Gosh the school year hasn't even begun yet and there's
another mass shooting. This is what our country has come to and frankly we
should be appalled by how other civilized countries view us. A husband in
Uganda set his Olympic wife on fire- shocking, gang rape in India, oh my God, a
14 year old shoots up a school -meh.
The details of this latest incident defies
common sense. A father gives a semi automatic rifle as a Christmas present to
his son after being questioned by the FBI about his threats and unstable mental
health.
What the fuck was he thinking?
An assassination attempt is made on a former
President with a similar rifle that killed a spectator and not one word is said
about gun reform. He now speaks from behind a bulletproof shield and heavy
security.
Before y'all start foaming at the mouth about
the 2nd amendment, it does not mean an unfettered, free for all and certainly
did not intend weapons that were designed by the military to kill lots of
people quickly and easily.
I am all for a mature adult to own a gun for
self defense, hunting and sports. This is one of the reasons there will never
be a military coup in this country. We're heavily armed.
BUT.
As
these multiple shootings demonstrate, we are not being responsible about them.
The NRA used to be about promotion and education of gun use--until it was high
jacked by extremists who decided it was all about ownership no matter what. The
result is an alarming rise in suicides, accidental death of children and the
weekly body count by angry youth. "In
2021, 54% of all gun-related deaths in the U.S. were suicides (26,328), while
43% were murders (20,958), according to the CDC." Pew Research Center
Would you hand over the keys to a truck to a 14
year old kid ? Would you let him play with a chainsaw without supervision? No,
really? But allowing a minor to have a high powered weapon is ok. Hmmm.
Instead of handing
out panic buttons and bullet proof vests to kids let's educate them about the
consequences of killing people, after all they got the idea from grown ups shooting
co workers or the soon to be ex wife. Let's give them help with whatever
screwed up thinking they have so they don't bottle it up like the dysfunctional
male role model who never shows emotions until he explodes.
The cheapest approach is to give these troubled
boys an outlet for their dysfunction. Like the arts, drama and music classes that
have been cut from schools. Many artists, actors and musicians will tell you
that if it weren't for the arts, they would be in prison or dead.
Never, I mean never, should we allow a minor to
use or be in possession of a firearm without
adult supervision, who will be held liable for any injury. What mommy and
daddy forget is they are legally responsible
for little Tommy until he is 18 if he beats someone up at school, steals shit
from the store or shoots someone cause they were mean to them. This is why the
law went after the parents of the shooter in one case and they charged the
father in the latest.
On his
18th birthday, the Uvalde shooter walked into a gun shop plunked down a
considerable amount of money for an semi automatic and ammo to shoot dozens
children while the cops stood by. Months later a Texas federal judge struck down
a ban on 18 year olds buying a gun claiming violation of the 2nd amendment.
So let's get this straight- an 18 year old
can't buy cigarettes, a lottery ticket or a six pack but he can buy a gun.
What is wrong with this logic?
The narrative is not about upholding the right
to bear arms, it's letting someone go on a angry rampage. We are doing nothing
to stop it because it means having a uncomfortable, challenged debate about how
our love of guns has gotten out of control.
Education people. One should not be able to
purchase a gun until passing a mandatory gun safety course, present a
certificate along with personal liability insurance. Would you sell a car to
someone without a driver's license? How about a flame thrower to a 16 year old?
Yes,
you have the right to own a gun, but you don't have the right to endanger
others with irresponsible, reckless use.
There's been break ins in the neighborhood you
hear, so you get a handgun and put it in the night stand next to the bed. You
may think you're safe. Congratulations, without any knowledge of safe handling,
the chance of you accidently shooting someone or your teenage son killing
himself has skyrocketed.
An older couple sees protesters walking past
their house and in a panic stand on the lawn waving their guns around.
Virtually everyone commented on their poor handling of said weapons.
The next time there is a mass
shooting there should be an immediate one year ban to whatever was used. I'm not talking
a ban on handguns, pistols, shot guns or hunting rifles, I mean assault style
rifles with large capacity
magazines that fire hundreds of rounds a minute because that's most likely what
he will use.
For those who think it is a slippery slope to
banning all guns with the jack booted Feds breaking down your door if we stop
the sale of these guns, please explain this faulty reasoning to the victims
family.
All during the Obama era, there was terrified
talk about those liberals taking away
the guns. You know who fueled this talk? The gun and ammo manufacturers.
Cha-ching. It never happened and there are plenty of people on the left and
right who won't let his happen with healthy debate and safe reform.
We can have a society that safely protects
children from gun violence and allow responsible owners of a gun for hunting,
self defense and sports. Don't let propaganda, hyperbole and base emotions get
the way of making us safe and protected from carelessness.
