Over the last year or so, when a mass shooting spree makes its way to the 24 hour media cycle, the first thing you hear is... "Now is not the time to talk about gun control..."
They said it when Gabby Giffords and others were shot, they said it after Aurora, after Virginia Tech, after this latest mall spree and now after 27 people are dead...20 of them under the age of 8 years old. I don't think any of those kids care when is the right time to talk about gun violence in this country... I don't think their parents care that this will spark a 2nd Amendment argument... I think the only thing they care about right now is trying to piece together a life that is shattered. It is hard to move on from a child's death. I am 37 weeks pregnant, and every day... EVERY DAY (no I don't talk about it, I don't spew on about it) but every single day I think about the child I lost. She died in the womb and I never got to look into her eyes or watch her grow, but I held her in my arms and I felt that gut wrenching heartbreak of loss that I have never forgotten and I find it repugnant that 20 families now have to go through that feeling...it never goes away.
So when I see someone immediately defend how every person who is responsible and law abiding deserves a gun, you will have to pardon my annoyance. That sort of illogical refusal to talk about real problems IS a problem. Yes, I have read the 2nd Amendment... I am a historian, I have studied the constitution quite a bit and while I do read the "right to bear arms," I also read "well regulated" and I do not see how one must be exclusive from the other.
A responsible and law abiding adult should have no problem dealing with waiting periods, ammo restrictions, or gun education... they should WANT IT...because they are responsible.
A waiting period does not infringe on your right to get a gun, it just means let there be some necessary checks to ensure the wrong people are NOT getting guns. If someone is a felon, if someone has a history of mental illness...do they need a semi-automatic weapon and high capacity ammo clips... no. If you think waiting periods, background checks, and logical limitations will infringe on your rights... I am sorry, I would rather 20 little kids get to see an adulthood than you pitch a fit because you had trouble buying your AR-15 to do what??? Hunt? Protect your home?? From what?? paratroopers??
Military grade weapons and a handgun/shot gun to keep in your house (IN A GUN SAFE) are two very different things....
It is time for adults to be adults and have adult conversation about being responsible and look at why we have SUCH a gun problem in OUR country. In 2009, we had over 10k gun homicides in the United States, most countries don't even top 100 so please explain to me how having more guns has helped???? One of the MOST absurd things I heard over the last few days involved arming teachers... yes...this sounds BRILLIANT.
Can we get real?
Just because I can own a semi-automatic weapon doesn't mean I should... it doesn't mean anyone should...
gun regulation, ammo regulation, better checks, gun education, proper access to mental health, these are all things that can contribute to lower gun deaths...
Its a fact that there were LESS shootings like the one in Connecticut when the assault weapons ban was in place (legislature let it lapse in 2004) and it is a fact that people who go try to get a gun and meet with waiting periods often get discouraged and turn away (unfortunately the Ct shooter's mom was a gun enthusiast and he took her weapons after not getting a gun of his own due to a waiting period). Regulation is not infringing on one's right to own a gun, it just makes gun ownership more responsible...and I don't see why a single person on this earth would not WANT that...
I cried a few times after that shooting, I cried because it was too horrible to understand why this could happen... and then I got angry. We should get angry so we can talk about things that should be talked about... fine, dont ban guns... but lets be adults about it.
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I own guns, but...if Superman were to fly down and volunteer to fly all the guns and nukes to space to destroy them by throwing them into the sun, I would gladly give them up. What a shame it is that we as humans can have a difference of opinion that is so great, that we would want to fire pieces of metal at each other until death results. What a greater shame that I can not be the change I want to see in the world by giving up my guns.
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