy firearms.

Shouldn’t we all be against this? The answer is ‘yes’. And most of us are. So why can’t we fix it? Because it’s their 2nd Amendment right, as Americans, to be able to have guns. But what f**king sense does that make? I know, I know… Your crazy news source is telling you that ‘anyone could accidentally, or through malice, end up on one of those lists’. They’re saying, “That’s how it all starts!” Here’s a news flash: No one is ever going to be driving down the streets of America taking your guns. It won’t happen. It’s impossible. Stop being a f**king stupid conspiracy theorist. Live in reality. Maintain the right to bear arms, but make laws to keep them out of the hands of people that intend to do harm. I know, those can be murky waters, so I have an idea… Can we start with people who have been under FBI surveillance for making terrorist remarks and sympathizing with f**king terror groups, like the jackass that just mowed down 100 of our fellow Americans? Can we start there? Or do you think that these people deserve the ‘right to bear arms’? Just like in the gay rights issue, it’s time to make a little bit of progress.

These radical Islamic terrorists are a reality. They’re here. They’re home-grown. Let’s deal with this in solidarity. If they come after Americans… whether they be gay, Christian, Muslim, whatever… Let’s deal with them. We certainly don’t need to arm them, though. We’ve tried that time and time again overseas and it hasn’t worked yet, so let’s not do it here. Let’s just stand with and defend our fellow Americans. Period. We’ve been trying this ‘divided’ thing for far too long, as is evidenced by our presidential candidates. We can either continue to yell at each other on whom is better between the liar and the racist, or we can stand together and try to actually fix shit.

And I know, I know… You want to yell about immigration. You want to yell about transgendered people in bathrooms. But no, no, that’s not this conversation. This conversation is about common ground, and fixing shit based solely upon that common ground. This is about building on this tiny bit of light we see, where we can unite as Americans. This is about lifting each other up and moving forward. This is about fighting for the right of our fellow Americans to not die from legally purchased firearms in the hands of terrorists. That’s all. Stay focused. We can do this.

So that’s it. Stop yelling. Stop hating. We’re making progress. Keep it up. Go hug somebody. And fix shit.

8 Comments

  • C. V. Allen says:

    Yeah man, it’s not the gun. People who don’t know guns think the AR-15 is a machine gun. They don’t understand that it’s one trigger pull per round fired just like almost all guns, besides bolt action and shotguns. You can fire a handgun just as fast.
    And this shooter, Is/was a bisexual/homosexual and somehow Muslim which doesn’t mix. He’d been seen there many times picking up dudes/guys/queens/tops/bottoms whatever he was into. His “faith” shamed him. He was torn between his natural sexual feelings and desires as a human, and his “faith”. A self shamed bi/homosexual and why he took it out on these innocent people is a mystery. He claimed loyalty to ISIS…..I believe he did so to validate his plan with radicals and save himself from shame. But the gigs up. That’s what happens when people are shamed by religion for not being able to follow their natural human desires of loving the same sex or being transgendered. Peace and Love to all. One LOVE!

  • ryan says:

    GOOD WORDS!

  • lee m says:

    Ron Paul, isolationism, down size government, #thingswouldbedifferent.

  • Susan paisley says:

    Very good. But do remember that it is not just Muslims that are terrorists. I would like to email your thoughts to some of my friends. How do I do that? Thanks

    • Matt Hiley says:

      Oh, I know it’s not just Muslims that are terrorists! My point on this was that it seems we should all agree that people who are on terror watch lists (or have been) should not be afforded their 2nd Amendment rights. If you want to email this, just click on the URL (web address) on the blog, then copy and paste it into your email. Thanks! Say hi to Jimbo!

  • Aubrey says:

    You’re becoming a favorite author of mine, haha! I enjoyed your books too. Hope you’re doing well! Glad I found you on FB.

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