A New Gun Control Law

Hi all,

This is a totally random rant about potentially offensive new gun control policies. I will usually restrict my commentaries to less touchy subjects.

I recently read an article about gun control on Facebook that was put out by WesternJournalism.com. I'm not entirely crazy about guns, but I believe that any stable, law-abiding American citizen deserves to own one, if they choose.  I believe that there should be restrictions, within reason.  It may be good to have certain "red flag" circumstances universally accepted.  For instance, If someone wants to buy a whole stockpile of weapons, all in one day, that should raise a red flag.  I think there should be a limit on the number and types of weapons that can be purchased in single day, month, and calendar year, but with no restrictions on ammo.  (Just a side note, here... Has anyone noticed how difficult it is find ammo?  I've heard numerous complaints about that.)   I think that people should always take a gun safety course before purchasing a weapon.  These are undoubtedly unpopular opinions in certain circles. I don't care. Their should be at least some limits in place to discourage dangerous individuals from purchasing weapons.  Of course, that does nothing to stem the tide of illegally obtained weapons.  But, those types of weapons are an entirely separate issue.  Here, I'm only talking about obtaining a gun, legally, from a reputable gun store, and the strange new gun control policies that are being implemented to monitor the process.

I'm not one to make everything about race, quite the opposite.  Some people think that race is the motivation for everything that happens, everywhere. This annoys me.  Not every situation is worthy of playing the race card.  In this case, it's the government that is playing a race card.  I'm just calling them on it, so, don't shoot the messenger.  This seems to me, to be the most racially divided administration we've ever had.  Instead of bringing different groups together, this administration is tearing them apart. Here is a perfect example of this administrations racially divisive policies. There is a new law that the government has devised, which requires you to state your race and ethnicity on the forms that must be filled out when you legally purchase a gun from a reputable store.  African-American, caucasian, hispanic, non-hispanic, Native American, or a pacific islander, those are generally your choices your choices on forms like these.  Race and ethnicity are two different things, apparently, and require different boxes.  I fail to understand exactly how they differ, but, for legal purposes, they do.  And, it IS a legal issue, since, if these forms are not filled out completely, and correctly, there can be legal consequences.  The store owner could be investigated, fined, invaded and searched, simply for not filling out these forms.  He could even go to jail for non-compliance, and his business can be shut down. That response seems a bit harsh, since, the forms are time consuming, and confusing, even for customers and store owners who have the best intentions of filling them out correctly.

At face value, for many people, this would not be a problem.  They would just check a box and move on.  Not me, obviously, hence the rant.  The main question for me is, why does the government care? Why would the powers that be, invest so much money, time, and manpower, into the practice of racially categorizing gun owners?  Why should your race and ethnicity be important when you buy a gun?  If I've never been arrested, or had any criminal convictions, and suffer from no psychological instability, what difference does my skin color make?  How does it factor into their judgment of whether or not I should be allowed to own a firearm, as is my constitutionally guaranteed right?

The choices on the form itself are a problem for me, too.  It's one of those ridiculous  "choose one race only" types of forms.  What box do people of mixed heritage check?  Having delved into the depths of my genealogy, I know that there is more to my story than meets the eye.  I'm white as a cotton ball, but my 7th great grandparents were African American slaves.  I also have some Native American heritage from my 9th great grandmother, among others.  I traced another branch of my lineage all the way back King David, which certainly helped to explain some of my physical traits. I am also Irish, which my grandfather told me, negates everything else that I might be.  I'm a Mayflower descendant, and therefore, the latest addition in a long line of pasty white British people. So, I'd say that I'm as mixed as people come.  I know that when most people look at me, they will never see me as anything other than white, but, I feel conflicted when I look in the mirror.  I see very dark unruly hair framing pale skin, heavy eyebrows and arm hair, noticeable posterior curves, small narrow eyes, high cheekbones, and a nose that makes some people automatically assume that I'm Jewish. None of these things are bad, mind you, though they seem like a somewhat incongruous set of physical traits. Never the less, I like myself just the way I am.  (Ok, I wouldn't mind dropping a few pounds, and losing some of the hair!  Other than that, I'm good.) When I look in the mirror, I see a diverse history smiling back at me.  What would the government see, if they looked at me?  How would they categorize me?  And, why should I be forced to choose one box over another?

