The Oklahoma Eagle Editorial
Nothing changes until the consequences change. In the cases of the neighborhood around the 61st Street South on Peoria, a place where crime was believed to be a way of life. Of Section 8 housing and a place where people rarely left their residences except to go to work. Well, you get the idea. But, for this brief shining moment, the good people in that neighborhood said that is not our reality or our future. So, they started Ignite the Change. Which is a pretty good idea.
This world is so set on assuming the world is only one way and for people of color or who are struggling it is etched in stone. Of course, like the people who started Ignite the Change, history is filled with heroes and legends who acted when it was safer to sit. They are not sitting still, and they have plans. But, first they had to kick this event off.
Organizers identified some immediate and long-term needs. They started with that great social program called “jobs.’ The invited vendors to offer services and jobs. Counseling for those who need it, understanding that the neighborhood has been through a lot. Out of Tulsa’s 72 homicides, five of those were in this area. Families stayed inside their residences instead of risking getting hit by a stray bullet. But, everyone left their homes to celebrate this new beginning. They are reclaiming their neighborhood and redefining themselves.
The sounds of violence last week were replaced with music, laughter, and that great sound of hope. If it sounds like they are being congratulated for doing the right thing enthusiastically, they are. And they need the support of everyone who can.
Change doesn’t come easy. The forefathers of the organizers marched in the street to bring about change. They faced down evil at great peril. They stood up when society said they had no right. They broke immoral laws and replaced them with civil rights and equal access to housing and education.
Don’t want to minimize the great Ignite the Change movement with a weak good luck. The Oklahoma Eagle endorses the good efforts of Ignite the Change. Here’s hoping they achieve great long-term success for a good tomorrow.
Church Shooting And The Gun Debate Rages
When the faithful entered the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas they had no idea many of them would die at the hands of a killer armed with an assault weapon. His reasons will be debated and may be a deadly response to a domestic dispute. In the end 26 people were killed, with the youngest being several months old, and oldest over 70. Twenty were wounded.
As the shooter was in the middle of his rampage, a citizen took his own assault weapon and engaged the killer. After a brief gunfight the shooter left and after a short trip he crashed and took his own life. In the aftermath the gun debate was hotly debated, ignored, and mired with a gunfight which will cloud the issue further.
Democrats and all people who believe the world might be safer if this country forbids the sale of assault weapons. But, they are not talking about taking away guns, eliminating hunting, guns for home safety or any elimination of the sacred Second Amendment. The high court has said the country may enact gun laws to control guns if they believe it would be harmful to the general population. This is not a new phenomenon either. Last week in Thornton, Colo., and several weeks ago in Las Vegas. The shrill voices of fear rang out early and often by Republicans over gun control. There was a compromise over eliminating devices that would make single action assault weapons into nearly fully automatic weapons. That has largely been ignored, but it did make Bump stock devices sales go through the roof.
On cue, President Donald Trump’s first response was to diagnose the dead killer as mentally ill. He said it was too early to talk about gun control and that issue was about mental illness, which would logically call for increased mental health counseling. The already low appropriations for mental illness are too small to be much help. Funds for mental health or insurance coverage is shrinking. The killer is an ex U.S. serviceman. As many as 35% of veterans returning from war suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other mental health issues. However, their funds are being cut to pay for their maladies. The terror suspect in the New York City killed using a rented truck. New policies and protocols are being implemented at every level of government to keep that from happening again. The Middle Eastern national was immediately called a “terrorist” who needed to be shipped to American military prison, Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, (Gitmo) for imprisonment.
Trump also said the country was too politically correct, a term that always means the one who utters it is more than likely racially insensitive. Authorities are instituting policies to keep better tabs on rental trucks and to set up better barriers to bike paths. No hysterical response to the murders by politicians but rational proposals to do what one could to keep this tragedy from happening again. No such plans are in the making for guns.
Trump was joined by other republicans who spoke in unison that their heartfelt prayers went to the victims and their families but to not expect any gun laws which might have saved them. That would show a love greater for people over their love of their precious seats in Congress. It is time someone within the Republican Party breaks ranks and offer their voice to commonsense gun laws.
To make matters more complicated, and some say heroic, the killer was confronted by a citizen armed with his own AR-15. At this point the killer was armed with a pistol. After several shots between the two, he was reportedly wounded but he escaped before he took his own life. The National Rifle Association (NRA) and gun advocates will say the citizens who fired on the killer probably saved more lives. Now there is a huge push to hire more armed guards in church services. Churches that can’t hire guards are going to be able to have several parishioners armed to take on potential killers. This is foolish. We need to work on the reasons for killing with guns and be open to all ideas.
This country needs less guns in church not more.
