I may have stopped keeping up with all the details of what has been going on with the gun control debate but I know how I've always felt. I studied Political Science in college but even before that, I knew how I felt about guns, gay marriage, abortion, etc.
Guns scare the crap out of me. I've always wanted to go to a shooting range and try my hand but I have no coordination however, the side of me that wants to be prepared for anything that comes my way will always have that itch to learn.
What the Senate didn't do today was try something new. They didn't let themselves try because they fear failure. They didn't try to see if their vote would have a positive impact on the future of our country. They didn't want to lose votes when it comes time to get reelected. But this was just round one. I don't know if there is a perfect way to stop people from performing violent acts, but we should try.
People are pouncing on the idea that we've blamed the bomber for Boston but we blame the killings on the guns. I can absolutely understand this but it's twisted. We blame the guns AND we blame the bombs. We blame the shooter AND we blame the bomber. It's the word that we choose to highlight that gets stuck in our heads. It's not the black and white issue that we make it into.
Who are we blaming for the Boston Marathon Bombing? Monday's bombing shook the world. It changed the way we see races and large athletic events. It was an attack on athletes throughout the world. But as Americans, we aren't used to the violence that so many other countries see. And we are lucky for that.
My Monday afternoon was spent on the bike at the gym where I pumped out 21 miles in an hour. But I spent most of that hour talking to the guys on the bikes beside me, sharing my headphones with a stranger walking past so she could hear the updates, and sharing experiences with fellow athletes that were strangers.
One of the guys I spoke with was from somewhere in the UK and when I first arrived at the gym I was oblivious to what had happened. In the time I spent on the phone with my manager at work and driving to the gym, everything had changed. It wasn't until I checked my phone to turn on Pandora when I saw several strange messages asking if my friends were alright that I became aware of the situation. I scrambled to turn the TV attached to my bike on and get the news up. I was in absolute shock. But the guy next to me, while he showed grief over what happened, he was less frantic than I. He commented on how Americans just aren't used to that type of violence but he grew up with it. He apparently missed a bombing by a few blocks as a child.
I am proud to say that this sort of thing is not normal for the States. No one should ever get used to bombings or shootings. And as an athlete, my feelings are especially strong that this should not happen at athletic events. Running and racing are weekend norms in every small town and big city; it's what we do now. We run and watch races. Marathons, especially ones like the Boston, are meant to bring people together to celebrate and spectate.
It was a State holiday is Massachusetts on Monday. People were celebrating. Kids had the day off from school, people had the day off from work. It was a happy day. Monday was a day when people from all over the country, and across the globe had come together to participate in a Historic event. And they did, but it didn't end the way it should have. It didn't have the ending it has had in the past.
To put into perspective where I'm going with this, a close friend, and athlete said to me:
"We're a visible example of everything right in this country."And it's true. Athletes are. Which makes it even harder for us to understand why anyone would attack runners, let alone any athlete. Why would you go after people who are amongst the most supportive human specimens I've ever met. I've yet to meet a runner who hasn't supported their competition. We are all out there to race, to place, to win, to achieve our goals, but we do it together. We are all out there sweating and pushing to the finish together. We're fighting together. Runners and athletes alike, set out each day to fulfill goals and dreams but someone decided to to take that moment of glory away and we don't understand why.
Why are you going to attack those that represent what is right? We, as athletes, as human beings stand for more. We are who our government needs to look to for guidance. We work hard. We set goals. We break records. We do things to inspire and help others. We do what we do to make us happy. We are THE example of hard work and dedication. We show the world around us how to work together toward a common goal. There are always differences between athletes but we respect each other enough to overcome them. Yes, someone always wins. But you know what happens in the end? The winners and the "losers" come together to shake hands and congratulate each other.
Ok, fine. We all gloat at some point but Politicians have taken their victories to a whole new level and their gloating is tearing us down. There is little to no working together in search of a common ground anymore. Politicians are forgetting about the team aspect of their individual sport. And that's what running is. It's an individual sport that is part of something bigger than being #1.
Politicians: you are individuals, representing your State, but you are also part of something larger and more important than yourself. You may have been elected to "make decisions in the best interest of your state" but you were also elected to make decisions that affect the entire country. You aren't supposed to be there representing #1 but that is what happens.
Gun control is still up in the air. I know that yesterday was only the first of many rounds, the first of many mistakes that will be made. Some day we will figure out the best way to "solve" the problem but before we get there, we must try. Our Politicians need to accept that mistakes will be made. Athletes practice everyday to get better. We do drills to improve and fine tune our skills. We continue to run races to reach our goals. To get better. We don't always win those races. We don't always set PR's but we try. We take a shot and we try. Our government, our politicians, and even us citizens need to remember that life is about trial and error. Checks and balances.
If the first fix doesn't work, then go back to the drawing board and try again. If your first 5k isn't as fast as you'd hoped you take step back, train harder, train smarter, and race again and again until you surpass your goal. Our government needs to learn this. Athletes represent all that is right with our country.
We don't always win but we rarely give up.
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