What is the government hoping to discover on this fact finding mission?  Do they have a certain profile in mind?  Would I fit the profile?  Maybe the government intends to target middle-easterners, or people who are part of a terrorist organization, etc.  No, they don't.  Apparently, they don't ask you about any of that.  They don't care if you're a member of the islamic brotherhood, or any other organization that is hostile to the United States. All they want to know, is: are you African-American, caucasian, hispanic, non-hispanic, Native American, or a pacific islander?  What on earth would they do with that information?  I don't know if I'd ever want to own a gun,  (not a big fan of loud noises) but I'd love to go into a gun store and fill out the form, just so I can check off ALL the boxes.  I'm not even sure why these stupid boxes get my blood boiling, but they do.  I guess, I simply object to being crammed into a box.  That, and it makes me wonder, after they unceremoniously stuff me into a box, what then?


Thanks for reading!  I welcome all constructive criticisms and appropriate comments.  Keep the comments clean, please; profanity will be deleted.


Don't forget to visit my Etsy shop and see what's new! https://www.etsy.com/shop/RebeccasJewelryBox
And visit my Pinterest page:  http://www.pinterest.com/rebeccashelhart/

Beauty Can Be a Beast!

When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

Do you see a myriad of imperfections, screaming for attention?  Or, do you see the complex, unique and stunning creature that God created to glorify Him? Few people see the latter. We often look to the media, rather the Bible, to find a definition for beauty. The Biblical view of worth and beauty, however, is 

completely different from the world's perspective on the subject.  When you look in the mirror, the media wants you to see an ugly duckling, in desperate need of the health and beauty products and services that they're trying to sell you.  So, they set up a 'standard' for beauty that's nearly impossible to attain without their help.

During a church service, a few years ago, I saw a video was 

both shocking and thought provoking. It was a production 

video of a magazine cover shoot, sped up to show several 

hours of work in just a few minutes. When the model first sat down, she looked like a totally normal person. A 

pretty, but average, girl next door.  She had a heart shaped 

head, with big, pale blue eyes, a small chin, flat dirty blond 

hair, freckles, moles, and imperfections. She was cute as a 

button, but very thin. You might notice her, if you walked 

past her in the mall, or you might not. A few people even 

questioned how she could be a model.  Others thought 

that she was very pretty. But, if beauty is in the eye of the 

beholder, which 'beholder's' opinion should carry more weight?  

Often, the people who get paid to judge such things, seem like 

the least qualified for the task. They insist that their ideal of 

beauty is the one to which everyone should aspire.  The goals 

they set for, beauty, seem quite out of reach for most of us.  I 

would soon see why. As I watched the sped-up video, fingers 

flew Over the girl's face like a swarm of bees. They began the 

transformation by adding layer after layer of foundation to cover the freckles, moles and imperfections. Then a new 

work of art was painted on the freshly blank canvass. She was 

given highlights and heavy shadows, to create the illusion of a 

smaller nose and thinner face. Then the artists added color to 

replace the rosy cheeks they had covered up, being careful to 

follow the new facial contour lines that they'd drawn. There 

were multiple layers of shadow and liner for her eyes, to make 

them look bigger. They also added false eyelashes and 

generous hair extensions. It took hours to complete the look they were trying to achieve, resulting in a stunning transformation.  She 

looked SO different, still, you could almost recognize her. Then

 came the actual the photo shoot, with all the proper lighting, 

posture, and expressions, and that took hours.  Of course, with 

the lights being so hot, the model sweats profusely. The layers of 

makeup melt and have to be reapplied.

Once all the pictures have been taken, and the lights were turned 

off, each picture was evaluated, discarded, or chosen and digitally

 "enhanced."  Computer graphics artists can click and drag an 

area of the face to change its appearance in any number of ways.

 This young woman’s face was made even thinner and her chin 

moved slightly, and enlarged, right before our eyes. The arch of 

her eyebrows, which had already been meticulously plucked and 

re-drawn, were now lifted and shifted even more. As I watched, 

her eyes changed color and spread out, becoming larger and wider 

set. Somehow, with this small, yet shocking adjustment, an 

undefinable line had been crossed. There was an audible gasp 

heard from the congregation. I heard a man near me whisper, 

"She was fine just the way she was!"  Her features kept 

changing, until she bore no resemblance to the pretty 

girl that had been photographed.  It was like we had watched 

them completely transform the young woman whose picture had 

been taken. She became a different person entirely.  And, it was 

mind-bending to ponder the question, which girl is real, The 

original, or this new person? By this time, there were several 

women quietly crying. Maybe they were sad for the girl that 

had disappeared under all that makeup and manipulation. Maybe

 some even thought, if even she isn't pretty enough, what chance 

have I got?  It was fascinating and disturbing to witness the entire 

process, from such a critical perspective.

The beauty industry paints a depressing portrait of  unreachable 

perfection. But, praise God, we don't have to view the world 

(or ourselves) through such a stained and warped lens! 

