NOISE Why I Won’t Walk Out

I sit here today struggling to get my work done, and the list of to-dos is lengthy. There has been a multitude of tragedies that are hitting close to home in my little town. My motto is generally motivational, and I try to be upbeat. That’s because I know our time here is short, and we have a lot to do.

“Noise”

The word prompt of the day that showed up in my writer’s feed is noise. I found it fitting and inspiring as a way to do my job, which is to write. If you’d like to hear me spew about why then read on.

Today I’m struggling to find the motivation because there is so much noise going on in the media, social media, and now right here in my community.

While everyone is running around making noise there are real-life tragedies occurring. People are screaming for the disarmament of a country as murderers rove our streets. — Criminals.

A Walk Out? What does that do to keep me safe? How does that stop evil?

Why now, if ever, would I want to be unarmed? Why would I want to be a sheep in a wolves pen?

I’ve had friends scoff when I say I carry at home. “Home? That’s your safe place.” Is it?

HOME SAFE HOME

A close friend lives in a house that an ordinary, everyday citizen would see as safe from burglars and transients. Everyone knows he’s a gun owner. His driveway is lined with intimidating hound dogs. It’s not one I would deem as portraying a welcoming ambiance to a stranger. In fact, it’s been said that criminals avoid homes that have dogs. He has about 15.

Yet in the wee hours of the morning, when the rest of us slept, a stranger walked up the driveway and peered into the kitchen window with a flashlight. There was no knock on the door.

My friend who, like the rest of us, is generally sleeping at 3:00 am was awakened by the sound of his furious dogs. He came out of his room to see a light shining through the kitchen door and found a stranger who, in broken English, said he was having car trouble and asked for help.

The friend got dressed, loaded the man in his car, and headed up the road to see if he could help. Yep. He’s a good Samaritan. The kind that would give you the shirt off his back in a snowstorm.

As the two drove it was gathered that the car may need transmission fluid. From the translation the illegal immigrant gave, my friend deciphered that the vehicle could move but not too far and not uphill.

When they arrived they parked so as to shine the headlights at the broken down ride. As he lifted the hood and peered into the engine compartment, a swift blow struck my friend on the back of his head. The strike was immediately followed by a knife to the throat.

The man ran for my friend’s vehicle, hopping into the driver’s seat. As he began to back away, my bleeding friend lept to the passenger door, trying to get in as the man stabbed at him with a knife. After a short tussle and being drug, the friend was left on the ground in the road. He watched as his car sped away into the darkness.

I must say I have courageous friends. He managed his way to the broken down vehicle, got it into gear and limped his way back down the road to his driveway where he crawled his way up to the front door and his girlfriend found him in a pool of blood.

People make NOISE and then there are criminals attempting to kill law-abiding, good Samaritans in our country.

My friend was life-flighted to the hospital. He spent a few days in intensive care. He went through vocal cord and speech therapy and eventually made it home. Thank God he lived!

What about that man who attempted to murder him then sped off, leaving him for dead? The police set out tack strips, popping the tires of my friend’s car, causing it to careen off an embankment. The criminal wound up being life-flighted with multiple internal injuries and bones broken in his legs, ankles, and chest. After his rehab, he sits in the local jail awaiting prosecution.

Will there be justice? What is justice?

NOISE!

The country goes mad. They want to ban guns. What if my friend had carried his firearm with him that night?

ANOTHER FRIEND

A local shop owner, who is an icon in the community, reports multiple break-ins at his store. With his patience shortened, he sees notification -yet again- that the store alarm is going off. He decides to confront the situation himself. He arrives at the shop to find the burglar still present. The shop owner is shot in the chest and the burglar runs. Life-flight carries the wounded skier, archer, husband, uncle, friend to the hospital where he died.

NOISE!!!

People keep calling to ban guns, legalize drugs, and make the illegal legal. What does this create? A SAFE ZONE FOR THE ILLEGAL where law-abiding good people die?

People are dying. When will we recognize that drugs are a problem? When will we realize that illegal means “lawbreaker?” When will we put “THOUGH SHALL NOT MURDER,” “YOU SHALL NOT STEAL,” and “YOU SHALL NOT COVET YOUR NEIGHBORS BELONGINGS” into the forefront of our missions?

When will be put the law-abiding before the criminals? Innocent people are dying. Where is the justice?

A walk out? It’s just NOISE.

THEN this morning I learn that another friend, a high school mentor, an inspiration, passed away in his sleep. Life is short. When it’s our time God will let us know. Until then don’t let the noise fog your views. I’ll be more inspirational in a while.

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