Do you love children or guns more? You can’t choose both. One is more precious than the other. Yet, many of our politicians are casting votes that definitely will allow more gun violence.
We are only a week out from the most recent mass school shooting in Florida. My heart breaks for those kids whose lives were cut short, their families and their friends who will never see them again. Yet, here we are with both sides of the political aisle pointing fingers rather than solving a life or death problem. I’m hot about this, as are many people. Just take a look at your Facebook feed and news channels.
Unfortunately, the discussion has become venomous.
Those who live and breathe the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms, are afraid all their guns are going to be taken away. They argue that guns aren’t the problem, people are. They blame the slipping of family values as the reason for gun violence. “Better values, better protection!” is their battle cry.
On the other side of the coin, there are those who are completely against guns and want them all banned. They are afraid of losing their loved ones (or have already lost them) to guns via suicide, mass murders or other gun crimes. They blame the ease of access to guns as the main problem. “Less guns, less violence!” is their battle cry.
I believe that both sides can come together with a solution that doesn’t infringe upon the right to bear arms and curbs the amount of gun violence in the United States.
There are a lot of ideas being tossed around, but very little action.
The worst of the gun violence proposed solutions are…
1. To arm teachers and staff with guns to protect their classrooms. Fighting fire with fire is never the solution. This is ridiculous for a whole host of reasons. First of all, most teachers don’t have the aptitude to handle a gun. Think about it, if you decided to become a teacher it was because you had a desire to serve, inspire and educate children. Killing a child, even a gun wielding one, is so far removed from your values, that the thought makes you ill. Our teachers aren’t soldiers or a police force. Teachers have enough responsibilities piled onto their busy lives for very little pay. Why would they want to add “gun toting body guard” to their job description? Furthermore, our teachers are paid so little for the value of what they do, how do we plan to subsidize training them for active shooter protection? Then there is the fact that most districts have had their budgets chopped so severely that they don’t have enough money for basic necessities like pens, paper and pencils. How are the districts going to afford all the guns and ammo for their staff members? Your priorities are completely out of whack if you think arming teachers is the solution.
2. Ban all guns. Yes, guns are used for killing. They are also used for target and skeet shooting. They are one of our constitutional rights as Americans to be able to own. If in the right hands, they are useful for protection. If you are looking to piss off the NRA, sport shooters, hunters, gun collectors, military vets and 2nd Amendment die hards this will do it. I’m not keen on another civil war, are you? (Especially against a bunch of armed militia.)
What is the win/win solution for curbing gun violence?
Here are my two cents… Whether you are right or left politically, we all should agree that something has to be done. Enough talk. The time is overdue for taking drastic action against tun violence.
As a country gal who grew up in Texas, I’m not keen on anyone taking away guns. However, I would like to see some better regulation.
It’s far too easy for some young psycho to get a hold of an AR-15. Don’t you find it strange that it’s more difficult for a psycho to get a drivers license and a car than it is for them to get a gun and enough ammo to cause a major tragedy?