We are made in the image of God!  

So, the next time you're standing in front of the mirror, 

grumbling about the sorry creature in front of you, just try to 

ask yourself a question. Is anything that I can see with my eyes, important, eternally? Then, ask God to help you see yourself, 

the way that He sees you. Remember that He loves you, dearly. 

God made you to be His holy temple, so that He could fill your 

spirit with His glory and shine through you. He wants you to be 

His definition of beautiful! Here are a few Bible verses to remember

 and stick to the mirror:

"So, God created man in His own image...male and female He created them.”  (Genesis 1:27.) 

“...for man looks on the outside, but God looks at the heart." 

(1 Samuel 16:7) 

"For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Your works are wonderful.  I know that full well." (Psalm 139:13-14)

"For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." 

(Jeremiah 29:11)

God has His own measure of what is beautiful!

"...How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:15)

"I appeal to you...Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."  (Roman's 12:1-2)

So, when you're standing in the checkout line, suffocated by the walls of false 

perfection that seem to be closing in on you, just close your eyes and breathe. Rather than

judge yourself too harshly in comparison, keep this article in mind.  Remember, even the girl who’s picture was taken doesn’t look like the girl on the cover  of the magazine. You could even feel sorry for her.  With each new modeling contract she signs, she's reminded that it will take an army of  makeup artists, lighting experts, professional  photographers, an arsenal of cosmetics, and hours of computer re-touches to make her recorded image suitable for print. Don't allow the people who are judging her, to pass judgment over you.

Thank you for reading!  I apologize for the odd line spacing.  I'm still 

figuring this out! I welcome appropriate comments, helpful suggestions and questions. You can also visit my ETSY SHOP to see some of my other 

creative endeavors! www.etsy.com/shop/RebeccasJewelryBox

Or to find out a little bit more about what makes me tick 

(and see some potential future blog topics) you can visit my  Pinterest

page: http://www.pinterest.com/rebeccashelhart/

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Simply Rebecca's 1st Blog

Dear readers,

Welcome to my 1st ever, Simply Rebecca's blog! I've never done a blog before, so I asked for help from one of my favorite people, Sir William Macanack.  He's a good friend, very funny and an all around great guy.  As a fellow YouTube aficionado, he does video blogs and challenges.  He is a source of inspiration to me, not to mention great advice.  He took pity on me and set up this blogspot, as I have very little expertise in this arena.  I was actually just going to call him and ask him how to post this blog.  Happily, I figured it out.  Yeah for me!  (...so sad.)   So, here is a big thank you, Sir William Macanack, for all of your help!  It is greatly appreciated!

Where shall I begin?  My first passion... JEWELRY MAKING! You can click on the "SHOP" button at the top of the page to visit my Etsy shop (Rebecca's Jewelry Box) and see what's new.  I've got almost 50 items to choose from, in a rainbow of colors.  I'm drawn to the natural beauty of God's creation. I especially love the various shades and patterns of Jasper. Along with natural stones, including some semi-precious, I use pearls, shell, wood, glass, crystal, flexible beading wire, memory wire and silk ribbon.  Having metal sensitivities myself, I try to use gold, silver or platinum plated findings whenever possible, especially for earrings.  I never use nickel.  I do use gun metal in certain pieces.  I've never had a reaction to it.

In my blog, I'll include jewelry care instructions and fun facts about the materials that I use. I won't get too technical, though. I'm not going to list specific gravity or describe the unique way that stones fracture!  I'll just share some fun, helpful, interesting facts.  I might also be doing some instructional videos on jewelry making, at some point. Though, I would definitely need some further instruction to achieve that goal!  

My other passion... WRITING!  I've always loved to write, and now I have an outlet for my obsessive inclinations! I'm kind of  a Jeopardy! nerd, so I have many topics I'd consider writing about.   I'm fascinated by the Bible, genealogy, ancient history, Angels, early American history, animals and nature.  I write from the perspective of an imperfect Christian.  I thank God for his many blessings and miracles, and pray for guidance during the rough patches of life.  So far, I've written, songs, poetry, short stories and anecdotes in my Ancestry family tree. Now, I can add blogging to the list! I don't have a schedule yet, but I'm working on it.  I might rotate a cycle of topics throughout the year.

So there you have it, my blogging goals, laid out.  For now, I'll just be doing blog posts, (and a few funny cat videos.)  As I acquire new skills, my content will hopefully be presented in a broader variety of ways.  I welcome any comments, advice and constructive criticism.

Thanks for reading!

- Simply Rebecca