What's Going On?

I've said nothing about the shootings at Virginia Tech. I didn't go to Tech, and I don't know anyone who was killed or injured in the shootings. It's hard, however, to live in Virginia, and not know someone connected with Tech. And certainly I see the tragedy, and understand the grief, and how earth shattering an event like that can be.

Some people are using these events as a springboard to discuss guns. I'm not. I don't talk about my feelings on guns and gun control...I think very few people know what my feelings and opinions are, and that's fine. They don't influence my day to day interactions with my friends who may hold similar or different opinions. They do influence things like how I vote.

What I'm not seeing from my friends, and largely from the media as well is an equally, if not more important discussion about mental illness. This is, to me, less an issue about guns and accessibility and availability than it is an issue of mental health-of appropriate intervention, screening, availability of mental health services and resources. This is someone who demonstrated that he was in need of help, and yet, despite reported efforts by several different sources, slipped through the cracks, and never got the help he so clearly needed. Why? If he'd gotten what he needed from mental health resources, it's likely that we wouldn't be talking about guns right now.

There are people on various sides of the gun issue on my f'list, some of whom talk about it, and some of whom don't. There are also people on my f'list who struggle with mental health challenges and issues, some of whom talk about it and some of whom don't. I see more about the issue of guns as it relates to the events at Virginia Tech than about the mental health issue. And that makes me very sad.

A note about comments-I rarely turn them off or screen them. They're screened on this post-there are some contentious issues here, and I don't have the energy to deal with certain kinds of debate right now. If you're okay with your comment being unscreened, let me know, but it remins at my discretion, as does the freezing of threads that overwhelms me.

A return to the usual minutiae and insignificance...

The name of a local salon? "Mullet Salon and Spa" (for locals, it's on Mills a little north of Colonial.)


So I'm contemplating volunteering at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center-I was over there tonight, and I'm not sure it's a good fit; it seems that about all they have that they can have me doing, is answering phones. I'll give Planned Parenthood a look and see if they have things that actually take advantage of my skills and experience. One thing I've thought about, and that I hate to think that I've had to think about it, is whether or not my involvement with that organization might affect our ability to adopt a child in the future if we wanted to. I hate that I've had to think about that. (Florida is pretty firm in their anti-gay-parent stance. I worry already that being pretty much out and queer will already be a big negative.)

Okay, so I've written about being queer lately. I know there are a bunch of new readers (I noticed it on my info page the other day.) If you feel like it, let me know how you got here (I like to know that.) And for everyone, let me know if you've got questions, or are unclear on something, from what color my hair is (auburn) to where I live (near Orlando Florida) to whom I'm dating (I'm involved with aquariumgirl and I'm married, legally, to zedrikcayne,) to my favorite color (green) to all sorts of stuff in between, let me know, and I'll try and answer you.