The subject of some form of gun control always seems to come up after a tragedy like Newtown. Remember the Aurora theatre, Gabby Giffords, Columbine and others? Each one brought some measure of heightened awareness regarding guns and the lunatics who possessed them.
Newtown was an awful tragedy, made worse and more shocking by the fact that it was so. many. children. The faces of the innocent youth cut down by this deranged kid with an arsenal, were plastered all over the internet, news, and newspapers. By any definition it was a real-life horror story.
The first reaction, beyond the horrific, was the groundswell movement to do something, anything about access to weapons. "If only we could control the guns better." The parents and relatives of those who died that day surely want every gun buried at the bottom of the sea. So this will "never happen again". The President and VP jumped right out in the lead of this speeding train. Obama is declaring that some kind crusade against gun violence must take place. Biden, I don't know what he exactly wants to do. But damn it, SOMETHING must be done right NOW!!!
The NRA will be up in arms (figuratively) as they always are when the whispers turn to shouts for gun control. They will wave the second amendment like a flag and defend our right to bear arms. How ever you interpret the Amendment II (and I like and agree with Lee's assessment) guns are not going away.
And they are not the problem. The old worn adage of, "Guns don't kill people, people kill people" is for better or worse, pretty damn accurate.
Whatever the President and his political brethren are spouting is only for the benefit of the politicos and the outraged citizenry (psychologically). It will have little to no effect in stopping the next neo-Nazi or bullied teenager, or even a teacher pushed too far, from taking up weapons and descending on the once safe haven of the School. Elementary...High...or College. It is after all the easiest and least protected place where a vast group of ordinary and young people gather. Maybe that is where we should start?
Sadly what happened in Newtown only raised the bar in the minds of the twisted, for this type of tragedy. The next one (and there will be an next one, I'm sorry) will go for a larger more spectacular body count. Or maybe it won't be guns this time. Maybe it will be homemade bombs. How do you stop that? Anyone who has watched Fight Club now knows by mixing equal parts gasoline and orange juice concentrate you can make a passable napalm concoction. How will we legislate against that type of threat?
The problem is deeper than guns or weapons of any kind. The fundamental problem is the youth of the nation. And has been for some time now. Violent video games? Maybe. Choose a side on that debate. Bullying in school? Certainly a problem that has resulted in suicides and ah...school shootings. And this fundamental problem would require a whole other post or maybe even a series of posts. It is a many layered onion.
So to those in power I say, get real. Stop pandering to the emotions of people who are in a highly agitated state of mind. Willing to grasp a straw of a solution no matter how absurd. Limiting the number of rounds in a magazine, really? How stupid do you think we are? That is an idiotic idea if that is what is being proposed to "stop this type of thing from happening". Banning assault rifle sales. If this had been in effect 10 years ago do you really believe none of these tragedies would have occurred? If so, you already drank the Kool-Aid or took the blue pill. It would not have changed a damn thing. It was the mind not the method, that caused these acts. Just like a river that seeks the path of least resistance, these would have been easily navigable obstacles.
Banning weapons seems like an easy rallying cry but in the end when cooler heads prevail, it is not the problem solver we would like. And what does "banning" really mean anyway?? Somebody in Congress or the Senate please define that to my satisfaction. Just as a side note...you do know in China about the same time as the Newtown tragedy that a wacko attacked school kids using knives, right?
Now I am no weapons expert but if someone with only a knife could stab/slash 23 victims AND get away...how would any measure of gun control have prevented this from happening?
I own 2 handguns, a hunting rifle (never hunted with it) and a shotgun. I have ammo for all of them. With no children in the house, they are stored easily accessible but not in the open. My wife could only find the handguns if she needed to in a hurry. We are adult, responsible, and realistic. I feel better with my gun in the nightstand. I have shot it at the range many times. I have no doubt if my life or my wife's life were threatened that I could use it.
oh, and none of my guns have gotten up in the middle of the night and gone on a killing spree.
Your thoughts?
