Why all the hate?

No need for a picture on this one.

Tough love time.

After the school shooting in Florida, the usual debate began, veering away from the real issues onto gun control.  It is predictable and disheartening.

America needs to look in the mirror.  If you are looking for the problem there it is. 

Political discourse is toxic.  Road rage is all over the news.  Air rage too.  Nothing but anger and hatred aimed all over the place.  Did you not think it would happen in schools too?

School kids grow up in this environment and they think this is normal.

Add in the usual teenager angst, combined with snowflake syndrome and absentee parents, and you end up with what we saw in Florida last week.

Parents need to raise their kids,  Kids need to treat each other with a modicum of common courtesy and adults need to be responsible role models.  Social media just seems to amplify the worst of human nature.

There was one lunatic proposal to create a "School TSA".

That is one of the stupidest things I have every heard.  The proposal turns schools into prisons...and the threat is coming from the students.  Jump off a cliff while you are at it and don't forget the anvil.

Again, treat others as you yourself you like to be treated.  High school cliques can be vicious and that--again combined with social media--is what contributed to the horror last week in Florida.  This is often the root cause of most school shootings.

On the other hand, rejection is normal in life.  Get used to it.  Yet, there is not reason to make it worse.  That goes for rejectors and rejectees.

You will not get along with everyone you meet. You will not be friends with everyone you meet.  Still, common courtesy alleviates and disarms most potentially hostile situations.

Furthermore, don't run to the government crying plaintively "Fix it!".

Experience shows that usually does not work since the government, aside from being naturally incompetent, is not geared for this sort of thing.

If you fail to learn from history, you will repeat it.  History--as bad as it is--has been made.

Learn the lesson.

Maybe just as well....

A lot of times, things don't work out and strangely enough, it turns out for the better.

I always thought the best example was not getting the noontime shift at that idiot radio station I once worked for.  I never realized how toxic the atmosphere was there and it naturally led to its collapse.

No one misses those idiots.

Back in 1997-1998, I tried out for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League and on the second try, I made it into the preseason.  I have always been a huge football fan but lately after seeing all of the news on brain injuries and CTE, maybe it was a good thing I did not play football for more than a game.

I often wondered how far I could have gone had I played in college and perhaps gotten drafted.  I look at what we have learned about CTE and suddenly I am glad I did not take that path.

It is not by any stretch of the imagination sour grapes. It was a great experience, however brief, in the CFL.  It was a great adventure. Not many have done that.

I can see why.

If you play football, please be careful.  All it takes is one hit to change your life in the worst way possible.

I have fun in Canada and although I did not get to hoist the Grey Cup or Lombardi trophy, I am in a good place with the whole thing.