Enough Empty Words

I'm not sure how much more of this talk regarding the shooting in Colorado I can handle. It is seriously infuriating. Like Roger Ebert (of all people...random) said, "The endless gun control debate will begin again, and the lobbyists of the National Rifle Association will go to work, and the op-ed thinkers will have their usual thoughts, and the right wing will issue alarms, and nothing will change. And there will be another mass murder."  I'm not sure I could have said it better.

Everyone and their dog has something to say about the shooting, and how their hearts go out to those affected by it. What a load. If you really cared about it, you would get on board with getting rid of licenses for handguns. And take them away from people who have them. Compensate them with money. Trust me, it will cost society less in the long run. But Rachel, you say, that's simply un-American! You're a traitor! I'm confiscating your passport!  {well fine, at least I won't have to file my US taxes for the rest of my life}

Yes, sometimes murders are carried out using long guns. But most of the time, it's handguns. Take away the freaking handguns! It's really not that complicated. All this "sympathy" is just empty words. And I'm sick of it.

There are mentally ill people and gangs and drugs everywhere.  Sure, guns don't kill people. People kill people. People with handguns, specifically. No one without access to a handgun ever shot someone with a handgun. Keep your long guns. I really don't care. Defend yourselves against the government (ha! as if that's what ya'll use them for!).

Edmonton was dubbed the murder capital of Canada last year. The city has a population of 750,000 and they had 47 murders. It was scandalous. Toronto has had 80 homicides this year - the number is so high it's on the national news nearly every night. Windsor, Ontario - just across the bridge from Detroit hasn't had a murder in more than 3 years. It's not Canadians' renowned friendliness, cold weather, and lower disparity between rich and poor that is keeping this number down. It's the lack of access to handguns.

So if you're thinking about sending out condolences to the people affected by the shootings in Colorado, or any other shooting carried out with a handgun, please don't. You disgust me. Call for change or keep your mouth shut.

Yeehaw! {or, as they say in Calgary, yahoo!}

Why DO they say yahoo instead of yeehaw in Calgary anyway? It's weird. I want all things cowboy to perfectly fit my city-girl invented stereotype. Oh well, I'll have to let that one slide.

Stampede has arrived! Pancake breakfasts, free BBQs, and lots and lots of cowboy hats!

Anyway, last Friday, mom, dad, Thomas and I went to opening day at the Stampede. [If you want to teach your kids more about the Stampede (and get an annoying song stuck in your head for the next month), watch this video.] Dave joined us after work and later we ditched Thomas. There are lots of nay-sayyers out there (in Calgary) when it comes to the Stampede, but you know what? It was awesome!

We got to the grounds right around 11 when it opened and lined up to get rush seating for the rodeo. Then we checked out farm animals - pigs and piglets, chicks, cows and calves, horses, donkeys, sheep, and more cows. Thomas LOVED it. He was too scared to pet the chick, but the real live cows inspired him to finally MOOOO. He even invented his own click-clacking to mimic the horses' hooves (Clydesdales whose shoulders were probably 6').

Then we grabbed some lunch (BBQ food and pancakes are pretty much the official food of the Stampede) and headed to the rodeo where we got to check out bull-riding, steer wrestling, calf roping, bucking horse riding (is that what that's called), horse dancing (I think it's similar to the thing ol' Mitt's horse does - just kidding, it was cooler than that). Oh and how did I fail to mention that mom and dad got to sing O Canada again? Anyway, it was awesome. There was a rapid change in weather from scorching hot and sunny to pouring rain - but luckily that happened during the intermission and we only missed a few minutes of bull-riding in the second half as we waited out the rain inside.

After the rodeo, Dave came and met us and we went to see Superdogs. It was pretty special - doggie high jump, agility courses, tricks, loud music, and bright lights. Mom and dad might not admit it, but they loved it. And so did Thomas. Good times.

Then we dropped Thomas off with Dave's parents, grabbed some dinner (more hamburgers - what else?), and headed to the grandstand show. The first half of the show is chuckwagon races, where drivers with  their teams of 4 horses pulling a small wagon do a figure 8 and one lap of the track. The second half of the show was ... well what WASN'T it? Cirque-du-soleil type performers, singing, dancing, story telling, native dancing, country singing, lights, pyrotechnics, and on and on. The whole show was about 3.5 hours. Ear plugs might have been nice, but we all had a great time. I've posted more photos on facebook since it's so much easier to post photos there.

I know this post has been thrilling. I hope you're not asleep haha.