five months, fourth of july & fires

five months.

five months without so much as one word on my neglected little blog.

'tis not for lack of ambition. not for lack of profound thoughts. not for lack of dysfunctional episodes that would be debilitating if they weren't comical. no, there is plenty of material -- more than ever.

it took me being inspired by a captivating, guileless writer (who, incidentally, has a new tattoo that is the first i've ever wanted an exact replica of on my body) to decide to blog my heart out.

so you can look forward to a thrilling post about the fact that i have NOT seen Magic Mike yet; i will elaborately mourn the recent death of Matlock; you can most likely expect a blistering rant about my (former) favorite NBA player Steve Nash disgracing his name, legacy, family, and fans by signing with the Lakers; and i might even throw in an essay about why i feel so blasé and discouraged about the current state of affairs in our country.

all nail biting commentary, without question.

that's it. actually, it's not. just one more thing ....

i would like to publicly express my appreciation to all the firefighters combating the numerous wildfires throughout the West, especially in Utah. these brave men and women are working around the clock, sacrificing their lives, to protect our homes and communities. my thoughts and prayers are with you as well as others who have been affected. i don't know, and i am guilty as well, if we truly understand how hard firefighters are physically working for us.

pause.

so why so many fires anyway? what gives?

according to a local news source, officials believe that over 21 wildfires in Utah have been started by gun use. ooooh, of course, people shooting their guns on a lazy afternoon for lack of anything better to do.

so here it is, from me to those of you who live in utah (the 6th safest state in the US) who continue shooting your guns like renegades:
yes, you have the right to bear arms. i have no problem with you exercising your second amendment right. HOWEVER, when you are firing your gun for no real reason in a non-designated shooting area; when you are recklessly disregarding the safety protocol and rules you agreed to when you received your license; when you or your buddy thinks that you don't need to follow the rules or go to the gun range to shoot; or maybe when you hear on the news that gun use is causing MOST of the devastating wildfires in our state ... STOP. stop shooting your gun and being a ignorant jerk.

careless gun use IS endangering people, killing wildlife, destroying public lands, damaging homes and property, and forcing families to evacuate their homes. isn't it simple? just stop shooting your gun unless it's a matter of life and death. i was appalled to read that gun rights activists, upon hearing reports that gun use had caused at least 21 utah fires, defended their rights instead of working towards a solution or showing any compassion for those in danger. clark aposhian, chairman of the utah sports shooting council, immediately rallied to make sure legislators wouldn't ban guns or ammunition ... um, how about your rally to educate the mindless idiots causing the problem or to help those who have no place to live thanks to your edacity.  REALLY?

let me throw this out there: let's say there is even a slight chance that gun use did indeed cause 21 fires and could potentially cause more. isn't it worth it or common sense to INDEPENDENTLY set aside your gun slinging hobby, without the government or anyone else telling you to do so? and then maybe when the 800,000 acres that are burning in our country are contained, you can hit the range again? where is the harm in that?

you're worried about your "right" to have and shoot your gun? worry about your fellow man! does he have a right to protect himself from you? think about your communities, people's homes, animals, lives that are being destroyed. be a part of the solution. i feel sad that there are individuals in our society have lost sight of looking out for each other out of pure selfishness.

anyway, take it for what it's worth. happy independence day!