I watch the news and social media and there’s so many depressing things going on every day. It’s blatantly aggressive. There are so many things reported from innocent people being shot, race wars, conflicts between nations, and people with no respect lashing out at anyone. If you let yourself be engrossed in it too much, you can find yourself being depressed, angry, and even hopeless.

When I read my bible, there are no shortages of violence. None of this is new, but with social media it is more easily accessed. We hear of things as they happen. We see more pictures of the violence than ever before.

Gun violence is again in the forefront of the news with the recent on television shootings of the news anchor and her photographer that were killed by a former co-worker in Virginia. I saw comments on articles about it on the internet that said “Mental illness and gun ownership must go hand in hand.” I was appalled that someone could be so small minded, but seeing people that agree and follow that statement blindly amazed me. Mental illness is a real problem, but not all gun owners are mentally ill and not all mentally ill own guns.

Murder has been around since the beginning of time. Guns are just a tool that someone might choose to use. Remember, I said when reading the bible there were no shortages of any of the violence that is happening now? It’s true and there were no guns. Cain killed Abel without a gun. Jezebel was thrown from a window and the dogs ate her. Jael used a tent peg and crushed Sisera’s temple. Stephen was stoned to death. I could go on and on. It doesn’t matter what the weapon is, if someone has the intent to murder, they will get it done by any means they can.

According to the FBI statistics from 2011, more people were killed with hammers and clubs than by rifles. Three hundred and twenty-three lives were taken by rifles and 496 by hammers and clubs. Guns may be the easiest way to choose out of all of the weapons listed, but the people who murder had no shortages of ways they did it.

As for gun violence and the rest of the problems from race, conflicts, and lack of respect, I say it’s a heart problem. We as a nation have left respect for ourselves as well as others in some other time. If we truly love our families, we need to spend time with our kids and love them enough to discipline them. Teach them respect for themselves, their bodies, other’s property and other’s lives. It may seem like this world is going crazy, but it starts at home.

I’ve noticed we get so involved in taking our kids to school, to activities and getting their school work done Don’t forget to love them. Don’t forget to teach them that they are more valuable than anything you own or any activity they can participate in. Don’t forget to teach them the value of giving, not just doing. Being involved in activities is great, but taking time to give back to your community teaches them a sense of community value.

The media can set things to the point of view that helps them get ratings. They can sensationalize whatever things they want to make a point whether it’s gun control or race issues. Sometimes you have to just turn it off, love your family, and live in reality for a while.