Sometimes wake-up calls can be rude.
Now, I’m not talking about those annoying phone calls from New Delhi or Bangladesh most cell phone owners seem to get at 1 a.m.
You know the ones I mean – the ones that ring and ring and ring but there is never anybody on the other end of the line, I’m not talking about those kinds.
The calls I am referring to are the calls that no one ever wants to get, the ones with messages about loved ones on the other end of the line.
On Sunday, the day after an amazing experience covering an extremely well attended F4, I woke up to headlines that were screaming about shots fired in Edmonton.
While I sent my thoughts upward and compassion for those injured across the Internet, I was hit in the face with a fact that hit me like ice water.
I knew someone who was in the vicinity.
My wife was learning CPR in the area, possibly only a street away from where two cars crashed and their occupants decided to open fire on each other, thereby riddling the neighbouring homes with stray bullets.
As I waited for her to text me in response, I could not stop the flood of images that suddenly filled my overly creative brain.
Nor can I now, days later, fully shrug off the sense of guilt at being so gloriously happy that it wasn’t my better half who was shot.
You never think it is going to be you, or someone you know.
That’s how complicated life can be though, in a ‘global’ world, in these exciting times.
To the people on either side of the ‘guns’ fence, those advocating for tighter controls and a long-gun registry, as well as those against any sort of legislation whatsoever, I hear both of your arguments and I sympathize with you in your pain and grievances.
The problem with gun control legislation is that it has no effect on the criminals.
All it does is keep the means of defending oneself out of the hands of law-abiding citizens.
Unfortunately, you can’t legislate good or bad behaviour.
Not yet anyway.
On the other hand, I also understand the fear of losing control over ones personal or private business, and the annoyance of having the government sticking its nose where it isn’t wanted.
However, the point I would like to make, based on a personal opinion as well as observances of previous tragedies, is that a person might be surprised at how fast their own stance on something can change when they find themselves embroiled in a similar situation.
I like my freedoms and rights as much as anybody does, but I love my wife more.
Maybe the smartest thing to do would be to change the word ‘control’ to something else and make it more palatable.
