My first and last comment about CT

Thank you all for taking the time to read my blog, and view my work.  Just a few days ago, our country suffered an unspeakable tragedy.  The worst of the worst happened, when a man entered a school, and took the lives of many, yet affected the lives of so many more.

I refused to watch the news all day.  I wanted to avoid sitting and listening to such a horrible moment, described in haunting detail.  I finally sat down, the next day, and watched a report on what exactly happened, and was left in tears.

Our President gave a stirring and emotional speech concerning the events, and again, I was left in tears.  Millions of Americans and people worldwide were left speechless by this event, which was then automatically transferred to anger.  Most Americans took a hardcore stance on gun control...either for or against.  Many others pointed to mental health research...and exposed the exact problem with America...ourselves.

Gone are the days when a man was measured by his word, his handshake, his ability to look another man in the eye, and his sincerity.  Gone are the days when people approach others when they have a problem.  Gone are the days when you took your lumps, you lived, and you learned.

As Americans, we have to accept that we live in a world completely new to us...and we have to accept the fact that we are to blame.  Not gun manufacturers, not the terrorist abroad, not China...us.  Our constant need to evolve and consume has brought this upon us.  Whether its consuming products or time, we are all to blame for this.

As Americans we are trained to believe the fact that we are the greatest nation on Earth, in the history of civilization...yet when an unspeakable tragedy happens, we look to place the blame anywhere and everywhere...just not on ourselves.

Nobody bothers to look at how many violent video games we buy for the multiple game consoles our children own, then we question ourselves as to where this violence could have come from.  Most people now text more than they speak, yet we all wonder why our children refuse to express themselves to us.  Instead of judging a man by his character, we accept him by his Facebook posts, yet we refuse to see that despite the fact that a person can find a cute little quote or write something nice, they may be the biggest fake.  Gone are the days when being impatient meant waiting for several hours for a return phone call...we are reduced to minutes.  Yet we all wonder why.  Really?

Yes, stricter, more responsible laws on gun control are great.  Yes, focusing more funds and resources on mental health research are a step in the right direction.  As Americans...as individuals...as parents...fathers...mothers...citizens of humanity...what are WE going to do?

How about instead of focusing our blame on everyone and everything outward, we look inward?  How about we accept, that as a society, we have failed?  How about we change that?

Let's turn off the news when they start glorifying these murders.  Let's get ourselves, and our children, off facebook...for at least a little while...couple hours a day at least.  Let's put the smartphones with the Angry Birds, and the Words With Friends, and Farmvilles down for a little bit.  Let's stop buying our children these violent video games, not teaching them to express themselves because they're so overwhelmed with all the aforementioned products, and more, that that's the most interaction they have.  Let's sit down and have dinner...without the TV blaring in the background.  Think I'm crazy?  Think of this:

A teenage kid, in the middle of summer, with his parents out working all day, as most of us do, can have numerous interactions all day...without even opening his mouth or leaving his bedroom.  He can shape his mind on all kinds of crazy facebook post, youtube videos, or internet articles, text his way through a number of conversations, all while saving the world from the latest zombie invasion...and not say one single word...or see one single human being.  What happens then, when our socially inept children are put in a situation they can't handle?  What happens when our child develops a mental health or emotional issue, yet they don't know how to handle it...or express it?  They react...the only way they know how...shooting things up, instead of talking things out.

You may think what I'm saying is crazy, or its someone else's fault...maybe your neighbors...just not yours.  Just know this...in OUR society, you are 44 times more likely to get killed in the United States by a gun than you are in the UK.

This is not the future I accept for my country.  This is not the future I accept for my society.  This is not the future I accept for my son...we need to do better than this.  Let us all take a moment of reflection and pray for these victims, and their heartbroken families...but then, let's have an actual conversation...and take some action to fix not just the gun laws or mental/emotional health issues...but ourselves.

May God bless America.

R

Studio Parc Apartments

Just a few photographs from an advertising shoot I did for Studio Parc Apartments, in Orlando Florida.  Enjoy!