Not necessarily true. I posted this on my FB account several days after Sandy Hook and got lots of supportive comments and got some good discussion going.
I am angry. I am so incredibly angry I can hardly stand it. I want to stomp the body of Adam Lanza into dust. Then I want to do it again. How many Virginia Tech's, Columbine's, Aurora's and Sandy Hook's can we tolerate? To echo President Obama these tragedies must end, we can not tolerate anymore of this violence.
However, I am incensed, furious, and frankly pissed off, about all this talk of gun control because it misses the point and more importantly will be an ineffective strategy. Let's get one thing straight before I continue: I am a gun owner and I love to shoot. I am also not your stereotypical right-wing gun owner. I do not belong to the NRA or any other gun advocacy group. I tend to vote democratic and identify better with the progressive political philosophy. That said, I am a staunch supporter of the Constitution and ALL of its amendments.
But folks, this talk of gun control is ludicrous. This is a "how do we reverse the gutting of mental health care funding" issue. This should be a talk about prevention. Instead it is the usual knee jerk reactionary irrational and illogical crap that doesn't address the problems or even come close to addressing the real issue of mental health.
I am infuriated that the politicians and media are making a feeding frenzy of guns and gun control. By focusing on the guns the focus is shifted off the shooter and the responsibility placed on an inanimate object. If that is the route we as a society decide to take then is there a reason to penalize and incarcerate drunk drivers? Following the gun control line of thought the answer would be no and of course cars must be controlled above and beyond what they already are.
Are there any gun laws on the books now that would've changed anything in any shooting you can think of? If a person is going to offensively use a gun then no law, no huge amount of laws is going to prevent that. The ironic part of this nonsense is that gun control will neither prevent evil but will instead make regular folks like me an outlaw and by abstraction evil.
I am not one to parrot the chest thumping bravado of others but as the former head of the NRA Charleton Heston famously said, "from my cold dead hands." I will not give up my right to own and shoot a gun, buy a gun, buy accessories or ammo. I will not give up my right to protect myself with a gun or derive pleasure from shooting my guns. I will, God forbid, come to your aid with a gun in hand if need be to confront evil folks who don't care about the law or give two shakes about you.
Finally, I recognize that I have been reeled into a gun control conversation but let us remember this is about one person who inflicted evil on the most innocent among us. The conversation should go forward with prevention and protection as the paramount principles to be discussed and not control of things or people.
. Seriously though, facebook wise, I have an account and check it relatively often but mostly to see what everyone else is up too. I rarely post anything but do throw some likes out to the more outspoken friends I have on there. It is what it is, Everyone knows who I am and what I'm about at this point, through social media and whatever other means the "man" has. I'm probably in the minority of people who actually realize that, understand that, and know that may make life more difficult at some point but I'll deal with that when the time comes.
