|
The Right Choices By Jen Zoran, As I write this, the Russian people are burying their dead, over 200 children, and another estimated 200 parents and teachers that were "caught in the crossfire" between an angry group of rebels and a government that has been soft on them. Whatever point the rebels were trying to make was lost on me the minute they took that school hostage. I believe that the point was lost on most of the world. An invisible line was crossed the day they went into that schoolyard, and the world, I believe, now finally understands what the War on Terror is all about. In America, as in the rest of the world, we face terror in many disguises. Crimes against women are quite popular among some violent criminals: armed robberies; home invasions, and gang warfare; the list goes on and on. There are many people that live in this country that say we are paranoid, that it's "not that bad", that the chances of someone becoming a victim of a violent crime are relatively small, that the police will take care of us. If my chances of being raped are less than 1% but greater than 0%, it means that I should be thinking of protecting myself, and I'm sure the odds are a bit greater than that, even if not by much where I live. With a police force that is reactive, and not proactive, that doesn't have psychics on staff that can see into the future, how is it that they can be in a place where a rape, or a robbery or a mugging or an assault, is going to happen? The answer is that they can't. It is up to each one of us to be sure that we are safe, and that we have the means and the knowledge and the power to defend ourselves. How each of us does that is a very personal choice, based on many individual factors, such as whether you believe you can carry a gun, and whether you think that you have the intestinal fortitude to use it if need be. This past September 11th is the third anniversary of when our country was awakened from a state of complacency regarding world events, and we were attacked on our own soil. Contrary to what the terrorists thought, that America was going to be cowed and bullied, we met their attack swiftly and severely, our government pledging that we would not stop until terrorists and the countries that harbored them were crippled. We are well on our way to that very goal. I expect, again at the risk of sounding paranoid, that we will see more terrorism here in our own country. That terrible thing that happened in Russia can, in all likelihood, happen here. Children are a fine target for heartless evil, because heartless evil knows that good people can't stomach bad things happening to the innocent. Again, it is our job to keep our kids safe. How do we do that? We, both as individuals and as a nation, as parents, and as responsible gun owners need to decide what is best. I am hoping, as I write this, that Americans from coast to
coast are making the right decisions in this upcoming November
Election, because the next time I write, the election will be
over, and we will be living with the decision of a nation. We are also planning our second annual coordinators meeting in San Antonio, TX, in April of 2005. This is shaping up to be a great time. If you are interested in going to the co-ords meeting, all you have to do is volunteer as a coordinator or a co-coordinator for your state. Some states don't have any coordinator, and some are geographically so large, that it takes more than one or two women to run events and get the SAS message out there! For information on how to become a chapter coordinator, or to join our organization, e-mail us at inquire@2asisters.org, or call our toll-free line at 1-877-271-6216. |
