Saturday, June 2, 2018

Yes or no?

The bumper sticker read, "Baby on Board." However, the black and white graphic featured the shape of a Glock-style handgun instead of a child. That was the owner's idea of precious cargo.

Sorry, I've lost my sense of humor for gun violence. The idea of mixing kids with weapons is frightening not funny. Earlier this week, a video game publisher pulled its new "Active Shooter" property,  just before the scheduled release on June 6. That would have been just a few days after the seniors graduated at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Four seniors were among the 17 killed in the mass shooting there in February.

The "Active Shooter" game allowed users to move through a virtual school and choose to play the role of a SWAT team or the gunman terrorizing police and civilians.

Sound like fun? Had it successfully launched, "Active Shooter" would have likely been a red hot property, exploiting the trauma of school shootings to "entertain" game lovers. The parents of Parkland victims responded with outrage. The publisher, a Russian company called, ACID, considered removing the option for gamers to play the shooter, and, of course, no children would appear in the school.

Having fun yet?

Eventually, consumer pressure pulled the plug on this "Active Shooter" before any were purchased. Ultimately, although votes at the polls matter some, nothing counts or says more than the messages we send with our money. People are boycotting to change corporate policies and decisions and boycotting is effective. Because we have to prove we mean what we say, by the way we shop and spend. Otherwise, corporations know we're just kidding. There is a growing list of companies boycotting he National Rifle Association. These firms fully expect people to vote on guns with their wallets. And the NRA is returning the favor. In May, it recommended members boycott a Texas restaurant that advocated for and supported reasonable gun regulation. The restaurant committed a portion of its proceeds to organizations pushing to control guns.

Jesus said, "Let your 'yes' mean 'yes' and your 'no' mean 'no.'" (Matthew 5:37) Time to say no to violence with everything we do.

Cash is a language everyone understands and takes seriously. No joke.


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