I am tired of being politically correct and keeping my mouth shut.
Shame on me and others like me for watching in horror at the latest mass shooting and praying for the newest families who lost members to gun violence, then voting for people who can’t or won’t enact change.
Shame on those elected officials who refuse to find a way to protect innocent lives who are attending church or temple, who are listening to a band, who are watching a movie, who are buying groceries, who are trying to learn in kindergarten, first grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade, or high school classrooms.
Shame on people who are adamant that civilians have rights to own assault weapons. To the one argument I’ve heard in favor of these guns, no, you don’t need one to shoot wild boars. I’m pretty sure people were shooting them with regular weapons way before automatic ones became a thing.
Shame on gun groups and manufacturers and store owners who think rights are being violated if anyone mentions gun regulations. I don’t understand why background checks for people who want to purchase guns are a point of contention. I had to have a background check to volunteer in my children’s elementary school. I had to have a background check to obtain my TSA pre-check status at airports. I have to show an ID to buy Sudafed.
Shame on us for being a society who allows young men to fall through the cracks and resort to gun violence before they turn twenty.
Lest you begin to paint a picture of who you think I am, know this. I have hunters in my family and enjoy eating venison. I have two Captains in the US Army who know their way around guns and own them. I just recently passed a concealed carry class after spending six hours in the classroom studying gun law and two hours on the range shooting a .22.
I AM NOT OPPOSED TO GUN OWNERSHIP.
I am, however, opposed to government officials who are quick to offer condolences but molasses slow to do anything more than try to get themselves re-elected. I heard one such official say, “Today isn’t the day to discuss gun control. People are grieving now.” I disagree—and not respectfully–because we know from recent history that tomorrow will bring another massacre, so we better start talking and doing to find a solution.
Classroom teachers shouldn’t have to plan escape routes for their eight-year-olds.
Why can’t we be as obsessed over fixing the broken gun regulations as we are over the Depp/Heard trial?
Well said and Thank you for saying it.
Thank you for reading, Chloe.
Shame on us our system is broken. Nothing can excuse what happened …but we need better care for the mentally ill and a true zero tolerance for bullying.
Yes, I agree, Rhonda.
I 💯 agree! This morning when I walked into my classroom I couldn’t help but think of those same teachers in Uvalde who did them same and never left. Just heart wrenching and maddening to me that we can do better for children in the US and humanity. No one needs a gun of mass destruction. I come from a state where hunting is a way a life and is used appropriately. I come from a US Army Artillery soldier who knows how to use guns well trained appropriately. No teen needs a gun of mass destruction for any reason. We have to do better in government! 💔❤️
Thank you for your comments, Kristen. I remember when Hattie told me she had spent a while figuring out what she’d do to protect her students in a terrible situation. Teachers shouldn’t have to worry about that.
Well said and I totally agree I’m praying for leadership that will follow God and not the party
Thank you for reading and replying, Mr. JL. Yes, we need to vote!
Well said. Time to vote out those who can not support change.
Yes! Thank you for reading, Melissa.
One million percent agreed. Emailed my congressman and senators today. I am tempted to email/call my old ones in NC, too.
Good job, Anna!
Disagree…these events time and time again happen in “Gun Free Zones” where law already attempts to apply gun control BS…the only ones that pay attention to the law and abides by the law in this case become the slaughtered sheep. The best suggested solutions I have seen is everyone carry’s who is not a Felon and already lost that right. If more people carried concealed to include in these so called Gun Free Zones bad people (not Guns to blame!) would think twice because they don’t know what direction the bullet is coming from. Chicago, New York and L.A. are prime examples that Gun control laws don’t work; they just leave the bad guys being the only ones that have guns. Last but certainly not least…restrictions on what type of guns a Citizen can own is not what I believe the intent of the Constitution; particularly the 2nd Amendment was written for. I don’t want to see this country in a position where the government is the position of having all the guns…look what your elected officials already do for their interests more than yours.
James, thank you so much for reading and adding your years of military and law enforcement experience to your reply. The mass shooting problem is so huge that only one solution will never fix it. I stand by the background checks and red flag laws even though they don’t cover inherited guns. We have five such guns in our family right now awaiting distribution to grandsons. Not every person who is bullied or who has mental health challenges doesn’t become a mass shooter, but mental health still needs attention in our country. Most churches now have security teams with armed people everywhen the Sunday, but shootings still happen there, and, yes, I remember when the carrying church member shot and killed the intruder in one of the Texas shootings.
I already heard a little push back from my Captain sons about my opinion regarding owning assault weapons. Military and law enforcement officers need to practice with these kinds of guns when they’re not on the job so that they are excellent when they’re on the job. I get that. But civilians? Okay, since Americans have the right to own guns (and when the men wrote the second amendment, weren’t they talking only about muskets?), but what a about a step-up system of owning pistols, then long guns, then the next kind and so on–training for six months or so with each step and showing proficiency before moving to the next type of gun. Yes, this sounds like money, but guns are expensive. Concealed carry classes are expensive. Applying for the permit is expensive.
The problem I have with everyone carrying is that the process to earn a concealed carry permit is different in almost every state. I mentioned the process in North Carolina. In Pennsylvania, people who want a concealed carry permit go to the court house, fill out a form, and pay their money. Done. No education. No training. That’s it. How is that process a smart idea? (Sorry to call out Pennsylvania, a state I love, but I don’t understand the reasoning here.)
We need many solutions to protect us from the next mass shooting.
Thank you, James, for your points!