*Disclaimer: gun enthusiasts may want to stop reading here.
It's been a long time since news bothered me like this. I clearly remember when I heard about 9/11. I remember Columbine. I remember Oklahoma City. This one bothers me more.
The whole thing became clear to me at the gym. The TV was on, a couple of guys were watching the report, then the first thing that came out of a guy's mouth went something like this:
"Well, now they'll come after my guns."
"Yeah, you know Obama has just been waiting for a chance."
"Yeah! He sent 90,000 rounds of ammunition to Egypt, and look what that got us."
"Ted Nugent for president! At least he won't take our guns!"
Wow. Just... wow.
My step-father was a gun dealer. I own guns. I've been around them and people who love them all my life. I know the culture, I totally get it. This one conversation finally crystallized something that gnawed at me about many gun enthusiasts for some time. Far too many value owning guns more than anything else. I wish this type of conversation was in isolation, that I'd never heard this type of talk before. Sadly, it isn't, and it isn't.
More than that, the frank callousness, the total lack of empathy, was chilling. This man was more worried about his guns than 20 dead kids. Think about that. Where was his soul?
Maybe I'm overreacting here. There are certainly reasons I might. I spent 17 years in a school such as this one. I've dealt with this age group for most of my life. I can guess that a few of those adults killed today gave their lives trying to protect those kids. My heart is broken. What does it take before we finally admit we've paid too high a price?
Personal liberties should not be given up lightly. Amen! But how many high profile shootings have happened in the last two weeks? It's funny, because there was a discussion on the run the other night on this very topic, which I started partially in jest. Ironic. We disagree wildly within our group, and that's okay. However, let me state categorically my position on the issue, lest there be doubt.
Enough is enough. No one needs a personal assault rifle, period. Nor do they need the larger clips, etc., etc. I'm not against hunters or hunting; Guns designed to kill people (specifically) have no purpose in the hands of private citizens. We have to have the courage to look the issue directly and deal with it.
It's been a long time since news bothered me like this. I clearly remember when I heard about 9/11. I remember Columbine. I remember Oklahoma City. This one bothers me more.
The whole thing became clear to me at the gym. The TV was on, a couple of guys were watching the report, then the first thing that came out of a guy's mouth went something like this:
"Well, now they'll come after my guns."
"Yeah, you know Obama has just been waiting for a chance."
"Yeah! He sent 90,000 rounds of ammunition to Egypt, and look what that got us."
"Ted Nugent for president! At least he won't take our guns!"
Wow. Just... wow.
My step-father was a gun dealer. I own guns. I've been around them and people who love them all my life. I know the culture, I totally get it. This one conversation finally crystallized something that gnawed at me about many gun enthusiasts for some time. Far too many value owning guns more than anything else. I wish this type of conversation was in isolation, that I'd never heard this type of talk before. Sadly, it isn't, and it isn't.
More than that, the frank callousness, the total lack of empathy, was chilling. This man was more worried about his guns than 20 dead kids. Think about that. Where was his soul?
Maybe I'm overreacting here. There are certainly reasons I might. I spent 17 years in a school such as this one. I've dealt with this age group for most of my life. I can guess that a few of those adults killed today gave their lives trying to protect those kids. My heart is broken. What does it take before we finally admit we've paid too high a price?
Personal liberties should not be given up lightly. Amen! But how many high profile shootings have happened in the last two weeks? It's funny, because there was a discussion on the run the other night on this very topic, which I started partially in jest. Ironic. We disagree wildly within our group, and that's okay. However, let me state categorically my position on the issue, lest there be doubt.
Enough is enough. No one needs a personal assault rifle, period. Nor do they need the larger clips, etc., etc. I'm not against hunters or hunting; Guns designed to kill people (specifically) have no purpose in the hands of private citizens. We have to have the courage to look the issue directly and deal with it.
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