Read Online My Soul to Take (Soul Keepers (Young Adult paranormal romance)) by Melissa Solis - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Melissa Solis
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been a big laugh in the face otherwise. The man speaking on stage right now is prattling on about his right to bear arms. It’s a touchy subject that most of the audience feels adamant about. I’m not against guns, but what I’m against, is crazy people owning them.
Martin Schultz introduces me on stage like I belong there. The crowd looks bewildered. I’d better hurry up and do this before I get yanked off, or shot in the head, by one of these gun-nuts. I find Elijah in the sea of people and it immediately calms my nerves. I hone in on his slow steady heartbeat. I take in a deep breath and begin to speak.
“Hello, I’m honored to speak with you today. For those of you who don’t know me, it’s because I’m still in high school, a nobody yet. But in reality, I’m your future. I’m the one the government is borrowing money from right now, so I thought maybe I could get a snippet of an opinion in today, right?” I get a few laughs from the crowd.
“ I won’t tell you that I’m for everything that you are, but I can agree on our right to bear arms. I’m originally from Texas and you know how much we love our guns down there. However, the thing that is not sitting well with me right now, is the fact that mentally ill people can bear arms. Insane people should not have the right to bear arms. Insane people should not have the right to bear anything deadlier than a spork.” The crowd emits a unified chuckle. I recall a story that ran in last night’s news that concerned me a great deal.
“ Yesterday a police officer responded to a woman who posted on a social media website that she wanted to harm her child and herself with deadly force. When officers responded they really couldn’t do anything because she refused to get help. Now, I understand that she has rights. But do you see the problem we are up against? Hands were tied, someone’s life may still be in danger. Now what if I also told you that the woman also drove a school bus?” The crowd gasped in one cohesive sound sending chills down my arms.
“ I want to propose new legislation to our state officials that will force people who are suffering from mental illness to get help. Or at least be evaluated. If a person kills someone and they’re deemed mentally incompetent, they plead insanity and they don’t go to jail for murder. They get institutionalized. We need to be able to help these people before they get to that point.
Everyone talks about these murderers after the fact, saying, ‘the signs were all there’. But if your next door neighbor has the signs, your brother, your cousin –you know the one with the tendency to wear his cowboy boots with his bicycle shorts. What can you do?
You need to be able to call a hotline and report a crazy person has been spotted in your area. Come quick ---bring the dart gun or the net. Cletus is playing Call of Duty with the neighborhood cats again.” I say the later in a thick southern drawl. “No but seriously, there needs to be a way to get these folks some help, even when they refuse it. Because they don’t know they need it.” My voice lowers to a serious tone. “They won’t know until it’s too late.” Before I end my speech, the entire crown is highly humored and swayed on my take on the solution. I’m applauded off the stage and after many pats on the shoulder Elijah finds me in the crowd.
“ Can we go home now and veg out all day?” I beg, hoping he’s not dragging me to another controversial protest scene.
“ Good job up there and most definitely.”
“ How long before we know the results?” Nehemiah and his bag O-tricks should be able to roughly gauge something from this soon I hope. What if the effects are residual or only lasts a couple of days, even a month would be bad right?
“ I’ll check with them as soon as I’m able to. There was also a news crew out today so the other test is all done too,” he says casually as if it were nothing.
“ What other test?”
Martin Schultz introduces me on stage like I belong there. The crowd looks bewildered. I’d better hurry up and do this before I get yanked off, or shot in the head, by one of these gun-nuts. I find Elijah in the sea of people and it immediately calms my nerves. I hone in on his slow steady heartbeat. I take in a deep breath and begin to speak.
“Hello, I’m honored to speak with you today. For those of you who don’t know me, it’s because I’m still in high school, a nobody yet. But in reality, I’m your future. I’m the one the government is borrowing money from right now, so I thought maybe I could get a snippet of an opinion in today, right?” I get a few laughs from the crowd.
“ I won’t tell you that I’m for everything that you are, but I can agree on our right to bear arms. I’m originally from Texas and you know how much we love our guns down there. However, the thing that is not sitting well with me right now, is the fact that mentally ill people can bear arms. Insane people should not have the right to bear arms. Insane people should not have the right to bear anything deadlier than a spork.” The crowd emits a unified chuckle. I recall a story that ran in last night’s news that concerned me a great deal.
“ Yesterday a police officer responded to a woman who posted on a social media website that she wanted to harm her child and herself with deadly force. When officers responded they really couldn’t do anything because she refused to get help. Now, I understand that she has rights. But do you see the problem we are up against? Hands were tied, someone’s life may still be in danger. Now what if I also told you that the woman also drove a school bus?” The crowd gasped in one cohesive sound sending chills down my arms.
“ I want to propose new legislation to our state officials that will force people who are suffering from mental illness to get help. Or at least be evaluated. If a person kills someone and they’re deemed mentally incompetent, they plead insanity and they don’t go to jail for murder. They get institutionalized. We need to be able to help these people before they get to that point.
Everyone talks about these murderers after the fact, saying, ‘the signs were all there’. But if your next door neighbor has the signs, your brother, your cousin –you know the one with the tendency to wear his cowboy boots with his bicycle shorts. What can you do?
You need to be able to call a hotline and report a crazy person has been spotted in your area. Come quick ---bring the dart gun or the net. Cletus is playing Call of Duty with the neighborhood cats again.” I say the later in a thick southern drawl. “No but seriously, there needs to be a way to get these folks some help, even when they refuse it. Because they don’t know they need it.” My voice lowers to a serious tone. “They won’t know until it’s too late.” Before I end my speech, the entire crown is highly humored and swayed on my take on the solution. I’m applauded off the stage and after many pats on the shoulder Elijah finds me in the crowd.
“ Can we go home now and veg out all day?” I beg, hoping he’s not dragging me to another controversial protest scene.
“ Good job up there and most definitely.”
“ How long before we know the results?” Nehemiah and his bag O-tricks should be able to roughly gauge something from this soon I hope. What if the effects are residual or only lasts a couple of days, even a month would be bad right?
“ I’ll check with them as soon as I’m able to. There was also a news crew out today so the other test is all done too,” he says casually as if it were nothing.
“ What other test?”
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