by Jillian @ http://blueshelled.com . August 13, 2009 . 12:41PM
Back in July, a Nashville church offered an interesting incentive to people in the area to decrease violence: bring in your guns and for every gun you turn in, we’ll give you 5 free tickets to see a circus that is coming to town.
When I initially heard about this program, the skeptic inside of me smirked and thought “what kind of ghetto wannabe is gonna give up their piece to go see some lions, and tigers and elephants?”
I got mine.
Apparently, A LOT. The program was a HUGE success. And when I say huge success, I mean 84 guns were collected, and 420 tickets were distributed.
The Care for the Kids gun drive took 84 guns out of commission in Nashville. As a citizen, I’m thankful. As a mother, I’m elated. There are plans to do this in other communities and to possibly do it again in Nashville.
My initial skepticism didn’t account for the number of family members who would bring in guns to get them out of their homes. Many of the folks that brought them in were people that were housing people who carried these guns. I don’t know what crimes were prevented by this action. But I know that there are 84+ potential news stories that I don’t have to worry about seeing on the News.
I can’t wait for the circus to come to town again. I wonder what other incentives we could use to decrease violence in our communities. The creativity and ingenuity of others astounds me. Never underestimate the power of simple pleasures.
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by Jillian @ http://blueshelled.com . July 14, 2009 . 12:31PM
In life, we have the opportunity to define ourselves in many ways. For some of us, we define ourselves by our eduction or our careers. For some, it’s our family. For others, it’s our leisure or time spent traveling.
For one man, he will forever be defined by getting his butt kicked by an elderly woman. He thought he was so smart. He came in and tried to rob her, but what he didn’t count on was her moxie. Gwyneth Davies defeated the 26-year old village idiot by hitting him four times with CRUTCH. Yes, ladies and gentleman, she was handicapped. She has trouble walking properly and she beat up a perfectly fine 26-year old MAN.
What is truly sad about this story is that the man had known this woman for a while. He worked in the village and had observed her. She recognized him when she saw him in her home. What happened to a sense of community ties? The willingness to help one another and be there for another. In my opinion, this kid (and I say kid because there is no way he acted like a man) got everything he had coming to him. And he’ll get more for his attempted robbery.
Ms. Davies noted that she’d been brought up with 6 brothers and isn’t really scared of anything.
I guess not.
by Jillian @ http://blueshelled.com . June 26, 2009 . 1:29PM
The other night, in my Gender Roles class, we watched the documentary “Raising Cain.” Overall, it was an informative and thought-provoking film about boys and I highly recommend it for anyone who has a boy, who works with boys or who might do one or both someday. While I was watching it, there was a section of film that focused on how boys are primed to be fighters in poverty-ridden sections of the country.
It broke my heart. The only thing that kept me from bawling my eyes out was that I am expected to keep professional decorum in the classroom. Little boys, aged 9 according to the narrative, were placed on opposite sides of a make-shift ring (on a basketball court) and held back by older boys. They were then told to go at each other and chided when they didn’t. I was watching these babies beat the crud out of each other and, with every hit, I felt a piece of my heart die. At the end of the fight, when an older boy gleefully proclaimed “Knock out!” and one 9-year old jumped up and down and the other cried his little boy eyes out, I felt physically ill. The loser was then heckled for not being stronger and tougher. He was slumped in a corner and was hurting and all I could see was my 8-year old’s face and build in this little guy.
He was just a little guy.
I understand that they are teaching them adaptive skills for where they are living. It kills me that they have to do so.
He’s just a little guy.
When A.J. skins his knee, he winces and I want to hold him. This little one got punched and kicked and beat down. I cannot imagine what his life is like.
Life isn’t fair. It just isn’t. Boys are growing too fast in these areas. They are being groomed for a life that is so far beyond what they should have to deal with and what they are capable of handling. Maybe I need to grow a thicker skin and face reality because I suppose that I’ve been naive as to what is happening out in the world. There is a part of me that wants to save them them all. The realist in me realizes I can’t. It’s a helpless feeling.
He’s just a little guy…
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Life is like a game. We all have challenges, thoughts, opinions and beliefs. Often, it feels like something out there, life, karma, catty people, or blue shells (for the Kart lovers), seeks to bring us down. Luckily, we always get up. This is where I wear my heart on my sleeve and my foot in my mouth.
