How many more funerals will there be before we, as a nation, as a people, do something about gun violence in this country? And for the record I’m not speaking of just the senseless mass shootings. I’m speaking of ALL types of gun violence: mass shootings, hate crimes, black on black, white on white, Hispanic on Hispanic, domestic violence, bank robberies, store robberies, car jackings, drug deals……COME ON AMERICA! It’s been way too much for way too long.
I am not a politician, nor a lobbyist or historian. However, I do know when and why the Second Amendment was ratified. Over the years I have noted some of the cases surrounding the “Constitutionality” of this Amendment. In my OPINION those of us who use the provisions of the Second Amendment as the basis for opposing stricter gun control laws are WILLFULLY or WRONGFULLY ignoring the context in which it was written. If you don’t believe me just use your own common sense as you consider this question: How much has the world changed since 1791? Since 1891? For that matter since 1991? Yeah I know, right…? And yet, many of us, while living in our own solitary comfort, insulated from the backdrop of needless death, shameless killings and thoughtless murders, use the Second Amendment as an unjustifiable reason and baseless excuse to own ANY type of gun we desire. IF THIS IS YOU, YOU ARE WRONG. Before your emotions take over all I ask is that you take a minute to consider the following: Does having a driver’s license allow you to own/operate heavy equipment or commercial trucks? Can you go to the local military base and drive a tank? An assault vehicle? Just asking… I love fighter jets. When I buy a plane ticket I cannot request to fly in an F22 or F18. Just like the rest of America I am given a seat on a commercially available passenger plane regulated by the FAA and NTSB. PERIOD!
My neighbor owns a stock dragster and a Sprint car. The fact that he has the legal right to drive does not give him the right to drive those particular cars on the road. The cars are not “street legal”. PERIOD!
While the Second Amendment gives us the “right” to gun ownership, there are no amendments that prohibit laws to be passed to make gun ownership a “privilege” and to make certain guns illegal. If you are not intelligent enough to comprehend this or you lack the integrity to accept its truth, then YOU ARE THE ENABLERS OF THIS SENSELESS GUN VIOLENCE. PERIOD!
Admittedly I do not know the gun laws of my city, my county, my state or this country. But whatever those laws are is simply not enough. Children, dare I say toddlers, are dying in schools while privileged adult men and women who have the authority to enact change are busy pointing fingers and turning a blind eye. I have a painfully uncomfortable question for the leaders of our individual states and this country at large: HOW MANY SENATORS, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE HOUSE, GOVERNORS AND MAYORS WOULD HAVE TO DIE AT THE HANDS OF UNQUALIFIED PERSONS WITH GUNS BEFORE YOU GOT UP OFF OF YOUR LAZY, PATHETIC WEAK ASSES AND CHANGED SOME LAWS? HOW MANY? ARE ANY OF YOU WILLING TO DIE TO PROTECT THE SECOND AMENDMENT? NO? THEN WHY ARE YOU STILL DEMANDING THAT INNOCENT CHILDREN DO SO? To all of the members of Congress and their respective families: All of you are cowardly failures if this remains status quo. And to think some leaders had the audacity to question the decision of the Uvalde Police Chief for his failure to “do something”. Your actions are just as inept and irresponsible if not moreso.
Some lawmakers want stricter gun laws. Some want improved mental health legislation. Some want tougher criminal sentencing. Why can’t we have all of these? Please do not lie to the American people and say we do not have the money to fund them all because WE DO! PERIOD!
Believe it or not some leaders are trying to make “US” believe that the way to solve the gun violence issue is to…….add more guns to the problem. They use a small sample of analytics to justify their stupidity and expect others to follow suit. “Got a flooded basement, just add more water”. “Got a flat tire, just normalize it by flattening the other three.” “Two kids fighting in class, let the other twenty kids help break it up”. “Too much salt in your food, just add MORE salt”. “Building on fire, just add gasoline to it.” Stupid shit man.
I don’t know. Couldn’t we have a federal law that requires a minimum number of hours of firearms safety training before attaining a gun permit? Why not require registration/permits for ALL guns? How about a 90- day waiting period/ background evaluation before being eligible for any gun purchase? How about this: All guns must be registered through each state’s respective police department upon purchase. Cars gotta be registered through the MVA……How about this: Gun owners should be required to carry liability insurance as part of the “right/ privilege” of ownership. Car owners gotta have car insurance……How about this: Any/ all gun crimes carry a mandatory minimum 2 year sentence and lifetime ban from gun ownership. Hey, felons used to lose voting rights for life……Just thinking out loud.
I don’t want to rehash all of the mass shootings, but I have to discuss one. The first school shooting that I recall getting major media coverage was Paducah, Kentucky. I remember feeling extremely shocked and would not have believed that school shootings would become so commonplace and acceptable. That was 1997. At this point I don’t know what is more troubling: Living through all of the shootings since then or not knowing just how many more we’ll live through in our lifetimes…..
It would be fitting if all of Congress was forced to visit towns where mass shootings took place so that they could see the pain and anguish the surviving victims go through. Maybe have a meaningful and progressive dialogue for action.
On second thought maybe that’s not such a great idea. Many of the Congress members would probably take their guns with them………
The Real Life Corner 