ATTITUDE

The word means so much - in many differing usages - but is so frequently tossed out in flippant or accusatory ways that the word itself is diminished in importance.

While in college, I was often told I had a "bad attitude," which was a criticism easily and very readily leveled at a rambunctious student in a church school where everyone was expected to be courting perfection. It occurs to me that even "close to perfect" attitudes are still subject to down-time and sometimes at the most unexpected moments, surprising everyone.

The (seemingly) considerate and "nice" fellow who was recently shot to death in a theater while texting, may not have been the slightest bit concerned about his "attitude" leading up to the split second of his death. The retired police captain who shot the young father for texting and not responding to warnings to stop, certainly could have better maintained a "good attitude" and refrained from drawing his gun in the situation. Perhaps this was a "nice guy" also, but one who had been through something frustrating or devastating prior to the event in the theater.

It's too bad that attitude isn't more consistently balanced and controlled by humans.

The ordinarily nice young man could have simply recognized that his use of the cell phone in a theater might be a nuisance to others and he could have stepped out to the lobby or outdoors to phone the day-care center to check on his little daughter. But for that short time when his mind was completely on making sure his two-year-old was okay, he wasn't quite completely in control of his "attitude."

The former police captain who still carried his side-arm everywhere certainly could have done any one of a number of things short of drawing his weapon to confront another human who was there as a short-term near neighbor to enjoy some entertainment. But he drew the gun because at that moment, his "attitude" was not at all under control. He somehow felt he had the right to react the way he did and that deadly force was acceptable.

It wasn't acceptable. It rarely is. But then, any use of deadly force EVER - by ANY human or trained army of shooters - should be considered unacceptable. Humans as a species don't see it this way. The very reason guns are everywhere present in our world is that humans would often rather kill someone than to keep their own attitudes in control.

People have laughed at me for saying a gun has no place in my home. The reason I make that statement is simple: a gun in my possession would be completely unused until the unfortunate time when it would be MISused. I could never shoot another human, so a gun in my possession would be completely foolish.

My simpler statement: guns are foolish! That's my attitude.