A Thought For A Friday. Mug Shot? Or A Graduation Picture? 9/6/2024

 Good Morning,

This day began with my morning trek upstairs to the den with a hot cup of Door County Maple Coffee in my hand. After some thought and prayer I am ready to write. 

Friday arrived right on time and I just have a simple thought to share today. School has started for most all children by now. I am sad to say that in Georgia some more families are mourning the loss of their loved ones to a shooting that took place in a school. My thoughts and my prayers are with those folks suffering that loss. As a matter of fact, my heart hurts for them. 

Exodus 20:13 NKJV Thou shall not kill. 

I am the owner of a few guns and they are locked up in a vault. Most of them also are locked through the trigger as well. Locks are the second step in gun safety. The bond between a parent and their child is the first step. Know you child. Be so close to your child that they can tell you if they are troubled or hurting. When in doubt check their room now and then for signs of  despair or anger. Browse the web sites that are frequenting. Check the back packs for weapons. I know I am advocating for violating their privacy. But let's get old school here. It's your home and you pay the rent or mortgage. You have every right to be in their face and in their stuff.  

As a teen my car was my refuge but my dad had a set of keys to the old Ford. Much to my surprise one morning I was awakened by my dad rolling me right out of my bed. I was facing seven kinds of hell as he was holding two bottles of Annie Green Springs wine and a six pack of Blatz beer. They were stored in my trunk and hidden away for wining and dining some gals I knew. 

The lecture was short but hot, the punishment was the loss of my car for three weeks. I was a teenager without wheels. I was back to taking the bus to school. I then had to pay for my own insurance plan. Of course I thought my life was ruined. But my car never killed anyone. 

Dad had every right to inspect my car. I claimed every constitutional right I could think of, but that only resulted in another threat which included some more walking in my life. Sometimes to love a child there is a time to lay down the law. If you are a parent, you are the responsible party for the actions of your child. You are responsible for the violent videos they play on. You are responsible for the condition of their heart and minds. Know your child inside and out before some prison doctor has a lifetime to try and figure out where Junior went wrong. Oh no here's a thought, grace the inside of a church and then  make Junior go. No kid living in your home should have a choice to stay home or tell you where they will attend. Old school yes. Old fashioned yes. I knew where our hunting guns were stored and I knew the consequences of handling them outside of hunting. I never had access to the ammunition until I was eighteen and out of the house.  Taking away all guns is not the answer. You cannot take away all the cars, and the booze either. Prohibition never worked and was a very violent time period. 

Teach responsibility and consequences for actions. Love your children enough to protect them from themselves. Give them a surprise visit now and then just to talk and be nosey. 

God bless,

Marty