Valentine: Fuzzy Target Practice

art by mark valentine

I need a new prescription…

Everything seems out of focus to me. The headline in The Star said, “Art takes aim at gun violence in KC.” I was trying to decide how a reference to gun violence like “takes aim” was a good way to stop gun violence, so I read on.

According to The Star, African-American artists get grant money to create anti-gun violence art to display in schools and barber shops. So I adjusted my glasses. There must have been some study showing how posters have a positive effect on gun violence. I couldn’t find that study, so I cleaned my glasses.

The artists were not advocating gun control.

There were no mentions of gangs, drugs, alcohol or social forces. Apparently, they just met with The Kansas City No Violence Alliance that goes by the name NoVa. I’m unsure if that acronym is in reference to a Chevy or a really short Spanish sentence that translates into “Won’t go.”

They supplied some statistics that showed 23 out of 100,000 deaths involved handguns.

Did these people know each other? Were they mostly old, young or from a certain part of town? There was a hint that a common factor was that most occurred between midnight and 2 a.m.

I searched for some eye drops.

Was there a study that showed school kids and barber shop patrons were often out at 2 in the morning? I didn’t see it.

I’m making an eye doctor appointment this week. I hope my co-pay hasn’t gone up.

My Health Care Policy is looking fuzzy to me, too.