So here’s the thing.
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of guns. They scare me. Simple as that.
However, I am not of the opinion that ALL guns should be taken away.
- If you keep a pistol in your home for protection, that is your business, and frankly, your right.
- If you live in a rural area and keep a shotgun on hand to keep coyotes away from your livestock, that is a legit need.
- If you are a hunter, while not my favorite sport, it is your right and you keep the proper guns for hunting prey.
NONE of the above need any sort of automatic weapon that shoots umpteen bullets in mere seconds.
That is where I take issue. The Second Amendment is not the problem – it is the interpretation of the second amendment. Can we all agree that perhaps it needs to be adjusted? The right to bear arms is one thing, the right to bear a weapon of mass destruction is quite another.
I have yet to have anyone tell me why a gun like the AR-15 should be made available to the general public. Please, tell me, why. Why does a regular person need this gun?
That sort of weapon is for SWAT teams, military forces fighting in unimaginable conditions and facing threats none of us can even fathom. That sort of weapon is used for actual warfare, not sport or personal protection.
One thing stuck me about the situation in Florida yesterday. The shooter bought the gun legally. He’s 19. The kid can buy a WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION – legally – but he can’t buy a beer. Something about that statement feels off, right?
There may be some that read this and still somehow see it as an attack on the Second Amendment, and/or may “blame” mental health. I see them as two separate issues, overlapping at best. But for now, that is another discussion.
I’d like to think everyone can agree something has to change. It won’t happen with the current political state in DC. That statement is NOT directed at any party – it is directed at all the crooked politicians of all parties so focused on their own agenda they are clueless about what their constituents want and need. The change has to start with the people.
Many of you know I made a post last night that was about the Second Amendment. I was wrong, I should have made it about specific guns. That post accomplished nothing but arguments, which does no one any good. Arguing on social media doesn’t bring change.
There will always be different opinions, different walks of life, different backgrounds and life experiences. But killing kids? No one wants that. We have to find the middle ground, and in my opinion it starts with addressing what sort of guns we allow to be available.
Will this blog make a difference? No, not just the words out there on the interwebs. Will this blog make people think about actionable tasks? I hope so.
Start with making a donation to a reputable organization like the Sandy Hook Promise. Talk to your own children about bullying. Not just about NOT bullying, but about fellow students. Are there any kids in their own classes who seem to be left out? Why are they left out? How can those outliers be helped? Research legit Anti-Bullying groups (this list from a magazine directed at young people popped up with a simple Google search). Contact your representatives. Contact your senators.
As for me, I’m not just sitting here writing and expecting to make some massive change. I am, however, angry. And expressing what I hope are rational thoughts. And I am in the process of doing each of the steps I list as actionable items.
If at least one other reader does something real, I’ll take that as a start.
Adventures In Active Wear 