It isn’t guns that kill people; it’s the people who wield guns who kill.

A gun sitting on a table, on your front lawn, or in the back seat of my car is never going to cause a single injury.  Yes, firearms are made by humans–as are smog, poisonous chemicals, and acid rain.  Why aren’t we trying to ban smog, poisonous chemicals, and acid rain?  Unlike those man-made substances, guns have no inherent ability to cause injury or death. It’s only when guns interact with humans that fatal outcomes occur.

Cars and trucks sitting in driveways and parking lots don’t cause deaths either.  But when people get behind the wheel, cars and trucks can become killers.  If people get behind the wheel and drive while impaired (in a variety of ways), their potential for causing fatalities increases exponentially.

The same can be said when people with impairments own and use guns.  Some people are impaired by anger, or sadness, or mental illness.  Others are impaired by bad judgment or momentary insanity.  In insurance language, a human was the proximate cause of the event in Connecticut.  Human impairment was the first event in an unbroken chain of events that led to the tragic deaths.

Our society must find the proximate causes of problems before prevent them. We must identify people who are likely to use guns for inappropriate purposes and prevent them from owning, or having access to, guns.  We must not turn away when we see an impaired individual owns, possesses, or has access to a gun–regardless of the type of impairment or the reason for it.  Far too often, every one of us chooses to look the other way rather than make an “issue” of something we know in our heart is wrong or may lead to injury. We must dig beneath the surface until we reach the root, and then rip it out from where it’s buried.

Blaming guns for the heartbreaking deaths of shooting victims is understandable … but its a form of denial. It reminds me of something I heard recently about rape:  Why do we teach people about  how to avoid being raped instead of teaching them how NOT to rape?

I worked in the insurance business for over 30 years and, during that time, heard some really wild stuff.  This week’s story takes the cake.

My son-in-law was sitting on the couch in his living room yesterday morning at 7 a.m. when he heard squealing tires and felt the earth shake in unison with a loud bang.  A few minutes later he took the photo that appears at the top of this blog post.

Yep.  That’s his truck snuggled up next to my daughter’s car.  Both were towed away to the salvage yard today.  Total losses.  Both of them.

Their house is the second one in on their very short street.  Seems a young woman turned the corner (with no brakes, mind you), snagged the tow hitch on the truck, dragged the truck into the car, and then dragged them both into the cement retaining wall surrounding the kids’ driveway.  She claims to have passed out.  Funny how a comatose person can back up her car and drive to the end of the street before her car gives out on her…

Funnier still how the insurance I.D. card she gave the police officer at the scene isn’t valid. Wonder if that has anything to do with her leaving the scene–which, technically, she didn’t do because in that state, if you’re still around when the cops come, and you give them your info, you didn’t leave the scene.  Or if it has anything to do with the “rare blood disorder” she has that caused her to pass out in the first place.

So, because this woman doesn’t have insurance, my kids missed two days of work, have no cars, need to buy two replacement vehicles, and need to rent a car until they can buy two new ones.  Oh, and did I mention they can’t go on vacation next week because … THEY HAVE TO BUY TWO CARS?

All I can say is I’m really proud of my kids for being smart enough to take care of themselves by purchasing their own insurance and for buying adequate enough protection.  It’s a shame that so may other people simply don’t care about the consequences of their actions and how their irresponsibility can hurt other people.

Although I’m sure plenty of girls and women named April are lovable, I’m not referring to them.  I refer to the month of April.

April’s my favorite month of the year for a number of reasons:  pink and red tulips, blossoming trees, baby bunnies, warm sunshine…  Oh, and my birthday.  Yes, I like having birthdays.  As my dad says, it beats the alternative…

Seriously, I do a lot reflection this time of year.  I don’t know if it’s because of all the birthing that goes on, literally and figuratively, or the new beginnings I’m forced to make … and that I choose to make.  Maybe it’s because I’m so happy during this month, or because I’m open to the wonderful experiences spring has in store for me.  In any event, I always seem to stumble across life-altering events and circumstances during these 30 days.

I learned that a boy I had a serious crush on in middle school grew up to be a convicted felon/sex offender.  No, I haven’t heard anything about him since I was 15 years old–which is a time span of 40 years–until now, that is.  Still, his situation got me thinking.  And asking myself questions like:  When he was 12, did he exhibit signs that he’d grow up to molest young boys?  Was he already on that path at age 13 … or did an awful, significant experience direct him that way?  How does his mother feel, knowing he’s done these awful things … and that his face is plastered on the Internet via Mugshots.com?  And finally, angry thoughts that won’t serve anyone by being published here.

Then, there was the little medical “issue” I experienced on Easter Sunday that forced me to step back from my life and re-evaluate.  There’s nothing like spending 26 hours in the hospital, with people who are are really, truly suffering from illness, to convince you that you don’t ever want to be sick.  Or in the hospital.  Ever!

And finally, there’s love.  The unconditional love of my furry, adopted offspring, who always make me smile–and who always give just as much as they take.  Unlike some people I know…  Due to changes in my life during the past year, I’ve learned some significant lessons in the L department.  Letting go of people you wish would love you is hard.  But hanging onto to those who really do love you is amazing:  their strength soothes hurts and they re-teach you that genuine love, the two-way kind, really does exist.

This April, I’ve decided to focus my energy on people (and critters and pastimes) that make me happy, make me feel valued, and who practice reciprocity.  I guess I do spring resolutions instead of New Year’s resolutions.

P.S.  If you want to know some other famous people with birthdays in April, here goes:

• Eddie Murphy and Alec Baldwin
• Maya Angelou and Queen Elizabeth
• Scott Turow, Tom Clancy, and Beverly Cleary
•  Matt Medeiros and Joe Azzopardi
• Kia, the Siberian Husky we had when my kids were little (that’s him on the right)

P.S.S.  My mother snipped a poem out of an edition of Reader’s Digest a long time ago.  I can’t remember all of it, but it began “Linda swings in the April elm.”  It ends with, “Linda keeps her eyes on heaven, after all she’s only seven.”  I’m suer it wasn’t about me, but it should have been!

What are YOUR thoughts about the month of April?

We’ve all experienced the tune that plays over and over in our minds like it’s related to the Energizer Bunny.  Lately, however, the never-ending-tunes have been paying me a visit several times a day.  Every day.  And yes, it’s tunes–as in plural.  About half a dozen songs simply can’t get enough of my attention.

Yes, I’m more of an auditory communicator and learner than a visual or kinesthetic one.  Yes, I can play musical instruments.  And yes, I listen to music often–but not all the time.

What do you think it means?  Is my unconscious trying to tell me something?  Should I sift through the musical messages to find fodder for the new mystery novel I’m writing?  Am I too dense to realize I have ESP and someone’s speaking to me?  Am I going nuts?

Do you know what prompts your never-ending-tune?  What do you do about it?

Maureen Roy!

I bribed my friends, fans, and business associates to visit my new website with the promise of entering them in a drawing for a free book if they’d comment in response to my January 4th blog post.  Well, it worked.  I got lots of visits to the website, many comments on the blog, and even more personal emails.

If you left your website along with your comment, I’ll be cross-promoting and marketing you on Twitter and/or Facebook as a thank you for your support.

And, if you didn’t leave your website with a previous comment, doing so in the future will net the same results.

Thanks for all your kind comments and good wishes.

Happy, healthy, prosperous 2012!