Wordless Wednesday: Benny Blanco's Birthday!

Guess what day it is?

Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike! What day is it?

Ok, sorry, it's not quite hump day but any excuse to giggle over that commercial. What today IS though, is my puppy dog's birthday.  The last time I celebrated one of my dogs' birthdays here on blogger and on Wordless Wednesday was the day after the Boston Marathon Bombing in April.  And here we are a week and a day after the Navy Yard Shootings and I'm celebrating my other dog's birthday. (On a sad note, one of the victims is from my little town in Maryland where I grew up and I was on swim team with his daughters as a child.  While I don't remember him, my brother and my father do.  Apparently he was just the nicest man.)

I do have to pause and wonder what is going on with this world.  This week it's the mall attacks in Kenya.  It makes me somewhat scared for next week.

However, life does go on and we really must celebrate all the good there is in the world because it IS there.  It's not as publicized as the evil, but it's there.

So to a good thing in my life, my boy Benny Blanco from the Bronx, I wish a very happy 9th birthday.

The DC Navy Yard Shooting: My Thoughts

As you may or may not know, I work in DC.  I was born here in DC and I live outside the city.  Today's shooting at the Navy Yard happened maybe a mile and half - two miles from my office.  A quick 5 minute cab ride.  I've been following twitter and the trending hashtag #NavyYardShooting and several of the posts infuriate me.  So I thought I'd straighten a few things about about DC for everyone.

First, it's a tiny city.  Teeny tiny in the realm of major world capitals. 68.3 square miles, including water.  It is sandwiched between Maryland and Virginia. Since it's small, many of the people who work in DC commute in from the MD and VA suburbs, like I do.

Second, for 32 or so years, handguns were banned in DC.  That was repealed in 2007 (it's true, look it up). However, considering its close proximity to Maryland and Virginia, you could live in one of those states, get your gun there and then drive on over to DC in no time at all.

Third, since 9-11 and the sniper shootings, security in DC is high.  My building rents out 3 or 4 floors to the DoJ (Dept. of Justice) and there are armed guards on each of those floors.  I pass armed MTA, K-9 units and TSA agents at the train station EVERY DAY.  And frequently DCPD as well.


So arming DC?  It's not the answer here.  The DC cop and the security guard who were shot today were armed and unfortunately, they were still harmed.  Guns aren't the problem or the solution.  Unhinged people are the problem...I have no idea what the solution is.

Fourth, while DC is overflowing with military and government agencies, they all employ civilians.  A lot of civilians.  We don't know who was injured aside from the DC police officer and the security guard, but I would assume that civilians got hurt as well.

So stop making jokes about this being a military hit.  Stop assuming that more guns would have solved the problem.  Just stop.

People died today. Let's all have some respect for them and the families who are grieving.